:Article Marketing At Its Best

Last month, I went with my brother to attend a marketing conference in Chicago. It was a really great time, and I was very excited to see the speakers and eat the great food that Chicago has to offer. One of my favorite parts of the conference was a lesson on basic marketing strategy by Mike Filsaime. Mike has a huge heart for those of us that struggle in the marketing arena, and you could see it at this conference. I learned so much about the things that I need to change in my business, and I owe most of it to the conference and the many great speakers I got to see.

Are you in a funk in your small business? Do you lack consistent customers? The way to change this trend is not to blame the economy, but to get into the exciting world of marketing. The problem with so many businesses is that when they lack customers, they cut their budgets. Mike Filsaime is a marketing guru that knows that this is usually a mistake. Most businesses lack cash flow because of their lack of marketing. Cutting it further just strengthens the problem. I geared up our marketing after watching on of Mike’s videos, and it has made all the difference in my job.

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Now, don’t get me wrong, I think shared and virtual server hosting is great. I have a virtual hosting account with a provider, and a standard shared hosting account on another. I have also had access to a dedicated server numerous times. But what’s all the fuss about dedicated servers?

Dedicated resources is a major reason. Not having to share any processing speed, any memory, hard drive capacity or network speed with anyone else (in other words, having it all entirely to yourself) sounds pretty good. Shared hosting accounts can sometimes go onto a server where there are hundreds if not thousands of other accounts. This isn’t a bad thing, but if someone is abusing the service, everyone suffers. If you also wanted to run a special application or internet service, chances are you wont be able to. With a dedicated server, you can.

Your own IP address. For the uninitiated out there, an IP address is like your server’s internet phone number. It is what other computers use to “call” your server and talk to it. If you wish to run an ecommerce store on your website, you will need an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer - a layer of encryption for protecting your personal and credit card details when making a purchase online) certificate. But personalised (not shared!) SSL certificates require an IP address. Sure, it is possible to get an IP address for SSL on a shared hosting account, but usually it’s quicker and easier to do this on a dedicated server.

Dedicated servers normally cost a bit more than a shared hosting or virtual server account, but the benefits you receive in return far outweigh any disadvantages. You only have to decide if a dedicated server is really suitable for what you need (don’t buy it unless you need to!) and/or if you can afford to keep it. Make sure your dedicated server comes with a flexible contract, or short contract that only lasts a few months at a time. This allows you to take advantage of any discounts and price drops that your provider introduces that you may not be entitled to on your current contract. The downside to this situation is having to remotely back up all your data in the event that you decide to move your business elsewhere. Talk to your provider about flexibility and their ability to accommodate your changing needs over time.

But if you play it well, a dedicated server will be the best internet purchase you could make. Or it could be a waste. Stick by these few simple guidelines to decide if you need one before rushing in. When you are ready, it’ll be there waiting to serve you.

Martin Coleman is a freelance writer and computer programmer. More information about his services and other articles can be found at http://www.martincoleman.com.

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If you want to design a catalog, you should have some
exceptional and significant points to consider. Of course
designing is the first requirement in catalog printing but
earlier, what you should consider are the products that you will
include in your catalog. Some products may not be helpful at
all. There are products that will need to be grouped or
categorized. Keeping your list sorted makes it easy to use and
follow.

We make sure that your products get the exact description it
offers. Make it specific and information-rich. It should have a
clear and brief description which comes in 30 to 60 words per
item or product. It should be concise and clear.

The overall look of the catalog is like the heart of it. The
way it appears talks about our product lines so keeping it
presentable draws more attention. Proper information brings the
customers with helpful decisions in purchasing your product.

Catalog printing calls for drawing out attention and grabbing
the interest of the users. For the incorporation of your images,
have some special effects and tastes of photography with the
application of Photoshop with the right perfect colors! In
putting up all the images in its corresponding page, make sure
that they are set and grouped correctly.

Printing doesn’t need to be expensive at all. There are so many
useful ways on how to keep your budget low. If you are going to
print a lot of print jobs, you should print it all so that the
inks and materials will not be put to waste. This style is very
ideal for bulk jobs. You will surely save money in all your
printing costs.

Printing a lot of print jobs at one time will minimize your
cost and the customers as well. So if you can keep this up, your
clients will keep coming back for more of your services.

You can also minimize your expenses like for the shipping
expense. This will surely eat your budget and give your
customers a headache. Make it to a point to consider the
shipping charges you set on your customers. Some of them would
resort to just purchasing their won due to the high rate of
shipping.

Holding down your printing cost is an effective deal to your
customers. The domain name does help a lot too. Have it unique
with style that easily renders to the people’s minds.

For more related articles, you may visit
http://www.catalogprintingexperts.com

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The “blogosphere” continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. In
fact, the number of blogs is doubling every 6 months.

Right now, there is a new blog published every second, according
to Technorati, the search engine that keeps track of Weblogs. In
August 2005 there were over 7 million blogs, that number is now
over 14 million.

Weblogs have become the homepages of the 21st century and are
used for everything from sharing recipes, personal opinions and
travel adventures, to the latest in political and economic news.

Blogs are also facing their share of controversy and praise.
Reporters Without Borders recently published their “short list”
of the seven best blogs out of 60, which won the “Freedom Blog
Awards” for defending freedom of expression.

Winners (who are chosen by the public who vote for their
favorite blogs) included “Shared Pains” which describes life in
Afghan, and Mojtaba Saminejad, an Iranian whose blog is
published in the Farsi language. (He received a two-year prison
sentence in 2005 because of his blog). Another winner, Jeff Ooi,
publishes the Malaysian blog “Screenshots” which is in English.
Because he allowed a comment on his blog back in 2004 which
reportedly “insulted Islam” according to authorities, he was
also threatened with imprisonment.

This award marks the first year for the event, but Reporters
Without Borders hopes to make it an annual one. The organization
follows and reports on freedom of the press around the world.

In oppressive countries, such as Iran (which shut down almost
all independent newspapers in 2000), blogs have provided a way
for journalists and others to express themselves and share the
latest news and happenings. But speaking up in such places often
has serious consequences, such as one blogger in Iraq who was
jailed by authorities after speaking up about what was simply a
local problem.

China is another repressive area. Recently Chinese authorities
declared that all bloggers had to register their blogs with
them, or risk being shut down.

To help combat these and similar problems around the world,
organizations are being set up to provide global support among
bloggers for those who are being repressed.

One of the biggest controversies right now, is whether bloggers
should receive “journalistic” status. Some people see blogs and
bloggers as a kind of counterbalance to what they see as media
arrogance, while others call them vigilantes. Recent events with
Newsweek, CBS News and others have caused a division between the
main stream media and bloggers who feel the “truth is out there”
and they want it told.

One thing both bloggers and the mainstream media agree on, is
that things have been forever changed. The tools of mass media
are no longer the property of the press alone, they’re also
freely available to the people. If the medium is the message,
what impact will blogging have on our lives.

Not as controversial, blogs have also become a mainstream tool
of large and small businesses everywhere.

Blogging provides a simple and low-cost method for businesses to
stay in touch with their customers, get free publicity and build
a business brand.

As technology continues to evolve, and the number of blogs
continues to rise, it remains to be seen whether blogging will
remain an effective business and marketing tool. But one thing
is for certain - blogs are here to stay.

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