Dog Artists David Hockney, William Wegman, and George Rodrigue

Although contemporary art has moved beyond the Pop art of yesteryear, the most influential artists of the latter twentieth century have taken bold steps to include dog art as a central theme in their artistic endeavors. David Hockney, William Wegman, and George Rodrique, all still alive today, have not arbitrarily juxtaposed canines in their works but have put their furry friends on center stage to soak up the limelight, offering the art world new glimpse of mans best friend.

David Hockney (1937), who was born in Bradford England, spent the better half of his life in Los Angeles, California. Believed to be one of the forerunners of Pop art of the 1960s, with works such as We two Boys Together Clinging (1961) and A Bigger Splash (1967), his work influenced thousands of artists worldwide.

At the age of eleven, Hockney knew that he wanted to be an artist. No one is certain if he had any inspiration to include animals, specifically dogs, in his works, but it is known that he was willing to experiment beyond regular artistic parameters even when he arrived to the Royal College of Art in London in 1959. Hockney recollects that the adventurous, lively students, the brightest ones, were dousing themselves in Abstract Expressionist paintings on hardboard.(1)

Obviously etched in Hockneys mind was that art could be something different, especially if it was unconventional. In his later works, we see Hockneys two Dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie, in a string of paintings and drawings. The dogs are my little friends, he says in an interview with Richard Natale in 1998 about his new book, David Hockneys Dog Days. It was probably my wanting a tender, loving subject. Hockney goes on to rebuttal the art world that may not accept dog art stating, I make no apologies for the apparent subject matter. These two dear little creatures are my friends. They are intelligent, loving, comical, and often bored. They watch me work; I notice the warm shapes they make together, their sadness and their delights.(2)

Unlike Hockney who began dabbling in dog art later in his career, William Wegman has been daunting and confronting the parameters of mainstream art for years with his depictions of Weimaraners in artistic venues. Noted for his peculiar depictions that can border outlandish humor, Wegman has been known to be just too dog-on funny.

After earning an MFA from the University of Illinois, Wegman taught for a while; he searched for a way to make his art unleash his creativity on the public. While experimenting with photography and video, Wegman purposely took the remnants of Pop art to a level that mirrored and even mocked Americana.

His first Weimaraner was named Man Ray and was used in Wegmans work in both video and photography. Man Ray was so famous that the Village Voice named him Man of the Year in 1982.(3) With the use of a massive Polaroid camera, Wegman took varied photographs of his Weimaraner in an array of poses and assorted guises. Later, Wegmans second Weimaraner named Fay Ray appeared on Sesame Street as Old McFay. Wegman himself has appeared on-air with Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and on Saturday Night Live.

Similar to both David Hockney and William Wegman, George Rodrigue used dog art to exemplify his feelings about mans truest comrade. As Wegman used his own Weimaraners in his creations, so did Rodrique use the muse provided by his childhood companion named Tiffany who was transformed into the famed Blue Dog.

George Rodrigue, born and raised in Louisiana, began painting Blue Dog in tribute to his black and white terrier after her death in 1980. As it happened, Blue Dog eerily represented the Loup-Garou, or a Cajun werewolf in many of Rodrigues depictions.(4) Blue Dog soon gained international recognition as an inveterate legend, especially in the earlier 1990s.

Working as a graphic artist, Rodrigue explored the use of silk-screen with Blue Dog, which allowed the image to appear crisp, clean, and stark. Both famous public figures and private art collectors have purchased Rodrigues works. Absolut Vodka and Xerox even commissioned the artist to do ad campaigns. In the book entitled Blue Dog (Viking/Penguin 1994), Rodrigue depicts the change of Tiffany into this relished pop icon.

David Hockney, William Wegman, and George Rodrigue have all used dogs as a focal point, which shows that dog art is a powerful medium of expression that not only captures the art world, but mainstream art lovers as well. Through the Pop movement of the 1960s and contemporary art circles worldwide, these artists have used their pets as heartfelt muses that captivate and bring wonder even to the most stringent of critics.

Sources:

(1)http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hockney.html (2)http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_n760/ai_20620446 (3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wegman_%28photographer%29 (4)http://www.art4now.com/biogr.htm

Copyright © 2006 Melanie Light

Melanie Light is an artist and art educator. She is site owner of Pet Lovers Art & Resources at http://www.artzpet.com and Petz Classic Dog Art at http://www.cafepress.com/petz . Her portfolio site can be found here: http://mlightart.com. You will find more artwork, gifts, and information on these sites. Groucho Blog80787
Hernan Blog22959

Prepare Your Baby to Walk with Ease

One concern many parents have is teaching their baby to walk. It may seem like it just comes naturally and to an extent it does! However, there are things you can do to prepare your baby to walk.

Babies dont just wake up one day and start walking. Theres a natural progression from rolling over, to sitting up, to scooting, to crawling, to pulling up to walking. Teaching your baby to walk easily depends on her mastering those first steps.

When your baby starts to become mobile, its important to make sure that your home is a safe environment. Inspect your home to prevent your child from getting hurt on sharp corners, ledges, and stairs while your teaching your baby to walk.

You may also be tempted to head to the store and purchase a walker. However, when youre teaching your baby to walk its important not to use a walker. They can be dangerous and can cause accidents and injuries.

When youre teaching your baby to walk, you may want to rush out and buy the perfect pair of shoes. However, recent research suggests that babies actually learn to walk better when theyre not wearing shoes.

So save your money and teach your baby to walk without the little tennies. If you want your child to wear shoes, thats okay, too. Just be aware that they wont make it easier for your baby to walk.

If youre going to buy shoes, follow a few simple rules of thumb. When you teach your baby to walk, you must make sure that his shoes are going to help instead of hurt. Look for shoes with flexible soles and flat bottoms. Pass up the high-tops and go for a shoe that allows your babys ankle to move.

Also check your babys shoe size frequently to make sure he hasnt outgrown them.

One of the most important things you can do to teach your baby to walk is encourage her to get a lot of exercise. Help her to develop coordination and balance by playing physical games and toys that promote dexterity.

Toys that allow your baby to push or pull are excellent to teach your baby to walk. You can also play by kicking and throwing balls. These little activities will promote eye-hand coordination and balance.

Dont forget to have fun! You dont need to push your baby too hard, just enjoy the process while you teach your baby to walk.

Olga Sysoef is a co-publisher of Baby Care Guide designed to Unlock your Inner Mother Code. Parenting manual that mother nature should have included with your new baby - http://www.YourBabyCareGuide.comGhelli Franco Blog44131
Gualtiero Blog20013

Web Designing Development

A decent website is a pre-requisite to online business these days. But if you want your website to offer something more, something different then others then it has to be different. Your website should attract the visitor's attention so much so that he stays on to explore your site and returns again and again to get information about your offers. This type of advanced & dynamic website design and web design development requires high level of skill and expertise in this specialized field.

Mosaic's enterprising young team of web developers is a pool of talent; impatient to give you that customized service you were looking for. These skilled professionals well versed with the intricacies of the web development tools like PHP, HTML, DHTML, .NET, ASP and others give the right balance of design and functionality to your website. They design and develop the website considering the basic tenets of web design & webdesign development like readability, easily download, user friendliness and an attractive design. The mosaic team creates attractive & effective webdesign development solutions to cater to your specific needs and special requirements. Your website is created using the latest technologies and uses the latest coding standards for code customization at a later stage. The web development processes are also optimized to give your website greater ROI. A vigorous quality analysis is maintained throughout the web development process to provide the website with exceptional quality.

Mosaic team can add functionality to your site like a shopping cart or can change your static website to dynamic or it can even provide an application with a web interface for you. The various web development services offered are e-commerce, application development, database development and custom programming etc. The company offers webdesign services besides a complete range of LSI based SEO services. You can even get a free website analysis to check what additional functionalities can be incorporated into your website to enhance it. In case you know your requirements, you can request a free quote for a detailed proposal from the renowned web development India company http://www.technology.mosaic-service.com . Mosaic services also offers other advertising, marketing and technical services that cater to your marketing and promotional needs at competitive charges.

Visit the site http://technology.mosaic-service.com to get details about the various other services offered by the company and to solve any web design and development related queries. You will surely get more then your expectation from one of the India's finest web development company.

Miss Ruchira Sharma is a very well known author and she writes articles for http://www.technology.mosaic-service.com.Groucho Blog80787
Gayle Blog54557

The Perfect Way To Watch Your Child Grow

Many people ponder the perfect way to raise a child. Here are some thoughts to consider and contemplate:

"It takes a village to raise a child." - African proverb

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings." - Hodding Carter

"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Anne Frank

"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time." - Rabbinical saying

"The best way to keep children home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant -- and let the air out of the tires." - Dorothy Parker

"You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers." - John J. Plomp

"I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it." - Harry S Truman

"If you as parents cut corners, your children will too. If you lie, they will too. If you spend all your money on yourselves and tithe no portion of it for charities, colleges, churches, synagogues, and civic causes, your children won't either. And if parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out." - Marian Wright Edelman

"No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement." - Florida Scott-Maxwell

"Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve." - Roger Lewin

"Becoming responsible adults is no longer a matter of whether children hang up there pajamas or put dirty towels in the hamper, but whether they care about themselves and others -- and whether they see everyday chores as related to how we treat this planet." - Eda LeShan

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle." - Thich Nhat Hanh

There is no perfect way to raise your child. Just provide the support and love they need to grow and prosper.

Sophia Ton is a freelance writeer who writes about baby shower gifts, maternity, pregnancy & family topics. She loves to shop for baby memory books at http://www.beforebaby.com/category/baby-books and she loves the diaper cakes a http://www.beforebaby.com/category/diaper-cakes/.Grace Blog33761
Hendrik Blog96096

Can You Afford Not to Work at Home?

We hear all the hype about working from home, but can you afford to leave your 9-5 job? Will your family survive without your paycheck? Is it possible for a real novice to make an income while working from home?

Let's go back to the beginning. A time when we were told the only way to provide financially for our family was by being employed in the corporate world.

This world is not always the most pleasant place to reside. You know all about the boss that takes you for granted. You work for years for the same boss, going above and beyond what is required. You give your all to the company hoping that your efforts will be rewarded.

But will your efforts be rewarded? You can not depend on the corporate world to provide for you or your family. This has become your responsibility. So many companies are now downsizing or closing completely.

Just because you have worked many years for a company does not guarantee you continued employment. You could find yourself unemployed without notice. Companies no longer feel an obligation to their employees. The choice may not be yours on when you leave your 9-5 job. You could find yourself without employment before the day is over. It is still amazing at the number of people who fool themselves into believing their future is secure.

Now think of the great entrepreneurs of the world. Did they rely on someone else to provide their security. NO! They found their niche and worked for themselves.

So, it all comes down to having faith in yourself. Or would you rather rely on someone that really doesn't care about you or your needs.

The success of my business is totally my responsibility. I get out of it whatever I put in to it, and that is a great feeling. I am in control, I make my own decisions. I do not punch a time clock or answer to a boss. No one will ever tell me my services are no longer needed.

If you received your pink slip tomorrow, could your family still manage? Would there be utter chaos in your home if you no longer received a weekly paycheck?

I know I can not afford NOT to work at home. Can you?

Hank and Dot Stevens own http://www.work-at-home-4-freedom.com featuring work at home opportunities and home based business opportunities. Please contact them with any questions you may have support@work-at-home-4-freedom.comHaruhiro Blog50446
Gordon Blog1129

Take Personal Loan for Poor Credit without Credit Check

People require personal loan these days for different reasons and the demand and popularity of loans therefore is rising. But in case the loan seeker is labeled bad credit in the loan market, he finds it more difficult to ask for the loan. You can however opt for personal loan for poor credit without hesitation as the loan is especially designed for people like you having poor credit. There are no limitations in using personal loan for poor credit as you can make use of the loan in home improvements, meeting medical or education expenses, buying vehicle or enjoying holiday tour and so on.

Poor credit means you could not pay off previous loans in time and due to debt accumulations you had to face county court judgments or you filed for bankruptcy. All this is record in your credit report which in turn impacts negatively your credit score. On FICO scale of credit score ranging from 300 to 850, score below 600 is labeled as poor credit and considered risky for a loan offer.

Your poor credit will not be a hurdle at all if you opt for secured personal loan for poor credit. This is because you take the loan against your property like home, jewelry, vehicle etc placed as collateral with the lender. The lender will not feel the need to check your credit as in case of a payment default from your end, he can sell the property as collateral to get back the loaned amount. With the loan fully secured, the loan seeker can borrow anywhere from 5000 to 75000 at lower interest rate for a repayment duration ranging from 5 to 30 years.

Another option is unsecured personal loan for poor credit. This version is generally opted for by tenants who do not own a property or those who own but do not wish to risk it for a loan. In such a case the loan seeker should satisfy the lender about safe return of the loan and prove his repayment capacity through annual income or financial standing details in the loan application. Unsecured personal loan for poor credit will prompt a credit check on the borrower. The loan comes at higher interest rate with limited amount offered for shorter repayment duration.

Better opt for applying online for personal loan for poor credit as this enables you access to numerous lenders having different interest rates. Compare interest rates to settle for the lender of comparatively lower rate and apply.

Personal loan for poor credit gives you easy access to much required finance at lower interest rate and low cost. The loan enables you in improving credit score also once you pay off the loan in time. So clear the loan installments in right time.

Peter Taylor is a senior financial analyst at PersonalLoans with an acumen for finance and insurance.To find Poor credit ,online secured personal loan, uk personal loan online, personal loan finance company, personal unsecured loan for poor credit,personal loan for poor credit that best suits your need visit http://www.personalloans.gb.netGlendon Blog751
Giorgio Blog88444

Does Affiliate Marketing Really Require A Website?

I hear a lot of internet marketers claim doing business in the World Wide Web requires ones own web site, suggesting that your own website is your online headquarters. Its your very own digital store where you could lead or send prospects / potential customers and where you offer the products you have for sale.

I agree that having your own web site can help you dramatically in your endeavor to achieve online success, but a website is not the end all and be all of internet salesmanship, especially when talking about affiliate program marketing. You certainly could make a living online as an affiliate even if you do not have the benefit of your own website!

So it is possible to earn a living online and never have your own web site!? How is this possible and more importantly how can this be done? Read on, my new friend, as we discuss alternative strategies that will allows you to make the most out of your affiliate marketing campaigns without having your own webpage on the net.

Affiliate marketing is a program whereby the affiliate can earn some generous commissions for every successful sale they manage to refer to the affiliate merchant. The affiliates task is merely to pre-sell the affiliate merchants goods. The sales page, the payment processing, the digital delivery, and post sales services shall be the responsibilities of the affiliate merchant. This leaves you free to concentrate on affiliate program promotions.

As an affiliate you have to refer or direct people to the affiliate merchants sales page using your affiliate program link. Note: Your affiliate links is extremely important as they identify you instead of someone else plus your affiliate link is how the affiliate program owners know who to pay. They will tell the system that a visitor was actually referred by you the affiliate.

Without a web site to promote or marketing the affiliate programs you belong to you will need other channels to get the word out. This can be done through the following techniques:

Use Article Marketing

We all know how powerful affiliate marketing can be in link building campaigns. But instead of providing for links to your own website, you could provide your affiliate links instead. Article directories allow you a resource box per submission, where you could tell your readers about yourself as well as leave a link of your choice. Now, you have to remember that some article directories do not allow affiliate links in the bodies of the articles themselves, but affiliate links are perfectly allowed in the resource box. Great places to start your article marketing campaign are www.ezinearticles.com , www.goarticles.com and www.isnare.com.

Use Forum Marketing

Online communities, or forums, are likewise great channels where you could promote your affiliate links. Membership in pHp 2.0 based forums gives you a signature box where you could advertise your links. Use this to advertise your affiliate links. For every post you will make, your signature box would appear. Post a thousand messages, and youll have a thousand pages advertising your affiliate links! Want to know the forums which are relevant to the subject serviced by the affiliate products youre promoting? Use the tool at www.link-advantage.com/search to find the appropriate online community.

Advertise in eZines

This may cost you some cash, as many eZines charge for advertising space. Nonetheless, you could expose your affiliate links to highly targeted prospects using this approach. Imagine if the eZine has a list of 10,000 people. Youd immediately be able to reach 10,000 quality leads with one advertisement. Again, you dont need a website. Simply use your affiliate link in your ads.

The absence of your own website is never a bar to online success. Most of the strategies we have discussed here can be accomplished without spending a single cent. If you do not have the financial resources to register a domain or to subscribe to a web hosting service, you could still achieve success with affiliate marketing. Joining an affiliate program is free. Promoting your affiliate links can likewise be availed of without any charges. Good luck!

James Mann is a teacher and has been for more than 20 years. James has retired from the brick and mortar world of teaching and moved online where he spends his days helping others learn how to earn a living online.Harper Blog89296
Haruhiro Blog73812

Is Working At Home For You?

Lets Play What If?

A dream for millions of people has always been to work at home. Who really wants to be working at some crummy job for very little pay? No matter what our profession or nationality is we all seem to want more out of life than what we all actually have now. The answer to so many of our problems seems to be to work at home. Just imagine what life would be like if you did not have to wake up in the morning and spend the day doing something you did not like, answering to your superiors who seem to be always on your case. Now ask yourself "How would I feel if I was able to work at home, be my own boss and answer to me?"

I can answer that for you. You are going to feel fantastic. You will have a terrific time it you did not have to wake up each day to go to work. This is assuming that you didn't like your job to begin with. If you are having a rip-roaring time each day, at your job, and love it, than you probably will not need to read the rest of this article. This article is written for those who are not sure about one thing: the decision to stay with their current job or to begin work at home. In other words, those who want to work from home.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

If you do decide to work from home, you are really trying to become self-employed or an entrepreneur. If you will, this decision is not to be taken lightly. Working from home is not for everyone. As comfortable as it may be, a Home Based Business carries a significant amount of risk with it. There is always a chance that the business will fail. However, if you make good choices right at the start and set a solid foundation for years to come, you will drastically increase your chances for success. There is no doubt about it, starting your own business is risky. But you also stand to realize massive gains, perhaps even amass a fortune!

If you decide to work from home, there are a number of advantages that will accrue. For openers, not having to go to the office daily is enticement enough. After all, have you not wanted to sleep for a few more minutes, but could not because you would be late for work? Everyone has experienced this. You begin to take charge of your life when you work at home. You will take control of your time and you will decide how to spend it. Of course, this can be a two-edged sword - if you are not the well organized self-controlled type. You might end up unsure on your tasks, or perhaps not even doing them at all. These will most certainly cause your work at home business to fail. So you need to ask yourself, "Are you disciplined enough?" before you decide to try and work at home. Being at home will present you with countless occasions to wriggle out of your work. You will be better off earning a regular wage if you can not trust yourself to do the right thing. If you are the type of person who has the desire, the will or motivation to go after your dreams, then you are the type of person who will have nothing to lose by working at home. You will have everything to gain.

by Glenda Malcolm
freedomathome@gmalcolm.ws
http://gamlcolm98.payitforward4profits.com
http://mybloggmalcolm98.blogspot.com

Copyright © Glenda Malcolm

Glenda MalcolmHenning Blog59782
Haohug Blog8316

Dawson's Creek (Season 1) DVD Review

Nominated for 12 Teen Choice Awards in its five-year (six season) run, including Best Drama Series, Dawson's Creek quickly built an extensive cult following. A surprise smash hit for the enterprising WB network, the show initiated a successful string of numerous original series for WB such as Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001). Set in the fictional township of Capeside, Massachusetts, the series was nonetheless filmed almost entirely on location in Wilmington, North Carolina (although the opening theme song, "I Don't Want To Wait," is written and performed by Massachusetts native Paula Cole). Creator Kevin Williamson (writer for the blockbuster movie Scream) is said to have modeled the characters on Dawson's Creek after various aspects of his own self from his adolescent years

Dawson's Creek follows the lives of several teenagers, some of whom grew up together, as they struggle through the tempestuous and volatile years of pre-adulthood. The title character is Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), an introspective and intelligent dreamer who lives nearby lifelong best friend Josephine "Joey" Potter (Katie Holmes), a tomboy unaware of how truly beautiful she is. Mutual friend Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson) is part of their clique, as are newcomers Jennifer "Jen" Lindley (Michelle Williams), Andrea "Andie" McPhee (Meredith Monroe), and Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith). Together, the friends form the basis of a teen soap opera, complete with high drama, curiosity, and bits of comic relief. Know for its intelligent subject matter, clever dialogue, and no-holds-barred tackling of issues, Dawson's Creek made most of its cast overnight celebrities

The Dawson's Creek DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the series premiere in which longtime friends Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and new friend Jen attend their first day of tenth grade. Meanwhile, Dawson notices that Joey is growing jealous of his attraction to the new girl in town, and Pacey develops a crush on an unknown woman who just happens to be a teacher at Capeside High Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Discovery" in which Dawson discovers his mother's affair, Joey's knowledge of it, and some personal information about Jen, and "The Scare" in which Dawson and company scare themselves for real when a serial killer heads toward Capeside during their Friday the 13th sance

Below is a list of episodes included on the Dawson's Creek (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 01-20-1998
Episode 2 (Dance) Air Date: 01-27-1998
Episode 3 (Kiss) Air Date: 02-03-1998
Episode 4 (Discovery) Air Date: 02-10-1998
Episode 5 (Hurricane) Air Date: 02-17-1998
Episode 6 (Baby) Air Date: 02-24-1998
Episode 7 (Detention) Air Date: 03-03-1998
Episode 8 (Boyfriend) Air Date: 03-10-1998
Episode 9 (Road Trip) Air Date: 03-17-1998
Episode 10 (Double Date) Air Date: 04-28-1998
Episode 11 (The Scare) Air Date: 05-05-1998
Episode 12 (Beauty Contest) Air Date: 05-12-1998
Episode 13 (Decisions) Air Date: 05-19-1998

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find where you can find more reviews of movies and TV series. Source: http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/dawsons-creek-dvd.htmlHarriette Blog60172
Gerry Blog51212

How To Create Digital Art Work?

Making digital art can be very easy and fanny. To make digital art you will need a computer and printer. You can start with redrawing your digital photographs admitting digital effects. To do this you can use photo editing software like Photoshop, Paintshop, GIMP( GNU Image Manipulation Program) and etc.

To start using photo editing software you must learn it first. Then you can test all the digital effects in the software you should use. Dont be afraid to play with the digital effects and to apply them to your digital photograph. Remember you can always recover your original image using Ctrl+Z (undo function).

Now you are familiar with the photo editing software and visual effects. The next step is drawing. Test all draw instruments in your software and draw what you want in the image to make it looks like art work. Your imagination will tell you what to do.

Now you have digital created art work and you may want to print it, put it in a frame and hang it on the wall. To print the image you will need a high quality photo printer and photo paper to ensure the best quality of your art work. Print the image and choose the perfect frame that match to your style. Put the printed image in the frame.

Now you have perfect digital artwork, created by you.

The author of this article is the proud owner of Photo Paradise, a site for Digital Photography and Digital Art.

Pavel Kolev of this article is the proud owner of Photo Paradise http://photo-paradise.info, a site for Digital Photography and Digital Art.Harborne Blog481
Granville Blog45735

6 Critical Elements In Creating Successful Web-Marketing Campaigns

With the growing realization that the marketplace is not what it used to be, more and more companies are turning to the Web as the marketing environment capable of reaching a dispersed diaspora of 'Long Tail' (Chris Anderson, "The Long Tail", Wired Magazine) interested prospects with a relevant memorable marketing message.

Realizing that you now have an economically viable multimedia platform that evens the marketing playing field, you must carefully consider how to proceed. If you merely transfer your traditional print advertising and direct marketing mailings to the Internet, you will be left behind.

Any business can put together a successful Web-based marketing plan if they take the time to define the six critical elements of a Web-marketing campaign:

1. Marketing Purpose
2. Marketing Objectives
3. Presentation Vehicle
4. Information Format
5. Marketing Venue
6. Achievable Expectations

1. Marketing Purpose

Marketing is all about building a brand personality that relates to an interested audience of either business-to-consumer or business-to-business prospects. Prospects search-out brands that help them construct and maintain their own self-image or at least an image that they aspire to, an image that they are comfortable communicating to others. The purchase, for example, of a Macintosh computer says as much about who bought it, as it does about that person's computing requirements.

"Thus, while the psychological/emotional need is to construct, reconstruct, and maintain the self-identity, the socio-cultural need is to communicate to others the self-identity." -Ouwersloot & Tudorica, 'Brand Personality Propositions'.

Accepting the need to build a brand personality that legitimate prospects can relate to might very well mean rethinking exactly who you are as a company and exactly what you are offering on both a psychological, emotional and socio-cultural level.

Most companies have a well-defined list of functional benefits that they provide clients; but what you have to ask yourself is, what psychological, emotional, and socio-cultural benefits do you offer and are they represented by your corporate image or brand personality? And if you think this only applies to consumer product companies, you are mistaken. Every company from industrial widget suppliers to packaged goods manufacturers needs to define their personality in terms of the emotive benefits they provide.

2. Marketing Objectives

One of the most difficult things for small companies to accept is that sales are the result of establishing an appropriate marketing framework. Once you recognize that the real purpose of marketing is to create a relationship with your audience based on an emotional connection in the form of a brand personality, you are ready for the next step: defining your marketing objectives.

Successful marketing campaigns rely on strategies and tactics that grow out of defining eight important marketing objectives.

Awareness: objective one is to make your market audience aware of your existence, but name recognition alone won't bring in the orders.

Attention: objective two is to draw attention to your company, product, or service. Your market audience may be aware of your existence but not understand or care what you do or why they should be interested. You have to do something to attract their attention before they'll listen to what you have to say.

Comprehension: objective three is to explain to your market audience what it is you are offering them. Telling people you sell the best widget and provide the best service is meaningless - your audience must understand how their personal or professional lives are going to be improved functionally, emotionally, and socially. Most automobiles will get you were you want to go (functional benefit), but a Mercedes gets you there in style (emotional benefit) and displays to the world that you are a success (social benefit). When was the last time you saw a real estate agent drive around in a jalopy? As focused on closing the sale as real estate agents are, they instinctively know they must project a confident, comfortable, successful professional image.

Knowledge: objective four is to provide your audience with the ammunition they need to make the purchase. Your prospects need to justify to themselves, their corporate superiors, or maybe their spouses, their purchasing decision. Prospects must be educated, informed, and enthused with the knowledge that your company, product, or service is the right choice.

Behavior/Experience: objective five is the creation of a corporate culture that matches your brand personality. If prospects are frustrated or annoyed by their experience in dealing with you, your website, or your email landing page, then all the feel-good advertising in the world is wasted. The customer experience of dealing with your company must match the image you project.

Involvement: objective six is to evangelize your customers so that they become involved in promoting your product, service, or company to their friends and colleagues. People want to show-off their intelligence, good taste, and business acumen. If your product fulfills your customers' emotional and psychological needs, they will become your best sales people.

Ability: objective seven is to education your customers so that they can maximize the benefits from their purchase. Show customers how to increase their ability to achieve, perform, or excel by using your product or service. It is absolutely amazing how many 'how to' books are sold by third parties to supplement the dreadful instructions and manuals provided by manufacturers. Think about the message you are sending customers when they have to buy a book with the word "Dummies" in the title, just to make your product work.

Opportunity: objective eight is to give customers the opportunity to purchase you product or service either directly or through an appropriate channel of distribution. Spending money on advertising and promotion for things people can't get is not much value. If prospects can't satisfy their needs when they want to, you'll have missed your chance.

3. Presentation Vehicle

Old habits and ideas are hard to overcome. After all we are creatures of habit, more accurately we are creatures of pattern. We understand the world around us by absorbing familiar patterns of action and behavior. Patterns make it easier for us to deal with the complexities of modern life and the demands of everyday work. This is a good thing as long as these patterns serve our needs, but the world of marketing communication has changed.

There is a new marketing paradigm that needs to be accepted and new sets of behavior patterns that need to be acknowledged. There was a time when you used the phone book to lookup phone numbers and the local newspaper to find what movies were playing; but today, the first place people go is the Internet. Things have changed and businesses have to change with the times.

Sure every business has a website, that's a given, but most websites are nothing more than digital versions of company brochures or catalogues that have been pushed and pulled out of shape by SEO consultants selling the latest miracle marketing cure - more traffic. Never mind the appropriateness of the traffic, or the relevancy of the bloated SEO-massaged content, or the meaningfulness of the marketing message. Traffic by itself will not win the day or get you where you want to be - this is nothing more than the same old shotgun volume broadcast approach that we know doesn't work for most companies.

The real issue here is presenting relevant, meaningful, compelling, informative, memorable material on your websites and landing pages to an interested audience that actually cares what you have to say - just make sure you say something worthwhile.

So how do we do it? The answer is Web-based multimedia presentations. Now let's be clear what we are not talking about: we are not talking about adding meaningless background music or irritating banner animations to your site. What we are talking about is using audio and video to present information that establishes your expertise, creates your brand personality, and delivers your marketing message so it sticks in the minds of your audience.

4. Information Format

Your Web-marketing campaign should consist of a variety of information vehicles that each build on one another, creating the image and delivering the information that will ultimately lead to a relationship.

Your Web-marketing campaign should be aimed at achieving more than just a sale; it should be aimed at creating a satisfied customer who will promote your company through word-of-mouth. To achieve this end you must deliver a variety of information to potential clients; information that attracts attention, narrows decisions, instructs usage, and promotes involvement.

Information as entertainment: when you want to establish a personality or image, your audio or video presentation should have some entertainment element. This entertainment element could be in the character of the presenter, the script or dialog being presented, or merely the style and panache of the voice-over announcer or on-screen actor.

Information as knowledge: there used to be a Buffalo-based clothing retailer that featured the slogan, 'an educated consumer is our best customer." They never had a sale, but all their clothes were discounted the same way on a sliding scale based on how long the merchandise was in inventory. All their advertisements explained their policy in clear, concise terms. They understood, that if customers know and trust their policy they would have confidence that they were buying from a legitimate retailer at a legitimate price.

Information as instruction: we live in a very complex world where products and services are increasingly complicated. If we want customers to take the leap of faith and buy our merchandise and hopefully upgrade to bigger, better, more expensive versions, then customers must understand how to use the product and also how to maximize the promised benefits from their purchase. Teaching people how to take better photographs with the camera you sell is a far better sales tactic that promoting an extra feature they will never use.

Information as involvement: we all know word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. Getting your Web-audience involved in your campaigns through the use of contests, surveys, and interactive entertainments are only a few ways to get them involved. But the best way to get people involved in evangelizing your product is to provide an experience that echoes their psychological, emotional, and socio-cultural aspirations.

Information as promotion: let's face facts, the vast majority of website visitors are jaded and cynical and hypersensitive to unscrupulous online businesses. Most of your Web-audience puts you right next to politicians and used car salesman in the trust department. You are not going to overcome this lack of confidence with a website that smacks of high pressure or alternatively a website that bores people. Present your offer using real people delivering a well crafted message that reflects your company persona and inspires confidence rather than puts out danger signals.

5. Marketing Venue

The Web's multimedia capability has often been equated to an egalitarian form of television, where every company has a shot at attracting an audience without the high cost of buying airtime, but like television it is the programs people are attracted to, not the commercials. If your website is nothing more than a commercial your visitors will hyperlink themselves away from your site at warp speed.

If we equate the new multimedia Web to television, we must construct our websites as if they were programs, not brochures. An excellent example of this new style website is the Ford Motor Company's 'Bold Moves' site (http://www.FordBoldMoves.com).

Your email marketing and Adword campaigns are the equivalent of program teasers, attracting people to your main site, campaign micro-site, or landing page based on a content hook and promise.

6. Achievable Expectations

We are all concerned about ROI but you cannot expect instantaneous results. Websites are long-term investments that must be continually tweaked to conform to your long-range strategic objectives. You must have realistic achievable expectations: new leads, customer inquiries, information requests, newsletter sign-ups, and even complaints. You cannot determine the value of your site based on direct sales alone. If you are not achieving adequate results, then it's time you rethought your website strategy in terms of it's multimedia content and program potential.

Jerry Bader is Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in using audio & video to create memorable Web-experiences. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com, http://www.136words.com http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.Giuseppina Blog64508
Heywood Blog80282

Winning the Internet Game

If you want to be successful at the Internet Game you need to use these Internet Applications effectively. If you are missing even one of the applications in your marketing portfolio, you are loosing business.

* Website
* Opt In
* Key Word Selection
* Email Marketing
* Ezines
* Banner Advertisements
* Affiliate programs
* Notifying Internet Portals and Directories
* Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
* Pay per click
* Blogs
* Chat Rooms
* Message Boards
* Opt In
* Ebay

To give you a better understanding of why these applications are important, lets briefly discuss each application

Website

Your website content is one of the single most important aspects of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It must be well thought out and structured well throughout your site. You will want to be sure you focus on how your product or service solves a problem or pain for the customer. This almost sounds too simple to work, but focusing on what you have to offer and how it solves the customers problem will pay substantial benefits for the long term.

Having a website will help you increase revenue, decrease expenses, and provide your customers with a higher level of service and support. Here are some examples of how your prospects will benefit from having a Web site.

* Open up a virtual storefront that creates an additional sales channel
* Sell products online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
* Introduce new products to the market faster
* Compete with big corporations based on service, price, and quality
* Capture the impulse buyer
* Accept credit card orders online in real time
* Optimize existing advertising (add a .com to ads directing customers to your dynamic, informative Web site)expose your business to new markets you may not otherwise reach
* Establish credibility with potential customers
* Provide fast, personalized service to customers
* Provide answers to frequently asked questions 24 hours a day
* Offer special packages or deals through your Web site
* Display testimonials from satisfied customers
* Send customers exclusive online coupons or discounts
* Allow customers to set appointments online
* Facilitate pro-active communication between you and your customers
* Respond to customers changing demands faster

Opt In

Confirmed opt-in has become the most rigorous method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns.

What does confirmed opt-in mean? And, is it for you? Well, first let's define the terms. Then, we'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages so that you can make your own decision - and I'll throw in my two cents.

Single Opt-In (with a subscriber acknowledgement email) is the most widely accepted and routinely used method of obtaining email addresses and permission. A single opt-in list is created by inviting visitors and customers to subscribe to your email list. When you use a signup tag on your website, a message immediately goes out to the subscriber acknowledging the subscription. This message should reiterate what the subscriber has signed up for, and provide an immediate way for the subscriber to edit her interests or opt-out.

Confirmed Opt-In (a.k.a. double opt-in) is a more stringent method of obtaining permission to send email campaigns. Confirmed opt-in adds an additional step to the opt-in process. It requires the subscriber to respond to a confirmation email, either by clicking on a confirmation link, or by replying to the email to confirm their subscription. Only those subscribers who take this additional step are added to your list.

ISPs and corporations are now doing everything they can to stem the tide of spam flowing into their users' email inboxes. Without a foolproof solution to turn to, some ISPs, like Road Runner (@rr.com email addresses), now require confirmed opt-in for email delivery. They do this because the subscription tracking capabilities associated with confirmed opt-in can help them differentiate legitimate commercial email from spam and protect their customers from receiving spam.

Is Confirmed Opt-in for You?

While usage of confirmed opt-in is not widespread today, and we can't tell just yet if it will become the industry standard, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of confirmed opt-in so that you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.

The Advantages:

In a nutshell, confirmed opt-in ensures that those who are receiving your email want to receive it; it can protect you against spam accusations; and it allows for email delivery to ISPs, like Road Runner, who require confirmed opt-in for email delivery.

The confirmed opt-in method prevents:
Email address collection without permission,
Accidental subscription due to email address typos, and
Subscriptions made by an unauthorized third party.

Key Word Selection

Choosing the right Keywords to target is of paramount importance to your success in search engine marketing.

Many online consumers know exactly what they are willing to spend when searching for retail products. You should try optimizing for products based on best value?

Example: "bridesmaid gifts under $20"
Example: "cars under $2000"
Example: "timeshare resale under $1000"
The above examples have low competition factors, so really think about how your target audience may be searching and optimize accordingly.

More online consumers know exactly what they're searching for when it comes to retail products. You should try optimizing for products by part or model number?
Example: nokia 8910 cell phone
Example: hp deskjet 5550 printer
Also, try adding "" quotes around your product and model number within the tag. For example, Looking for a "nokia 8910 cell phone?"

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available for communicating and developing relationships. But, email marketing can only be that powerful when its done well.

Using your standard email client (e.g. Outlook, Eudora, hotmail, AOL, Yahoo etc.) to send a Bcc text or HTML message to your list is not doing email marketing well. Why not? Because your standard email client is not designed for email marketing and therefore has significant limitations that can actually undermine vs. aid your email marketing efforts.

The good news is you do not have to go it alone. There are Web-based email marketing services that are inexpensive and designed to make email marketing simple for the non-technical user. By using a good email marketing service, you can just easily avoid common mistakes and truly get the most out of your email marketing efforts.

Here are the top ten reasons you need an email marketing service. Coincidentally, these are also the top ten critical email marketing benefits that you will never get from any standard email client.

1. Are approved as bulk mailers
2. Follow professional mailing practices
3. Provide list hosting and management
4. Require no technical skill or support staff
5. Handle formatting
6. Create great looking emails
7. Get higher email deliverability
8. Deliver measurable results
9. Include frequent updates and enhancements
10. Comply with email laws

Ezines

An Ezine is a periodic publication distributed by email or posted on a website.

Ezines are typically tightly focused on a subject area. Ezines in concept are reworking of the popular magazine format of monthly, or weekly topical publications, in an electronic format.

Ezines range greatly in size and scope, from irregular newsletters reaching a handful of subscribers to daily journals reaching hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

Writing articles for ezines increases your visibility on the Internet. By writing articles, you establish your credibility as a market leader. By including your name, company name and website address, you will drive traffic back to your web site.

Banner Advertisements

Probably the most popular method of online advertising is through the use of banner ads. These are the advertisements, most often in rectangular boxes, that seem to appear on almost every page you look at on the Web. In addition to banner ads, some other ways you can advertise your online business include having your ad placed with a newsletter distribution service, and inserting your domain name (www.yourbiz.com) in offline advertisements.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of running a banner ad, then you'll be surprised at how fast you can actually start pulling in visitors with this medium. While in the offline world it can take months to actually get your advertisement placed in a publication, in the online world the whole process can be accomplished in a matter of days. Another advantage of online advertising is that you can change your ad in the middle of a campaign.

Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs offer you a way to make money for your online business by advertising for other online businesses. In their simplest form, affiliate programs establish a business relationship between your business and another business, where you will receive a percentage, or a fee, for the sales that you generate for the other business. In a sense, by joining an affiliate program, you become an agent for another business and get a commission every time you sell something for that business. For instance, let's say that you joined an affiliate program that paid you a 15% commission on every sale that you made. If you sold an item worth $100, then you would receive a $15 commission from the affiliate program.

In order to join an affiliate program and begin earning commissions, you will be required to show a banner ad, or text link, for the other business on your Web site. For instance, if you join the Amazon.com affiliate program, you would place an Amazon.com banner ad on your Web site, with a special identification code, that links back to the Amazon.com site

Notifying Internet Portals and Directories

Getting listed with portals, search engines and directories is the beginning of your promotional campaign. By having your site properly indexed in these search engines, you stand a good chance of getting some visitors to your site. However, don't expect to have the world knocking at your door just because you have gotten your site listed in all of the major search engines.

Getting listed with the portals and directories can be done easily using an auto-posting service. You simply type, or cut and paste, the keywords and description for your online business in the appropriate boxes of the notification forms, and the auto-posting service will take care of the rest. In addition to getting your Web site listed across the Internet, many of these services will also analyze your site for loading speed, browser compatibility, and its ability to distinguish itself from the "crowd."

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization is the technique of fine-tuning your website so that it appears more frequently and with a higher ranking in search engines, thereby increasing free traffic to the site. Each search engine compiles a database of web pages which are then ranked by relevance when a particular search term is entered. Every search engine uses different algorithms in order to determine a web page's relevance for a given search.

Pay Per Click

Google AdWords Select (http://www.google.com/ads) and Overture (http://www.overture.com) are the two leading Pay-per-click players, but there are over 400 search engines using this model. They all work in more or less the same way. You bid on keywords and phrases that your target audience may use to find your site in the search engines. When they do a search for those keywords your ad or "sponsored listing" appears in a special section near the top or side of the search results.

The position of your ad depends on the amount you bid and the competition for your keywords, so selecting the best keywords is essential. You pay only when someone clicks through to your site.

Blogs

With a Blog, you can submit to the many Blog directories that exist online.

By submitting to the many blog directories in the proper category, you can expand your reach to targeted subscribers or readers who wants to read your posting on your area of specialization.

Blogs promote relationship building and trust with your readers, as it allows you to interact with them. Your readers can refer a friend and imagine the traffic power that can be generated if each one of your reader make a referral.

Chat Rooms

Use online chat rooms to promote your web site. Find the right chat room where your targeted audience would gather. Announce to everyone in the chat room something interesting or free that's offered on your web site. This will draw visitors to your web site. Always be aware of chat room rules before engaging the visitors in a sales pitch that could be considered spam.

Message Boards

A message board (also called a discussion forum or bulletin board) is a web-based tool that allows a group of users to discuss topics of interest with each other.

The most important function of a message board is to create a stronger connection between you and your customers. You may have the best product in the market, but if you cannot get enough feedback about your product, you will never know what your customers really think about it. A message board can provide you significantly better feedback about your product by allowing many-to-many connections

Opt In

Opt-in email is the opposite of "Spam" email. When people voluntarily sign-up to receive your electronic messages, they are "opting-in" to your mail list. Because they have actually requested information from you, your messages are not considered to be junk mail, spam, or unsolicited email.

Sending messages and information to people who have given you permission to contact them is a great way to build the kind of relationships that will encourage a steady flow of traffic to your website... and greatly increase your online sales!

Ebay

On average, Ebay receives 40 million hits daily, and of that, it's average user views 17 pages. Most listings get at least 50 very targeted views. If you can get listed on eBay's "The Pulse" (most popular internet auctions) you are guaranteed at least 5,000 visitors to that listing, and many of them will click through to your site, affiliate link, whatever makes you money.

You can probably understand why you should consider eBay one of the most unique prospects on the internet. It's like the search engines USED to be, where you are guaranteed hits and visitors no matter what the field, and where being outrageous pays off.

For help or questions about Winning the Internet Game, contact G2Apex at contact@G2Apex.com or call 408-454-6543

For more articles like this, go to http://www.G2Apex.com/articles.html

Alex Welz has over 17 years of experience in such diverse fields as computer engineering, customer relations, systemizing business practices, research and development, and business consulting. Alex currently owns and operates a Website sales and hosting businessGayaura Blog17147
Glasgow Blog38276

Timeless Tips to Set-Up Your Online Work at Home Business

The most important part of setting up an online work at home business is obtaining customers and getting work. Customers generally want to hire an expert, so you need to market yourself and your online work at home business as being the best. You need to establish a worthy reputation for your business.

First of all, publish a book or write some articles regarding your field of knowledge. The Internet has made it possible for everyone to publish his or her own articles through ezines or you can distribute an ebook. Internet newsletters are another way of showing you are knowledgeable in your area. Once you create an online newsletter, you can send the link to potential and existing customers. An ongoing newsletter is a good way to keep your name in front of your customers and show your authority in your field. Press releases that end up being published can also show your authority in your business field. Send out press releases regarding your work at home business.

Creating a website to promote your work at home online business is a cheap investment to showcase your talents. Updating your site regularly with good information will keep your customers coming back. Hire a work at home freelance web designer if you are not familiar with building and maintaining websites.

Become a member of an association in your business field. Associations are great places to network and make new contacts and can also add credibility for your online work at home business. Associations are useful for keeping informed about industry news. Being active in industry associations will put your name in front of many potential clients.

Volunteer for public speaking events even if its just for a local group. Speaking in front of audiences is a great way to build your online work at home business. Likewise, teaching workshops or seminars can build your reputation as an authority on your subject area and also help you make new contacts. Potential customers will feel connected to you after hearing you speak at an event or at a workshop. These people might refer you to other potential clients as well.

Finally, online forums are another place to show your area of expertise. Answering questions about your business area can drum up customers for your online work at home business. Building a strong reputation will help build your website traffic and develop your online work at home business.

Copyright 2006 Harrold Swalve

Harrold Swalve is a successful online entrepreneur and bestseller author. His latest E-book "Profit Shockdocs" reveals all the secrets on how to set up your own online home business. To ensure your copy of his E-book visit http://www.profit-shockdocs.comGlendon Blog751
Heli Blog40032

Creating a Modern Kitchen Design During Cabinet Refacing

If youve dreamed of a smooth, uncluttered look for your kitchen design, its time to put that dream into action. There are many ways to incorporate this kitchen style during a cabinet refacing project.

Check Overall Kitchen Design

To create a contemporary kitchen, all or most of the major elements of your kitchen design should adhere to that style. While many people create eclectic mixes of contemporary and traditional styling, that approach will not work if the goal is a true contemporary kitchen design. Instead look for contemporary styles of the following elements:

* Kitchen cabinets.
* Countertop.
* Kitchen appliances.
* Kitchen flooring.
* Wall tile.
* Cabinet hardware.

Kitchen Cabinets Set the Tone

The kitchen cabinet style you select will go a long way toward creating a contemporary kitchen design. When planning a cabinet refacing, look for cabinet doors and drawers with:

* Flat fronts and limited detailing.
* No crown molding.
* Sleek materials, such as laminate.

Spice Up Kitchen Design With Modern Appliances

Nothing says contemporary like stainless steel appliances. Look for a sleek side-by-side refrigerator and commercial range to blend with your refaced cabinets. Also look for:

* Thin stainless steel appliance door handles.
* Limited detailing on appliance doors and knobs.
* Shiny stainless steel appliances -- not more subtle matte finishes.

Contemporary Kitchen Countertop Styles

Many contemporary kitchen designs feature edgy countertop surfaces, such as:

* Stainless steel to blend with stainless steel appliances. Carry the metal look on the backsplash for a dramatic look.
* Concrete this rough, hard surface has an urban look. Look for natural, honed concrete or a painted surface for an added touch.
* Granite countertops a perennial favorite in many kitchen designs. Try sharp black for a contemporary look.

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware is Finishing Touch

The cabinet knobs and pulls you select should add the finishing touch to your contemporary kitchen design. Try adding styles that have minimal detailing and a sleek, edgy look. Among the options are stainless steel, thin pulls and crisp, round knobs in aluminum.

When planning a cabinet refacing project, look for ways to change your kitchen design. If youve always wanted a dramatic, contemporary kitchen design, look for ways to incorporate the style into your new kitchen design.

Allison E. Beatty is a syndicated real estate writer who has been writing home improvement columns for 15 years. Read more about kitchen design at http://www.kitchenandcabinets.comHardy Blog33245
Gerhard Blog61226

Spotting a Good Mortgage Lead Company

If you are a mortgage broker or loan officer who has purchased mortgage leads from mortgage lead companies in the past, you are probably familiar with the pain of not getting your moneys worth from the mortgage leads you have bought.

If you are still on the market for a mortgage lead company, here are a few tips on how to spot a good one.

For starters, check out their web site and read it thoroughly. Be sure the appearance and content is professional. Also, make sure their terms and conditions along with their return policy is fair and reasonable.

Once you are satisfied with what you have read on their web site, pick up the phone and call someone in customer service or the sales department.

Find out where the mortgage leads come from. This is key to finding good quality mortgage leads.

In order to receive good quality mortgage leads, be sure the mortgage lead company you are considering is obtaining their mortgage leads through web sites that they own and operate.

Stay away from the mortgage lead companies that obtain their mortgage leads through third party venders or spam campaigns or you will undoubtedly end up receiving junk leads or customers who thought they were filling out a survey.

Also, look for the mortgage lead companies that allow for low minimum deposits. This is a good way to test run some of their leads without having to commit to a large investment.

And look for the mortgage lead companies that offer full money back guarantees if not fully satisfied on first time deposits for new customers. The guarantees are usually according to the mortgage lead companies conditions but it is better than nothing, and shows a commitment on the part of the mortgage lead company.

There are good mortgage lead companies out there to work with. It is all a matter of taking your time, doing the research, and finding the one that best fits your needs and budget. Best of luck.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry. He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage marketing and resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead co.Hans Werner Blog34343
Hilaire Blog34023

Website Link Building Strategy: David and Goliath

When it comes to your website link building strategy are you taking on Goliath?

Lets look at the search engine ranking you are looking to get to your site for example if you are looking to get to a number one listing under the keyword Internet Marketing' in Google. Is the target you are aiming at a Goliath? As in a lot of well established competition?

I know David won the mythical battle, but wouldn't it be better to have the best odds possible?

A website Link building Strategy with focused keywords, which is achievable, is going to bring a focused visitor ready to buy rather than untargeted "traffic for ego"

To do this properly you need to research the words you think that you most likely customer and research the competition in this area.

And also look at the facts about the top listed websites:

1. What page rank does it have?
2. How many links does the site have pointing to it?
3. How many pages does it have listed?
4. What type of site is it eg: Normal, Blog or Wikipedia?
5. Does it exchange links?

A search under the term "internet marketing" shows all the different types of sites mentioned above- the competitive terms are good for showing what works.

Some webmasters say that you should vary the "Anchor text" this is the text that displays in a text link on another site, linking to your site. Some webmaster software programs automatically insert the same text in every page they display.

Lets look at a real time example:

1. Search for "Reciprocal Link Software" without quote marks, in Google
2. You should find the program Autolinks Pro
3. Go to the demo version
4. You will see that the software generates pages, with the text "Reciprocal Link Software" in every page.

Now that's the same text, in every page, of every owner, of every user online. Now there will be others that will link with something different, for example the domain name, but the majority of the links say what the site is about. That's logical enough for both Humans and Google!

Seeing a number 1 ranked website out of 1 million results, on a focused keyword site is enough proof for me what works!

From here you need to develop a conclusion. Focused 2 3 words that helps you avoid taking on the Goliath's of search engine results. The more targeted the visitor, the more likely he is to stay and take the action you want.

This is not to say that you cannot take on a Goliath, there just needs to be and understanding of the effort of time and resources of taking on a giant! Understand the battle field!

Paul Easton is a Web site Link Marketing Nutt, and the owner of DigitalAwol.com, The Link Exchange Directory that helps the small online business get traffic from links. You can instantly get 20 High Quality Fre.e Links to your website by visiting: http://www.DigitalAwol.com/Gerardo Blog48301
Heather Blog90372

Car Insurance For The Younger Driver

Young drivers are prime targets for high insurance, this is generally because they have had very little experience on the road and are deemed as a higher risk to be in an accident. Due to this, insurance for the younger driver is often very expensive. However there are ways that even young motorists can make savings on their car insurance.

The biggest mistake that the majority of younger drivers make when choosing their first car is to choose one which suits their image and not their pocket. While they visualise themselves running around in the latest model of sports car, this type of car is in the high insurance bracket. One of the factors which are taken into account when it comes to insurance is the model and engine size of the car. By choosing something less flashy a younger motorist can shave pounds off their already high insurance premiums.

Another way in which the younger driver can help themselves is by taking advanced driving lessons. There are special courses that be taken which can go a long way to prove that you are able to handle a car and that your safety record is excellent. This can make up for the fact that you have very little experience and lack of the necessary no claims bonus, which can only be gotten by time spent driving sensibly and safely.

Installing the latest security features on your car can also help you to reduce the amount you are quoted for your premium. Simply installing an immobiliser or keeping your car in a garage instead of by the side of the road can help to reduce your premium.

Finally the biggest savings can be found online as buying online can attract around 10-15% in discounts. Shopping online for your insurance gives you the ability to search through many insurers and to get instant online quotes for the exact type of insurance you are looking for. There are also many companies that will deal with the younger driver in particular and very often this is the best bet for new motorists to make great savings on their car insurance.

The savings the younger driver can make will of course depend on the type of insurance that they choose to go for. Third party, fire and theft is by far the cheapest and depending on the age of the car this could be the best choice for the younger driver when it comes to getting cheaper car insurance.

While fully comprehensive will cover you for most eventualities, it is the most expensive type of insurance, so thought should be given to the level of cover you require before conducting an online search to determine how much you could save.

Louis Rix is Director of http://Netcars.co.uk (http://www.netcars.co.uk) one of the UK's leading motoring websites. Established in 2000, its mission is to become the UK's number one site for used car searches and motoring information. Netcars also provide car finance, loans and insurance.Ginny Blog81290
Gaye Blog66338

A Retirement Job - A Great Way to Stretch Your Retirement Savings

As a part of your retirement planning, have you thought about a retirement job?

Continued income from a post retirement job can have a very substantial positive impact on your retirement finances.

Lets do a fast calculation and see the impact of an after retirement job on your retirement finances. Lets calculate the amount of investment that you need to generate a monthly income of $1,000 per month.

To do this we need to make a few assumptions. Assume the income generation rate of your investments is five percent (5%). Lets assume that we are not going to take any principle from your investments to do this. This will leave the principle intact for use later after you have stopped working in your retirement job.

The calculation is how much principle is needed to generate $12,000 per year ($1,000 per month). The formula is principle divided by the income interest rate ($12,000/.05 = $240,000). I think you will agree that is a large amount necessary to generate $1,000 of income per month.

However, a thousand dollars per month is not too large an amount to expect to make in a retirement job and just look at the impact that it has on preserving your retirement investment.

Three retirement calculators on the Net that include income from work after retirement in the calculations are the AARP Calculator, the Employee Benefit Research Institute Calculator, and the MSN Calculator. The MSN calculator is especially easy to use and is very visual so you can see the results as you change the variables.

These calculators have a weakness since they ask for the amount of annual income from a job after retirement, but they do not ask for the age when that income will stop. They assume the income will continue until death which may not be accurate. We are all living longer, but most of us will not be working at age 90.

These three retirement calculators are the more realistic calculators on the Net. They help us calculate how much money we will need to retire. However, they do not help us manage our retirement funds after we retire.

Once we retire, the variables involved in calculating retirement finances are greatly reduced. Unless Aunt Bess leaves you an unexpected inheritance in her will, you know what your retirement savings are that have to last your lifetime.

Unless inflation runs away during our retirement, the major variables we have to consider are how much we budget to spend each year, the amount we make from our retirement job, and how long we choose to work at that retirement job.

A retirement calculator that will help you plan your after retirement finances can be found at the Retirement Jobs Online website (http://www.retirement-jobs-online.com). This calculator will help you determine how long your retirement savings will last under various different situations.

As part of your retirement plan, you can use the Internet and work from home on your own schedule to generate the income that will extend your retirement savings. Use the calculators mentioned above to see the real impact income from a retirement job can make on your retirement finances.

Thousands of people are using the Internet to make a full time living. Why not use it for retirement work and make some money to boot? This will be a nice supplement to your retirement income from your investments and Social Security. And you can have some fun in the process.

I wish you a great and productive retirement.

John V. W. Howe is an entrepreneur, author, inventor, patent holder, husband, father, and grandfather. He has been involved in entrepreneurial activities for over 40 years. He founded http://www.boomer-ezine.com, www.boomer-entrepreneur.com and http://www.retirement-jobs-online.com to help Boomers (baby boomers) become entrepreneurs when they retire.Ghelli Franco Blog44131
Harborne Blog74625

What Is DSL?

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It is a service that makes the use of existing copper telephone wires for delivering data services at extremely fast speed rates. It does not hamper the existing telephone line. You can surf the Internet and talk on the phone, simultaneously.

DSL offers speeds that are around 5 to 25 times higher than a typical 56Kb dial-up connection. It is an always-on type of connection. This implies that websites would load quickly, downloads would be faster, buffering of videos would be fast and smooth and the domain of Online games would be illimitable.

Based on the types of service, DSL can be can be categorized in three divisions which are ASDL, IDSL and SDSL.

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It offers download speed of 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of 384 K. In order to acquire a ADSL connection, your location has to be within 3 miles of your local telephone office. Also, a DSL router is needed for this type of connection.

IDSL is a ISDN Digital Subscriber Line service which requires an ISDN router. It provides a connection speed of 144 K. in this type of connection distance is not a component to be considered.

SDSL means Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The speeds available under this type of DSL connection depends on the distance between your location and your local telephone office. The speed of downloads and uploads can go up to 1.1 Mbps.

Advantages of DSL

No installation of new wires is required. DSL uses the present telephone line to connect to the Internet. It provides extremely fast connection. Depending on the offer, you would not even have to pay for the DSL modem installation charges, since it is provided free by some of the companies on selection of the appropriate plan. The download rate is much higher in DSL connections. Many business organizations have gained the benefits of DSL. A DSL connection is very secure.

Disadvantages of DSL

The quality of your DSL connection depends on the distance between the DSL providers office and your location. Nearer you are, the better quality connection would you get. So, consumers located far from the local DSL office may face some trouble. DSL provide high speeds for downloading stuff but upload speeds are not that good.

DSL vs Cable Modems

The services provided through a cable modem can sometimes slow down or get hanged. It depends on the number of users accessing that particular service. But, in a DSL connection there is no such problem. The speed of DSL is consistent and high. This does not allow any kind of conjunction on the network. It provides more security than the cable modem connections. The popularity of DSL has risen to new heights which has resulted in disconnections and up gradations of the cable modem connections.

Toh Poh Leng owns and operates http://www.dsl-upgrade-help.com Dsl UpgradeHans Blog10368
Gaston Blog17822

A Teacher's Gift

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. (Henry B. Adams)

Kaitlyn began school today. The stunning miraclewho had amazed and amused the Connolly circle, who had introduced the clan to the wonder of new life and fresh beginningsenthusiastically stepped into her new world.

Only her mother, Kelly, hesitated. The reluctant gift-giver tightened her grip on the tender hand and prayed Papas wish for Kaitlyn would come true. Now present only in their hearts, Papa wished, as a lifelong educator would, for the ideal first-grade teacher: a nurturing lover of learning whose unconditional acceptance, enthusiasm, and warmth would foster her curiosity and embolden her educational path.

After her second child was born, Kelly had started feeling a bit of cabin fever. A way out, she thought, was to connect again with adults outside the family circle and neighborhood. By returning to food service part-time, she could socialize and at the same time earn extra income for her growing family.

The staff at the restaurant down the street warmly welcomed her, the young woman for whom every childhood day had been the Fourth of July. Soon, Kelly and fellow waitress, Teresa, became friends and confidants. They supported each other through Kellys loss of a beloved father and the challenges of Teresas potentially-serious medical condition. They shared the joys and tribulations of balancing, for one, work and young parenthood and, for the other, work and education. Terry, whose dream to become a teacher had started years before at a local community college, was approaching the realization of her goal.

Through a chance encounter at the restaurant, Kelly was introduced to Teresas dad. Instantly, Kelly caught a glimpse of her own father. Simply serving coffee and exchanging a few words had convinced Kelly: Here is a good mana special manwho dearly loves his family. Teresa must meet my own Dad.

The next day Kelly brought into work her fathers book, a collection of his writings. She slipped the book into Teresas locker and waited for her return to work. This was the first and only time Kelly had given away this cherished memento. The handsome face of her father smiling so enigmatically on the cover and his voice so clearly heard in his writings would surely give Teresa an insight into the father she cherished.

Later in the week, Kelly would learn, a gush of tears had greeted her gift. This is the man who changed my life, Teresa would say. He was my favorite professor and I didnt want his class to end. He believed in me and my dream when no one else did. Just this week I completed my teaching certificate.

A difficult pregnancy requiring bed rest and several hospitalizations forced Kelly to leave her work and her friend. Five weeks before the due date, the miracle baby Jack arrived. Just in time for the new school year.

Jack, bundled across Kellys bosom in his sling, accompanied the trio of Kelly, Kaitlyn, and sister Olivia into the elementary school. As they walked into the classroom, once again Teresa burst into tears. The dear friend, hired only the previous week to co-teach the first grade, clasped Kaitlyns hand in hers and gently walked her to the table facing the teacher.

Sally A. Connolly is editor of the monthly newsletter for the Massachusetts School Counselors Association. Her recently published A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly is a verbal scrapbook of a teacher's spiritual journey. Midwest Book Review says the book is filled with such treasures. It is recommended for those in need of comfort, illumination, redirection, grace, or prayer. For more information on A BOY FROM LAWRENCE, go to http://www.freewebs.com/aboyfromlawrence.Hilaire Blog68718
Gioia Blog48667

The Importance of Accreditation

Accreditation is one of the most important factors when selecting an online high school program. Parents and prospective students should do their homework to ensure that a particular school is accredited by the right type of agency.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is the process of reviewing an online high school's programs and policies to see if it meets certain criteria, generally set by an outside agency. When a school is found to meet the minimum criteria, it is granted accreditation.

Why is accreditation important?

Accreditation is meant to protect students, schools, and employers. It ensures that an online high school is teaching its students at a nationally acceptable level. When students receive a diploma from an accredited high school, they can be assured that it will be recognized by colleges and accepted by employers. Likewise, when a college is accepting students or an employer is looking to hire, they can be assured that a student or prospective employee has received quality training from an accredited high school.

Who can grant accreditation?

The truth is anyone can claim to have the power to grant accreditation to schools. Be aware that not all accreditation is equal. Accreditation from the wrong source can be just as bad as no accreditation at all.

Be sure to check whether your school is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You can visit the department's listings of national and regional accrediting agencies. You can also check with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is a non-government agency that recognizes accrediting agencies in the United States and helps to coordinate policy and research on accreditation issues.

What if my school isn't accredited?

If you choose an online high school that isn't accredited, you may find that many colleges and businesses won't accept your diploma. If you are taking a typing course, it might not matter. But if you are enrolling in an online high school program, you want the school to be accredited.

Take the necessary steps to protect your education. An online high school is designed to provide you with additional educational options, not to limit them.

http://www.alliedhighschool.com

Heather Brunson is a lead marketing writer for Allied Schools. She has a B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis on public relations. She has additional experience in technical writing.Gerhart Blog42269
Gaston Blog17822

The Copyright Law Act Of 1976 Is Still Relevant In Today's Digital Age

The Copyright Law Act of 1976 is the basis of United States copyright laws. The Copyright Law Act states the rights of copyright owners, the doctrine of the Fair Use copyright laws, and it changed the term life of copyrights. Before the Copyright Law Act, the law had not been revised since 1909. It was necessary that copyright laws be revised to take into account technological strides that were being made in radio, sound recordings, motions pictures and more. The Copyright Law Act of 1976 preempted all previous laws that were on the books in the United States, including the Copyright Act of 1909.

The Copyright Law Act of 1976 defines works of authorship to include all of the following:

* Musical works
* Literary works
* Dramatic works
* Pictorial, sculptural and graphics
* Motion Pictures and Audiovisuals
* Sound Recordings
* Choreographic Works and Pantomimes
* An eighth work which falls under architectural works was later added in 1990.

What is unique about the United States copyright law is that it is automatic. Once someone has an idea and produces it in tangible form, the creator is the copyright holder and has the authority to enforce his exclusivity to it. In other words, the person is the owner of the creation. It is not necessary that a person register their work. However, it is recommended and it can serve as evidence if someone ever violates a copyright.

Violations of US Copyright Laws are generally enforced in a civil court setting. However, there could also be criminal sanctions brought against someone who violates US copyright laws. Someone who is in serious violation of US Copyright Laws, such as counterfeiting, can find themselves on the inside of prison. People need to understand that the copyright symbol is not a requirement. Someone may have a copyright, yet their work may not have a copyright notice or symbol.

US Copyright Law covers a wide range of things that are derived from artistic expression, intellectual or creative work. This includes things such as literary works, music, drawings, photographs, software, movies, choreographic works such as ballets and plays, poems, paintings and more. The law covers the form of expression, not the concept, facts or the actual idea of the work. This means that someone can use another person's idea or concept and produce their own take on it. However, copying another person's work is a violation. Some things may not be copyrighted but they may be protected by a patent or trademark.

Individuals who have a copyright on a particular piece of work can do what they want with it. They may choose to copy it and sell it. They may display their work or perform it in public and charge admission, or they can assign or sell the work to someone else. Individuals who have a copyright can also choose to do nothing with their work, if that is their desire. However, if someone comes along and takes the work and tries to use it in some way, that person is still in violation of the owner's copyright. The Copyright Law Act covers published and unpublished works.

Richard Cunningham is a freelance journalist who covers copyright law for http://www.ResearchCopyright.com. Download his free e-book, "Copyright Basics" at http://ResearchCopyright.com.Gottfried Blog14770
Giuseppina Blog64508

New Auto Purchase: Lease Vs. Buy

Essentially, Leasing is just an alternative way to finance a new vehicle. We know that when purchasing a new vehicle the down payment, sales tax and license fees are required to be paid up front. However when leasing a new vehicle you are required to pay only the first monthly payment, a security deposit (usually same as monthly payment), and the license fees. The sales tax (which is based on the capitalized value of the vehicle) is actually amortized over the term of the lease in most states. In other words, the taxes are included in the monthly payments.

Capitalized Cost

Essentially the capitalized cost of a new vehicle is the actual price you have agreed to pay for the vehicle.

Gross Capitalized Cost

The gross capitalized cost of a new vehicle includes the selling price of the vehicle (which is the capitalized cost plus acquisition fees, extended warranty, accident & health insurance, dealer title fee, payoff on your trade-in, credit life insurance, gap insurance and any other fees the dealer decides to charge you). Buyer beware; that most people really don't ever know what their capitalized cost is because it is buried within the gross capitalized cost and the dealer doesn't actually reveal this number unless he has to. Most car deals made at auto dealerships are negotiated on the basis of payment rather than price. This applies to both leasing and purchasing. Don't get caught in this trap! Make the dealer reveal the selling price for every payment offer he makes you!

Adjusted Capitalized Cost

The adjusted capitalized cost of a new vehicle is the gross capitalized cost minus (-) your down payment, net trade-in amount, rebates, license fees and taxes along with any other deductions given.

Depreciation/Residual

When purchasing a new vehicle your payments are based on the full value or selling price, plus extended warranty, tax & license, minus (-) rebate, down payment and net trade-in value. However, when you lease a vehicle your payments are based only on the "depreciation or your use" of the vehicle during the entire term of the lease. The depreciation is actually only a portion of the capitalized cost of the vehicle and is determined by the term of the lease, number of miles driven and condition of the vehicle at the end of the lease. The payments on a lease are based on the deprecation money factor (which is a form of interest rate) and the amortized taxes. Therefore, you can actually drive a more expensive vehicle with a lower payment if you lease. Please note that the depreciation is actually estimated and set at the inception of the lease.

The residual is the portion or balance of the adjusted capitalized cost after the deprecation has been deducted. The residual is just put aside in limbo until the end of the lease. The higher the residual - the lower your monthly payment. At the end of the lease you have two options. You can either turn the vehicle back into the bank or leasing company, or you can buy the vehicle outright for the residual balance. You can even refinance the residual. But keep in mind if you turn in the vehicle with more mileage than allowed on your contract, you will be charged any where from .12 to .25 for each extra mile. In an auto lease you are limited to a specific number of miles in your lease contact. The average would be from 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. You may drive any number of miles in any given year but you cannot exceed the number of allotted miles or you will be penalized. If you purchase the vehicle the charge for the extra mileage will normally be waved. Most banks and finance companies will allow you to add an extra 15,000 to 20,000 miles to your lease contract depending on the term of the lease. However, the cost of the extra miles will be added to your gross capitalization cost and your monthly payment will be increased accordingly.

Ownership

When you have entered into a lease contract you cannot terminate the lease or turn-in your vehicle prior to the ending date of the contract. If you do this the bank will report this as a voluntary repossession on your credit record. On an auto lease the vehicle is actually registered and titled to the bank or leasing company. Therefore you do not own the vehicle, the bank does. You get to use the vehicle and are legally responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. Please note, if you don't maintain the vehicle during the lease you will be penalized for all excessive wear-and-tear when you turn it in. Also, if you really needed to get out of your lease you can buy out of the lease if you can get the financing or you can get someone to take over your lease. Of course, they will have to qualify.

Vehicle Warranties

The average new car warranty is 36 months or 36000 miles, which ever comes first. It is not recommended that you enter into a 4, 5 or 6 year lease contract because they are not economical. Even with a four-year lease it is common for the residual to be higher than the actual value of the vehicle at the end of the lease which makes it very hard to refinance. If you are like a lot of people you can lease a new vehicle every 2 to 3 years and never have to buy an extended warranty. The only time it would be beneficial to buy an extended warranty is if you knew you were going to buy the vehicle outright at the end of the lease.

Gap Insurance

Gap Insurance is basically insurance coverage on the difference between the actual value of your vehicle and the balance you owe on the lease including the residual. This kind of protection is needed in case your vehicle is involved in an accident and is declared a total loss. Gap Insurance is important especially for people who lease vehicles. The lease on a vehicle is actually designed for the balance owed to be upside-down in relation to the actual value of the vehicle until approximately the end date of the lease term. At this time the residual should fall in line or be equal to the vehicle's actual value. Gap Insurance is good for purchase financing as well. The gap is not as large as in leasing, but you still stand the chance of having to put out a great deal of money.

Final Advice

Remember, there are two main factors you must consider when you are thinking about leasing an automobile. The first is how long you intend to keep the vehicle and the second is how many miles you travel annually. If you intend to keep the vehicle a maximum of three years and you only average 15,000 miles a year, then you should definitely consider leasing. If you want to keep the new vehicle for more than three years, you should consider purchasing.

When you lease a vehicle, you very rarely have to put any money down, so lease a new vehicle every two to three years and you won't owe any money on the old vehicle, plus you'll never have to buy an extended warranty. Also, you will have spent a ton of money less for each vehicle than if you had purchased them. If you want to keep a vehicle longer just buy it at the end of the lease.

Remember, don't let the dealer try to sell you on the basis of payments. Negotiate on the price only and when you have agreed on the price then tell them you have a trade-in. When you have agreed to your trade-in value then tell them you want to lease the new vehicle. Now you know what to do from here. Also, dealerships have a tendency to quote lease payments without the monthly tax. This makes a big difference in the monthly payments. If you don't control this you will be sadly surprised when you go into the finance manager to sign the paperwork. One more thing - when you are signing the lease contract, be sure to verify that the trade-in value you have agreed upon is actually deducted from the capitalized cost. Otherwise the dealer could wind up purchasing your trade for pennies and you would never know.

Visit My site http://autopurchasesecrets.com for more free information on the secrets the dealerships don't want you to know.

Brad Upshaw spent thirteen years in the Automobile business, specifically auto sales and worked for several Dealerships. He held positions from Retail Salesman up through New Car Manager and Fleet Manager. During this period Brad received an excellent education on what goes on inside the Automobile Dealerships. You can visit and communicate with Brad at his website http://autopurchasesecrets.com.Gladys Blog48918
Gennaro Blog66894