ADLANDS'
DIGEST
A
Free subscribed Discussion List
of
12,459 subscribers
on
web marketing and promotion
supported
by AdlandPro World's Classifieds
at
http://www.adlandpro.com
Bogdan
Fiedur, Publisher
mailto:
Bogdan@softfornet.com
Vol.
1, #140, Nov 13, 1999
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Topics in this issue:
Sponsor Message
Word from Publisher
=====================
C o n t i n u i n g D i s c u s s i o n s (2)
=============================================
1.) Getting Too Much Email These Days? This Will HelpHello
~ Tony Tezak
2. Re: Technical question
~ Terri Robinson
N e w P o s t s (7)
==========================
1)Thomas Leigh
~ Lost in Cyber Space
2)Dave Gould
~ I need help in getting our product known in the Industry
3) Don R. Monteith
~ Finding subscribers
4. Sharon Evans
~ 5 Steps to launch e-business
5. Robert Lee
~ Add free email service to increase hits to your site.
6.) Fiona
~ Web TV question
7.) Ch.T. Maier
~ "Bubbleboy" VIRUS ALERT!
Site Review Responses (0)
==========================
Site Review Requests (0)
===========================
G u e s t A r t i c l e (1)
================================
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================== Word from publisher ====================
Greetings All
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==========C o n t i n u i n g D i s c u s s i o n (1.1)=============
From: Tony Tezak <ttiger53@flash.net>
Subject: RE:Getting Too Much Email These Days? This Will HelpHello
Hello 'Adlanders'
Reference: Getting Too Much Email These Days? This Will Help.
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--------------------------------
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--------------------------------
==========C o n t i n u i n g D i s c u s s i o n (2.1)=============
From: Terri Robinson <queen3@home.com>
Subject: Re: technical question
Hi Bogdan and AdLanders!
I have been lurking again, but have been enjoying all
the recent articles greatly!
I hope everyone in the U.S. is getting ready for a
great Thanksgiving and holiday season. I know I am!
I found some great recipes at a site last week and
plan on cooking up a feast <G> If anyone likes to
cook, you should check out http://idunno4recipes.com
(Sorry - didn't mean to be off topic here *smile*)
>From: Chris Gozdzik <diviningmind@diviningmind.com>
>Subject: technical question
>I recently re-done my page, added a couple of banners - and the page
>is loading very slowly, as they reside somewhere else.
>Is there a way to speed it up? I don't have a way of making the
>banner files smaller, but maybe there is a trick that would allow me
>to have them load last, so the rest of my page would be operational?
>I'm also not very happy with my navigation system and I would
>appreciate any input on that.
Chris, I visited your site and found it loaded remarkably fast -
have you already changed something? I like the color scheme!
You have a lot of JavaScript on the page and that in itself
will slow down loading time a lot. Personally, I don't think
you really need to have the scrolling text on the bottom of
the browser window, but that is IMHO *smile* The banner size
is not larger than normal and I didn't find those to be slow
loading, but maybe those companies have smaller banners or
buttons you could use? Worth asking them anyway.
I viewed your page source and noticed you have two </head>
tags - I don't know if that affects anything, but think you
might want to take one off. Also, I have heard from somewhere
that your META tags keywords should be continuous on one line
and not broken out into two lines. Something about how the
search engines see them.
Your navigation looked extremely simple and easy to use to
me. You made it very easy for visitors to get to your catalog
and buy from you - VERY important when you want to sell
something <grin> I was very impressed at how fast the
pictures in there loaded! Nice job!
Best of luck with your business, Chris!
Terri Robinson
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======================N e w P o s t i n g (1)========================
From: "Thomas Leigh" <tom@paramotive.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Lost in Cyber Space
Hello Bogdan,
I'm a retired hypnotherapist and I now live with my wife in the ruggedly beautiful
and remote Isle of Lewis in the outer Hebrides of Scotland.
I came Lewis to write and to begin a new career in internet publishing.
My wish is to share with others what I have learned about mind and how it is
connected (not unlike the internet) mind to mind.
(You know that all those fortunate coincidences don't happen by chance don't you?)
But in this new and strange but wonderful cyber territory, I find I am just a little
lost and confused. I know that in time I'll learn all I need to learn, but for now I
haven't quite got a grip on it and I have so much to learn!
Right now I am putting a new ezine, it's called ParaTHINK!, and a website and
together, and really could use any help I can find.
If anybody 'out there' feels they might be on the same 'wavelength' as me, I would
appreciate them contacting me in order to speed a connection we will probably make at
some point in the future anyway.
I need information on how to get my ezine off the ground? Who do I register it with
for instance, if anyone? Do I run it entirely from my computer, mailing it out by
email, or some other method?
I have joined Adland's affiliate programme and others, but right now I'm very much in
the deep end, with massive information overload. Is there anyway to cut through it
all? Are there any good cyberland guides out there?
Yours
Tom Leigh
----------------
ParaMotive
----------------
======================N e w P o s t i n g (2)========================
From: Dave Gould <Dgould3@MSN.com>
Subject: I need help in getting our product known in the Industry
Hi,
I am a small business owner in North County San Diego. We have been making Golf Clubs
for the Major Golf Companies for the past 7 Years. We have come out with our own
Product a Forged Wedge that has Precision Machine Grooves and is Hand Ground. 4 out
of the 6 top PGA Players in the World currently use this Wedge under a Major Golf
Company Prototype Label. I need help in getting our product known in the Industry. I
am trying everything I know and learning new things everyday. Can anyone tell me how
to drive up the Hits on our Website without Paying tons of Money? Or getting in
trouble for Spamming People? Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dave Gould
Owner, FR Golf, Inc
======================N e w P o s t i n g (3)========================
From: Christina <visions-of-ny@usa.net>
Subject: List management software
I have about 20,000 members that email
every week. Right now I am using
majordomo to email them. I need to find software
that will take the email 300 addresses that I receive
every day and remove all of the duplicates while also
removing any of the addresses that are now undeliverable.
Is their a software program that will do this automatically
without a lot of technical knowledge? I would also like
my Newsletter members to be able to subscribe and remove
themselves automatically. Right now I am doing everything
by hand. I have a dial-up email account, if that helps.
Chris
Webmaster@FreeShore.com
Thank you and have a nice day!
Christina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Editor.
I was just recently notified about web based list software management.
I didn't have time or chance to evaluate it but this might be viable solution
http://www.activelists.com
I just checked now and site seemed to be slow.
Other solutions you might consider is www.unitymail.com
or
http://www.messagemedia.com/sc/um_overview.shtml
also another solution which might require to run mail server on your end is
ipswitch.com Imail server.
B.F.
======================N e w P o s t i n g (3)========================
From: "Don R. Monteith" <creative@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Finding subscribers
I need to build my subscriber base and simply need all the help available. Several
affiliate programs are on my site but have basicly not found the way to bring in the
buyers. My site and newsletter is about building a business. Running it over
time
to sell to a buyer. Human Resource issues. The good life. Any
suggestions are
invited.
Don Monteith
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Free Ezine (newsletter).... http://www.actiontips.com Every Friday from
retired business executive Don Monteith, MonteithPartners, llc, about the
Good Life and running a successful business. Visit the Archives. Enjoy the
Wisdom of Proverbs. View Recommended Sites/books/Internet Marketing.
I-Power Ideas! Write to us at comments@actiontips.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Editor.
In order to build your mailing list, you need at least one of two things.
1. already established traffic to your site or
2. certain value your site or list offers, which will be perceived as worth trying
by your potential subscribers.
First people have to come to you so you can ask them to be subscribed
to your list then you need to send them worthy info to keep them on
that list, otherwise your list will loose subscribers with the same ratio
as will gain new ones.
Some people use tactic of subscribing any email address which ends in
their email box but this usually has more issues associated
with it than benefits.
You deal with angry people who want to leave your list.
This is the last thing you need when growing your business.
On each place of your site you need to give people option to be subscribed
to your list.
Whenever you are selling product or service you provide option to join your list.
Encourage people to join your list by offering freebies or prizes.
I have checkbox located on the ad submission form of AdlandPro Classifieds
which just requires clicking on it when entering new ad.
http://www.adlandpro.com/adform.asp?cat=41
Also on the front page of AdlandPro I have field where you can just type
your email address and click "Include me" button.
http://www.adlandpro.com
I also keep list archives where you can see old issues and can easily find
info to be subscribed to the list.
http://www.adlandpro.com/archives/
More than how to build such a list I can tell you what you will have to
deal with once your list grows.
My list which was built for over a year requires action on the part of
subscriber to be subscribed but still I get some responses from people
who believe that they were unknowingly subscribed to this list. I have at
least one response like this after each mailing.
You will also receive lots of spam due to your own list where your
list address will be used to subscribe you to other lists.
You will either have to get yourself good tools to be able to handle such
subscribers or just ignore any messages coming to this address as it
will become unmanageable just to sort through what is a spam and what
a personal message.
I remove spammers most of the time.
I also remove those who send autorseponses to my mailings.
Recently I stopped removing those who send me spam and I ended having
over 50 spam messages being sent to me since last time.
You will say 50 is not a lot but if you need to read each to make sure that
they are just spam and that sender style just doesn't look like spam,
it is becoming annoying.
I will again remove those who spam.
This saves time in the long run.
Also after each mailing you will recive (depending on the list size)
"undeliverables" which you should remove from your list.
What I found, only about 15% are real undeliverables due to unknown user.
The rest are just Internet glitches.
I never remove undeliverable after first error message.
I keep list of those and compare it two times.
If two times in a row the same email address is undeliverable I remove it.
This way I saved on my list about 2000 subscribers to date, wich otherwise
would be removed as "user doesn't exists"
I visited your site and it seems like you are doing some of it or even more
than I mentioned here.
What you will need is time and hard work to keep those who are already
on your list.
I believe that word of mouth is most valuable reference.
B.F.
======================N e w P o s t i n g (4)========================
From: "Sharon Evans" <sharon@npwt.net>
Subject: 5 Steps to launch e-business
We all have heard about the on-line success stories about Amazon, The Blair Witch
Project, and Granny who invested on-line and they all became zillionaires. Because
of these success stories, it has sent droves in search of their own E-Business. Are
you ready to get started? I have put together 5 easy steps in helping a new to the
Internet find their way in launching an e-business.
Step 1!
The first question you have to ask yourself, What type of E-Business do you wish to
pursue? I have selected 2 catagories to make it easy! Though you will find
many
opportunites of all kinds on the net.
1. The Real Deal E-business
2. E-business in a box
A good example of a Real Deal E-business is that of a carptner. A carptner builds
furniture as a hobby. They design and make one of a kind rocking chairs. The
carpnter makes the rocker and sets up a website to sell them. In other words,
the
carpnter isn't selling some one elses product or services, but their own vision/idea.
A good example of an E-business in the box is the affiliate programs. Some
will
require an investment. Some will offer a website. This is ideal for the real novice
on the web, it provides an opportunity with-out knowing how to set up a website or
high costs of investing in an inventory. In other words all you do is promote
some-one elses products or services.
Step 2!
Now that have you determine the type of E-business you wish to pursue. The next part
is writing up your business plan. Think about this you are on a plane and your pilot
announces that he has no idea where he is flying just some place. You wouldn't want
to be on that plane would you? Your business plan is your map. You want to
make
sure your business is going somewhere.
Step 3!
Setting up your E-business finanical services. No matter which type of E-business
you are pursing you will need to be able to manage your finances. You will need an
electronic business checking account, merchant account, electronic accounting
program, and maybe electronic payroll system. Remember one of the top reasons a
business fails is because they didn't know how to manage their financial end.
Step 4!
Marketing and Advertising Plan!
Marketing and advertising is one of the biggest gambles any business takes. There
are no gurantees. Like a business plan you must set up a marketing and advertising
plan.
Let's first understand a little about marketing. Say your gizmo is something no one
has ever heard about and they didn't know that they were missing it in their life.
And yet you see it as a way to solve a problem for the whole world. You think every
one and their dog should have it. However you have one problem. The world
thinks
their life is going just great with-out your gizmo. This is where marketing
comes
in.
No doubt you remember the free discs being sent to all of us for something called the
Internet! Did you know that before the world found out that the little unknown
company did a marketing test in some no-name town someplace before they became a
world known name? In other words before they released this to the world they knew
exactly what work! It was a brillant marketing plan!
Advertising.
We all have grown up in the world with advertising in our face. It looks easy enough
to write a few words and magic will happen right? We all wish it were that easy!
The main purpose of advertising is to get people to come to your site nothing more
nothing less!!!! One approach of an ad is to point out a problem and tell them how
they can find a solution from you!
Once they come to your site, then your virtual sales person (website) can sell them
on what ever it is you offer.
Step 5!
Setting up your website.
You will need a good Sales Script
Easy load graphics
A Freebie offer of some kind
Meta tags for the search engines
Logo
Banner
A great hosting company
Merchant account/shopping cart
Customer Data base
Your own domain name
This guide line is one that I have followed and used personally and for others
helping them understand and set up their e-businesses. And thought your readership
would enjoy and maybe gain some good insight in how to get started in launching their
own e-business. This guide is available for publication by permission only.
Please
contact the author sharon@npwt.net If you are looking for small business
consulting, copywrite, financial services, marketing and advertising, website masters
and hosting, please feel free to contact us and we can refer you to some of the
finest companies geared towards the small business community! By the way if
this
guide line has helped you or you have any questions please e-mail us! Thank-you!
Best of luck!
By Shar.E
-------------------------------------------
E-Biz consultant
Sharon Evans
sharon@npwt.net
Phone 978-264-9554
Fax 978-266-1598
----------------------------------------
======================N e w P o s t i n g (5)========================
From: "Robert Lee" <webmaster@alovelinksplus.com>
Subject: Add free email service to increase hits to your site.
Dear Bogdan,
I have recently added a free email service to my site and am now getting
even more repeat visitors than before!
I carefully looked at a few services that offer email services that you can
offer your site visitors and this one worked out the best for me:
http://www.zzn.com.
Unlike Everyone.net or Mail.com, no changes to my server was required, which
is good since my Host won't change my mail settings and I'd rather not have
to go into a website to check my own mail, I get too much to worry about
network connections other than the download speed of my mail (unlike Hotmail
or other free mail services).
But this service will work great for those that want a good online mail
service and for webmasters to gain repeat traffic since the login box is
where you want it on your site.
Once someone has checked their mail they are returned to my site, which also
adds to the banner show credits for that page!
For webmasters the mail address is what you want it to be. I thought that
having a free address with as many letters in it such as my site might be
too much for some to remember easily, so the free email address that you can
sign up for is username@dateme.zzn.com. Straight and to the point to use
when signing up at the many dating services that are listed at my site,
currently more than 100 of the best, all reviewed!
Take a look and let me know what you think! The login is on my main page at
http://www.alovelinksplus.com/index.html
Robert Lee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank You For Choosing aLoveLinksPlus.com
As Your Dating Service Directory
http://www.alovelinksplus.com
mailto:webmaster@alovelinksplus.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Editor.
This will be next point on my to do list.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
B.F.
======================N e w P o s t i n g (6)========================
From: "Fiona" <info@jofi.net>
Subject:Web TV question
Kia ora Bogdan,
I have a question if I may.
I recently downloaded a web TV browser to see how our site looked to some
one using Web TV. One of the things I found was that I was unable to use the
e-mail links on my site. Web TV gave the error "unable to open"
what I am using through out the site is the <a
href="mailto:info@jofi.net">
command
Does anyone know how I may fix this for Web TV users please?
Thank you
Fiona :)
---------------------------------------------------------
Give Yourself MORE TIME this Christmas!!
http://www.jofi.net
<a href="http://www.jofi.net">AOL Link</a>
Need support, help or want some information?
http://www.bestnewsletters.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
======================N e w P o s t i n g (7)========================
From: "Ch.T. Maier" <cm123@hotbot.com>
Subject: "Bubbleboy" VIRUS ALERT!
Hi, Bogdan,
the following info was sent to me. I thought You might be interested including it in
your next Digest-issue.
By the way, just as so many readers, I am quite a fan of your Digest. Even as a
beginner I am profiting!
------
"Bubbleboy" Virus Alert!
The virus, nicknamed "Bubbleboy" ushers in the next evolution in
viruses. It breaks one of the long standing rules that you have to
open an email attachment to become infected.
Bubbleboy only requires that the email be previewed on the Inbox
screen of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. As soon as the
email is highlighted, without even clicking on the mouse, it infects
the computer.
Bubbleboy is a worm that works under Windows 98 and 2000.
It will also work under Windows 95 if the Windows Scripting Host
is installed. The worm only works with the English and Spanish
versions of the operating systems. It does not work with
Windows NT.
The worm utilizes a know security hole in Microsoft Outlook/ IE5.
It inserts a script file, UPDATE.HTA when the email is viewed. It
is not necessary to detach and run an attachment.
Microsoft has provided a patch to fix this problem. You can find
it
at http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp
For more information on the Bubbleboy virus, check out
http://www.norton.com/avcenter/venc/data/vbs.bubbleboy.html
Greetings and best wishes to all my fellow-AdLanders
Christa Maier
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Munich, Germany
P O S T Y O U R A D T O O V E R 8,5 M I L L I O N
W E B P A G E S!***TAKE A L@@K!!*** DO IT RIGHT NOW!!
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~
Note From Editor
This I checked myself and know it is for real.
B.F.
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===================G u e s t A r t i c l e (1)=====================
Time To Get Offline
by Bob Cortez
Total Quality Marketing, Inc.
Strange title for an article from a guy who makes his living creating Internet
strategies for small businesses, I know.
Consider this: if your target market is small businesses, the bulk of your
market isn't even online yet. If you sell computer hardware, software or
Internet services of any type, and don't have an offline marketing plan you're
ignoring a significant and lucrative market.
The largest and most influential corporations on or offline are spending
billions to convince small businesses to get online, use their products, and
buy their services. They are doing what 'big dogs' do best - spend lots of
money. As a small business you have to do what we do best - create
relationships.
That means getting back to marketing basics and hitting the streets.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to become *the* local small
business Internet expert. Regardless of what your primary business is, you
want to be known as the person to contact for any Internet questions. So be
prepared with a list of online or offline resources that you can tap for
products, services and information outside of your area of expertise. One good
resource for all types of Internet related projects is Media Talent Net
(http://www.mediatalent.net)
Once you have a reliable team assembled you are ready to begin positioning
yourself as the local expert.
Get yourself some business cards and be sure to include your Internet
addresses. You may even want to put "Small Business Internet Expert" on
your
card. Make it a habit of carrying cards with you everywhere, and leaving them
everywhere you go (Like bread crumbs in the woods <g>). Diana Ratliff offers
great business card ideas and advice at http://www.bizbooklets.com
Join or start a local small business networking group. If you have selected
local people to be part of your Internet team include them in your group. For
more information on networking effectively, visit the networking guru Nancy
Roebke at http://www.profnet.org
Get involved with your local chamber of commerce. Volunteer to help with their
web site. See if they have an Internet or technology committee. Contribute an
article for their newsletter. Offer to speak or put together an Internet panel
for one of their meetings.
Get to know your local media's Internet and Technology reporters. Be on the
lookout for interesting facts, figures, and local people doing something unique
online. Make yourself available for comments on Internet issues. Write an
article yourself or have one written for you to submit for publication. Offer
to do an "Ask the Internet expert" for small businesses. Don't forget the
radio stations, suggest a call in show to your local station. Visit
http://www.gebbiepress.com for a list of media outlets in your area or region.
Use imprinted and useful promotional items that have a long shelf life. Mouse
pads and computer covers are two obvious choices. Visit
http://www.worldclasspromotions.com for other promotional products ideas.
Another good promotional tool is booklets. Write and print your own following
the advice of the Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign http://www.tipsbooklets.com or
save time and purchase customized booklets produced by others. See
http://www.tqm-online.com/camelot for several examples appropriate for the small
business market.
The battle for the hearts, minds and wallets of small businesses is being waged
offline, before they even see your website or read your newsletter. Before
they even know what a search engine is, you may have lost the business of your
neighbor.
If half of your target market is still offline, shouldn't a proportionate
amount of your marketing time, effort and money be invested offline?
Post your comments on this article at:
http://www.tqm-online.com/discussion/index.cgi?read=3
*******
Bob Cortez is a small business consultant and Internet Strategist. Co-Author
of the "Bricks to Clicks" booklets "Getting Your Business Online" and
"The
Business of Doing Business Online". He can be reached at
mailto:bobcortez@tqm-online or visit the Total Quality Marketing, Inc. website
at http://marketing.tqm-online.com
Permission is granted to reprint and distribute this article as long as it
remains unedited and includes both the resource box above and this
authorization.
======================Joke of the Day=====================
Taken from Joke A Day
A cowboy rides into town and stops at the saloon, gets off
his horse walks around to the back of it, lifts up the tail and
kisses it smack on the ass,
The bartender inside the bar notices this transaction and
thinks it a little strange. When the cowboy saunters up to
the bar and orders a drink the bartender asks him, "I noticed
when you got off your horse you walked behind it and kissed
it on the ass. Can I ask why?"
The cowboy answers "Chapped lips".
"Wow!" says the bartender. "It cures chapped lips?"
"No, but it sure as hell keeps you from licking them."
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