Interesting Blogs

Secrets of an internet robot

One of the fastest, cheapest, and easiest ways to bring in new business is by sending your prospects a series of prewritten email messages.

Of course I'm referring to autoresponders -- ARs for short.

But the hardest part about putting autoresponders into action is coming up with a reason to do so that doesn't appear to be spam.

Here's a fast and easy autoresponder checklist that anyone can use to put their email marketing on autopilot... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:42:59 PMContent source: http://www.feed24.com/go?item_id=956376

A highlight (or low-light) from the world of spam bounces

Spam: recently, I've been getting a lot of spam bounces; that is,
messages sent by people's autoresponders, in response to forged spam
claiming to come from my domain. (I have an SPF record, but these
autoresponders naturally don't bother to check that before replying.)
I ... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:41:58 PMContent source: http://www.feed24.com/go?item_id=739362

A highlight (or low-light) from the world of spam bounces

Spam: recently, I've been getting a lot of spam bounces; that is,
messages sent by people's autoresponders, in response to forged spam
claiming to come from my domain. (I have an SPF record, but these
autoresponders naturally don't bother to check that before replying.)
I have a SpamAssassin ruleset which catches these, and it gets rid of the
vast majority -- but the odd wierd one gets past. This one caught my eye
before I deleted it:
On October 5, 2004, I will be going to the Illinois Department of Corrections for approximately 18 months. If you wish to contact me, please snail mail... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:33:57 PMContent source: http://www.feed24.com/go?item_id=739367

12 Ways to Increase Online Sales (Entrpreneur.com)

Improve the sales effectiveness of your site with one of these guaranteed ways to turn visitors into buyers. One of the core values at my company is "Test everything; assume nothing!" more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:20:54 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11t4b9ajp/*http%3A//www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,322588,00.html

Norvax Introduces First E-mail Autoresponder That Can Automatically Include Health Insurance Quotes (PR Web via Yahoo! News)

(PRWEB) July 30, 2005 -- Norvax Inc., a leading developer of Web-based sales and customer communication tools for the insurance industry, today introduced LeadMiner, ( http://www.norvax.com/promotions/leadminer-launch.html the first e-mail autoresponder that can automatically include complete health insurance quotes to prospective customers. LeadMiner also lets agents automatically send a more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:19:53 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=12isd25gi/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/prweb/20050730/bs_prweb/prweb266542_1

Norvax Introduces First E-mail Autoresponder That Can Automatically Include Health Insurance Quotes (PR Web)

LeadMiner lets insurance agents contact customers faster and maintain automatic, ongoing communications for more sales. [PRWEB Jul 30, 2005] more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:11:51 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11r9icrts/*http%3A//www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prwebxml266542.php

Norvax Introduces First E-Mail Autoresponder That Can Automatically Include Health Insurance Quotes (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

Norvax Inc., a leading developer of Web-based sales and customer communication tools for the insurance industry, today introduced LeadMiner, the first e-mail autoresponder that can automatically include complete health insurance quotes to prospective customers. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 4:03:50 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11otcp85g/*http%3A//biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050727/cgw016.html?.v=21

InternetSiteMenu.tv Launches Powerful, Affordable Web Site Builder (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

One thousand Web site templates plus three dozen high-end features equals one hot new Web site builder. It's InternetSiteMenu.tv , and it's so simple to use, even the novice Internet user can get a site up and running in about five minutes. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:49:49 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11o8hj6rk/*http%3A//biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050725/phm003.html?.v=15

Web Hosting Basics By Paras Shah (Web Host Directory)

What is a Web Host? A Web Host is simply a company that provides you with server space for your website. This includes all of your web pages, graphics, scripts and files. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:36:48 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=121ti6kal/*http%3A//www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=12590

Choosing Your Web Hosting Reseller Software (TopHosts.com)

As a web host reseller, one of your most important business decisions is your choice of web hosting control panel software. The web hosting software you use will save or cost you time, money, and frustration. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:28:47 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11g20ijja/*http%3A//www.tophosts.com/articles/002011.html

ISP-Planet - Notable Quotes (ISP-Planet)

On the doublespeaking FCC Chair... On the advantage of being wireless... On politicians and muni Wi-Fi... On the importance of the local ISP to small business... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:25:44 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=11fmr5bgf/*http%3A//www.isp-planet.com/quotes/index.html

Choosing Your Web Hosting Reseller Software By Lois S. - www.websitesource.com (Web Host Directory)

As a web host reseller, one of your most important business decisions is your choice of web hosting control panel software. The web hosting software you use will save or cost you time, money, and frustration. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:16:43 PMContent source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/autoresponders/SIG=12158t1o7/*http%3A//www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=12497

Make your site easier to find

There's a new service called Thumbshots... claiming to get your Web site higher clickthrus when featured on search engines.

But does a tiny snapshot of your home page really make a difference? I offer my thoughts at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:15:41 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/Thumbshots.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

How to find colored neighbors

Whether it's fair or not, a lot of stereotypes are true.

And savvy marketers know that one side of a street might have better customers than the other based purely on the "color"... the color of their census mapping that is.

Click your way to amazing census stats at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:14:40 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/census.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Secrets of an internet robot

One of the fastest, cheapest, and easiest ways to bring in new business is by sending your prospects a series of prewritten email messages.

Of course I'm referring to autoresponders -- ARs for short.

But the hardest part about putting autoresponders into action is coming up with a reason to do so that doesn't appear to be spam.

Here's a fast and easy autoresponder checklist that anyone can use to put their email marketing on autopilot... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:07:39 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/autoresponder-leads.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Ugly enough for success?

Do you think my Web pages are ugly?

Admit it... I do... they're downright ugly. But I don't care.

Far too many web designers focus on the appearance of a Web site design rather than functionality. And while an attractive design is helpful, it's almost always at a cost of functionality.

You have my permission to pass these 10 ugly web site design tips to your designer... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 3:01:38 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/web-site-design.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Google(TM) holds your hand

Are you struggling to profit with your current pay per click campaign?

If so, Google just announced an intriguing new program called Jumpstart...

... It's a zero-cost way to get started with Google's popular pay per click program called AdWords.

That's right... as long as you're willing to invest at least $299 in "clicks", Google promises to personally help you launch your new pay per click campaign in about 48 hours.

Is this a good deal for you? As always, I offer my thoughts at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 2:47:37 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/Google-Jumpstart.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Track Web success via email

Just about every day, search giant Google(TM) sends me an email alert that usually puts a smile on my face...

... It's an email alert system that lets me know when a Web site links to my site.

See how to take advantage of this nifty no-cost monitoring service at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 2:44:36 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/Google-Web-Alerts.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Saving money shipping outside US

Did you know shipping a package outside the US could trigger an additional duty tax... holding your package hostage 'til your recipient pays up?

Find out the secrets of ebay(R) powersellers who regularly ship outside the US at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 2:16:33 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/international-shipping.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Turn typos into spy traps

Last year, I was super excited by the prospects of registering domain names with typos to make easy money.

To make a long story short, my efforts didn't retire my debt... far from it.

But my domain name typo experiment wasn't a complete loss... in fact, it could be one of the best marketing moves I've made in years... and it's yours to use gratis.

Warning: While this strategy is admittedly clever, and you might not find it 100% ethical... you make the call at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 2:13:32 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/domain-name-typo.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Stay on top of search engines

RankPulse tracks and publishes the daily changes of the most popular keyword searches at Google(TM):

So how does this benefit you... find out at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 2:03:29 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/RankPulse.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Anatomy of successful internet marketers

Over the years, I've been honored to help literally thousands of seemingly passionate internet marketers enjoy the rewards of the work-at-home-lifestyle.

But surprisingly, I'm still working with a handful of those same passionate troopers... the rest either gave up or moved on.

Over the last few months, I've been organizing a checklist of traits of the most successful internet marketers I know.

Do you have what it takes? Find out at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 1:54:28 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/marketing-success.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Find referrals with this stamp

If you sell retail (rather than B2B), you might consider sending your best customers a self-inking address stamp.

Real Estate and mortgage professionals regularly send their customers these "closing gifts" as a permanent reminder of their services.

This nifty low-cost gift offers these benefits for you:

- Your customers will be amazed at your thoughtfulness... - When the ink runs out, they'll call you for a replacement...

... And when they call you, here's exactly what to say more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 1:32:26 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/closing-gift.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

The truth about ClickBank

Are you promoting a ClickBank product? Or are you a ClickBank merchant?

Either way, I'll bet your bank account is a lot lighter than it used to be.

If you're seeing a drastic drop in ClickBank related sales, you're not alone.

I created a new message board post about the problems at ClickBank... and I encourage you to chime in with your thoughts at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 1:20:23 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/ClickBank.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Blog as your own business

Frequent tip contributor Ankesh Kothari recommended this nifty Web page about making a full-time living with a blog... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 1:17:22 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/blog-business.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Instantly improve your business letters

Grab yourself dozens of tips, strategies, and business letter ideas to instantly improve your business writing at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 1:05:21 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/business-letters.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Can you zap this zit?

Quick quiz:

Here are two almost identical ads for a pay per click campaign I just launched... can you see the difference and guess the winning ad:

Ad #1:
-------
Acne Chris Gibson reveals how you can zap acne in 3 days (aff)

Ad #2:
-------
Acne Chris Gibson reveals how you zap acne in 3 days (aff)

Answer: See how ad #2 is missing the word "can"?

Why in the world would I test almost identical ads and... ... different only by removing a silly 3-letter word?

The answer is simple and will surprise even the most experienced direct marketing gurus... my secret is yours to steal at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 12:52:20 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/pay-per-click-ads.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Ask Saya for super affiliates

Last week, I revealed how savvy joint venture "junkies" tap into publicly available databases to contact potential JV partners.

But let's face it... searching these databases one by one is time consuming...

... Yes, there is a better way.

Web software guru John Saya created an online software solution that scans multiple public databases and combines its results on a single Web page... literally saving you hours and hours of research time.

While the solution is quite expensive (close to $500.00), I was able to convince John to offer a 3-try demo... I bet once you try it, you'll want to order it.

Look for John Saya's Affiliate Finder link at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 12:49:18 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/WHOIS.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Syndicated content for your site

A few weeks ago, I revealed how the latest Web software grabs syndicated content and displays it on your Web site to attract new visitors to your site.

That's the easy part. The hard part is tracking down precisely targeted "feeds" to copy and paste on your site...

... Here's my always-updated list of syndicated content feeds I constantly reference to find new content to use on my Web pages... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 12:24:02 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/web-site-content.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

PDF to HTML converter

Adobe&reg's PDF document format is one of the best inventions ever.

But a surprisingly large percentage of Web surfers still can't read PDF files... they're either blind or visually impaired. Some declined the invitation to download Adobe's no-cost PDF reader software.

The good news is Adobe offers an online PDF to HTML converter wizard to bridge the gap...

... But the best news is you can use the exact same tool to create instant Web site content in just 2 clicks of your computer mouse.

Find out how to profit with this nifty PDF to HTML converter at... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 12:15:01 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/PDF-to-HTML-converter.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Donald Trump - villain or hero?

The popularity of Donald Trump's TV show "The Apprentice" is further proof that, "There's a sucker born every minute."

Americans have a knack to convert villains into heroes and reward them with fame.

It's hard to resist the attraction of Trump's "show"... after all, the American dream is to obtain independence... and it's perceived that entrepreneurs are rewarded with freedom.

The reality is the true heroes of business avoid the spotlight. They fly under the radar. And instead of using deceptive tricks and schemes to build their wealth, they instead focus on these proven business strategies... more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 12:00:59 PMContent source: http://www.marketing-ideas.org/Donald-Trump.php?I=12345&T=&PC=-RSS

Only 2 Percent Use RSS Feeds

Internet News


Only 2 Percent Use RSS

Date: 7/29/2005


(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- A new report by research Forrester Research (forrester.com) shows only two percent of Internet users use Really Simple Syndication, a technology used mainly for news, blogs and podcasts.
Principal Forrester analyst Charlene Li based the findings on a survey of 68,000 North American households, and does not include households that use RSS without knowing it.

RSS use is the highest among consumers aged 12 to 21, five percent of whom claim to use the technology. RSS alerts users when an update is posted to a Web site through the use of special feeds. To access the feeds, users currently have to download special RSS readers or use online services such as Newsgator.

Apple has begun shipping an RSS reader with OS X 10.4 Tiger, and Windows Vista will enable users to get more use out of RSS. For instance, users can subscribe to calendar feeds that instantly upload sports games into a user's Outlook schedule.

And though only a small percentage of the population actually uses the technology, the survey found that 57 percent of marketers are interested in using RSS for promotional reasons due to the declining success of email marketing and traditional advertising. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 11:46:58 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=781

Russian Spammer Found Dead

Internet News


Russian Spammer Found Dead

Date: 7/29/2005


A notorious spammer was discovered dead on Wednesday in his Moscow apartment, having apparently been beaten to death about the head. The case is reportedly being treated as murder, despite the lack of an established motive.
While it is too early to connect the murder to spamming activities, Kushnir has been the target of several revenge attacks in the past. As head of Moscow's Center for American English, Kushnir's spamming activities had previously roused the anger of many Web users.

In July 2003, Russia's deputy communications minister, Andrei Korotkov, became so enraged about the mass spam he was receiving he retaliated with a denial of service counterattack against the school's phone system.

Korotkov says he was receiving 40 emails a day before he implemented an automated calling system that tied up the school's phone line with messages asking them to stop sending out illegal email marketing. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 11:39:57 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=780

The Top 10 Copywriting Tips for Higher Search Engine Ranking

You've probably heard it a thousand times before - the body copy, i.e. the visible text on your website, is absolutely critical for good ranking. Content IS king! Why? Search engine spiders (or crawlers) don't look at your website through human eyes. To be able to assess a site, they rely on words to provide the search engine algorithm with information about the site's topic and content, and its relevancy and relationship with other topics or websites. The more content you have, the more text the spider can find and the more valuable your site will be to both search engines and visitors. If a site only contains images that are named "JPG1", "JPG2" and so on, the search engine spider has absolutely nothing to work with.

So if the importance of copywriting in search engine marketing is a well known fact, why do so many website owners still neglect this area? Put simply, because good copywriting is time-consuming and difficult. However, it is an essential part of your search engine optimization strategy, and your effort will pay off, especially if you keep the following tips in mind:



Write for your visitors, not for search engine spiders.

Here's a contradiction to start off with - you need to increase the text content of your site for the search engine spiders, but anything you write should be aimed at your visitors, i.e. real human beings.


Don't repeat yourself.

Duplicating content, that is, repeating the same text on multiple pages, may sound like an easy way to increase your site's content, but is in actual fact a spamming technique that will get you into big trouble with search engines. Stay away from it!


Include keywords that your visitors use.

Say you are a hotel owner in Northern California who wants to attract British tourists to your website. What search terms (or keywords) would British tourists type into a search engine when they are trying to organize their trip to California? Instead of saying "vacation in California", British searchers would use the phrase "holiday in California". You need to be aware of exactly what phrases people use to find the products or services you offer, and then make sure that you include those words in the body copy of your site in a natural way. This means including relevant terms often, but not too often as to appear forced or unnatural.

Here's where the concept of "keyword density" comes into play. Keyword density measures how often a certain keyword is contained on a Web page compared to the amount of overall text content. If a keyword is mentioned 10 times within 100 words of text, the keyword density is 10%.

Keyword density is one factor that search engines use to determine the ranking of a Web page. As a rough rule of thumb, keyword density for your important search terms should be high, but not too high. Your text should always sound natural and not like you had to squeeze your keywords in with brute force. There are many different opinions on what keyword density is optimal; numbers around 5% - 10% get mentioned. However, keyword density is also becoming less important than in the past, with search engines now using more complex semantics-based algorithms. The end result is: Make sure your search terms or keywords are mentioned in your text in a natural way and don't worry too much about exact measures.


Add new copy regularly.

To make sure a search engine spider often visits your site, try to update your site at regular intervals. Add new pages, for example with background facts or frequently asked questions, add a news section or create an archive of past newsletters that contain valuable, durable information.


Keep your writing simple but hard-hitting.

If you are selling products or service, your copy needs to sell your products for you. Include attention-grabbing headlines, your best offers, and expand on the benefits of your product or service. Testimonials are a great way to support sales copy; authentic customer statements make it easy for your readers to connect with your products and services.


Longer is not always better.

Yes, you want a lot of text content including your most effective search terms on you site. But this doesn't mean that you should start creating extra long Web pages on which visitors have to scroll down for ages before they reach the end of the page. This is neither user nor search engine friendly! If the text content is really valuable, put in on a new page and create a meaningful site structure that links the content together, while keeping your end goal - sales conversion - in mind. Why not create detailed pages on your products or services? (see Tip 4).


Include links to other pages.

Once visitors are on your site, you don't want to lose them again - so think carefully about how and where to include links to other sites. If you do link to other sites, ask them if they will add a reciprocal link back to you on their site. For search engine spiders, incoming links are an important way of assessing the relevancy of your site; topical inbound links will assist your link popularity. For example, say you run a hotel right next to the Pebble Beach Golf Club. If your site links to theirs in your "Local Sports & Activities" page, and they link to your site in their "Local Accommodation" section, you both win.

You can also make links within your site more search engine friendly by using keywords as links. Instead of using links like "Our guest rooms are individually decorated. Click here for a virtual tour.", use "Take a tour of our individually decorated guest rooms now!"


Use formatting and highlighting.

Search engine spiders take note of text formatting elements. So make sure to include your important keywords in titles and sub-titles, use bolding, bullet-pointing and other highlighting methods. For headlines, you should always use the HTML headline tags H1 to H6 to make sure the search engine spiders recognize them.

Ideally, only use one H1 tag per page, with the lower tags being section headings. Heading tags are a great way of ensuring the search engine knows exactly what topic that page is about.


Don't forget about your meta tags.

Meta tags from part of the HTML header of a web page, but are not displayed as visible text on your site. These tags include the title, keyword and description tags, which are important for your site's ranking as they provide search engine spiders with additional information about your site. Some search engines also display parts of the meta tags in their search results pages. This is why you should include your most important keywords in the meta tags, but also make sure the copy appeals to potential visitors.


Always proofread.

Make sure you get your grammar right and check for typos and spelling mistakes. Not only do errors look bad to readers, they also can negatively impact on your ranking. If you consistently spelled "vacation" as "vaccation", your site won't be included in the search results when search engine users search for "California vacation".


Posted by Nancy Hackett at 6:05 AM GMT




3 Comments
At 10:09 AM, Mike Wilson said...
Excellent!! I love what you have posted for the thousands of users!

I keep telling people to add content based on the key words they want to be found with. feed the spiders i say!!

another tip is to name the pictures with some key words as well. Example: tuxedo3.jpg could be miami_tuxedo.jpg

Keep up the great work!

SEOExpert TheUSYellowPages.com
Michael Wilson


At 11:37 AM, Norman Silver said...
Thanks for the Copywriting Tips newsletter – it’s great to get fresh ideas on Ranking factors.

I have found your item 4 (‘Add new copy regularly’) particularly relevant.

Having just returned from a five-week holiday where no copy was added to my website (CanyellesPetites.com), I now find myself severely relegated in Google’s Rankings.

I try to get a top 5 Google ranking for at least one relevant expression and usually succeed. Now I find most of my Number One positions have disappeared off the first ten pages!

Many thanks for all your interesting and though-provoking articles.


At 11:50 PM, Roshani Shay said...
Thanks for the tips! This is great for us neophytes.

Roshani Shay more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 11:24:55 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=779

How can I Synchronize a Pocket PC with Exchange Server 2003?

How can I Synchronize a Pocket PC with Exchange Server 2003?

Exchange Server 2003 has many new features tailored for mobile users. Besides OWA and OMA (see links at the bottom of this page) you can also use ActiveSync to establish a connection between your Pocket PC 2002 or 2003 and Exchange Server 2003. If you have an Internet connection on your PPC, you can ActiveSync your calendar, contacts and inbox wirelessly over the Internet.

In order to use Exchange and ActiveSync, there are a few hardware and software requirements you need to comply with.

Exchange Server 2003 (Std. or Ent. editions will work the same)

A Pocket PC 2002 or 2003 or a Windows SmartPhone (PPC 2003 seems to work better than 2002, and needs much less fooling around)

ActiveSync 3.8 (3.77mb) software installed on your PC

Properly configured Internet access on your Pocket PC or SmartPhone

In order to successfully synchronize your Pocket PC PDA with Exchange Server 2003 you need to perform the following steps:

Server side configuration
Exchange System Manager - Exchange Server 2003 already comes pre-configured for ActiveSync operations. Unless you fool around with your settings, this is what you should see when going to Exchange System Manager > Global Settings > Mobile Services properties:



Active Directory Users & Computers - As stated above, Exchange does a decent job in configuring ActiveSync on it's own, so as long as you don't change any setting, things should work out fine. To make sure, check the Exchange Features tab in Active Directory Users & Computers for each user account that needs this feature. It should show Enabled for the User Initiated Synchronization feature:



Internet - Get yourself a decent Internet connection (you do have one, right? Otherwise you couldn't be sending and receiving mail, could you?). Next, make sure you can access your Exchange server from the Internet by using HTTP/HTTPS. Try surfing to your OWA site (or OMA if you have it set up - see Configure OMA in Exchange 2003 for more info).

Firewall - To successfully connect your Pocket PC to your Exchange server, you need HTTP or HTTPS connection to your server. Make sure your firewall allows for this type of connection.

Other issues - If you plan to use SSL or Forms-Based Authentication on your OWA site (see Configure SSL on OWA and Configuring Forms-Based Authentication in OWA and Exchange 2003 for more info) then you must read Problems with Forms-Based Authentication and SSL in ActiveSync. Otherwise ActiveSync will NOT work for you.

PC side configuration
Pick one of your LAN-connected PC computers, preferably a Windows XP Pro machine (although any W2K or Windows Server 2003 machine will also do fine). The machine should be a part of the Active Directory domain in which the Exchange server resides, but this is NOT a must.

The PC does NOT need to have Office (or Outlook for that matter) installed on it, although you might want to also synchronize other items with that PC (items such as Notes, Tasks, Favorites and so on). If you want to install Office (or Outlook), Office System 2003 is preferred, but Office XP will also do.

The PC should have a LAN connection to your Exchange Server 2003 server, and it should also have an available USB port in order to accept the PDA cradle. Note that is is possible to perform the initial configuration by using IrDA (or Infra Red) but I will not cover this option in this guide.

Next, you should download and install Microsoft ActiveSync 3.8 software on the PC. Follow the installation guide found on the download page.

After installing ActiveSync on the PC, follow the installation wizard to connect the PDA to the computer.



When to use a Guest Partnership with the PDA?

The next phase is to configure a partnership between the PC and the PDA. If you're only planning to use this PC as a temporary connector to the Internet (i.e. when visiting a friend's office, and wanting to use his or her PC in order to synchronize your PDA with your server) then the best choice would be to choose Guest Partnership:



Note: Although using a PC and a USB cradle or travel sync cable is widely used, one can also use a wireless media to perform the synchronization. For example, if you have a wireless adapter on your PDA (and most models do) and you're in an area where you can gain access to a wireless access point that's connected to the Internet, you will be able to use that connection in order to perform the synchronization. In that case you don't really need a PC, just a connection to your server. I will not discuss that scenario here.

After setting up the Guest partnership you'll see a "Connected" window.



As long as you keep your PPC connected you can use it to surf the web, access your local files, browse the files and folders on your PPC or ActiveSync your mailbox and calendar.

When to use a Standard Partnership with the PDA?

Standard Partnership is used when you're using your own PC and you wish to synchronize more than just the Inbox, Contacts and Calendar with the Exchange server. For instance, you need to also synchronize your Favorites, Notes, Tasks and so on. For such a partnership to exist you'll need to install Outlook XP/2003 on your PC.

However it is also possible to use a Standard Partnership and still synchronize with an Exchange server, not just with the local Outlook database. In that case, choose Standard Partnership and click Next.



In the "Specify how to synchronize data" screen, choose "Synchronize with Microsoft Exchange Server and/or this desktop computer" and click Next.



Enter the server FQDN in the Server Name box.

Note: Make sure you enter the right name for the server. For example, if this server is only accessible from the LAN, enter it's NetBIOS name (i.e. SERVER1). If the server is accessible from the Internet, enter it's Fully Qualified Domain Name, or FQDN (i.e. SERVER1.DPETRI.NET). If the server has SSL enabled (read Problems with Forms-Based Authentication and SSL in ActiveSync for more info) then select the SSL check-box. Enter your username, password and domain name, and select the Save Password check-box. Click Next.



Next, you'll be able to choose what to synchronize with the Exchange server, and if you click on Options, you'll have a few settings you can play with.



Finally, you can choose what other things you'd like to synchronize with your local PC.



When you're done click Finish.

After finishing with the partnership setup you'll see a "Connected" window where you'll be able to perform various tasks such as browsing files and folders on your PPC, install and remove applications, change your synchronization settings and more.

Note: You can always delete the partnership between your PDA and PC, and it will usually not have any effect on the data stored on your PDA. However, please perform a full data backup before doing so, just to make sure.

Pocket PC side configuration
The steps that you need to perform on your PPC depend on the type of partnership you've set up with your local PC.

Guest Partnership

No ActiveSync-related information was provided during the setting up of the partnership. Therefore you need to provide the information in the ActiveSync software on your PPC.

On your PPC go to Start > ActiveSync.

On the Tools menu press Options.

The PC tab should be left alone for now.

On the Server tab, in the "Sync with this server" box, enter the correct FQDN or IP address of the Exchange Server 2003 server.

If the server uses SSL, make sure you select the SSL check-box.

Click on the Options button.

Enter your credentials (username, password, domain name), and select Save Password.

In the Rules tab make your selections as to the frequency of the ActiveSync operations, what to do in case of a item conflict, and the level of logging. When satisfied, click Ok.

In the "Sync these items box, select the items you wish to synchronize with the server:

Calendar

Contacts

Inbox

The Calendar and Inbox choices also have the Settings button enabled. Click on it and make your choices (such as size of e-mails to download, weeks to synchronize and so on).

In the Mobile Schedule tab make your selections as to the frequency of the ActiveSync operations, and select which days and what hours are considered as "Peak Times". When done click Ok.

Now press the Sync button on the ActiveSync software on your PPC. Hopefully, you'll get a message text telling you that the PPC is indeed making the synchronization and when done, it'll tell you what was the last time your PPC has been synchronized.



Standard Partnership

Since you've provided all the necessary information during the setting up of the partnership, you do not need to enter any ActiveSync-related information on your PPC. You just connect it to the cradle, wait till the partnership is confirmed, and the either wait for the synchronization to occur, or press the Sync button in the ActiveSync software on your PC or on your PPC.

Whatever method you chose to perform the partnership, you can still make changes to some options on your PPC. For example, to change the settings for the Inbox synchronization and to select which folders should be synchronized and which folders shouldn't, go to the Messaging software (Inbox) on your PPC, click on Tools, then select Manage Folders.



Then you'll be presented with the Mailbox folder tree, exactly as you might see it on your Outlook client. You can easily drill down to any folder, select it and thus tell ActiveSync that you want to download it to your PPC.



Other options are available, but I'll discuss these on another article.

Pocket PC 2000 settings
Most settings are the same as in PPC 2003 or PPC 2003 Second Edition. Here are a few tools that'll help you get synchronized with your Exchange server.

Add Root Cert

However, if your organization uses SSL in order to protect the ActiveSync traffic, you must use the Add Root Certificate tool to add your own root certificate onto your Pocket PC device. This should not be a problem when obtaining a Digital Certificate for SSL from a trusted commercial CA, however, if your organization prefers to use its own root certificate, you must install a custom root certificate on to the device. This tool will help you do so.

Download Add Root Cert (422kb)

Please note that this tool is for Pocket PC 2002 devices only. Pocket PC 2003 devices do NOT require a tool to install certificates. For Pocket PC 2003 please read Adding Root Certificates to Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC.

Disable Certificate Verification

If you don't want to install the certificate on your PPC but still wish to protect the ActiveSync traffic with an internally-signed SSL certificate, you must use the Disable Certification Verification tool to allow users with Windows Mobile devices to connect to Exchange servers without verifying the root certificate authority against the certificate trust list on the device. The device still uses SSL to connect to Exchange, but the Exchange Certificate check allows certificates from un-trusted certificate authorities to be used without generating errors.


Read the entire Tip at:

http://www.petri.co.il/how_to_sync_ppc_with_exchange_2003.htm more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 11:14:53 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=778

Web Hosting Terms

Web Hosting Term's ....

Click the header of this post to view a complete list of web hosting terms. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 11:08:52 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=777

Top of the Line Digital Cameras

Top of the Line Digital Cameras
by: Warren Lynch

If you think that digital cameras are for snapshots only, then you obviously haven't heard about SLR (Single Lens Reflex) digital cameras. SLR is a type of camera which has one lens for composing the frame and capturing the image. SLR cameras are also known as TTL (through-the-lens) cameras.

An SLR camera displays an image through the viewfinder that is exactly the same image as the camera sees and is exactly the same image that the camera is going to record when you release the shutter.

An SLR camera provides a much more accurate image through the viewfinder than a digital camera produces on its LCD because the LCD does not faithfully reproduce the colors and light intensity that is actually entering the camera.

The top of the line SLR digital cameras rival the best film-based SLR cameras and are designed for serious hobbyists and professional photographers. Digital SLR cameras are much larger, bulkier, and heavier than traditional digital cameras.

The SLR uses a mirror that is located behind the lens as well as an optical device known as a pentaprism to channel the light that enters the camera's lens to the optical finder. When you release the shutter the mirror moves out of the way and the image is captured in the same way as any digital camera.

The better digital SLR cameras let you mount different lenses just like their film-based counterparts do. Many of your existing 35mm lens may be compatible with a digital SLR. If you have a large lens collection then you should definitely look for a digital SLR that is compatible with them.

Because the digital SLR cameras are more professional, they come with a hefty price tag. A 6-megapixel Nikon D100 runs around $2,000 and the 11-megapixel Canon 1D runs near $8,000. This is for the camera body only and does not include a lens! This is why I mentioned earlier that you should look for a digital camera that will mount your existing lens collection. Just a good quality zoom lens can run you at least $3,000 and can climb as high as $10,000 depending upon the features!

Of course, there are also starter-priced digital SLR cameras available. The Olympus E-20N, a 5.0-megapixel SLR camera, which includes a non-replaceable lens that is capable of duplicating a 35 mm to 140 mm lens, runs around $3500.

These prices are not out of line if you make your living shooting pictures. You can actually create additional revenue streams when you shoot digital pictures, instead of film-based ones, by offering image enhancement options and all sorts of digital FX options for thee prospective bride and groom's on their treasured wedding album.

If all of this sounds a bit too expensive for your blood, then you'll probably find all of the digital camera that you'll ever need way down in the $99 to $500 price range and you'll never have to worry about buying extra lenses. Digital SLR cameras aren't for everyone but, if they're for you, then there are plenty of models to look at. SOme of the best are made by Canon, Olympus and Nikon which are familiar names in the photography world.

Warren Lynch has been shooting commercial photography since 1979. Clients include Makers Mark Bourbon, Heaven Hill, Yum Brands, GE, Fruit of The Loom and many more highly recognizable brands. Have him make your product more recognizable too. Visit his website at www.wlynch.com or just him a call at 1-502-587-7722 to quote on your next project.

"Sign-up for his syndicated Digital Photography newsletter at
http://www.photopheed.com The Digital Dose"

About The Author


Warren Lynch is a Professional Commercial Photographer located in Louisville, Ky. Sign up for "The Digital Dose" and receive Digital Photography tips every other week absolutely FREE! http://www.photopheed.com.

contact@photopheed.com more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 10:56:51 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=776

Building Community Websites = Success Online

Building Community Websites = Success Online
by: Martin Lemieux

In this article I will discuss how important is it to build community websites rather than straight forward sales pitches. Selling online is about bringing people together, not about stuffing products down your visitors throwts and expecting them to buy from you.

We have conditioned our minds all of our lives to accept advertising billboards, radio ads, newspaper ads, commercials, and all sorts of other advertising materials wherever we go. The same applies on the internet. This "conditioning" has enabled us to see past all the ads and look directly for the pertinant information that we are seeking.

People who are new to the internet are more likely to click on your ads for no apparent reason but to simply search and keep searching. Others that have beed online for years now, tend not to pay attention to as many ads on a daily basis like they used to.

If you are serious about making money online without having to spend too much of your budget, create a "community online". It is in our nature as human beings to want to belong, or to be involved within a community setting. Communities come in all shapes & sizes and are not limited to gender, race, nationality, or religion. A community can cater to whatever topic you wish and welcome whomever you desire.

Same concept applies to your website!

Building a community within your website is the key to increasing your business, keeping visitors coming back, and keeping your advertising budget in the bank. Show your visitors that you aren't just here on the internet to sell them something. For example, we (Smartads), we are here to teach what we know about internet marketing. By teaching, we too learn more, gain more business, and attract new visitors.

RESIDUAL TRAFFIC IS THE KEY!

As i've always mentioned to my clients & readers, getting people to your website is the easy part. Anyone with a $500 credit card can get traffic to their website, it's keeping them there and getting your visitors to come back on their own time is what makes owning a website a dificult proposition.

Visitors always come back to communities they can relate to!

I always to go back to internet marketing communities online like:

www.webpronews.com
www.sitepronews.com
www.searchenginewatch.com
and so on... There are many internet marketing resources available for business owners. We are fortunate to have access to the vast amount of resources that we do, in order to increase our business & to increase our knowledge.

More resources online also increases competition. There are literally millions of websites out there and many of them might possibly be your competitors. Without building a community, people won't remember who you are, or what it is that you do. Infact, if you are spending all of your money on banner ads, pay per click advertising, affiliates, and other marketing areas online, and at the same time you aren't paying attention to increasing your home base, when your advertising budget runs out so too will the bulk of your traffic.

If your website isn't good enough, your sales won't be good enough. Granted; building a website can be very time consuming but just remember that you don't need to create an empire over night. Just a little here, a little there, and before you know it, it all adds up to something you can be proud of. Over time, your website traffic will constantly be increasing.

PLEASE NOTE: If you stop advertising, your traffic won't grow. Growing your website is all part of the whole plan.

What do we need to create a community website?

You always want to add extras to your site that interest you. By doing so, you will also attract people with similar interests and help to bridge the credibility gap online.

You can always add these to your website:

Personal blog
Helpful tips
Mini-ebook courses (on how to be a better client for you)
Other people's articles
Chat forum (requires a lot of maintenance & promotion)
Free business directory listings
Family albums for users
Fun online questionnaires
Mind benders
Games
Contests (with actual prizes)
"How to" articles
Government resources
Local community resources
Support local companies & vice versa
I think we can now get a sense of what building a "community" website means. The key is to take your industry (even if it is boring), and teach someone about what it is that you do. The internet allows us to take in more information than we could ever imagine. There is always someone out there who wants to learn about your industry.

The key is to add on a little at a time. Talk to your web designer. Try and find unique little ways to build a community website online. Ask people what they look for within your industry. After time, you will know what it takes to keep creating more for your company online, and your wallet will love you for it.

Just remember the more you build, the less your advertising budget will be when you get there. Just keep it up until you get there, don't give up on yourself, your company, or your future.

I hope you've enjoyed this article!

About The Author


Martin Lemieux
Smartads President
Smartads International: http://www.smartads.info
Internet Marketing Tips: http://web-marketing.smartads.info
Business Resources: http://mindpower.smartads.info
Smartads Canada: http://www.smartads.ca
Canadian SEO Consultants: http://www.seoconsultants.ca
Smart Ad Search: http://www.smartadsearch.ca

Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article within your newsletter or website as long as the entire article remains the same, including the author information. more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 10:33:47 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=774

Spam Jumps in May....

Spam Jumps in May....

June 03, 2005 --

Email security and management provider Postini (postini.com) announced on Thursday the number of virus-infected email messages in May increased by 381 percent from the previous month. Postini's managed email security service blocked 183,968,287 virus-ridden emails from reaching its customers in May, most of which contained the Sober worm (78 percent).

Sober worm traffic reached unprecedented levels from May 2 to 5, with emails containing the Sober virus accounted for 14 percent of total emails - a full percentage higher than that of legitimate emails.

Postini says it also prevented its customers from falling victim to more than 33 million directory harvest attacks, or an average of 243 per customer every day. This is a 30 percent increase compared to April's average of 191 DHAs against corporate email per day.

"Sober worm traffic in May was staggering, representing a higher percentage of email messages than legitimate emails for a period of four days," says Andrew Lochart, senior director of marketing at Postini. "New viruses and new variants of existing viruses constantly threaten enterprise networks, increasing the need for advanced managed service capabilities to protect the corporate email environment." more...

Autoresponder Marketing
Originally Posted on 8/11/2005 10:32:46 AMContent source: http://www.pchelper.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=773