Making millions with a websiteWritten by Glenn Prialde
The biggest question that I have ever encountered when this internet fad was still new and young in my country was, Is there really money in it? The question applies not to Internet Service Providers but to users, so called internet “savvy” individuals. The question was never answered, at least not until I acquired some technical knowledge and know how on what’s a website and actually made one.At first I figured out ways of internet marketing where advertisers could get lots of $$$ per month for just a single banner or a single text link. But that doesn’t stop there. There are also these sites that offer services for free at first trial but with a fee for succeeding tries. One good example is site I took ideas from and was inspired upon, EzineArticles.com. It is an article directory site where ezine operators could get free contents. Yes, free to reprint but for authors seeking exposure you have to pay an amount for your articles to be published, well at least its free for first submission. Then there are sites that actually pay users who do a certain task, they are call “PT” (Paid To) sites. Among these sites are PTC (Paid to Click) sites which is similar or if not one with PTR (Paid to Read) sites. These sites pay you a certain amount by clicking a banner or a link from an email sent to you. Next, we have paid survey sites where you fill in surveys and get paid. All these sites are like mushrooms sprouting like crazy. But only one thing is sure, whether users get paid or not what’s sure is that, ones getting bigger share of money are webmasters operating these PT sites. My advice to those who are interested in joining these sites is to be very careful because most of them, but not all are just scam sites trying to let you do all those thousands of clicks and pay you with nothing but air.
| | Seize the internet! Written by Dave Collins
For many years, libraries have been regarded as 'ultimate source of information and knowledge', yet so many people use them for other purposes. They are used as social and cultural forums, community centres, meeting places, entertainment venues, and even for warmth and shelter. The same may be said of internet - fairly recent version of this ultimate resource for individuals and businesses alike. The internet is certainly used for entertainment and social purposes, and offers much in way of social functions and communication. However there's so much more to it than that, and so much more that any individual or business, and especially software developers, can utilise. It's there for taking. Newsgroups When it comes to opportunity, newsgroups would seem to be one of more neglected areas of internet, especially by software developers. First of all they're a superb source of current information and public opinion, but that's only beginning. They offer developer two opportunities - advertising and exposure. A great forum for announcing new software, new releases, upgrades and updates… newsgroups also offer you opportunity to be seen as an expert in your field. Not only do you get chance to be seen, but to be seen as an authority in areas of your choosing. Use this tool wisely, and its benefits may be immeasurable. There are a few dangers though - make sure that you follow rules and etiquette of each newsgroup; you don't want to be labelled as a spammer, and irritating people is no way of improving your image. Going on from this, be careful what you say, and how you say it. Your comments and manner will reflect on your company and software; never forget this. My own opinion is that it's wise man who sits and listens first, and only speaks when he has something to say. When he does so for long enough, people lean forward to hear him. Discussion Lists Joining a discussion list is another invaluable way of raising your profile and establishing a reputation as a knowledgeable source. Don't go in for blatantly selling your product as soon as you get a chance; person that runs list will not take kindly to having their work hijacked for your own free publicity, and neither will readers. But it is a great way to establish yourself as a knowledge source, and depending on list moderator and rules, you should be able to get your signature at end of every posting. At very least this should contain your website URL and email address. If you're lucky you might even get your slogan in there too. Your signature is another frequently overlooked tool - at end of every single email and newsgroup posting you send, get your essential contact details in there. Don't waste any opportunity to be noticed. The same rules apply as to newsgroups - be professional and courteous at all times, and if you don't have anything to say, don't say it! Banners Constantly source of much debate as to their effectiveness, general consensus is that banners are a dead or dying media. Nonsense! The banner lives - and can also be a vital part in your software marketing strategy. There are free and commercial options available in abundance; but level of success will be mainly determined by how carefully targeted your exposure is. For example, let's say you had an image editing application, and decided to invest a little in some banner exposure. Having it at very top of CNN's home page would increase your exposure almost as fast as it would empty your bank account. But how many click-throughs do you think it would get? If, however, you were at top of home page of a clipart site, exposure rate would be both slower and infinitely more productive. You'd be sure to get more clicks and visitors at a far lower price. The common mistake is to think that having your banner up on a low-traffic site is a waste of time; rubbish! Targeted exposure is more effective and usually cheaper. A thousand exposures at $25 per thousand costs same whether delivery takes an hour or a month.
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