Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly Newsletter

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Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #143 Aug. 27, 2004
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:
3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Website
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Finding What You're Looking For on the World Wide Web
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Website
Mike Cheney
www.magnet4web.com
You can get free access to lots more articles that will help you to
improve your website plus a FREE Special Report "How To Turn Your
Website Into A Customer Magnet" worth a value of £47 ($85) here:
http://www.magnet4web.com/website_services/?page=freeguide

------------------------------------------------------------

Before you start worrying about marketing your website on
the internet it always pays dividends to look at the website
itself and get the fundamentals right before looking to
shout about it from the virtual mountain-tops.

You may already have thought about the following 3 ways and
some of you may already have them in place on your website.
If so - congratulations - you're well on the way to having a
website that will bring you more business. So here they are
then - the 3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your
Website..

1. You're Fishing For Visitors - You'll Need This To Hook
Them.
Ever been surfing on a website that held your attention and
then the phone rings? You take the call, take some notes,
get distracted, visit another website and before you know it
you've forgotten all about the website you were viewing. It
happens all the time and if you don't have a Bookmarking
tool on your website it will be happening with the people
that come to your website. A Bookmarking tool is just a
simple link or logo that your visitors can click on in order
to bookmark your website or add it to their favourites. It
is best to have the button located on the homepage but an
even better option is to have a bookmarking button on every
page so a visitor can actually bookmark each specific page
of your website for safe-keeping. Look to the left of this
article and you will see the bookmarking button we use -
click on it to see how it adds this specific page to your
favourites - nifty eh?
[Editor's note: article originally appeared on a website.]

2. `X' Marks The Spot.
Visitors come to your website and if you're lucky - they
like it and click beyond the homepage. Excellent. But they
can't find what they're looking for. Uh oh, you could be in
trouble. There's a lot of information on your website and
Mr. Visitor doesn't have time to sift through it all to find
what he's looking for. You'd better hope that he's either
very patient or that you've provided him with a simple map
to help him get to the `treasure' he is looking for. A Site
Map is an essential item - particularly on larger websites.

There is nothing more frustrating than hunting around for
something and wasting time when just a simple one pager that
presents a summary of all the information on your website
could be used. A Site Map should be reachable from all pages
of your website in just one click and should have clickable
links on it so that a visitor can zoom straight through to
their desired location without having to hunt around. If you
don't give them a map your visitors may become frustrated
searching around for that desired piece of information and
they may leave your website never to return.

3. Don't Make Your Visitors Have To Write An Email To
Contact You
If you are inviting enquiries or contact from visitors to
your website you need to provide them with a way of doing
this that is as easy as possible for them. Just posting your
email address on the website is not the best solution. Why?
Because when they click on it they need to then create an
email from scratch. Do you know how busy your visitors are?
They hardly have time to read the content of your homepage -
never mind create an email from scratch. The solution? You
need to use a simple form. A form enables you to standardise
the responses that you receive and it also makes it very
simple for your visitors to get in touch with you - all
they need to do is pop in their name, email address and
tick a few boxes and that's it.

Making it easy for your visitors to contact you isn't the
only reason that using a form is a great idea. Doing so
means you can get some information back from each person
that fills in the form. You can ask them how they discovered
your website, which other websites they like to visit - you
can ask them anything! Anything that is going to help you
learn more about them, more about who they are and more
about what will make them buy from you. You think they would
tell you all this if they were creating an email from
scratch? No - of course they wouldn't! That's why you need
a form.

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

This has been a very busy and very short week. I find
myself looking at one of those rare occasions when I have
very little to say. :)

The newsletter next week will be sent a little earlier than
usual due to my having to be out of town early Friday. It
will probably be sent Thursday evening/night.

Also, if anyone is interested, I've been compiling a CD-ROM
of scientific, visual, and other information from NASA's
Mars expedition, including footage from the lander. This
is some really cool stuff! Watch http://www.AWWStore.com
for the debut of this great disk.

Also, if you're into politically-active t-shirts and other
stuff, be sure to visit my CivilDisobedience.us Web store:
http://www.cafepress.com/phenrycd_us
I've added a bunch of new t-shirts and whatnot and, of
course, the site still features the now-infamous "Please!
Spay and Neuter Your Politicians" shirts too!

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Readers Talk Back!
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"I have several computors/desktop that all have windows
operating systems and I need to know the best way to remove
windows from my computors and upgrade, I have several
different versions of windows and just need to know where to
look for info on how to wipe them clean for a new install..
win 98, win 2000, winMe."
--Lyn

Editor: Well, Lyn, that depends on what you mean by "wipe
them clean." If you mean you want to completely remove
EVERYTHING from the drive and start from scratch, that is
very easy to do. All versions of Windows have a tool to
accomplish just this - usually by booting from the Windows
CD itself. Just insert the CD for the new version of
Windows you intend to install and follow the instructions
given. Expect this process to take about three hours per
computer (give or take, depending on configurations).

To wipe only Windows from the system and re-install a new
version is a lot trickier. If you don't know how to do it,
I'd suggest hiring a professional rather than trying to
accomplish it yourself.

In all cases, ALWAYS, ALWAYS backup your important data
before doing anything at all!!!

"Good issue."
--Bob L.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Finding What You're Looking For on the World Wide Web
(c) Copyright 2000, Garth Catterall-Heart. All rights
reserved.
mailto:whats-new-editor@about-the-web.com
What's New About-the-Web - A monthly newsletter featuring
Original Articles, Great Sites and Tips & Tricks
mailto:whats-new-on@about-the-web.com to subscribe
http://about-the-web.com - Internet Guide for Newcomers

------------------------------------------------------------

Searching the Internet for specific information can be both
rewarding and frustrating. The are many tools available to
choose from, including search engines (automated search
services), human compiled directories, search services and
search utilities. Which you choose depends on your needs.

If you do a lot of searching, you will probably benefit from
a service or utility such as Copernic
or Alexa
. Both of these
tools have versions for Windows and Macintosh that you
download onto your computer. Copernic simultaneously
consults the best search engines and lists summaries of the
most relevant sites. Alexa provides information about the
page you are on and suggests related pages. It also offers a
web archive and desktop reference.

JotBot Search began as
an alternative interface to HotBot and grew to support six
major search engines: AltaVitsa, Yahoo, HotBot, DejaNews,
Four11, and UBL. Using a tiny JavaScripted input window,
JotBot facilitates immediate searches at speeds up to 10
times regular -- all by avoiding those large front pages
and skipping directly to the data. There is nothing to
download and the service is free to use.

For very advanced searches check out Direct Search
or the
Librarians' Index to the Internet .
Both of these provide links to information not available to
most search engines or directories.

If you only have occasional need for searching the web, then
"web portals" are probably the logical choice. These include
many of the search engines listed below. (In this article
the term "search engine" will be used to mean both the
service and the web site that uses it.) In addition to
search directories and search engine results, they offer
current news, weather, stock info, chat rooms, e-mail
accounts and many other services. Check out the list below
and make your favorite one your browser's home page for easy
access.

There are two ways to proceed with most search engines. The
easiest approach is to just type in one or more words and
then sift through the long list of sites. The second method
is to use the directory that the service provides. This
involves choosing (and in some cases guessing) which
category you think the information you're looking for might
be in.

Using the search feature is certainly quicker and easier.
You will get back a list of web sites that theoretically
have something to do with the words you searched for. They
will be listed by relevancy, determined by a mysterious
formula. Unfortunately, most of the time, many of these
listings will not be relevant, or will be outdated, or will
be duplicates.

Often the more methodical approach of using directories is
more rewarding. You get back a list of web sites that have
been categorized by humans rather than computer programs,
which means that there will be no irrelevant or duplicate
listings. You may still find that some of these web sites no
longer exist or that the information they contain is not
what you're looking for.

Using a combination of the two search methods often produces
the best results. Start by doing a search by using words
that have to do with the topic you have in mind. Then after
checking out the first few listings, check the related
categories or search terms that the page recommends. This
should lead you either to a directory category page that has
more relevant listings or a page of search listings that may
be more relevant than your first attempt.

There are under twenty major search engines and they are
often shared by different "web portals". Almost all of the
major "search engines" also maintain directories that list
web sites in a more orderly fashion than you get by merely
doing a search. Similarly, there are perhaps a dozen major
directories and these too are shared by several different
companies. The Open Directory is one of the most popular
choices.

The Open Directory Project has approximately 2 million web
sites, collected and organized by more than 20,000 expert
editors worldwide, with more than 3,000 new sites added
daily. These editors are dedicated to an open-source
volunteer effort to make the best human-edited Directory on
the Web.

Here's a rundown of the major search engines:

* AOL NetFind - offers search
listings and a directory based on the Open Directory
Project. The directory and search engine also bring
thousands of additional sites to AOL Search from AOL and
AOL.COM.

* AltaVista - In terms of pages
indexed, AltaVista is one of the largest search engines on
the web. It has very comprehensive coverage and a wide range
of power searching commands, which make it a particular
favorite among researchers.

* Ask Jeeves - A humanized
search service that attempts to direct you to the exact page
that answers your question. If it fails to find a match
within its own database, then it will provide web pages from
various other search engines.

* Direct Hit - Direct Hit's
technology provides highly relevant results for any Internet
search. By analyzing the activity of millions of previous
Internet searchers, Direct Hit determines the most relevant
sites for your search request. Direct Hit is a subsidiary of
Ask Jeeves.

* Excite - One of the most popular
search services on the web. Offers many features such as
email, news, weather, etc. along with a very good search
engine and directory.

* FAST Search - Formerly
called All The Web, FAST Search aims to index the entire
web. It was the first search engine to index 200 million
web pages. However it has no related search feature and no
directory.

* Go/Infoseek - Go has many partners
including ABC.com, Disney.com, Family.com, ABCNEWS.com and
ESPN.com. They have good directory that is compiled by
"Go Guides" and a popular search engine called Infoseek.

* GoTo - Unlike many other search
engines, GoTo sells its listings. Companies can pay money
to be placed higher in the search results, which GoTo feels
improves relevancy. This model is now being adopted by
several other search engines.

* Google - Google claims to have
indexed 1,060,000,000 web pages. They have recently
partnered with Yahoo to create probably the most
comprehensive Directory/Search Engine combination.

* HotBot - Like AltaVista, HotBot
is another favorite among researchers due to its large index
of the web and many power searching features. In most cases,
HotBot's first page of results comes from the Direct Hit
service (see above), and then secondary results come from
the Inktomi search engine, which is also used by other
services. It gets its directory information from the Open
Directory project. HotBot is part of the Lycos network
(see below).

* LookSmart - Another human-
compiled directory of the web. In addition to being a stand-
alone service, LookSmart provides directory results to many
other partners.

* Lycos - Lycos' main listings come
from the Open Directory project, and then secondary results
come from spidering the web. Lycos also features another
directory of web sites called Lycos Community Guides. Lycos
is one of the oldest search services, around since May 1994.

* MSN Search - Microsoft's MSN Search
service has a complete directory and a full-featured home
page. Search results are good, but there's no related search
feature.

* Netscape Search - Netscape
Search's results come primarily from the Open Directory and
Netscape's own "Smart Browsing" database, which does an
excellent job of listing "official" web sites. Secondary
results come from Google. At the Netscape Netcenter portal
site, other search engines are also featured. Here's a FAQ
about searching with Netscape Navigator.

* Northern Light - Another
favorite search engine among researchers. It features one of
the largest indexes of the web, along with the ability to
cluster documents by topic. Northern Light also has a set of
"special collection" documents that are not readily
accessible to search engine spiders. There are documents
from thousands of sources, including newswires, magazines
and databases. Searching these documents is free, but there
is a charge of up to $4 to view them. There is no charge to
view documents on the public web -- only for those within
the special collection.

* Snap/NBCi - NBC recently acquired
SNAP.com and offers a full featured home page and very good
search results. Sites in NBCi's LiveDirectory collection
are ranked according to their popularity in search. The
most popular sites rise to the top of the list in their
respective topics.

* WebCrawler - Has the smallest
index of any major search engine on the web -- think of it
as Excite Lite. The small index means WebCrawler is not the
place to go when seeking obscure or unusual material.
However, some people may feel that by having indexed fewer
pages, WebCrawler provides less overwhelming results in
response to general searches.

* Yahoo - The web's most popular
search service has a well-deserved reputation for helping
people find information easily. It is the largest human-
compiled guide to the web, employing about 150 editors in
an effort to categorize the web. Yahoo has over 1 million
sites listed. Yahoo now supplements its results with those
from Google. Yahoo is the oldest major web site directory,
having launched in late 1994.

For more information about Search Engines, see About Using
Search Engines


------------------------------------------------------------
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)2004 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
[http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com]

To unsubscribe
[{UNSUBSCRIBE_LINK}]

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).

posted by Militant Libertarian  # Thursday, August 26, 2004  

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #142 Aug. 20, 2004
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:
The Entrepreneurial Genotype
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
Sneaky (But Legal) Places To Insert Keywords For
Higher Rankings
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
The Entrepreneurial Genotype
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

------------------------------------------------------------
Recent studies into what is known as the "Entrepreneural
Genotype" have produced startling and interesting results.
New crossover studies involving social, ethnic, biologic,
archeologic, and historical sciences have found amazing new
information regarding what makes an entrepreneur and why
they continue to proliferate today. This report is a
summary of the findings of these studies and a conclusion
based on their data. The information herein is taken from
averages and some known entrepreneurs may not completely
"fit the mold."

What Is An Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is defined as a person who creates wealth.
For instance, modern entrepreneurs will create wealth for
businesses and other people, as well as themselves, by
consulting, creating new products, and by other means
mutually beneficial to themselves and others.

In the past, entrepreneurs have created wealth by creating
objects of art, ceremonial objects, architecture,
agricultural production, etc. Even with the passage of
centuries of time, these are still venues through which the
entrepreneur continues to thrive.

Racially, the entrepreneur tends to be one of the following:
Caucasian, Occidental, Negroid, Pacific Islander, Hispanic,
Amerind, or any mix of these.

Physically, the entrepreneur is usually between four feet
and seven feet in height and between 70 and 400 pounds.
Unusually bright eyes are not uncommon.

Mentally, the entrepreneur is generally of above-average
intelligence, generally scoring above 100 points on a
standardized IQ test.

Socially, entrepreneurs can be introverted or extroverted
and are usually involved in a religion which worships one or
more deities.

Where Do You Find An Entrepreneur?
Finding an entrepreneur is easy. Anywhere that wealth can
be created, found, or spent will involve an entrepreneur of
some kind. Most people know at least one entrepreneur and
many are related to more than one in their family history.

There are many entrepreneurs who have not yet "blossomed"
and are still in what is called the "infant stage" of
entrepreneurship. These people have not yet realized their
potential as an entrepreneur and are awaiting their
transition into the "adult stage."

Who Can Become An Entrepreneur?
While certain requirements are predetermined by birth (such
as race and physical traits), it is possible for any
sentient being to become an entrepreneur. Some people never
progress beyond the "infant stage" of entrepreneurship, but
many will make the transition and become full-blown
entrepreneurs in their own right. There are no single paths
to follow or specific kernels of knowledge to have to become
an entrepreneur. Many stumble upon it without any formal
training or understanding.

This has led many scientists to speculate that there may,
indeed, be a latent "entrepreneurial gene" in the human
genome that has been hitherto undiscovered and which
requires specific impulses to be activated. Further study
into this phenomenon is required.

Conclusion
It is concluded that anyone, no matter their background or
genetic makeup, can become an entrepreneur if the right
circumstances appear. Most entrepreneurs apparently become
so out of their own desire rather than because of purely
external stimulus.

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

I wrote the preceeding article in a flash of brilliance this
week. :) Stuff like this generally just comes to me,
usually while lifting something heavy...

It's been a pretty good week this week. eBay sales have
taken a sudden jump, I've been getting a lot done, and I
read a really good book on Celtic tales and beliefs.

So not a bad week at all. :)

I've also completed work on my articles archive and will be
adding a search feature to the entire site (including
newsletter archives, coming soon) shortly. The articles in
this archive date back to my beginning writing online, 2001,
but I have not included those which have become completely
outdated. Dig in!

http://www.AaronzWebWorkz.com/aaronzarticles/

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Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"I feel for you on the PayPal thing. That happened to me in
a similar way about a year ago. I no longer do business with
them at all and instead use egold only."
--Bob K.

Editor: Thanks, Bob. I'm currently reviewing various PayPal
alternatives and will be writing an article on my findings
soon.

"Paypal sucks!"
--Anonymous

"that web copy article is good stuff...thanks!"
--Andrea L.

Editor: Thanks, Andrea.

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
Sneaky (But Legal) Places To Insert Keywords For Higher
Rankings
Copyright 2004 Diane Hughes ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

Editor's Comments: Great article for those who are knee deep
in the SE rankings battle!
------------------------------------------------------------

The battle for high search engine rankings rages on! The
engines themselves continually make changes which makes our
jobs, as Web site owners, much more difficult. But, one
thing has always remained the same... Keywords.

Search engines still read text. That text still has to be
relevant to the site. Keywords are text and must be placed
strategically throughout your site. Those keywords within
the text are still the determining factor on how high you
go up the search engine ladder.

While many engines now place no relevancy whatsoever on the
keyword META tag itself, there are still plenty of places -
legal ones - to insert keywords in order to boost your
rankings.

Keep this list handy when writing copy for your site pages.
It will help you get the biggest bang for your search
engine buck.


1. In your URL.

Putting a keyword or keyphrase within your URL (domain
name) counts for major points!

2. In your page link names.

Rather than using a link in your navigation bar like
"services", add a keyword to that page link. If you are a
marketing consultant, you could put "marketingservices"
instead.

3. In links throughout the copy.

This uses the same principle as above. Instead of writing a
paragraph about your testimonials and linking to a page
named "testimonials", create a link to a page named
"marketing successes" (or some other powerful keyphrase).

4. In the "title" and "description" tags.

The title and description tags are still widely read and
used by engines. Be sure both are enticing and contain
keywords because some engines use them interchangeably.

5. In the copy itself.

The "optimal" copy length for search engine compatibility
is between 250 - 350 words. Why? Because that gives you
enough room to use the keyphrases repeatedly and still make
sense! You should have about a 3% ratio of copy to keywords.

6. In ALT tags.

ALT tags are those little bits of copy that pop up when you
hold your mouse over a graphic or picture. Search engines
read those - because they consist of text. Use keywords in
the descriptions you assign to the images on each page.
WARNING: Be VERY sure that the description in the ALT tag
goes with the image. Otherwise you could be banned for
"keyword stuffing."

Last little trick ... get one or two heavyweight keywords
or phrases in all 6 places above. It's hard to do, but the
results are tremendous!

By taking advantage of these sneaky - but legal - places to
insert keywords, you stand a better chance of getting one
of those coveted "Top 10" slots on the major engines. You
also stand a darn good shot at increasing traffic to your
site!

------------------------------------------------------------
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)2004 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
[http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com]

To unsubscribe
[{UNSUBSCRIBE_LINK}]

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 #141 Aug. 13, 2004
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:
Customer Disservice At PayPal
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
5 Ways to Get More Results from Your Web Copy
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
Customer Disservice At PayPal
by Aaron Turpen of Aaronz WebWorkz

------------------------------------------------------------
I didn't have access to my PayPal account for over two weeks
and was unable to receive money or conduct any type of
business through my account. Needless to say, this wasn't
good for business for an eBay PowerSeller.

It was all due to a long string of ill-timed events and some
kind of error at PayPal (either technical or human).

First, I received an order for an item, through my web
store; it turned out the item was on backorder through my
supplier. The buyer issued a refund request.

Somehow the refund request was immediately processed by
PayPal as some kind of delinquency on my part and the money
was deducted from my account. When I came online the next
afternoon and saw this, I was puzzled as to why it would
happen so quickly and without my input, but didn't have time
to deal with it, so I let it slide since the refund was due
the buyer anyway.

That was my first mistake.

The next afternoon, the refund was processed AGAIN and
deducted from my account. At this point, I'm out of town
and have no idea anything is happening as I'm not checking
my email. This refund put my account into the negative and
PayPal immediately froze it - so I could not send or receive
money through the account.

Meanwhile, something else happens and the buyer is only
refunded $18 (out of $200, now processed twice: $400). The
rest of the money disappears into the ether.

I return home to find out this has happened and to emails
from people attempting to purchase through my websites and
eBay, but without luck thanks to my PayPal account not
receiving money.

I immediately issue a trouble ticket via PayPal's website
and hope to hear back after the weekend.

That was my second mistake.

It took four days to get a response (other than an auto-
responder). Four days in which my account is frozen, I'm
losing customers and sales, and I'm paying eBay fees for
items that buyers are telling me they don't want if I can't
accept their PayPal payment for them.

Great.

On the third day, I try to call PayPal and am put on hold
for several minutes. I wait patiently. Finally, someone
answers and I explain the situation. We go through the
usual security routines to establish who I am and I explain
(again) what's happened - or what I think has happened. The
customer service rep is very nice, but confused as to how
this could be going on (and probably thinks I'm attempting a
scam of some kind). There is only one "report ticket" for
the refund, even though the refund was processed twice.

I end up talking to a supervisor. I'm told, after several
confusing minutes of attempted explanations on both our
parts, that I will receive an email with their resolution in
4-7 business days.

Four to seven days… Like an idiot, I accept that and
hang up.

There's the third mistake.

Five days later, I get a phone call from PayPal, this time
from someone I know. I'm told about what's happened and
told that they have refunded the $200 that's mine and that
the refund to the buyer is in process (for the other $182)
and will be completed shortly. This will close out the
ticket that's freezing my account and let me get back to
business.

I ask what's going on and why it's taken so long to
accomplish. I'm told something kind of unsettling: ever
since PayPal was purchased by eBay, a lot of the higher-paid
people who know what's going on and how to take care of it
are quitting or being laid off; especially from customer
service. Not good news at all.

The next day, my account still frozen, I send an email via
PayPal's system to complain about the wait. I get a
response the next day telling me that the refund request and
"customer service review" of my account could take 4-7
business days.

There we go with that "4-7" crap again. I immediately reply
with "Fix it by end of business tomorrow, or I close my
account and start using eGold exclusively. Plus I'll let
all 10,000 of my newsletter readers know about your customer
disservice." My account was back online the next day.

I don't know if it was because of my email or just because
that's how the timing worked out. Either way, my esteem for
PayPal has dropped several notches. I've also noticed a big
problem with my business: all my eggs are in the PayPal
basket for receiving online payments. I'll be rectifying
that quickly.

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

See above to see how my week's been. :)

Actually, it hasn't been all that bad. Busy, but nice.

That's about all I've got to say this week. I'm in a hurry
to get this issue published. :)

------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Talk Back!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Great issues! I always love getting your newsletter."
--Gloria L.

Editor: Hi, Gloria, and thanks. Always good to hear from a
long-time subscriber. :)

"Great tips with da biz cards, man. thx!"
--C.

Editor: Thanks, dude.

------------------------------------------------------------
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 Ways to Get More Results from Your Web Copy
by Vanessa Selene Williams
Vanessa Selene Williams is a freelance writer. You can visit her
online at http://corp.vswilliams.com.

------------------------------------------------------------

1) Don't just emphasize benefits. Emphasize value as
well.

Let's say you're selling a new product. Let's call it
popcorn facial masks. Yes, you should emphasize that'll
these exfoliating scrubs will make you look younger and
sexier. Now, let's pump up the copy with some value in
dollars and cents.

Announcing Popcorn Facials. An innovative new scrub that
uses the exfoliating power of popcorn to smooth away your
wrinkles and dead skin cells. With Popcorn facials, your
skin will look sexier, younger, not to mention yummier in a
matter of days instead of weeks. Best of all, as a new
customer, you'll receive this popcorn facial mask for only
$4.95…that's an astounding $10 worth of savings.

2) Keep it short. Keep scrolling to a minimum.

The more they have to scroll, the more customers you're
likely to lose. If you have long pages of copy and pictures,
consider breaking it up into separate pages. Or, you can
place internal links within the copy. Alternatively, you can
place a table of contents at the beginning -- Anything
that'll keep your customers from strolling because of
excessive scrolling.

3) Be eye-friendly.

Nothing instills eye fatigue like a block of seemingly
endless black and white text. You can beat this by including
bullets, pictures, indented paragraphs, etc. White space
breaks your copy into more manageable chunks.

Your reader will be grateful and more likely to read your
copy because the task won't seem as daunting.

4) Get attention with your headlines.

Think of your headlines as shortcuts. At first glance, these
informative nuggets should give your customers a one-
sentence summary echoing your customers' thoughts, "How does
this benefit me?" Without the headlines, your readers will
be likely skip over the most important information in your
copy.

5) The golden rule of copywriting…Tell them what to do!

A necessity, it may seem pushy but a call to action is a
must needed statement in your copy. It should tell the
reader not only what to do, but also how to do and when to
do it.

For instance, instead of saying click here say, "visit this
site today for the latest advice and best tips on how to
lose 5 lb in less than a week…" The more specific you are
the better.

------------------------------------------------------------
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)2004 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
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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).

------------------------------------------------------------
Aaronz WebWorkz Weekly E-Zine
A Weekly Newsletter of Hints, Ideas, and Resources for
Friends and Customers of www.AaronzWebWorkz.com
Issue #140 Aug. 6, 2004
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:
10 Nifty Tips for Better Business Cards
=> From The Webmaster
=> Readers Talk Back!
=> Guest Column:
The Value of Forums - Finding Forums
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Copyright and Reprint information
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information


------------------------------------------------------------
10 Nifty Tips for Better Business Cards
©2004 BIG Mike McDaniel, Professional Speaker and
Former Major Market TV News Anchor. The BIG Ideas
Group helps small business grow with mastermind
groups, seminars and sales training.
MailTo:Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com
http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" Newsletter
MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

------------------------------------------------------------

Not having a business card is as bad as using an eMail
address that ends in AOL.com. It's just not professional.

With domain names costing less that 9 bucks a year, there's
no excuse for anyone in business to have an AOL.com address.
With business cards costing less than 9 bucks at the big box
store, there's no excuse for anyone in business not to pass
them about.

Here are BIG Mike's 10 Nifty Tips for Better Business Cards

Don't Do It At Home
For what you spend on blank microperf cards and the time to
get it right, you could pay to have them look professional
instead of home baked.

Get your Own Logo
No logo at all looks better than a logo from a clip art
book. Same with cards with bars of color or circles. Your
card should be you, not something from a can.

Put YOU in the Middle
Your name is the most important part of the card put it in
the middle and big enough to see without granny glasses.

Forget the Beeper Number
No need to list cell phones and beeper numbers. If you want
a customer to have them, it is far more impressive for you
to hand write it on the card ("I'm giving you my private
cell phone number...")

Throw 'em Away When ANYTHING Changes
Don't be a cheapskate. Spend the bucks for new cards rather
than penciling in corrections. Be professional.

Keep it Simple
One phone number and one eMail is enough. Be sure to put
your website on the card, too. Some cards work great without
a street address. Do you need it on your card? Why?

Use Both Sides
The back of the card can be used to reinforce your selling
proposition. Think of your card as a little newspaper ad.
Use both sides.

Stick with White
White, glossy, shiny cards say "Business". Pastels and
swirls say "Avon Lady".

Never Leave Home Without One
Always carry a supply of cards. You never know. And keep
them handy in a ready pocket, not tucked away at the bottom
of a bag, so you can present one with a flourish on demand.
Keep a backup stack in the car.

Present It With A FLAIR
Practice offering your card with BOTH hands. It makes a BIG
impact. You goal is to get people to remember you and save
your card. Do that by using both hands.

For more on business cards, get my article "What Does Your
Business Card Say". Click the link to send a blank message
MailTo:BizCardSay@BigIdeasGroup.com

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

What a week! My PayPal account has been frozen thanks to
someone making a false refund request against it. I'm
getting pretty angry since PayPal's customer service has,
for the first time ever, really dropped the ball with me
here on this one. They've been nothing but stellar in the
past.

Anyway, this will hopefully be resolved by the time you
receive this or shortly thereafter.

As an aside, I have a political newsletter, which I don't
think I've mentioned before:
http://www.UtahFreedomActivist.com
I just published the third issue and it's going strong.

Well, there you go, a busy life is a fun life! Keep busy!

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

"Would you please consider putting the following ad for my
newsletter in your newsletter?

Sign up for NH Ventures eBusiness News eZine: A Weekly
Newsletter of e-Commerce, Real Estate Investment, Getting
out of Debt, Understanding Credit, New Inventory Items,
Low-Carb Dieting, and just for FUN... Peggy's Favorite
Recipes! http://www.nhventures.com/newslettersubscribe.htm "
--Neda

Editor: Hi, Neda. I don't normally do that, but yes, I will
since you were kind enough to mention me in your newsletter
and since your newsletter is a good one! Thanks!

------------------------------------------------------------
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!

------------------------------------------------------------
The Value of Forums - Finding Forums
Copyright 2004 Sharon Housley
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc.
http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in
alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software
solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and
http://www.small-business-software.net

------------------------------------------------------------

The Value of Forums - Finding Forums
There are literally thousands of online forums that cover a
wide range of topics. Forums provide individuals, who share
a common interest, with a meeting place for open
discussion, and a great gathering spot for "water cooler"
talk. When used properly forums can be an excellent
business tool and resource. By providing well thought out,
helpful responses posters can develop a reputation as an
industry expert. Establishing a reputation within forums
will eventually lead to solid business contacts and
relationships.

Forums, online discussion groups, can be found on many
websites. Companies, individuals or groups often have their
own web-based forums, which are a good source of technical
information or just general discussions. They can be closed
for private use only or open to anyone to post messages,
which are usually sorted within different categories, or
topics. Posting to forums is obviously effective when an
immediate answer is not required. Forum can be found by
searching for topic or subject with the word 'forum' or
'forums'. Forums are a great way to participate in a
community that is discussing a particular topic, or
communicate with a group of people interested in the same
topic.

Rules & Regulations
Before you post to a forum its important that you read the
Charter or description of the forum and determine what is
appropriate. It is probably not a bad idea to monitor a
newsgroup for a few days prior to posting. Understanding
what is accepted or not accepted in each newsgroup will go
a long way in befriending the participants.

Forum Etiquette
Spam is generally frowned upon, if you require information
on general forum etiquette I'd encourage you to read the
article at:
http://www.small-business-software.net/etiquette.htm .
Rules and etiquette can vary from one group to another, so
don't assume what is acceptable in one, is acceptable in
another.

Some forums require that you register and provide contact
information in order to post a message or respond to
messages. The registration is typically simple and requires
that you submit general information. An email confirmation
is required in order to confirm the information; once the
confirmation is responded to posting privileges are
granted. Some forums do not require registration and you
can post anonymously.

What to Look for In a Forum
Because time is valuable it is best to frequent forums that
have a lot of traffic, this will ensure that any posts
receive maximum exposure for little effort. The most recent
posts should be have current dates and it should be clear
that there is regular activity on the board.

Moderated Forums
Some forums are moderated, which means posts are approved
prior to being made public. This means that if you post to
a moderated forum, there will likely be a delay between the
submission and the posts appearance in the forum. Moderated
forums tend to have a lower 'noise' ratio and have less
off-topic posts. The downside to moderated forums is that
like moderated newsgroups they are usually less popular
because of the lag time between posts.

Signature Line
Most newsgroups allow for posters to include a signature on
any posts. This is your opportunity to mention your
products and services. Use this as an opportunity to tell
other forum visitors what you want them to know. Be sure to
provide an url to your website, as the link will not only
refer potential clients but it will help search engine
ranking.

Finding Forums
Forums can contain generic information or be very topic
specific. Try the following resources to find forums that
meet your needs.
Forum Directory -
http://www.small-business-software.net/forum-directory.htm
Forum Directory - http://www.forumdirectory.com
Forum Search - http://www.forumsearch.tk

------------------------------------------------------------
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)2004 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
[http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com]

To unsubscribe
[{UNSUBSCRIBE_LINK}]

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).