Websites today are no longer restricted to just texts and pictures. Website developers now give more emphasis on adding effective audio and video information. The use of flash animation is in full swing when it comes to website designing or development. Macromedia was the first animation development company in association with Adobe who came into this business in the year 2005. With the change in time flash animation development has reached new heights and amazing looking website have been designed by the animation companies.
There are many companies in the market today who cater your needs for designing and developing flash animation websites. Nowadays your PowerPoint presentations can also be converted in to flash animation web presentations with the use of animations in it. That how easy it has become to develop a flash animation presentation. So, now you can take your talent of animation development to the next level with your PowerPoint presentations.
Professional companies use web design flash animation in their websites with the help of flash software which is universally accepted and is used in most of the animation development companies. This software enables you to add audio and video presentations to your website which makes it more interactive and effective. Articulate is the software which is used to add these applications to you website.
Animation companies use articulate in website like internet commercials, home study courses, etc, which makes the website more interactive and fun to surf. With flash animation development, the company for which the website is created can add to its advantages, when the customer views their animated presentation the presentation will directly take them to the related website where from they can purchase the product directly. This improves the functionality and accessibility of your website.
Web design flash animation has become an integral past of every website today as the surfers look for websites which are well designed and interactive. And this is exactly what flash animations are able to provide with ease and effectiveness.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tips For SEO Friendly Marketing Content For Your Website by: Neil Paig
Getting your website positioned as high as possible in SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) is one of the main goals for everyone who has a SEO strategy.
Statistics prove that the percentage of getting a click to your website keeps on reducing as the searcher moves down the result pages on a Search Engine.
What does a SEO friendly content have?
• Uniqueness
• Appropriate Language
• Relevancy
• Descriptiveness
• Scanable & Skimmable structure - Lists or Bullet form
• Presented in Q/A format
• Powerful Keywords and their placement
• Structured Flow
• Proofread for any mistakes
SEO friendly content does not mean that you start writing for search engines. Write content that search engines would adore automatically. The first and most important rule of content writing strategy is to write for visitors and not for search engines. Search engines ultimate goal is to provide their users with the unique and most relevant content. They will prefer your content if it is written for users.
It is not a coincidence that writing strategy for good contents makes for SEO as well.
Uniqueness: Name a subject and you will find it on web, so dig deep and write something that you own. Something that makes you stand out of the regular web shops.
Appropriate Language: Write in the language of your prospect. The language determines the kind of visitor your site will attract. If you are writing for Business owners who are generally non-technical, write in plain business language. It is always easy to write if you know your readers.
Relevancy: Write what is relevant to your topic and business. Search engines have their own algorithm to check the relevancy of the content. Please avoid playing around with search engines. Even if you get successful in bringing few visitors to your site and they find the content irrelevant to their search, they will immediately bounce out of the site.
Descriptiveness: Descriptive here does not mean to start writing stories. Describe your services or products in an informative manner. Try to display important information with a link to the detailed information. This could give you an extra edge over your competitor
Scanable & Skimmable: Most of the web users do not read they just scan the web. Research shows that visitors read about 20% of content on a webpage. Write content which is easily scanable by readers. Some points to be kept in mind are-
• Use of font color which is easy to the eyes
• Variable Eye catching font sizes
• Use list or bullets instead of paragraphs to improve recall value
• Use of Headers and sub headers - can create interest
Presented in Q/A format: Present your content in a form of questions and answers. Most of the websites miss this opportunity to answer reader’s question and they land up increasing their bounce rate. This can be best done by addressing the user’s pain with a simple yet effective answer.
Powerful Keywords and their placement: Keywords play an important role in SEO strategy. Do not just sprinkle your keywords into the content rather build it around the selected keywords and phrases. The denser the keywords towards the top, the better they are. Use of synonyms is good, however, try them a little lower on your web page.
Structured Flow: It is very important to flow your visitors in a desired manner. Do not leave them to search their way. Guide them with doorways. Do linking within your content that makes the visitor flow with the content. This is called Flow design.
Proofread: Do proofreading to give an additional support to all your writing and SEO efforts. The spelling and grammar errors make your content look unprofessional.
We at AfterTheNet – The Web Strategy Company keep supplementing our clients with the most basic to the most advanced techniques for any goal they decide to reach with their website. Our step wise approach gives them the complete visibility of their website, which often they are deprived of in absence of a trustworthy resource.
Statistics prove that the percentage of getting a click to your website keeps on reducing as the searcher moves down the result pages on a Search Engine.
What does a SEO friendly content have?
• Uniqueness
• Appropriate Language
• Relevancy
• Descriptiveness
• Scanable & Skimmable structure - Lists or Bullet form
• Presented in Q/A format
• Powerful Keywords and their placement
• Structured Flow
• Proofread for any mistakes
SEO friendly content does not mean that you start writing for search engines. Write content that search engines would adore automatically. The first and most important rule of content writing strategy is to write for visitors and not for search engines. Search engines ultimate goal is to provide their users with the unique and most relevant content. They will prefer your content if it is written for users.
It is not a coincidence that writing strategy for good contents makes for SEO as well.
Uniqueness: Name a subject and you will find it on web, so dig deep and write something that you own. Something that makes you stand out of the regular web shops.
Appropriate Language: Write in the language of your prospect. The language determines the kind of visitor your site will attract. If you are writing for Business owners who are generally non-technical, write in plain business language. It is always easy to write if you know your readers.
Relevancy: Write what is relevant to your topic and business. Search engines have their own algorithm to check the relevancy of the content. Please avoid playing around with search engines. Even if you get successful in bringing few visitors to your site and they find the content irrelevant to their search, they will immediately bounce out of the site.
Descriptiveness: Descriptive here does not mean to start writing stories. Describe your services or products in an informative manner. Try to display important information with a link to the detailed information. This could give you an extra edge over your competitor
Scanable & Skimmable: Most of the web users do not read they just scan the web. Research shows that visitors read about 20% of content on a webpage. Write content which is easily scanable by readers. Some points to be kept in mind are-
• Use of font color which is easy to the eyes
• Variable Eye catching font sizes
• Use list or bullets instead of paragraphs to improve recall value
• Use of Headers and sub headers - can create interest
Presented in Q/A format: Present your content in a form of questions and answers. Most of the websites miss this opportunity to answer reader’s question and they land up increasing their bounce rate. This can be best done by addressing the user’s pain with a simple yet effective answer.
Powerful Keywords and their placement: Keywords play an important role in SEO strategy. Do not just sprinkle your keywords into the content rather build it around the selected keywords and phrases. The denser the keywords towards the top, the better they are. Use of synonyms is good, however, try them a little lower on your web page.
Structured Flow: It is very important to flow your visitors in a desired manner. Do not leave them to search their way. Guide them with doorways. Do linking within your content that makes the visitor flow with the content. This is called Flow design.
Proofread: Do proofreading to give an additional support to all your writing and SEO efforts. The spelling and grammar errors make your content look unprofessional.
We at AfterTheNet – The Web Strategy Company keep supplementing our clients with the most basic to the most advanced techniques for any goal they decide to reach with their website. Our step wise approach gives them the complete visibility of their website, which often they are deprived of in absence of a trustworthy resource.
The Boost You Can Get From Bad Credit Credit Cards
Difficult financial times can happen to anyone and when a person's credit rating is damaged by an imperfect credit payment history, there can be very strict consequences. A personal bankruptcy will also affect the ability for many people to qualify for a credit card. There is a way to rebuild your credit rating and to show you can responsibly handle credit cards and that is by getting one of the bad credit credit cards that will hold a security deposit on account and issue you a major credit card that can help you begin to build a credit history that shows responsible payments that are on time.
There is a large variety in the types of bad credit credit cards and you must be quite sure to read everything that is with the application. Some of those cards may require you to pay a fee for the year and there are others which will have no annual fee. There could be charges applied to you for charging over your limit, so be aware of that provision and still other cards will have you pay large penalties if a payment is not received on time by the credit card issuer.
The entire reason you get one of the secured or bad credit credit cards is so that you can show that you are now on track with being on time for all payments due on this new account. You need to be sure that the card you choose will be frequently reporting to all three of the major credit bureaus. You need your good, responsible payment behavior to work for you and help you rebuild the good name you want for the future. If there is a choice between a card that will be reporting to the credit bureaus and one that will not, you would be wise to choose the one that will report.
The advantage of the bad credit credit cards is that you do not have to worry about being accepted for them, you will find it effortless to qualify for these cards. The important thing is to be sure you are aware of the contract you are signing and the fine print that may contain information about hidden fees and charges.
There is a large variety in the types of bad credit credit cards and you must be quite sure to read everything that is with the application. Some of those cards may require you to pay a fee for the year and there are others which will have no annual fee. There could be charges applied to you for charging over your limit, so be aware of that provision and still other cards will have you pay large penalties if a payment is not received on time by the credit card issuer.
The entire reason you get one of the secured or bad credit credit cards is so that you can show that you are now on track with being on time for all payments due on this new account. You need to be sure that the card you choose will be frequently reporting to all three of the major credit bureaus. You need your good, responsible payment behavior to work for you and help you rebuild the good name you want for the future. If there is a choice between a card that will be reporting to the credit bureaus and one that will not, you would be wise to choose the one that will report.
The advantage of the bad credit credit cards is that you do not have to worry about being accepted for them, you will find it effortless to qualify for these cards. The important thing is to be sure you are aware of the contract you are signing and the fine print that may contain information about hidden fees and charges.
What is a FaceBook Unblock?
For frequent users of social networking sites, finding a FaceBook unblock services can be truly valuable. The growth of the internet has lead many companies and schools to install internet filtering software that can prevent many web surfers from gaining access to desired websites.
Social Networking Sites
One of the most popular types of internet sites that have exploded over the internet over the past several years is social networking sites. These sites were first introduced in the mid-1990s and expanded with the introduction of Friendster in 2002 and then within the next few years when MySpace was introduced in 2005. In 2006, FaceBook was introduced as a competitor to MySpace and today it is one of the top ranked social networking companies on the internet today.
As membership in social networking sites and internet messaging has grown, more and more companies have installed internet filtering software as a means of controlling web surfing activities and protecting valuable computer networking equipment and work stations.
Filtering Software
As the internet has grown, more and more companies, schools and public computer network administrators have installed filtering software on these computer work stations. The reasons for concerns about the use of internet connected work stations are valid and important to understand.
One of the primary concerns about web surfing is that it can leave work stations and computer networks vulnerable to malware, spyware and computer viruses. These malicious software infections can not only affect the work station that unknowingly downloaded the infection, but the entire computer network. As a result, important and valuable files can be destroyed or corrupted. Efforts to clean the entire system do not only involve cleaning the work station where the infection originally occurred, but also the network server and every work station to which the infection spread.
The other concern that both schools and workplace administrators have is the amount of time wasted by accessing websites that are not related to classroom assignments or work. A recent study found that individuals can waste hours at a time without even realizing it as they surf from website to website following items of interest to them. And social networking sites like FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter fall within the category of time wasting activities for concerned workplace and school administrators, who have a vested interest in keeping computer uses focused on the work at hand.
FaceBook Unblocking
While users of social networking sites may find themselves frustrated at looking at a “blocked website” message on their computer screen, there are ways to bypass filtering software. Proxy services are the way to work around filtering software. Proxy services work by allowing members to sign up for a membership that provides access to a proxy server. The proxy server site is not recognized as a dangerous or malicious website and is not blocked. Once logged on, members can anonymously go to their desired website without being tracked. And good proxy services prevent hacking by encrypting both incoming and outgoing activities as long as the user is signed on to the proxy server.
Social Networking Sites
One of the most popular types of internet sites that have exploded over the internet over the past several years is social networking sites. These sites were first introduced in the mid-1990s and expanded with the introduction of Friendster in 2002 and then within the next few years when MySpace was introduced in 2005. In 2006, FaceBook was introduced as a competitor to MySpace and today it is one of the top ranked social networking companies on the internet today.
As membership in social networking sites and internet messaging has grown, more and more companies have installed internet filtering software as a means of controlling web surfing activities and protecting valuable computer networking equipment and work stations.
Filtering Software
As the internet has grown, more and more companies, schools and public computer network administrators have installed filtering software on these computer work stations. The reasons for concerns about the use of internet connected work stations are valid and important to understand.
One of the primary concerns about web surfing is that it can leave work stations and computer networks vulnerable to malware, spyware and computer viruses. These malicious software infections can not only affect the work station that unknowingly downloaded the infection, but the entire computer network. As a result, important and valuable files can be destroyed or corrupted. Efforts to clean the entire system do not only involve cleaning the work station where the infection originally occurred, but also the network server and every work station to which the infection spread.
The other concern that both schools and workplace administrators have is the amount of time wasted by accessing websites that are not related to classroom assignments or work. A recent study found that individuals can waste hours at a time without even realizing it as they surf from website to website following items of interest to them. And social networking sites like FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter fall within the category of time wasting activities for concerned workplace and school administrators, who have a vested interest in keeping computer uses focused on the work at hand.
FaceBook Unblocking
While users of social networking sites may find themselves frustrated at looking at a “blocked website” message on their computer screen, there are ways to bypass filtering software. Proxy services are the way to work around filtering software. Proxy services work by allowing members to sign up for a membership that provides access to a proxy server. The proxy server site is not recognized as a dangerous or malicious website and is not blocked. Once logged on, members can anonymously go to their desired website without being tracked. And good proxy services prevent hacking by encrypting both incoming and outgoing activities as long as the user is signed on to the proxy server.
The Advantages of Accumulating Content
Often we hear webmasters of popular sites tell us that content is king and how it's important in generating traffic. But rarely will they explain in detail as to why and how that is. I will cover that subject in this article but as to how it relates to the concept of what I like to call "accumulating content." What I mean by accumulating content is content that accumulates on your site over an extended period of time. Now I realize that I wouldn't be able to fully discuss all of the advantages of accumulating content in one single article but I have 7 points I hope to drive home. So without further ado, I'll get right to the 7 points:
Point 1: You need content anyway
An old retailer's trick is to take existing merchandise that is on a half empty shelf and move it to the front to make the shelf look fuller. Why do they do this? Because empty shelves create the impression that the retailer does not have much of a selection of merchandise. Empty shelves obviously create a negative impression. So why shouldn't a website be any different in that respect? Think of how many websites you've been on that looked aesthetically pleasing but had practically nothing for content. Empty shelves people, just empty shelves.
Point 2: Time and effort
If I set out to build a brick house, would it make sense to smash every other one with a hammer immediately after it was laid? You would probably say no and think that it's a ridiculous question to ask. Obviously the house would take forever to build. Well, a site would take forever to build too if the content is dated and has to be replaced with content that is more up to date. This obviously would mean that you're doing a lot of work to create content that will not be there for an extended period of time. What you need to do is concentrate more on content that will still be relevant over an extended period of time in order to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts.
Point 3: More reasons for a visitor to return to your site
If I go to a website and I am able to read all of its content in a single visit, what is my incentive to return? Return traffic is much more important than having visitors who only visit once; especially since return visitors are much more likely to make a purchase. So the ideal situation would be to have so much content that not all of it could be viewed in a single visit. They would be more likely to bookmark the site and return at a later time to view more. Also, the advertising done within your site would be more effective since it will have been seen on more than one occasion. Any ad executive will tell you that advertising works best with repetition.
Point 4: More potential search strings to pull in traffic
With every sentence that you add to your site's content, the more potential search strings you will have that will generate hits to your site. Let's say that you had an article about brown shoes. Somebody types brown shoes on Google and your site comes up in the results. However, if that's your only topic or article, search engine hits will be few and far between. But what if we talked about black shoes, tennis shoes or running shoes? We should then increase our potential for hits. We also hear a lot about link popularity and how that increases your hit potential. Well, I hate to have to tell you this but the positive effects of link popularity will be minimized by a lack of content and potential search strings for which your site will come up.
Another point to remember is that some search strings are more popular than others. You may stumble on to something that will create a search string for which there is very little competition and you may be higher in the search results than you usually are. This is important since most people won't go to page 10 on their search results. Think about it, how often do you go to page 10?
Point 5: Your site will be more likely to be recommended
Perhaps you've seen those free JavaScript tools that make it easier for a visitor to recommend your site to a friend by sending them a link to it. Having more content makes it more likely that they will use that neat little tool. After all, you might have content on your site that might be of very little interest to the visitor himself but he may know some people who would have more of an interest in it and decide to send them the link. It's obvious too that they won't be sending a link to a site with no content. What would be the point?
Point 6: You will be more likely to have other sites linking to you
I have a number of sites of various types and cover a variety of subjects. Occasionally I check my stats to see who my top referrers are and check out what page they are linking to. I find a musician's site linking to the site where I have guitar chords and scales. That makes perfect sense right? So obviously the information he chose to link to was of some use to him and by linking to it he increased my link popularity. This is something only content will do since I never even asked the guy to link to my site. He somehow stumbled onto it and thought that the content was worth linking to. The page he was linking to was not the main page, so it was the content within the site not the site itself that he was really linking to.
Point 7: Uniqueness
The content you choose to accumulate may add to the sites uniqueness. After all, every person in this world is unique in a number of ways, so the choices that you make regarding the content you accumulate may be enough to allow your site to stand out above your competitor's site. It also helps if you create a lot of your own content, rather than just modeling it after everyone else's.
Point 1: You need content anyway
An old retailer's trick is to take existing merchandise that is on a half empty shelf and move it to the front to make the shelf look fuller. Why do they do this? Because empty shelves create the impression that the retailer does not have much of a selection of merchandise. Empty shelves obviously create a negative impression. So why shouldn't a website be any different in that respect? Think of how many websites you've been on that looked aesthetically pleasing but had practically nothing for content. Empty shelves people, just empty shelves.
Point 2: Time and effort
If I set out to build a brick house, would it make sense to smash every other one with a hammer immediately after it was laid? You would probably say no and think that it's a ridiculous question to ask. Obviously the house would take forever to build. Well, a site would take forever to build too if the content is dated and has to be replaced with content that is more up to date. This obviously would mean that you're doing a lot of work to create content that will not be there for an extended period of time. What you need to do is concentrate more on content that will still be relevant over an extended period of time in order to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts.
Point 3: More reasons for a visitor to return to your site
If I go to a website and I am able to read all of its content in a single visit, what is my incentive to return? Return traffic is much more important than having visitors who only visit once; especially since return visitors are much more likely to make a purchase. So the ideal situation would be to have so much content that not all of it could be viewed in a single visit. They would be more likely to bookmark the site and return at a later time to view more. Also, the advertising done within your site would be more effective since it will have been seen on more than one occasion. Any ad executive will tell you that advertising works best with repetition.
Point 4: More potential search strings to pull in traffic
With every sentence that you add to your site's content, the more potential search strings you will have that will generate hits to your site. Let's say that you had an article about brown shoes. Somebody types brown shoes on Google and your site comes up in the results. However, if that's your only topic or article, search engine hits will be few and far between. But what if we talked about black shoes, tennis shoes or running shoes? We should then increase our potential for hits. We also hear a lot about link popularity and how that increases your hit potential. Well, I hate to have to tell you this but the positive effects of link popularity will be minimized by a lack of content and potential search strings for which your site will come up.
Another point to remember is that some search strings are more popular than others. You may stumble on to something that will create a search string for which there is very little competition and you may be higher in the search results than you usually are. This is important since most people won't go to page 10 on their search results. Think about it, how often do you go to page 10?
Point 5: Your site will be more likely to be recommended
Perhaps you've seen those free JavaScript tools that make it easier for a visitor to recommend your site to a friend by sending them a link to it. Having more content makes it more likely that they will use that neat little tool. After all, you might have content on your site that might be of very little interest to the visitor himself but he may know some people who would have more of an interest in it and decide to send them the link. It's obvious too that they won't be sending a link to a site with no content. What would be the point?
Point 6: You will be more likely to have other sites linking to you
I have a number of sites of various types and cover a variety of subjects. Occasionally I check my stats to see who my top referrers are and check out what page they are linking to. I find a musician's site linking to the site where I have guitar chords and scales. That makes perfect sense right? So obviously the information he chose to link to was of some use to him and by linking to it he increased my link popularity. This is something only content will do since I never even asked the guy to link to my site. He somehow stumbled onto it and thought that the content was worth linking to. The page he was linking to was not the main page, so it was the content within the site not the site itself that he was really linking to.
Point 7: Uniqueness
The content you choose to accumulate may add to the sites uniqueness. After all, every person in this world is unique in a number of ways, so the choices that you make regarding the content you accumulate may be enough to allow your site to stand out above your competitor's site. It also helps if you create a lot of your own content, rather than just modeling it after everyone else's.
Social Traffic - How You Can Profit
Social Traffic, Social Marketing, Social Bookmarking, Video Sharing...to many people it's a thorny subject...And rightly so because the entire social "arena" does tend to suffer somewhat from "smoke and mirrors" syndrome!
With a bit of luck I can bring a bit of much wanted light to the topic.
So, what is social traffic / marketing?
Essentially it�s getting traffic from using "social techniques"! Sometimes called "Social Traffic" as well.
To answer the question fully, we need to look back at a small bit of history. So, let's descend in to the mists of time, back to the era of the dotcom boom and then crushing bust!
We may all look at Web1.0 through rose tinted glasses these days, but it was a very unexciting place! The www was a one-way street back then. As a website proprietor, you could tell people things, give them information...But there was no socialisation, no interaction, no "social thing" happening!
And, in my view that is where Web1.0 broke and the reason so many "dotcom" companies went bust. They did a terrific job in creating the buzz surrounding the dotcom boom but, when it came to actual delivery time - there was not much to deliver in terms of sales or benefits for the user.
In essence, the technology and know-how hadn't quite arrived. Add to that a complete lack of in depth market investigation in to what people wanted from the world wide web, and with that old 20/20 vision, it's easy to see why it all went so wrong!
So, the moneymen and technicians delivered a combination of what they believed people wanted and poor technical wizardry.
However, those new technologies required for Web2.0 were starting to emerge. Sadly not quite in time to save the dotcom companies at the time though!
Many of the finest technicians joined the dotcom bandwagon, I remember the investmant banks being totally flumoxed by the brain drain to the dot coms! But, when the dotcoms went bust, these technicians were left "high and dry". Highly skilled and motivated by how far they could push the technology (rather than make loads of money), something very interesting started to transpire.
Many very small highly technical companies sprang up and started to deliver the truly interactive technology that we now rely on for Web2.0 and social traffic.
It started with Blogging and then video sharing, social networking and more recently social bookmarking - what we now know as the social traffic fabric.
So, why is this so crucial now?
The bottom line is thatl any web business must have traffic to continue. Think about it, more traffic = more sales = more profits! It's what I believe is called a "no brainer"!
Indeed, for any organization looking to maximise sales over the Internet, having a social traffic / social marketing strategy has grown to be more and more important.
Why?
Well, have you checked on your Adwords expenses recently? Contrary to claims that PPC costs are falling, the costs for competitive keywords that return genuine sales are on the rise. PPC costs have rocketed over the last two years or so.
And, whilst fundamental SEO is relatively easy, a commitment to SEO as your sole traffic source becomes more and more marginal the deeper into the rabbit warren you go.
That leaves social marketing and social traffic generation as the only chief viable alternative.
When the phrase "social traffic" is mentioned, it conjures up a whole plethora of images.
YouTube, Wikipedia, My Space, Technorati, Blogger, Digg, Squidoo and of course recent rising star "microblogger" Twitter.
It's true, these are all "Social" properties (as they are called).
But what exactly is "social marketing" and how does it work?
Well there are a number of different "branches".
Firstly there is blogging. With great programs like Blogger and Wordpress it's now simple to to publish a blog in very little time.
What is a Blog? Basically it's an online journal. Nothing new, people have been writing journals for years and a Blog is an online journal. It's the merger of the words "Web"and "Log" = Blog!
It's a place where you (and anyone else for that matter) can air your views and sell your products. Value is built by the interactivity of the platform. Your readers can add views and comment that help build value, similar to the comments on properties such as Squidoo, My Space and Hubpages.
Secondly there is the social networking aspect of social traffic. This tends to split into two categories, truly social, like Facebook and Friends Reunited and business oriented sites such as Hubpages and Squidoo.
Twitter now sits somewhere sandwiched between.
>From the business view these sites are significant because Google treats them as "authority" sites and gives them peak weighting as far as organic search engine results are concerned.
What I really like about these sites is that they also offer you the ability to tag your articles for a wider marketing effect (as opposed to the strict use of keywords required for PPC).
Social bookmarking is the glue that holds all this in sync. A social bookmarking site is simply a way of creating lists of favourites. You then intermingle with other users with related interests and permit them have access to your bookmarked catalog of sites.
If your "social" friends like the sites you bookmark, they pass them on to their other friends and so on and a momentum builds. That's when and how your social traffic starts to really come through.
Now, it does take an investment of time and effort to set up all of your social marketing accounts. There is NO way around this - sorry if you wanted a quick fix!
And, you do need to go wide with your social bookmarking. It's no good setting yourself up with just one account at one property. You do need to have an account at as many social sites as you can!
Sorry, yes you do have to do some work! But hey, it's not exactly hard is it? Beats sweating on a production line or in a City office!
The final "strand" of social traffic generation is the video sharing sites. YouTube is undoubtedly the most famous, but there are many others like Vimeo and also Google, Yahoo now have video sharing properties.
Video has become more and more crucial as a selling tool online. You simply have to use video in your online sales effort if you crave success today. I heard it suggested that a sales page with video is 85% more likely to end up in a sale. Now that is a statistic that it is well worth stacking in your favour!
So, to generate a flood of social traffic you need to use the social networking sites to be the source of your content. Then link them to a related article on your blog or other social property...Then socially bookmark both links as well as including video content.
You do this for a highly relevant keyword, then wash rinse and repeat for an additional closely related keyword.
Again, I must to stress that you cannot just have one keyword and expect success. Yes, you can get on to page one of Google for any certain keyword.
However, to generate a real flood of free social traffic you have to put forward a series of pages on associated keywords as well.
That is how social marketing works.
One final thing, remember you have to respect the duplicate content rules. I know you may be tempted to moan about the these rules as I did when I first started the social traffic generation "thing"!
However, it is because authority sites like Hubpages maintain these strict rules that Google treat them as such...Authority sites. In turn, we, as users, get the benefit in terms of great, high profile listings (quickly)!
So, spend sometime configuring your social marketing and traffic infrastructure and you will get massive long-term, quality traffic to your pages and web properties. And, it's an overnight near instant flow of traffic - instant social traffic!
With a bit of luck I can bring a bit of much wanted light to the topic.
So, what is social traffic / marketing?
Essentially it�s getting traffic from using "social techniques"! Sometimes called "Social Traffic" as well.
To answer the question fully, we need to look back at a small bit of history. So, let's descend in to the mists of time, back to the era of the dotcom boom and then crushing bust!
We may all look at Web1.0 through rose tinted glasses these days, but it was a very unexciting place! The www was a one-way street back then. As a website proprietor, you could tell people things, give them information...But there was no socialisation, no interaction, no "social thing" happening!
And, in my view that is where Web1.0 broke and the reason so many "dotcom" companies went bust. They did a terrific job in creating the buzz surrounding the dotcom boom but, when it came to actual delivery time - there was not much to deliver in terms of sales or benefits for the user.
In essence, the technology and know-how hadn't quite arrived. Add to that a complete lack of in depth market investigation in to what people wanted from the world wide web, and with that old 20/20 vision, it's easy to see why it all went so wrong!
So, the moneymen and technicians delivered a combination of what they believed people wanted and poor technical wizardry.
However, those new technologies required for Web2.0 were starting to emerge. Sadly not quite in time to save the dotcom companies at the time though!
Many of the finest technicians joined the dotcom bandwagon, I remember the investmant banks being totally flumoxed by the brain drain to the dot coms! But, when the dotcoms went bust, these technicians were left "high and dry". Highly skilled and motivated by how far they could push the technology (rather than make loads of money), something very interesting started to transpire.
Many very small highly technical companies sprang up and started to deliver the truly interactive technology that we now rely on for Web2.0 and social traffic.
It started with Blogging and then video sharing, social networking and more recently social bookmarking - what we now know as the social traffic fabric.
So, why is this so crucial now?
The bottom line is thatl any web business must have traffic to continue. Think about it, more traffic = more sales = more profits! It's what I believe is called a "no brainer"!
Indeed, for any organization looking to maximise sales over the Internet, having a social traffic / social marketing strategy has grown to be more and more important.
Why?
Well, have you checked on your Adwords expenses recently? Contrary to claims that PPC costs are falling, the costs for competitive keywords that return genuine sales are on the rise. PPC costs have rocketed over the last two years or so.
And, whilst fundamental SEO is relatively easy, a commitment to SEO as your sole traffic source becomes more and more marginal the deeper into the rabbit warren you go.
That leaves social marketing and social traffic generation as the only chief viable alternative.
When the phrase "social traffic" is mentioned, it conjures up a whole plethora of images.
YouTube, Wikipedia, My Space, Technorati, Blogger, Digg, Squidoo and of course recent rising star "microblogger" Twitter.
It's true, these are all "Social" properties (as they are called).
But what exactly is "social marketing" and how does it work?
Well there are a number of different "branches".
Firstly there is blogging. With great programs like Blogger and Wordpress it's now simple to to publish a blog in very little time.
What is a Blog? Basically it's an online journal. Nothing new, people have been writing journals for years and a Blog is an online journal. It's the merger of the words "Web"and "Log" = Blog!
It's a place where you (and anyone else for that matter) can air your views and sell your products. Value is built by the interactivity of the platform. Your readers can add views and comment that help build value, similar to the comments on properties such as Squidoo, My Space and Hubpages.
Secondly there is the social networking aspect of social traffic. This tends to split into two categories, truly social, like Facebook and Friends Reunited and business oriented sites such as Hubpages and Squidoo.
Twitter now sits somewhere sandwiched between.
>From the business view these sites are significant because Google treats them as "authority" sites and gives them peak weighting as far as organic search engine results are concerned.
What I really like about these sites is that they also offer you the ability to tag your articles for a wider marketing effect (as opposed to the strict use of keywords required for PPC).
Social bookmarking is the glue that holds all this in sync. A social bookmarking site is simply a way of creating lists of favourites. You then intermingle with other users with related interests and permit them have access to your bookmarked catalog of sites.
If your "social" friends like the sites you bookmark, they pass them on to their other friends and so on and a momentum builds. That's when and how your social traffic starts to really come through.
Now, it does take an investment of time and effort to set up all of your social marketing accounts. There is NO way around this - sorry if you wanted a quick fix!
And, you do need to go wide with your social bookmarking. It's no good setting yourself up with just one account at one property. You do need to have an account at as many social sites as you can!
Sorry, yes you do have to do some work! But hey, it's not exactly hard is it? Beats sweating on a production line or in a City office!
The final "strand" of social traffic generation is the video sharing sites. YouTube is undoubtedly the most famous, but there are many others like Vimeo and also Google, Yahoo now have video sharing properties.
Video has become more and more crucial as a selling tool online. You simply have to use video in your online sales effort if you crave success today. I heard it suggested that a sales page with video is 85% more likely to end up in a sale. Now that is a statistic that it is well worth stacking in your favour!
So, to generate a flood of social traffic you need to use the social networking sites to be the source of your content. Then link them to a related article on your blog or other social property...Then socially bookmark both links as well as including video content.
You do this for a highly relevant keyword, then wash rinse and repeat for an additional closely related keyword.
Again, I must to stress that you cannot just have one keyword and expect success. Yes, you can get on to page one of Google for any certain keyword.
However, to generate a real flood of free social traffic you have to put forward a series of pages on associated keywords as well.
That is how social marketing works.
One final thing, remember you have to respect the duplicate content rules. I know you may be tempted to moan about the these rules as I did when I first started the social traffic generation "thing"!
However, it is because authority sites like Hubpages maintain these strict rules that Google treat them as such...Authority sites. In turn, we, as users, get the benefit in terms of great, high profile listings (quickly)!
So, spend sometime configuring your social marketing and traffic infrastructure and you will get massive long-term, quality traffic to your pages and web properties. And, it's an overnight near instant flow of traffic - instant social traffic!
Tips For Using Online Classifeds
It’s like a garage sale, without having to leave the house or have a dozen strangers rummage through your things. Online classifieds is a magic box filled with pretty much anything you can imagine.
Classifieds offer a myriad of items for sale. Bikes, books, cars, cats, houses, hounds, kitchen sinks and cricket bats… You will be amazed at what you can find sometimes. Some people even use the classifieds to find love.
Classifieds can also be a source of amusement. I once saw the following ad: “I’m selling a very good laptop.” The ad had no brand name or model, details, specs, picture or even a price. I have even seen ads selling illegal narcotics on line, whether they actually get any response before the ad gets thrown out, is another question.
What online classifieds hold over traditional print advertising is that it is instant, paper free and has a wide reach. Gone are the days where you had to wait for the weekly paper. You can advertise and browse nationally and internationally, you are no longer restricted to a limited area of circulation. It is also so much easier to submit your ad online than having to spell your name over the phone.
There are many classified sites like http://www.junkmail.co.za where you can view ads without paying a subscription fee. The Internet offers anonymity. Remember though, the very same anonymity that could protect you, makes it easier for tricksters to spin the wool around your eyes. Read the “tips on avoiding scams” on the classifieds homepage.
Buying online.
*Use your common sense.
If it sounds too good… Then someone might have already beaten you to the punch, but most likely it is too good to be true. Don’t accept contradicting answers. Shop around. Compare prices. It’s easy to get scammed online. Be alert and be aware.
*Safety first.
Always meet the seller in a public place, unless you’re buying a pet. Take someone with you. Tell someone else where you are going. Don’t carry large amounts of cash on your person.
*Don’t pay before you’ve seen the goods.
Be careful about online payments. Use your own computer to make bank transfers. If you have to use the seller’s or a public computer make sure that you log out before leaving and change your password when you get home.
Selling online.
*Consider paying for a featured ad.
Even though you will have to pay for it, your ad will be displayed more prominently on the classifieds page than a regular ad. Featured ads are more eye-catching. If you are selling an expensive item I highly recommend it. The extra exposure will be worth the extra cost.
*A Picture paints a thousand words.
Pictures will attract more attention than plain black on white text. Many online classifieds will allow you to add pictures for free. Don’t use a generic stock or the manufacturer’s picture. Take a picture of the item you are selling with your own (or a borrowed) camera. In this way you will have more credibility because people will see what your product actually looks like. You won’t get a disappointed: “It doesn’t look like the picture” when you finally meet up with your potential buyer.
*Ask a relevant price.
Do some research on how much competitors are asking for a similar product. If you ask too much people will choose to buy from someone else. If you ask too little, people will think something’s wrong. If you’re giving something away for free then say why it is free. If you want to swop something, be specific.
*Use your most important keyword first.
Sometimes the first (or first two) keyword(s) will be automatically linked to a category containing similar items. So instead of saying: Good as new mp3 player, iPod”, say: iPod Mp3 player, good as new”. You want your iPod to be listed with the other iPod and not with the other “almost new”.
*Proofread your ad.
Even though there might be proofreaders checking ads on the classifieds website, it may take time before your mistakes can be corrected. We psychologically (albeit unconsciously) respond more negatively to messages if we spot errors in them. Use your spell-check and look for possible typing mistakes.
*Give enough details.
Give all the technical specifications that the buyer needs to know, but don’t try to oversell it on adjectives. Be informative, concise and to the point. Don’t give your e-mail address in the text body. You might end up on spam lists. Let potential buyers contact you through the classifieds website.
*You’re safety is important.
Meet the buyer in a public place, unless you’re selling a pet. If you do however have to meet at your home, meet in your front yard. Do not just allow a stranger into the house.
*Wait for confirmation of payment before you hand over goods.
If they pay in more money than you have asked for, be alert. Do not pay them back the difference, unless you have checked and double checked with your bank that the money is in fact in your account and that the transaction hasn’t be canceled. Read the information about online security on your bank’s Internet banking site.
Classifieds like http://craigslist.org can be a wonderful tool for finding bargains and making money. Online classifieds are easy to use and can save you time and money. Remember t o always to be alert and aware of your safety.
Classifieds offer a myriad of items for sale. Bikes, books, cars, cats, houses, hounds, kitchen sinks and cricket bats… You will be amazed at what you can find sometimes. Some people even use the classifieds to find love.
Classifieds can also be a source of amusement. I once saw the following ad: “I’m selling a very good laptop.” The ad had no brand name or model, details, specs, picture or even a price. I have even seen ads selling illegal narcotics on line, whether they actually get any response before the ad gets thrown out, is another question.
What online classifieds hold over traditional print advertising is that it is instant, paper free and has a wide reach. Gone are the days where you had to wait for the weekly paper. You can advertise and browse nationally and internationally, you are no longer restricted to a limited area of circulation. It is also so much easier to submit your ad online than having to spell your name over the phone.
There are many classified sites like http://www.junkmail.co.za where you can view ads without paying a subscription fee. The Internet offers anonymity. Remember though, the very same anonymity that could protect you, makes it easier for tricksters to spin the wool around your eyes. Read the “tips on avoiding scams” on the classifieds homepage.
Buying online.
*Use your common sense.
If it sounds too good… Then someone might have already beaten you to the punch, but most likely it is too good to be true. Don’t accept contradicting answers. Shop around. Compare prices. It’s easy to get scammed online. Be alert and be aware.
*Safety first.
Always meet the seller in a public place, unless you’re buying a pet. Take someone with you. Tell someone else where you are going. Don’t carry large amounts of cash on your person.
*Don’t pay before you’ve seen the goods.
Be careful about online payments. Use your own computer to make bank transfers. If you have to use the seller’s or a public computer make sure that you log out before leaving and change your password when you get home.
Selling online.
*Consider paying for a featured ad.
Even though you will have to pay for it, your ad will be displayed more prominently on the classifieds page than a regular ad. Featured ads are more eye-catching. If you are selling an expensive item I highly recommend it. The extra exposure will be worth the extra cost.
*A Picture paints a thousand words.
Pictures will attract more attention than plain black on white text. Many online classifieds will allow you to add pictures for free. Don’t use a generic stock or the manufacturer’s picture. Take a picture of the item you are selling with your own (or a borrowed) camera. In this way you will have more credibility because people will see what your product actually looks like. You won’t get a disappointed: “It doesn’t look like the picture” when you finally meet up with your potential buyer.
*Ask a relevant price.
Do some research on how much competitors are asking for a similar product. If you ask too much people will choose to buy from someone else. If you ask too little, people will think something’s wrong. If you’re giving something away for free then say why it is free. If you want to swop something, be specific.
*Use your most important keyword first.
Sometimes the first (or first two) keyword(s) will be automatically linked to a category containing similar items. So instead of saying: Good as new mp3 player, iPod”, say: iPod Mp3 player, good as new”. You want your iPod to be listed with the other iPod and not with the other “almost new”.
*Proofread your ad.
Even though there might be proofreaders checking ads on the classifieds website, it may take time before your mistakes can be corrected. We psychologically (albeit unconsciously) respond more negatively to messages if we spot errors in them. Use your spell-check and look for possible typing mistakes.
*Give enough details.
Give all the technical specifications that the buyer needs to know, but don’t try to oversell it on adjectives. Be informative, concise and to the point. Don’t give your e-mail address in the text body. You might end up on spam lists. Let potential buyers contact you through the classifieds website.
*You’re safety is important.
Meet the buyer in a public place, unless you’re selling a pet. If you do however have to meet at your home, meet in your front yard. Do not just allow a stranger into the house.
*Wait for confirmation of payment before you hand over goods.
If they pay in more money than you have asked for, be alert. Do not pay them back the difference, unless you have checked and double checked with your bank that the money is in fact in your account and that the transaction hasn’t be canceled. Read the information about online security on your bank’s Internet banking site.
Classifieds like http://craigslist.org can be a wonderful tool for finding bargains and making money. Online classifieds are easy to use and can save you time and money. Remember t o always to be alert and aware of your safety.
WORK PLANS in 10 Minutes
Most productive people use some form of a work plan to sort out what they need to do and to guide them when they are doing the work.
People generally agree that they need a work plan for new work, but often feel that planning takes too long and it is better to just get on with the job.
This article explains how to develop powerful work plans in less than 10 minutes using a simple one page work plan template.
Work is usually done more efficiently when a work plan is followed. Work plans range from a simple list of the actions required to get the work done to more detailed plans that include the information required for people to work together (collaborate) effectively.
Over 15 years ago, TASKey developed a simple one page work plan template that has been used by thousands of people for fast powerful work planning. A free copy of the blank work plan template, instructions and completed examples are provided for your personal use at www.taskey.com/Portals/0/Work Plans.pdf
The goal of the template was to provide a simple means that enables anyone to develop an understandable and workable work plan in less than 10 minutes. The logic was that few people could argue that they didn’t have 10 minutes available to develop a plan that will enable them to get the work done in a way that minimizes costs, risks and stress.
It has been our experience that most people can fill in the work plan template in less time than many people take procrastinating about starting a work plan. Plus key information that is written down makes it easier to achieve a common understanding of what needs to be done, by who and when.
The template has four main parts:
1. The vision that outlines what success looks like (why) and highlights key boundaries/constraints
2. The actions required to implement the plan (who, what, when, how)
3. Stakeholders, responsibly, and resources (who, with what)
4. Any risks that need to be monitored
This may sound like a lot of information, but it is usually readily available to someone about to initiate a work task. We have found that if some information is not readily available to the planner, simply asking other people involved will fill in most gaps.
The SECRET TO SUCCESS – TASKey has found that the fastest and easiest way to complete the work plan template is to first enter the task name and the goal. Then fill in the rest of the boxes in any order. You will find that information in one box will help you think about the relevant information for other boxes.
In the examples provided, you will see that only a small amount of relevant information is required for people involved to understand what they need to do. In most cases, work plans are hand written and completed in less than 10 minutes. Progress can be easily shown by marking completed actions as complete.
TASKey has developed web and mobile browser software that can simultaneously manage thousands of work plans being done by thousands of people. The basic process is still the same for each task work plan. The software simply makes it easy to scale up to the number of related tasks required for larger tasks (such as projects and organization wide initiatives).
For more information on TASKey’s web and mobile browser work planning and implementation software tools visit www.taskey.com (for TASKey TEAM) and www.me2team.com (for Me2Team).
People generally agree that they need a work plan for new work, but often feel that planning takes too long and it is better to just get on with the job.
This article explains how to develop powerful work plans in less than 10 minutes using a simple one page work plan template.
Work is usually done more efficiently when a work plan is followed. Work plans range from a simple list of the actions required to get the work done to more detailed plans that include the information required for people to work together (collaborate) effectively.
Over 15 years ago, TASKey developed a simple one page work plan template that has been used by thousands of people for fast powerful work planning. A free copy of the blank work plan template, instructions and completed examples are provided for your personal use at www.taskey.com/Portals/0/Work Plans.pdf
The goal of the template was to provide a simple means that enables anyone to develop an understandable and workable work plan in less than 10 minutes. The logic was that few people could argue that they didn’t have 10 minutes available to develop a plan that will enable them to get the work done in a way that minimizes costs, risks and stress.
It has been our experience that most people can fill in the work plan template in less time than many people take procrastinating about starting a work plan. Plus key information that is written down makes it easier to achieve a common understanding of what needs to be done, by who and when.
The template has four main parts:
1. The vision that outlines what success looks like (why) and highlights key boundaries/constraints
2. The actions required to implement the plan (who, what, when, how)
3. Stakeholders, responsibly, and resources (who, with what)
4. Any risks that need to be monitored
This may sound like a lot of information, but it is usually readily available to someone about to initiate a work task. We have found that if some information is not readily available to the planner, simply asking other people involved will fill in most gaps.
The SECRET TO SUCCESS – TASKey has found that the fastest and easiest way to complete the work plan template is to first enter the task name and the goal. Then fill in the rest of the boxes in any order. You will find that information in one box will help you think about the relevant information for other boxes.
In the examples provided, you will see that only a small amount of relevant information is required for people involved to understand what they need to do. In most cases, work plans are hand written and completed in less than 10 minutes. Progress can be easily shown by marking completed actions as complete.
TASKey has developed web and mobile browser software that can simultaneously manage thousands of work plans being done by thousands of people. The basic process is still the same for each task work plan. The software simply makes it easy to scale up to the number of related tasks required for larger tasks (such as projects and organization wide initiatives).
For more information on TASKey’s web and mobile browser work planning and implementation software tools visit www.taskey.com (for TASKey TEAM) and www.me2team.com (for Me2Team).
5 Helpful Tips When Hiring Freelance IT Help
recently finished creating my latest website, and since I am a designer, not a coder, I often find the need to seek the services of a freelance IT professional. There are several good sites out there that can easily help you find the help your looking for. There are quality professionals available that provide everything from logo creation to website design, to marketing and advertising. There are people that can help you from beginning to end during your entire website creation process.
There are literally thousands of IT professionals and not-so-professionals out there ready to take on your project. I have had wonderful experiences and slightly less than wonderful experiences in these situations, and want to give you some help in finding IT professionals that can save you money, but sometimes more importantly, lots of time.
1-Get Several Quotes- After you post your project on the boards, you will probably receive a couple quotes within an hour or so. Check each quote carefully; make sure it encompasses EVERYTHING you described in your job posting. Cheaper is NOT synonymous with better so make sure you get are getting quality help at a reasonable price. Don't be afraid to pay what the job is worth. These people have to make a living and if you take care of them they will take care of you. If you go looking for the cheapest bid available often you will find yourself wasting lots of time and sometimes money, and probably having to hire somebody else to go back and re-do what should have be done, or done right, the first time. With that being said..
2- Check Their Qualifications - Once you receive several quotes and have a good idea what your budget is probably going to be, check their qualifications. All Freelancers will have a profile page available when they submit a quote for your project. MAKE SURE THEY ARE QUALIFIED TO PERFORM THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORK YOU NEED. More than likely you will receive lots of bids on every project you post. And most of the time you will receive quotes from people that are not completely qualified to perform the work you need. One thing to keep in mind, ANYBODY CAN BE A FREELANCER, and lots of people will say they have the skills required to perform the task but may only have a little knowledge about a particular skill and assume they can "figure it out" as they go. And they quite possibly may be able to do that in some situations. The problem with that is: guess what you're doing while they are "figuring it out"?......waiting. And sometimes time can be more valuable than money. I have given freelancers days and sometimes a week or so to complete a task that would have taken a QUALIFIED person 2 days to complete. A higher skill level is more valuable so sometimes you may have to pay a little extra to acquire the more qualified person. I have even awarded a project to an unqualified person, waited a week for a 2 day project, only to find out they were unable to complete the project and had to hire someone else. With that being said....
3-Check Their Feedback-On their profile pages they will have a feedback page. Check their feedback and actually read some of the comments posted. Find out if they are professional, timely and responsive on their projects. See if all work was completed and if they would be hired again on future projects. Make sure you check any negative comments left. But don't let a negative comment sway you from a professional if they have 98% positive feedback and had one bad experience with someone. Sometimes people can expect too much work for their money or aren't descriptive enough in their job post and fail to sufficiently let the IT pro know the full scope of the work needed, and then get upset when they don't receive 15hrs. of work for their $200 bucks. And on the other end, when your project is complete, don't forget to go back and leave feedback for your IT pro. It will help others like yourself find quality, professional help, and it's just simply good business practice.
4-Be Descriptive In Your Job Post-I can't stress this one enough. One key to making sure your project runs smoothly is making sure both sides understand exactly what the job at hand is. Don't leave anything out of your post. If you know something is going to be a challenge or if there are other situations attached to the current problem, make sure you let them know up front what they are getting into. Like I said in tip #3 if your post is not descriptive enough and the IT pro ends up "opening a can of worms" on your project, you will only get the amount of work your budget allots, often leaving your project unfinished or poorly completed, or they will be forced to request additional funds, or they may refuse the project all together leaving you to post the project again, go through the whole process of finding someone, again, and wasting lots of time that wasn't necessary in the first place.
5-Find Good Help and Stick With It.-When someone does a professional, quality job on one of your projects, reward them by using them again in the future (if it doesn't conflict with tip #2). You can build professional relationships and fore go all the "weeding out" processes on future projects and save yourself some time if you have quality pros that you can consistently rely on. And they may feel inclined to put in a little extra effort on your next project and can add to the overall quality of the job.
Hopefully these tips will help save you time and money and most importantly will allow you to achieve your ultimate goal, which is finishing your project in a timely and professional manner with the highest quality possible. Guru.Com, ODesk.com, & Elance.com are a few good places to start when beginning your search. Freelance work can be a great solution to your IT needs and is most effective when the process is carefully monitored and a few guidelines are followed.
There are literally thousands of IT professionals and not-so-professionals out there ready to take on your project. I have had wonderful experiences and slightly less than wonderful experiences in these situations, and want to give you some help in finding IT professionals that can save you money, but sometimes more importantly, lots of time.
1-Get Several Quotes- After you post your project on the boards, you will probably receive a couple quotes within an hour or so. Check each quote carefully; make sure it encompasses EVERYTHING you described in your job posting. Cheaper is NOT synonymous with better so make sure you get are getting quality help at a reasonable price. Don't be afraid to pay what the job is worth. These people have to make a living and if you take care of them they will take care of you. If you go looking for the cheapest bid available often you will find yourself wasting lots of time and sometimes money, and probably having to hire somebody else to go back and re-do what should have be done, or done right, the first time. With that being said..
2- Check Their Qualifications - Once you receive several quotes and have a good idea what your budget is probably going to be, check their qualifications. All Freelancers will have a profile page available when they submit a quote for your project. MAKE SURE THEY ARE QUALIFIED TO PERFORM THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORK YOU NEED. More than likely you will receive lots of bids on every project you post. And most of the time you will receive quotes from people that are not completely qualified to perform the work you need. One thing to keep in mind, ANYBODY CAN BE A FREELANCER, and lots of people will say they have the skills required to perform the task but may only have a little knowledge about a particular skill and assume they can "figure it out" as they go. And they quite possibly may be able to do that in some situations. The problem with that is: guess what you're doing while they are "figuring it out"?......waiting. And sometimes time can be more valuable than money. I have given freelancers days and sometimes a week or so to complete a task that would have taken a QUALIFIED person 2 days to complete. A higher skill level is more valuable so sometimes you may have to pay a little extra to acquire the more qualified person. I have even awarded a project to an unqualified person, waited a week for a 2 day project, only to find out they were unable to complete the project and had to hire someone else. With that being said....
3-Check Their Feedback-On their profile pages they will have a feedback page. Check their feedback and actually read some of the comments posted. Find out if they are professional, timely and responsive on their projects. See if all work was completed and if they would be hired again on future projects. Make sure you check any negative comments left. But don't let a negative comment sway you from a professional if they have 98% positive feedback and had one bad experience with someone. Sometimes people can expect too much work for their money or aren't descriptive enough in their job post and fail to sufficiently let the IT pro know the full scope of the work needed, and then get upset when they don't receive 15hrs. of work for their $200 bucks. And on the other end, when your project is complete, don't forget to go back and leave feedback for your IT pro. It will help others like yourself find quality, professional help, and it's just simply good business practice.
4-Be Descriptive In Your Job Post-I can't stress this one enough. One key to making sure your project runs smoothly is making sure both sides understand exactly what the job at hand is. Don't leave anything out of your post. If you know something is going to be a challenge or if there are other situations attached to the current problem, make sure you let them know up front what they are getting into. Like I said in tip #3 if your post is not descriptive enough and the IT pro ends up "opening a can of worms" on your project, you will only get the amount of work your budget allots, often leaving your project unfinished or poorly completed, or they will be forced to request additional funds, or they may refuse the project all together leaving you to post the project again, go through the whole process of finding someone, again, and wasting lots of time that wasn't necessary in the first place.
5-Find Good Help and Stick With It.-When someone does a professional, quality job on one of your projects, reward them by using them again in the future (if it doesn't conflict with tip #2). You can build professional relationships and fore go all the "weeding out" processes on future projects and save yourself some time if you have quality pros that you can consistently rely on. And they may feel inclined to put in a little extra effort on your next project and can add to the overall quality of the job.
Hopefully these tips will help save you time and money and most importantly will allow you to achieve your ultimate goal, which is finishing your project in a timely and professional manner with the highest quality possible. Guru.Com, ODesk.com, & Elance.com are a few good places to start when beginning your search. Freelance work can be a great solution to your IT needs and is most effective when the process is carefully monitored and a few guidelines are followed.
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