venerdì 17 agosto 2007
giovedì 16 agosto 2007
Looksoftware Eliminates 5250 Processing Requirement with New Product
Looksoftware announced a new product last week that eliminates the requirement to purchase 5250 OLTP processing capability to run interactive workloads on an iSeries or System i server, thereby saving users potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. The new product, called lookdirect, unleashes the 5250 capability in a non-invasive manner, the company says, and should be available next month.The iSeries community has been looking for solutions to the 5250 pricing situation ever since 1996, when IBM introduced the CFINT governor and started charging more for interactive processing capability (what it now calls online transaction processing, or OLTP) than batch, or server-based, processing capability.If developers had followed the lead of IBM, they would have re-written their 5250 applications in Java and run them in WebSphere, thereby bypassing the 5250 requirement. However, relatively few programmers that use the OS/400's server traditional language have made the switch to Java, which means the vast majority of OS/400 customers have had to live with the controversial pricing scheme.Marcus Dee, managing director of Australia-based looksoftware, says IBM's interactive pricing policy--which adds close to $1 million to the price tag of the largest OS/400 servers--has been a challenge to the company. "It's been an issue for our partners and customers for many years. We lost some real opportunities because they wanted to cut these costs," he says.Over the years, looksoftware considered the various options on the table for eliminating the impact of IBM's 5250 pricing policies on looksoftware's business, as well as the business of its partners. First up was the "invasive" approach, where the 5250 and the DDS is eliminated and then basically reconstructed in a different form. Several iSeries ISVs rolled out such solutions, but they've since been withdrawn, Dee says, due to the extensive effort required to adapt the programs. "Architecturally it was never going to fly," he says.Another invasive technique for goosing 5250 performance that made many headlines over the last few years was a product and a company called Fast400. However, Dee saw serious problems with going down that road. "I think everybody in the marketplace knew what was going on was under the covers," he says. "And it didn't change the fact that it broke customers' machines."For seven or eight years, looksoftware explored its options, but came up empty. Finally, in the last couple releases of the operating system, IBM has made changes that allowed looksoftware to do what it wanted to do.It took a long time, but it was worth it, Dee says. "The access from IBM, the system level APIs--it's taken some time . . . but the perseverance paid off," he says. "We've done it the right way. We don't do accessing system state stuff, under-the-cover stuff. We've done it in a way that IBM's comfortable."lookdirectThe new product, called lookdirect, helps customers by enabling the full batch CPW capability of a given OS/400 server to be utilized for 5250 applications. Dee didn't discuss the intricacies of how lookdirect works, except to say that it uses system-level APIs, which ensures that it will work with future releases of i5/OS, and that it and has the blessing of IBM.All customers need to know (besides that look says it won't break their systems or hurt other applications) is that lookdirect eliminates the need for 5250 OLTP, thereby enabling customers to use the Standard Edition of i5/OS instead of the Enterprise Edition, which is considerably more expensive.The one catch is that lookdirect must be used in conjunction with one of looksoftware's "multichannel" interface products, which are largely based on Microsoft's .NET technology. This lineup includes the full-featured smartclient designed for power users, the somewhat thinner liteclient designed for transaction workers, the browser-based thinclient for zero footprint deployments, and the mobileclient, which installs on PDAs and other mobile devices. The full-tilt-boogie 5250-enabling capabilities of lookdirect will require version 8 of the multichannel UI products, which will be released soon.The idea behind hooking up lookdirect to the company's interface products is to get OS/400 shops to modernize their applications, Dee says. "There is a huge investment in 5250 applications and [IBM] has been pushing modernization through people like us for some time," Dee says. "This is another way to tell the marketplace, 'Here's a good reason to do it now and take your applications forward.'"While looksoftware and IBM would rather that lookdirect customers take the opportunity to modernize their application with some sort of GUI, lookdirect doesn't prevent users from running 5250 applications in green-screen mode. The company sells its own 5250 emulator, called 5250client, because there always seems to be that one guy who refuses to move to a GUI. It makes no difference to Dee. "Horses for courses," he says.Partner ReactionLooksoftware business partners enthusiastically welcomed lookdirect, which they will embed into their own OS/400 solutions."Lookdirect…makes our i5 solution more competitive against other platforms," says Ernie Betancourt, CEO of Innovative Computing, an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based developer of OS/400-based trucking software with 500 customers. "Now that we can deploy our 5250 solutions on the i5 Standard Edition, we can drive our customers' IT dollar much further."Four Soft had all but given up trying to sell its OS/400-based warehousing application. "When talking to prospects about our warehousing applications, the System i5 hardware costs were becoming increasingly prohibitive," says Ritu Rooney, head of sales for the English software developer. "Lookdirect will allow us to be much more competitive in the logistics market from a total solution point of view.""The release of lookdirect is a pivotal moment in the evolution of the System i5," says Trevor Perry, who used to develop for looksoftware and who now works with Clear Technologies, a Texas CRM software developer. "You can have your GUI at a green-screen price, and move your applications into SOA at the same time."Doug Fulmer, the longtime iSeries Tools Network director who recently joined Clear Tech as a systems architect, also had good things to say about the new product. "Lookdirect provides them with a double-good alternative--modernizing their existing 5250 assets and eliminating or reducing 5250 workload," he says. "I think looksoftware has a winner with lookdirect."Dee credits the creation of lookdirect to a revitalized iSeries organization led by System i general manager Mark Shearer. "We've invested a lot of time working with partners and IBM and making sure that this sort of thing would benefit all of us," he says. "A real key thing here is that we understand, and I'm happy to say IBM understands, that some vendors out there can have a great impact on the platform."Lookdirect is due to ship in early August. The product will require i5/OS V5R4 (Standard Edition will suffice, thank you), as well as one of the newer System i or eServer i5 models--the 520, 550, 570, or 595. The product will be delivered as an option when customers purchase either smartclient, liteclient, thinclient, mobileclient, or 5250client, and will add about 20 to 30 percent to the cost of those products. For more information, visit http://www.looksoftware.com/.
How To Track All Your Website Traffic For Free
by: Louis Allport
Copyright 2005 Louis Allport
Do you know:
* Exactly how many people are visiting your website?
* How long they're staying on your site before they move on?
* Exactly where those visitors are coming from, each day?
* How much of your website traffic is repeat visitors?
* The exact paths people take as they click their way through your website?
Here's what I'm getting at:
If you don't know your visitors, it makes it *very* difficult for you to improve the performance of your website and turn more visitors into customers - AND - get more quality traffic. For the simple reason that you're effectively working blind.
Without knowing how people visit your site and what they do on your site, any attempts at growing your traffic and improving the profitability of your website is working with one armed tied behind your back, at least.
And unfortunately - the web stats that come with your web-hosting are generally not enough these days.
Depending on your web host, chances are you've either got Webalizer, Analog Stats, or AWStats installed on your server. Here's how that software works:
It takes the "raw" (unreadable to the human eye) information your web server stores of everyone that visits and presents this in an easy to understand way.
Unfortunately, due to a number of technical reasons, this information is often presented in quite an inaccurate way.
And in my personal experience, these software packages don't present this information in a particularly helpful way either for someone trying to improve the conversion ratios and profitability of their website.
What I personally do, and what I would suggest you do is use a "Tracking Solution" that accurately tracks and reports all your visitors in an easy to read and understand way. These solutions come in two forms: Software & Services.
Both these options have their pros and cons, but what they both do very well is present exactly what's happening on your website right up to the minute, and in a way that's very helpful to you for making good (and profitable) decisions for your business.
To start with here's a software solution you can install and use for free on your website:
Now before you go and install it, you should of course be familiar with installing software on your server. If you're not comfortable installing software on your website, a tracking service (which I'll come to in a moment) would probably be best for you.
And it's also important to note that installing software on your website can often put more strain on the server. This is particularly true if you're on shared hosting.
I've personally used the following free tracking software and it works well. See what you think. Go to http://www.curve2.com and look for "TrackPro". As I write this, version 2 is in Beta and is downloadable from the site at the following address: http://www.curve2.com/trackpro.php
You'll also find many further free tracking software solutions at http://www.hotscripts.com.
But personally speaking, what I've found works very well and avoids putting any increased strain on my existing websites is using a third party tracking service.
The only things really to worry about when using a third party service are:
* How long will this service be around? (If they stop their service after a year, you wouldn't be able to access your past data and will have to change all your tracking codes on your pages too.)
* What is their privacy policy regarding my web stats? (Are they honest and trustworthy in other words. You don't want the service owners studying and then duplicating your successful business plan.)
Over the past month I've been using ecommStats (http://www.ecommstats.com). Now, this service isn't free, but at this time they give you 50,000 free page views per domain, and depending how busy your site is those page views can last you a very long time.
The service works great and is very easy to add to your pages -- simply add three lines of code at the bottom of each of your pages (you can easily do this with Server Side Includes if you're comfortable with that) and all your visitors get tracked accurately and in great detail.
Alternatively - an entirely free (at this time) and very established service is StatCounter (http://statcounter.com). It even has a rave review from Tucows.com (one of the largest download sites on the internet) which speaks for itself and adds a lot of credibility to the service.
And just in case you're wondering how a free service like StatCounter makes money, well - since it's such a popular service with many webmasters logging in every day (and many I'm sure even more than once a day just like me) that it's made it very easy for them to sell a lot of advertising on their site. They also offer an upgrade to their advanced paid service.
But thinking beyond free services, as your business grows you may choose to upgrade to high end paid services that provide even more in depth information about your visitors...
Services like Urchin (Urchin.com - owned by Google) or Deep Metrix (DeepMetix.com). However, to help you grow your business to that point you need to keep a close eye on what your visitors are doing and where they're coming from, and free tracking software and services is a great way for you to start to do this.
About the author:Louis Allport is an online product developer and marketer. To get a FREE copy of his powerful "Viral PDF Generator" script, visit the following site: http://www.BrandPDF.com
Copyright 2005 Louis Allport
Do you know:
* Exactly how many people are visiting your website?
* How long they're staying on your site before they move on?
* Exactly where those visitors are coming from, each day?
* How much of your website traffic is repeat visitors?
* The exact paths people take as they click their way through your website?
Here's what I'm getting at:
If you don't know your visitors, it makes it *very* difficult for you to improve the performance of your website and turn more visitors into customers - AND - get more quality traffic. For the simple reason that you're effectively working blind.
Without knowing how people visit your site and what they do on your site, any attempts at growing your traffic and improving the profitability of your website is working with one armed tied behind your back, at least.
And unfortunately - the web stats that come with your web-hosting are generally not enough these days.
Depending on your web host, chances are you've either got Webalizer, Analog Stats, or AWStats installed on your server. Here's how that software works:
It takes the "raw" (unreadable to the human eye) information your web server stores of everyone that visits and presents this in an easy to understand way.
Unfortunately, due to a number of technical reasons, this information is often presented in quite an inaccurate way.
And in my personal experience, these software packages don't present this information in a particularly helpful way either for someone trying to improve the conversion ratios and profitability of their website.
What I personally do, and what I would suggest you do is use a "Tracking Solution" that accurately tracks and reports all your visitors in an easy to read and understand way. These solutions come in two forms: Software & Services.
Both these options have their pros and cons, but what they both do very well is present exactly what's happening on your website right up to the minute, and in a way that's very helpful to you for making good (and profitable) decisions for your business.
To start with here's a software solution you can install and use for free on your website:
Now before you go and install it, you should of course be familiar with installing software on your server. If you're not comfortable installing software on your website, a tracking service (which I'll come to in a moment) would probably be best for you.
And it's also important to note that installing software on your website can often put more strain on the server. This is particularly true if you're on shared hosting.
I've personally used the following free tracking software and it works well. See what you think. Go to http://www.curve2.com and look for "TrackPro". As I write this, version 2 is in Beta and is downloadable from the site at the following address: http://www.curve2.com/trackpro.php
You'll also find many further free tracking software solutions at http://www.hotscripts.com.
But personally speaking, what I've found works very well and avoids putting any increased strain on my existing websites is using a third party tracking service.
The only things really to worry about when using a third party service are:
* How long will this service be around? (If they stop their service after a year, you wouldn't be able to access your past data and will have to change all your tracking codes on your pages too.)
* What is their privacy policy regarding my web stats? (Are they honest and trustworthy in other words. You don't want the service owners studying and then duplicating your successful business plan.)
Over the past month I've been using ecommStats (http://www.ecommstats.com). Now, this service isn't free, but at this time they give you 50,000 free page views per domain, and depending how busy your site is those page views can last you a very long time.
The service works great and is very easy to add to your pages -- simply add three lines of code at the bottom of each of your pages (you can easily do this with Server Side Includes if you're comfortable with that) and all your visitors get tracked accurately and in great detail.
Alternatively - an entirely free (at this time) and very established service is StatCounter (http://statcounter.com). It even has a rave review from Tucows.com (one of the largest download sites on the internet) which speaks for itself and adds a lot of credibility to the service.
And just in case you're wondering how a free service like StatCounter makes money, well - since it's such a popular service with many webmasters logging in every day (and many I'm sure even more than once a day just like me) that it's made it very easy for them to sell a lot of advertising on their site. They also offer an upgrade to their advanced paid service.
But thinking beyond free services, as your business grows you may choose to upgrade to high end paid services that provide even more in depth information about your visitors...
Services like Urchin (Urchin.com - owned by Google) or Deep Metrix (DeepMetix.com). However, to help you grow your business to that point you need to keep a close eye on what your visitors are doing and where they're coming from, and free tracking software and services is a great way for you to start to do this.
About the author:Louis Allport is an online product developer and marketer. To get a FREE copy of his powerful "Viral PDF Generator" script, visit the following site: http://www.BrandPDF.com
martedì 14 agosto 2007
a-guide-to-voip
What is VoIP? Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the ability to transmit voice over the Internet to either a receiving computer, telephone or even a mobile phone. VoIP phone is becoming the popular worldwide telephone service for both consumer and the business communities. VoIP works by using a network technology known as Packet Switching Network whereas landline telephones use the Circuit Switching Network. This is referred to as the Public Switched Telephone Network.
What's the difference between VoIP normal phones?
The main difference between Packet Switching and Circuit Switching, is that Packet Switching uses (data) or Packets and sends them over the Internet while Circuit Switching is accomplished by using electrical circuits to make a telephone connection. Circuit Switching is like the old switchboard operators, frantically trying to connect the right caller with the receiver. Packet Switching is used to transfer data all across the Internet including E-mail. Packet Switching converts audio formats into data packets and transmits them over the Internet, then reassembles them on the other person’s phone or computer in real time. By using a Broadband Internet Connection, microphone and speakers a conversation can take place similar to traditional telephone.
VoIP phones have been round for sometime, but increases in technology it is becoming increasingly popular. Several years ago many applications were available offering some form of free VoIP phone service. Majority of these have gone or now charge a fee for the use of their service as VoIP phone provider. Moreover, VoIP is developing higher standards of quality every day, and it has proved that it is a viable force for telecommunication for the future.
Who is providing VoIP phone service?
Telephone and Internet service provider companies are expanding to allow for monthly VoIP phone services. Companies such as AOL, Verizon and Sprint have VoIP phone offerings. Recently eBay has joined the ranks of VoIP phone service providers by purchasing skype VoIP software, with its vast membership base the VoIP message will soon reach the man on the street.
What's special about VoIP?
Instant messaging programs such as MSN massager have been using VoIP technology for years. Now, most of these messaging programs come with voice enabled features which allow you to call a member of your buddy list. By using a microphone and speakers, you will be able to converse anywhere in the world, by VoIP and your Instant Messaging program.
With instant messaging VoIP incorporates different areas into one program. With your voice enabled programs, you can hook up a digital camera,web cam and use video, while you are speaking on your microphone and listening to on your speakers, and you can type back and forth with your chat program. You could even write an email at the same time. The potential for VoIP phones use is nearly limitless.
VoIP has this unique ability to integrate many forms of telecommunication applications into one package can handle data, audio, video, E-Mail, and web based applications simultaneously. This makes VoIP an incredible boost to business world and provides a cost effective choice of telephone service.
VoIP phone service providers are increasing in popularity with many people discovering all of the benefits available to them by switching from using their land line telephones to VoIP service. First, VoIP phone services costs significantly less than standard phone service, and this is a great attraction for bringing in new customers. Many VoIP phone plans will let you make unlimited long distance calls or provide you with a plan for very inexpensive rates. Many of the features that are often included for a fee with traditional phone service are often included for free with VoIP services. Features such as Call Waiting, Call Block, Call Forwarding, Conference Calling, Voice Mail are usually charged as extras by the traditional phone companies but these are usually free with the VoIP phone packages.Another benefit to VoIP services is that you can usually keep your existing phone number, or allow you to select a new area code. The means if you select an area where most of your friends and family live, a call to you will be treated as local call. For a remote business VoIP service can give the perception of having multiple office locations.
What's the future for VoIP
Make no mistake about it VoIP phone services is a the emerging contender in the telecommunication world.It is a proven technology, can seamlessly integrate into many existing applications, does not require special equipment anyone with a PC with a microphone and speakers can use the service and it is very cost effective. Talk will be cheap!
About the author:
James Rogers makes it easy to understand and take full advantage of VoIP which is the future of cheap worldwide communications. To learn more visit: http://www.voip-phone-services.net
Circulated by Article Emporium
What's the difference between VoIP normal phones?
The main difference between Packet Switching and Circuit Switching, is that Packet Switching uses (data) or Packets and sends them over the Internet while Circuit Switching is accomplished by using electrical circuits to make a telephone connection. Circuit Switching is like the old switchboard operators, frantically trying to connect the right caller with the receiver. Packet Switching is used to transfer data all across the Internet including E-mail. Packet Switching converts audio formats into data packets and transmits them over the Internet, then reassembles them on the other person’s phone or computer in real time. By using a Broadband Internet Connection, microphone and speakers a conversation can take place similar to traditional telephone.
VoIP phones have been round for sometime, but increases in technology it is becoming increasingly popular. Several years ago many applications were available offering some form of free VoIP phone service. Majority of these have gone or now charge a fee for the use of their service as VoIP phone provider. Moreover, VoIP is developing higher standards of quality every day, and it has proved that it is a viable force for telecommunication for the future.
Who is providing VoIP phone service?
Telephone and Internet service provider companies are expanding to allow for monthly VoIP phone services. Companies such as AOL, Verizon and Sprint have VoIP phone offerings. Recently eBay has joined the ranks of VoIP phone service providers by purchasing skype VoIP software, with its vast membership base the VoIP message will soon reach the man on the street.
What's special about VoIP?
Instant messaging programs such as MSN massager have been using VoIP technology for years. Now, most of these messaging programs come with voice enabled features which allow you to call a member of your buddy list. By using a microphone and speakers, you will be able to converse anywhere in the world, by VoIP and your Instant Messaging program.
With instant messaging VoIP incorporates different areas into one program. With your voice enabled programs, you can hook up a digital camera,web cam and use video, while you are speaking on your microphone and listening to on your speakers, and you can type back and forth with your chat program. You could even write an email at the same time. The potential for VoIP phones use is nearly limitless.
VoIP has this unique ability to integrate many forms of telecommunication applications into one package can handle data, audio, video, E-Mail, and web based applications simultaneously. This makes VoIP an incredible boost to business world and provides a cost effective choice of telephone service.
VoIP phone service providers are increasing in popularity with many people discovering all of the benefits available to them by switching from using their land line telephones to VoIP service. First, VoIP phone services costs significantly less than standard phone service, and this is a great attraction for bringing in new customers. Many VoIP phone plans will let you make unlimited long distance calls or provide you with a plan for very inexpensive rates. Many of the features that are often included for a fee with traditional phone service are often included for free with VoIP services. Features such as Call Waiting, Call Block, Call Forwarding, Conference Calling, Voice Mail are usually charged as extras by the traditional phone companies but these are usually free with the VoIP phone packages.Another benefit to VoIP services is that you can usually keep your existing phone number, or allow you to select a new area code. The means if you select an area where most of your friends and family live, a call to you will be treated as local call. For a remote business VoIP service can give the perception of having multiple office locations.
What's the future for VoIP
Make no mistake about it VoIP phone services is a the emerging contender in the telecommunication world.It is a proven technology, can seamlessly integrate into many existing applications, does not require special equipment anyone with a PC with a microphone and speakers can use the service and it is very cost effective. Talk will be cheap!
About the author:
James Rogers makes it easy to understand and take full advantage of VoIP which is the future of cheap worldwide communications. To learn more visit: http://www.voip-phone-services.net
Circulated by Article Emporium
5-ways-to-get-your-website-noticed
by: Maui Reyes
Your website is just one of the billion sites parked on the World Wide Web. Chances are, you don’t think yours will ever get noticed. We hear your cries for cyber attention. Here are five ways to get people clicking on to your site.
1.) Make sure it’s professional looking. No one likes looking at website that reminds them of a book report they wrote back in school. Invest in learning a good web design program (Dreamweaver MX and Microsoft Frontpage are good picks), and let your creative juices flow. Make sure it’s compelling, well-designed, and organized. People don’t exactly find it fun to weed through haystacks of cyberfiles to get the information that they want. On that note, don’t make it a heavy site. Putting up some flash intros may be great eye candy, but the average internet surfer only waits 10 seconds for a page to load, and then they’re off to the next.
2.) Put your URL on every search engine possible. Putting your URL on business cards and bugging your family and friends to check out your site won’t exactly increase traffic. Submitting it to search engines will make it easier for people to find you, provided that your webpage carries the topics they’re looking for. To understand how a search engine works, think of it as a “spider”: it crawls through your website, picking up words and information which would later be indexed in the search engine’s database. So make sure you pepper your site with keywords you think are relevant to what people are looking for. Web directories, like Yahoo!, are operated by humans who actually categorize the websites themselves. If you don’t feel like submitting your website to numerous directories, consider subscribing to sites like www.submit-it.com, who, for a fee, will automatically submit your site to search engines and directories for you.
3.) Link everywhere. Find other sites that carry similar content as yours and ask to exchange links. Create banners to be placed on other peoples’ websites, and offer to the same for them on your site. Add your URL on your e-mail signature. Join webrings if you must—there’s nothing like strength in numbers.
4.) Advertise offline. The world of cyberspace isn’t enough to get you noticed. Write up press releases and send them to local newspapers and magazines. Print out fliers to be distributed. Just make sure that your site is already up and running to avoid giving people a bad impression (no one likes getting pumped up for something only to get disappointed).
5.) Interact with your readers. Put up forums or message boards for your visitors to interact with each other. Chat rooms are often time-consuming for some, while message boards allows them to check back every so often for replies. Create an e-mail list so you can update your visitors about new developments, and always be open to feedback—that’s what will make your site even better.
About the author:
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com
Your website is just one of the billion sites parked on the World Wide Web. Chances are, you don’t think yours will ever get noticed. We hear your cries for cyber attention. Here are five ways to get people clicking on to your site.
1.) Make sure it’s professional looking. No one likes looking at website that reminds them of a book report they wrote back in school. Invest in learning a good web design program (Dreamweaver MX and Microsoft Frontpage are good picks), and let your creative juices flow. Make sure it’s compelling, well-designed, and organized. People don’t exactly find it fun to weed through haystacks of cyberfiles to get the information that they want. On that note, don’t make it a heavy site. Putting up some flash intros may be great eye candy, but the average internet surfer only waits 10 seconds for a page to load, and then they’re off to the next.
2.) Put your URL on every search engine possible. Putting your URL on business cards and bugging your family and friends to check out your site won’t exactly increase traffic. Submitting it to search engines will make it easier for people to find you, provided that your webpage carries the topics they’re looking for. To understand how a search engine works, think of it as a “spider”: it crawls through your website, picking up words and information which would later be indexed in the search engine’s database. So make sure you pepper your site with keywords you think are relevant to what people are looking for. Web directories, like Yahoo!, are operated by humans who actually categorize the websites themselves. If you don’t feel like submitting your website to numerous directories, consider subscribing to sites like www.submit-it.com, who, for a fee, will automatically submit your site to search engines and directories for you.
3.) Link everywhere. Find other sites that carry similar content as yours and ask to exchange links. Create banners to be placed on other peoples’ websites, and offer to the same for them on your site. Add your URL on your e-mail signature. Join webrings if you must—there’s nothing like strength in numbers.
4.) Advertise offline. The world of cyberspace isn’t enough to get you noticed. Write up press releases and send them to local newspapers and magazines. Print out fliers to be distributed. Just make sure that your site is already up and running to avoid giving people a bad impression (no one likes getting pumped up for something only to get disappointed).
5.) Interact with your readers. Put up forums or message boards for your visitors to interact with each other. Chat rooms are often time-consuming for some, while message boards allows them to check back every so often for replies. Create an e-mail list so you can update your visitors about new developments, and always be open to feedback—that’s what will make your site even better.
About the author:
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com
3 Fastest Ways To Get Traffic To Any Website
by: Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved http://www.thenetreporter.com
After all the debate over website design, shopping carts and credit card processors, every website owner eventually comes to the startling realization that they need one more thing to survive - website traffic! Without website traffic it's the same as building an expensive billboard and, instead of placing it alongside a busy highway, hiding it in your *basement* where nobody can see it. Upon realizing they need traffic, most website owners run out and start blowing chunks of money and time trying to get "hits," but they fail to grasp that there are really only three (3) reliable ways to get traffic to any website. Method #1 - Buy Traffic Currently, the fastest way to get traffic to any website involves using the little classified ads on the right side of search giant Google's results pages. Called Google AdWords, the system allows any advertiser to open an account with a $5 activation fee and start seeing their ads appear on Google within about 15 minutes. Advertisers only pay when visitors actually click through from their ad on Google to their website or affiliate link. Overture.com also sells traffic by the click, but they make you wait three to five days to go through their editorial review process before allowing ads to appear on their network. You can also buy advertising on dozens of other pay-per- click search engines. They all follow the same basic model of only charging advertisers for targeted visitors who read an ad based on a keyword search and decide to click through for more information. Log on to www.payperclicksearchengines.com for a list of over 600 choices ranked by market penetration. A word to the wise on pay-per-click advertising: Watch your costs and track and measure everything. Even though you can get traffic for as little as a penny, you should track your results by search engine and by individual keyword if you want maximum success. Many a company has lost its entire advertising budget paying only a nickel or a dime per click, but not watching their conversion rates and pouring money into keywords that don't convert... while neglecting the keywords that do bring sales (mainly because they don't know which is which!). Method #2 - Borrow Traffic If you need traffic to a website, then borrow it from people who already have it... especially people with lists of loyal subscribers or traffic from search engines, affiliates, or other steady sources. "Endorsed Mailings" and "Reciprocal Linking" by other people represent the two fastest ways to borrow someone else's traffic. If they maintain a list of subscribers, convince them to send an email out to their people telling them why they should check out your site. Also, negotiate a prominent link on their web pages to siphon off targeted visitors who find their website. Often the best way to persuade someone to do this involves paying them a commission, agreeing to do a similar mailing, or providing a link to them on your site (or a combination of all three). Imagine how much traffic you could get if someone with a list of 10,000 loyal subscribers told their people to go look at your website! Method #3 Recycle Traffic The most economical way to get traffic involves turning one-time visitors into regular, repeat visitors that you direct to multiple sites over time. You do this by pulling website visitors into your sphere of influence by enticing them to sign up for your newsletter, autoresponder sequence, or "mini-course." Then you keep in contact with regular articles, special reports, and recommendations enticing them to visit your own and other people's websites. Ultimately, every website owner should orient all of their marketing efforts towards this end of developing a stream of recycled traffic, because it costs the least and creates the best return on time and money invested. It doesn't matter if you promote your own product, promote only as an affiliate, or some combination of the two... if you don't recycle traffic and get more than one hit out of each visitor, you're making one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make online. About the author:Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com/
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved http://www.thenetreporter.com
After all the debate over website design, shopping carts and credit card processors, every website owner eventually comes to the startling realization that they need one more thing to survive - website traffic! Without website traffic it's the same as building an expensive billboard and, instead of placing it alongside a busy highway, hiding it in your *basement* where nobody can see it. Upon realizing they need traffic, most website owners run out and start blowing chunks of money and time trying to get "hits," but they fail to grasp that there are really only three (3) reliable ways to get traffic to any website. Method #1 - Buy Traffic Currently, the fastest way to get traffic to any website involves using the little classified ads on the right side of search giant Google's results pages. Called Google AdWords, the system allows any advertiser to open an account with a $5 activation fee and start seeing their ads appear on Google within about 15 minutes. Advertisers only pay when visitors actually click through from their ad on Google to their website or affiliate link. Overture.com also sells traffic by the click, but they make you wait three to five days to go through their editorial review process before allowing ads to appear on their network. You can also buy advertising on dozens of other pay-per- click search engines. They all follow the same basic model of only charging advertisers for targeted visitors who read an ad based on a keyword search and decide to click through for more information. Log on to www.payperclicksearchengines.com for a list of over 600 choices ranked by market penetration. A word to the wise on pay-per-click advertising: Watch your costs and track and measure everything. Even though you can get traffic for as little as a penny, you should track your results by search engine and by individual keyword if you want maximum success. Many a company has lost its entire advertising budget paying only a nickel or a dime per click, but not watching their conversion rates and pouring money into keywords that don't convert... while neglecting the keywords that do bring sales (mainly because they don't know which is which!). Method #2 - Borrow Traffic If you need traffic to a website, then borrow it from people who already have it... especially people with lists of loyal subscribers or traffic from search engines, affiliates, or other steady sources. "Endorsed Mailings" and "Reciprocal Linking" by other people represent the two fastest ways to borrow someone else's traffic. If they maintain a list of subscribers, convince them to send an email out to their people telling them why they should check out your site. Also, negotiate a prominent link on their web pages to siphon off targeted visitors who find their website. Often the best way to persuade someone to do this involves paying them a commission, agreeing to do a similar mailing, or providing a link to them on your site (or a combination of all three). Imagine how much traffic you could get if someone with a list of 10,000 loyal subscribers told their people to go look at your website! Method #3 Recycle Traffic The most economical way to get traffic involves turning one-time visitors into regular, repeat visitors that you direct to multiple sites over time. You do this by pulling website visitors into your sphere of influence by enticing them to sign up for your newsletter, autoresponder sequence, or "mini-course." Then you keep in contact with regular articles, special reports, and recommendations enticing them to visit your own and other people's websites. Ultimately, every website owner should orient all of their marketing efforts towards this end of developing a stream of recycled traffic, because it costs the least and creates the best return on time and money invested. It doesn't matter if you promote your own product, promote only as an affiliate, or some combination of the two... if you don't recycle traffic and get more than one hit out of each visitor, you're making one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make online. About the author:Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com/
giovedì 2 agosto 2007
So what does IBM call one of it's greatest products ever?
Call it what you want, the AS400 is the most underrated server/hardware environment in the history of ever.....
read more digg story
read more digg story
