Thursday, March 29, 2007

Academic publishing

Academic publishing describes the subfield of publishing which distributes academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in journal article or book form. Much, though not all, academic publishing relies on some form of peer review or editorial refereeing to qualify texts for publication. Read more

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

How to assess the Quality of a Link ?

What Lies Beneath Your Link Hunger?

Links: The eternal struggle to achieve top SE rankings. Why do we try so hard? Do we really need to beg other webmasters to swap or exchange links? Do we really need to answer any junky link exchange request we receive in our mailboxes?

New sites are desperate for links. SEO beginners are no better either. Is SEO the only reason that motivates our hunt for links? When is this madness going to end?

Let me ask you a serious question: Why do you want a link? Is it for the search engines? Or is it because you found a good site, you like its contents and you honestly think that both your site and the site you’ve just discovered will benefit from a link exchange? And when I say “benefit” I do not mean a SEO advantage, but a real exchange of values that will help both sites with an exchange of targeted visitors.

And now let me reveal a paradox : The SEO advantage should be the last thing on your mind if you want good SEO results.

What Is a Quality Link?

Are you one of the Webmasters who believe that a quality link is a link from a site with a high Google PR (PageRank)? Well, you are not very far from the truth, but aren’t you forgetting something? Is the high PR site relevant for the content of your site? Is the link to your site on the high PR page or is it situated on a lower PR page designated especially for link exchanges? Is the link to your site a contextual link or is it just a pitiable addition to a links list?

Source

Link Exchange and Yahoo Pipes

Link exchange and Yahoo pipes have a very nice future of combining their power together into the new trend of finding link partners. But let me explain what is Yahoo pipes, because this was released recently and not so many people had chance to use it. According to the quote from Yahoo website pipe is 'it is an interactive feed aggregator and manipulator; using Pipes, you can create feeds that are more powerful, useful and relevant.' But behind this shy definition stands new potential. Imagine that now you can gather RSS feeds from different web sites and make then searchable under different parameters in a very simple visible form. And people can submit their own data into the search forms to get very specific answers. And you don't need to be programmer. With the help of visual constructor you can create your simple (but not primitive) search engines that is focused to the feeds that you choose. And you don't need having ANY programming talents to make it work. You save it as your own Yahoo pipe and now every visitor of this pipe can submit necessary data and get result from the feeds of this pipe.

How Can this Help Link Exchange?

Keep in your mind that Yahoo pipe is kind of search engine that searches the feeds that you need. Now this is real case example of how you can get extra boost to your link exchange directories with new Yahoo technology. Grab all RSS feeds URLs of your link exchange directories. If your directories don't have RSS feeds, than you are still in the 20th century. Today it is almost a must to have it, and there are many link exchange scripts and tools (even free link exchange scripts) that have RSS feed which is automatically updated with every new link in the directory. Now - take all these feed URLs into your Yahoo pipe. This means you created your own searchable base, base of your link exchange directories. Then, using specific Yahoo Pipes modules, create rules for searching the base. People can search title of links, or title and description, etc. That's it. You have your own Yahoo pipe. This innovation is being nicely promoted by Yahoo, so it's not your problem to attract people to Yahoo pipe. And when they are there - they will use your pipe form to find good partners. If you fit their demand, it means you got new link partners. In the next article on Thumshots.org I am going to show you how this can be possible in real action, step by step, so make sure to have your Yahoo pipe account registered by that time to follow me.

Source

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

How to Build Web site Traffic with Customized Content

To attract and engage qualified new visitors, says Tom Pick, a Web marketing consultant, construction firms must offer content that both helps the visitor and positions their company as the expert in that market niche.
Here are a few of Pick
s suggestions to attract visitors to your Web site with compelling content:

News feeds. No one has time to monitor all the various sources of industry intelligence. Publishing an aggregated news feed on your site lets you provide your visitors with timely industry news in one place. Services such as Moreover, NetContent, and YellowBrix offer customized news feeds based on your specifications.

White papers. Still popular with both marketers and prospects, a well-written white paper
subtly positions your company as an expert, while providing useful
how to type information to the reader. You can write the white paper internally (if you have the right resources), hire a freelance writer, or have the paper authored on your behalf by an analyst group or recognized industry expert. This last option is the most expensive, but also has the greatest impact.

Webinars. Essentially PowerPoint presentations delivered online using an Internet conferencing service, webinars are an increasingly popular way to present educational and white-paper-like content. Upside: Webinars give your message the combined impact of audio, visuals, and interactivity. Downside: They tie your audience to their computers for 30 to 60 minutes.

Podcasts. Audio podcasts can be almost any length and used for a variety of purposes from creating an interest-generating teaser to an audio white paper. Once downloaded to an MP3 player, a podcast can be listened to virtually anywhere. Although you could record a podcast using various software packages or Web services, Pick recommends hiring an expert to assure that your podcast is produced and promoted effectively and professionally.

For more details: Visit Picks Web site at Web MarketCentral.com.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Benefits of Creating Affiliate Program

By creating affiliate program, you could generate a significant increase in traffic to your website. When your affiliates place links on their websites linking to your site, you will increase your link popularity and if you're strategic about the keywords that you include in the text around the link to your site, you will boost up your link relevancy score as well. The greatest advantage is the opportunity to expand your sales force to thousands of people. Launching an affiliate program you can also increase the brand awareness of your business. e.g. Amazon.com's affiliate program makes it one of the most high traffic site on the internet, with a great exposure for product and services.

Source

Web Rings - An Effective Alternative to Search Engines

Web rings provide different way to categorize sites. They are free service offered to the internet community. They adjust sites with similar content by linking them together in a circle or a ring. Each link in the ring is directed to a CGI script on the web ring's server that sends the viewer on to the next site in the ring. There are literally thousands of rings with subjects such as communications, games, art, real estate and so on. If there isn't a ring suitable for your site, you can create your own. The visitors you receive from involving in the web ring will be potential customers who are responsive to the content and curious about your products or services.

Source

E-zines as Marketing Tool

E-zines or electronic magazines are the online version of magazines. They are content-rich and contain information regarding a certain topic in the form of magazine articles and features. E-zines are superior cost effective marketing tool because you can advertise directly, be a sponsor, submit articles, send press releases and start your own. Major advantages of ezines are lifespan of your ads and are often shared with friends and associates. They are very targeted advertising medium and when you place an ad in an ezine you can see it in relatively short period of time.

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Promotional Use of Newsgroups

Newsgroups are discussion group on the internet that focuses on a specific subject. Visitors to these virtual communities can post messages. These messages might be questions or comments or responses to other participants. Since, everyday people from all over the globe enter this virtual community with others who are interested in the same subject, you can immediately reach thousands of your targeted potential customers with a single message. You can also provide your dedicated customers with valuable information. It can be used to find out the latest trends, customer needs, customer’s feedbacks, what people are looking for and what they are talking about.

Source

Do you need contents to add to your web site?

Do you need contents to add to your web site? Or articles for use on your opt-in newsletters and e-zines? wwwi.co.uk has scoured the web and indexed a huge collection of articles on various subjects such as article on seo, health article, science article and article confederation. Just click on the appropriate category to read the articles.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Top 10 tips for choosing a business domain name

1) If you are buying a .co.uk domain name (e.g. newbusiness.co.uk), make sure you also buy the other main TLD's (Top Level Domains) for the same prefix (e.g. newbusiness.com, newbusiness.net). This will ensure that no-one else can come in at a later stage and capitalise on your brand name using another major domain name type. Although there are dozens of TLD types available, we've always purchased the .co.uk, .com, .net and .org variants to protect our brands. There's no harm buying more variants, but do make sure you take care of the important ones.

2) If you do a domain name search and find only the .co.uk is available for your chosen prefix (e.g. newbusiness), it may be worth your while choosing another domain name prefix where most or all of the TLD's are available. We spent quite some time researching suitable domain names before deciding on Bytestart - dozens in fact.

3) It is possible that your small business may grow into different areas of interest, or even change tack altogether. For this reason, it may be an idea not to make your domain name too specific to one area of your expertise.

4) Keep your domain name as short as possible and simple - it needs to be memorable, and preferably not contain hyphens.

5) A few web promotion firms suggest inserting your major keywords into your domain name wherever possible to help with your search engine rankings. We do not subscribe to this view. Sure, there may be some small benefits in having some keywords in your domain name (e.g. "the-best-web-designers.co.uk"), but your web promotion effort should come later. Your domain name should be chosen to best represent your company's interests rather than to please the fickle search engines!

6) Allowed characters - Domain names can only contain letters, numbers, and dashes. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Domain names are not case sensitive.

7) Choose a reputable domain name supplier. A company which has been around a while and is well known is a good bet. We'd also recommend choosing a company which provides a user interface so that you can manually edit your domain name details (email forwarding, transferring your domain name elsewhere).

8) If you intend to buy a sizeable number of domains, try to 'park' them with one single domain name company. Domains are far easier to administrate and keep up-to-date if they are in a single place you trust.

9) You should ensure that your domain name is not a commonly known brand name or trademark. Something like "Microsoftwebdesign.co.uk" would not be a good choice!

10) Make sure you keep your contact information up-to-date. Although your domain name supplier is bound to contact you when a domain name comes up for renewal, it is your responsibility in the end. Going back to point 8) again, for this reason, having a single domain name supplier will help.

http://www.bytestart.co.uk/content/15/15_1/top-10-tips-for-choosing-domain-name.shtml

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

5 Minutes to Succeed With Banner Ads

Make sure your banner ad is quick to load. Try to keep your banner ad size 5K. Keep it simple! Do not incorporate too much text or animation or too many colors and fonts. Make sure your banner ad is easily viewed. Be careful in your choice of font, font size and color. Always use alt tags. Make sure your banner ad links to the optimum page in your site. If you are using animated banner ads, limit your ads to 2-4 frames. Always include a call to action such as "Click here." Test your banner ads with different browsers.

http://www.thumbshots.org/tip.aspx?artid=31

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Few Minutes to Succeed With PPC Advertising

Your ads should be designed to allure the searcher, but be cautious that if you create ads that are too inviting you can rack up your click-through rate. Make sure that your ads relate specifically to the keywords they are associated with and make sure your message is clear. When a true potential customer views one of your ads you want that person to say "Wow, that's exactly what I am looking for." Try pointing web surfers to landing or gateway pages that are tailored to specific advertisements. Clear communication of your value proposition is the key.

http://www.thumbshots.org/tip.aspx?artid=32

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Yahoo Directory Links : Organic and No Redirects

The links in the Yahoo Directory are clean and organic which fortifies Yahoo Directory listings and their importance to your search engine marketing.

Why? Since these links from the Yahoo Directory are natural links with no NoFollow and no Javascript, they are going to help your site with its SEO.

Sure, listing your site in the Yahoo Directory is valuable regardless, but if you have not listed your site in the Yahoo Directory - do it now!

Source

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Selling Products or Services On-Line - A Common Objective

Businesses generally combine the objectives of publicizing their products or services with trying to sell them through their website. This works well as visitors are not only given the briefing about your products and services, but also the option of easily ordering and purchasing online. More easier you make it for people to make a purchase from your company, the more likely they will be to buy. A detailed briefing on your products and services, your return policies, guarantees and warranties and shipping options will have to be provided. Security issues need to be addressed if you are planning to sell directly from the site.

Source

Interview with Marshall Sponder, IBM and Kelly Makimaa, WAA on February 19, 2007 on Measuring New Media

Interview with Marshall Sponder, IBM and Kelly Makimaa, WAA on February 19, 2007




Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Advantage of Providing Online Assistance

A great advantage of a website is that you can offer customer assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If your company offers software services, it a good concept to include downloadable upgrades as well as as FAQ section where you can provide solutions to common questions. By providing an easy way for your customers to clear up their problems, you increase customer loyalty. You also increase the likelihood that they will return to your company when they need to improve their computer system. Include the appropriate contact information for visitors who have more complicated problems and want to talk to a human.

Google Analytics Tutorial 4: Goal Tracking


Google Analytics Tutorial 3: Digging Deeper


Google Analytics Tutorial 2: Essential Stats


Google Analytics Tutorial 1: Setup



Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

How to Create Loyalty Among Visitors?

Loyalty among visitors can be created by having a members-only section of your website that has special offers for them as well as discounts or freebies. When people signup to join your members-only section, you can ask for their permission and their e-mail address to send them e-mails regarding company or product promotions and news. People like to do business with people who appreciate their business.

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Benefits of Creating Repeat Traffic Generators

The more often people visit your site, the more likely they are to purchase something. Generating repeat traffic to your website is a key element of your online success and can be accomplished by including numerous traffic generators on your website. Incorporating attractive website content, contests, competitions, games, advice columns, what's new page, tip of the day, cartoons, jokes, trivia, calendar of events, reminder services, interesting bulletin boards, online chat sessions, workshops, discussion groups will spice up your website and generate more traffic. Hosting online seminars will also keep visitors coming back.

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Evaluate Your Niche to Point Potential Customers

Today, technology not only allows you to generate interactive websites for your viewers but also to learn about your viewers. Web traffic analysis enables you to analyze not only what page of the website your visitors came first, but also where they came from, how long they were there and what they did while they stayed. Once you have this statistics, you can do some calculations to see what is working for you and what is not.

Weekly e-Marketing Tip for your Site

Link Popularity

Among the major search engines link popularity is becoming more and more important. Perform a search using your most important keywords on google or yahoo or other search engines to see who is appearing at the top of the results. The sites near the top contain the most incoming links. Watch for the links leading to your competitors as they are likely to be compatible links for you as well. If so, ask for a reciprocal link, ask for a link or if the page allows it, add yourself to build up your link popularity. Remember that link popularity is good but link popularity from quality sites is better.

Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes

Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes



Friday, March 2, 2007

Top 30 Websites - By Visits in US

The table below shows the Top 30 sites in the 'Shopping and Classifieds' online industry for the month of January, 2007 based on visits.

Search Engine Analysis

The 'Shopping and Classifieds' online industry received an average of 25.13% of its upstream traffic from search engines over the past 6 months. The top referring search engines for the month of January, 2007 were 'Google', 'Yahoo! Search' and 'MSN Search'.

Fastest Growing News & Media Websites: Digg.com & Print - News & Media Post 1 of 3

In a series of three three posts, I will present some of the key findings from our forthcoming Hitwise UK Online News and Media report (request copy of report here). This first post will discuss the growth in visits to the category and list the fastest growing websites. The next two posts will be about Competition 2.0 and Blogs from Mainstream Media.

The News and Media parent category experienced 28% year on year growth in market share of UK internet visits in January. IT media was the fastest growing sub-category, up 57% year on year in January.

A list of the ten fastest growing News and Media websites (among the top 100 in January) is included below. Digg.com was the fastest growing website year on year in January among the top 100 News and Media websites, with its market share of UK internet visits up more than 5-fold. Digg.com was the #1 IT Media website in January 2007 and the #32 ranked News and Media website. Digg's growth is being fuelled by interest in video sharing and games, with 23% of downstream visits from Digg.com going to websites in the Entertainment industry.

Yesterday's announcement that the Financial Times has seen a 30% increase in online sales is good news for print media brands. I agree with the sentiments of PR blogger that online doesn't kill print media brands, and our data backs that up. Print media websites were among the fastest growing categories last year, keeping pace with the News and Media parent category with visits up 28% year on year in January. However, challenging times lie ahead as more and more consumers turn to nimble social media websites for news and analysis as we'll explore in the next post in this series on Competition 2.0.

Source

Topshop traffic from MySpace grows

MySpace is giving a big boost to British fashion retailers, with the proportion of their traffic driven from the social networking site growing fast in the last year.

Referrals from MySpace accounted for 5% of visits to Topshop.co.uk - far less than searches from either MSN or Yahoo!, according to Hitwise data.

The Fox Interactive site, which boasts almost 160m users, was the second biggest traffic driver for the store and now accounts for five times the number of referrals it did last year.

Topshop, an Arcadia group company, has a MySpace profile which has attracted over 2,800 friends and links to branded podcasts. According to the profile, the store is a 24-year-old Aries who does want children.

"It is not solely a result of demographics," wrote Hitwise's Heather Hopkins. "Miss Selfridge and New Look attract a similar demographic profile of young women, but do not enjoy the same volume of traffic from MySpace.

"The success seems a result of participation in the community and targeted offers. Topshop has a profile on MySpace with a blog that includes special offers and discounts."


MySpace has also given a boost to London-based online clothes retailer ASOS.com (formerly As Seen On Screen). Its profile is now giving the store twice as many referrals as last year, figures showed.

According to previous research, 58% of MySpace's users are female.