On Friday after a week of rain and no morning beach walks, we saw a piece of boardwalk sitting on the sand. We had last seen this being used as a boat ramp where the sand had been washed away from under the concrete ramp. The piece of boardwalk had been moved or carried 100 metres or more my the tides.
I wonder what stories could this boardwalk tell? – Suzie Cheel
Basic SEO
While search engine optimization (SEO) is widely used in the online world, particularly in the internet marketing industry, there are still many internet marketers struggling to get their pages visible. Most of the popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) offer two types of search results: paid results (mostly at the top) and organic results. The only difference of the two is that paid results are âpaid placementsâ and organic results occur naturally through searcher interest in the page topic.
Often internet marketers prefer the former since youâll only have to do a little bit of work, and your cash will do the rest of it â an instant visibility assurance on search engines they say. Organic results, on the other hand, do not require cash. To get organic results, the key is producing relevant, up-to-date content worth sharing from your Web site. That means you have to be original and well versed on the topics you are publishing on your site.
The height of producing high organic results does not end there. No matter how relevant and latest your page displays, you can give your work a boost getting to the top.
Google Webmaster Tools can give you detailed statistics and reports about your Web sitesâ visibility on Google, depending on how you manage them to aid you. Such as why you are getting 404 and 503 errors (page not found or unavailable), and which URLs are linking to your web site. Webmaster tools also offer to verify the status of your XML sitemap flow (like how it is submitted or how your pages are being indexed so users can find them).
Youâll only need a Google account, sign up, add your site, and then create your XML sitemap. And if you are using WordPress (http://www.wordpress.com/), youâll be able install its WordPress plug in version.
Thorough and Keen Keyword Research
Unless you havenât heard it repeatedly, keyword research is still the best way to produce relevant content. These are the natural or organic search keywords (or phrases) that you want to be optimized so people who are searching for those terms will eventually find you (immediately). Many webmasters rely on two main factors to work this: optimizing your pages for these keywords (avoid the temptation to overstuff your work with the same keyword), and getting inbound links that use link anchor text matching the keywords you’ve targeted.
Apparently, there is no specific tool that can tell you what keywords will be on top search in the upcoming hours or days, but the Google Keywords Tool is a good place to start. Write about what really interests in ways that will get other people interested in it too. Use the tool to find the words and search language people use to find information like what you wrote.
Producing high organic search results is not an easy thing to do, thatâs why others choose the paid results or a combination of both. But one good thing that makes it a lot better that the others is that people mostly prefer relevancy and not advertisements.
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Thank you for adding to the conversation!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Email marketing is an excellent way to reach out to customers and promote a brand. It’s cheaper, easier, and more effective than many offline marketing methods such as catalogs or posters . Unfortunately, this makes email marketing a prime target for abuse by unethical marketers. The result is that many emails get ignored by potential customers, but there are several tips, tricks, and secrets that can increase the success of email marketing campaigns:
BONUS:
Bounce Those Bouncing Addresses
Donât waste time trying to correct addresses that bounce. Itâs not worth it. Just remove the offending email from the subscriber list and move on. The problem here is that too much time is often spent trying to fix a few emails that are no longer valid. If it bounced once, it’s likely going to bounce again.
Email marketing can bring positive results quickly if marketing efforts are focused. Engage readers on a personal level to lay a solid foundation for future sales. Use these strategies to provide the fuel you need to ignite your next email marketing campaign.
Thank you, Taral!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
That the police are testing a location-based app called Grafetee may not necessarily have criminals fleeing in fear, but the idea of a countryâs national police turning to mobile tools is noted. The Poliisi, as Finlandâs top law enforcement arm is called there, intend on making neighborhoods safer via smart device usage, social media engagement and interactive maps.
Finland. Most of you, readers, will probably identify this Scandinavian country as way up in the far frozen North and a bit too far away to consider public safety moves as relevant. But, given the spread of good news and useful things that make life better, it may not be long before your local public servants tune in on using geo-location tools like Grafetee.
For those unfamiliar with the Helsinki startup, and their engaging little social tool, Grafetee makes use of smart technology, via either iOS or Android operating systems, along with map-centric services like Foursquare, Wikipedia, and even Yelp of late. What does the PoPo up there in Finland want with such a tool, you ask? They are trying to make Finland safer than it already is. Petri
Marjamaa from the National Police Board commented about the adaptation:
âWe are adopting Grafetee to test how a social media service is applicable to make the neighborhood safer and to help residents to influence their own neighborhoodâs safety.”
Grafetee being used by law enforcement in Finland is not the first time a mobile or social tool has been adopted to improve things, but the App does have some unique features which make this story more interesting. The Poliisi can use Grafeteeâs characteristic location-based interactive map, and particularly the notification and bookmarking aspects, for getting information about crime, traffic hazards, and especially for being there when urgency and accuracy of detail counts. Short story here being, Grafeteeâs interactive map operates in âreal timeâ â and users (citizens) can add images to the locations, describe what happens, share with others anonymously if desired, and so much more.
That’s because anyone can use Grafetee anonymously – no need to sign up or connect a Facebook account. A few taps of the screen and a crime can be reported, or the Police can input data the public needs to know in real time too. Think of all the uses Grafetee users on both ends can squeeze out of a little Finnish smart app.
Thereâs a mobile version, Android or iOS, and a web version on, lahivinkki.com, for anyone interested in testing the latest version. Also, another aspect of Grafeteeâs individuality is the ability for businesses to add their places, events, and even web locations via a browser bookmarklet. On top of the Foursquare, Wikipedia, and Yelp pins you can already use on the map, there are also now many local businesses and even websites tied into the Grafetee way of smart things.
Grafetee, or should that be âGraffitiâ, seems like one of those simple little tools that ends up being widely accepted. Just like street artists express themselves via murals, now everyone can put a name on just about anything, even a potential crime. Letâs see how fast other government agencies and businesses hop on board with special uses. Interesting stuff, huh?
In his earlier days, the artist Chuck Close was a painter of gestural abstractions. After a personal crisis, he decided to take photographs, and square inch by square inch, make a large painting of the photograph. The process, to Close, was a game of sorts. If you get the opportunity to see one of his large scale paintings in a museum, the results are quite staggering.
Artists like to play games within their work. After all, there is no rule book on how to make a piece of art. Instead, you have total and absolute freedom. You can do anything you want â a freedom which can actually be paralyzing. Thus, by creating little games, the artist has a self-imposed framework in which to work.
My own game is to paint alla prima â which means at first attempt, and to paint all wet-into-wet; never onto dry paint. While Iâve found a way to keep my own paintings wet for weeks, and thus to sustain the game over a longer period of time, the historical idea of an alla prima painting, like those of the impressionists, was to create a painting in one sitting.
This is hardly a constraint taken on by all painters. In fact, Monet said something to the effect that youâre not worth your salt as a painter if you couldnât put a painting away for a couple of months, come back to it, and not see what it needed. Bonnard was said to sneak into museums with a brush and colors under his coat to touch up his own paintings.
Reworking a piece over a long period of time can certainly bring richness to any work. Itâs over time that we are able to reinforce subtle patterns, or refine smaller ideas within the larger piece. But sometimes, itâs difficult to let go of a piece. Our anxiety about getting it right takes over.
The idea, though, of saying that a painting, or even a piece of writing, is going to be done in one period of time â that Iâll do the best I can NOW, and that Iâll do this and move on to the next â can mitigate compulsiveness. We can bring this idea to writing too â Iâll write a piece â but after Iâm done, Iâm done. No going back and improving. Blogging is ideal for this â after all, changing a post after itâs been published, and after people have participated in the piece by commenting just doesnât feel right.
If you find yourself stuck in your endeavors, and unable to break through some invisible barrier, try creating your own parameters and games. After all, itâs your game, and thereâs not a person in the world who can say that itâs wrong.
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There are so many social media and shopping websites nowadays available on the web, some of them are growing rapidly because of their services, how they are managed and updated, and how the features or how user friendly they are. These websites have been increasing because of the increase of the growing interest of people on social networking platforms and people are also getting bored of the existing social websites. It has increased this year because of the social awareness of the individuals, sharing their thoughts, experiences, photos, and products daily are the things that people could do with the social and shopping websites.
Here are some of the fast growing social media and shopping websites that are grabbing the attention of more users day by day:
Basically, Pinterest is a pinboard -style social photo or an image sharing website that permits users to make and achieve theme-based image groups such as interests, events, likes or hobbies, and many more. Users can surf or browse other Pinboards or inspiration,âre-pin’ images to their own collections and/or ‘like’ photos. It permits its users to share ‘pins’ on both Facebook and Twitter, which permits users to share their interests, photos, events, hobbies and interact with the community.
A social media agency should post their clientâs business in Pinterest to drive more traffic. It is an advantage for the business to have major products for women because most of its visitors are women.
Pinterest can help a social media company to have the advantage of driving traffic to their clientsâ websites. It is really a big help for the social media companies on their Internet marketing strategies.
This is a new shopping website that made a big splash in the online community. Svpply is pronounced as âsupplyâ, it is the online form of window shopping that permits users to browse products extending from clothing to home decorations and easily bookmark items when you shop.
Before you can post or shop on the website, you have to register first on Svpply.com, create your free account, search for the products or things that you want in the online store, and upload them to your account. You can also share what you have found with your friends thru social media sites like Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.
There is more! You can complete your online shopping using Svpply, just click on the BUY button and be directed to the âCheckout Page. Svpply also offers specialty features like monthly Editorâs picks and gift guides that are giving you the advantage of having all of your shopping needs addressed on one website.
One of todayâs trends which social media is focusing is online Pin boarding. Users âpinâ their items and images what they like on the virtual boards and sharing it with their friends that have similar interests and can give and take ideas. Pinterest maybe the most popular of these websites because of its unique features that permits users to interact, engage, and connect with the imaginative process with people who have shared their interests. Furthermore, socializing and connecting with friends through online is the major factor in currentâs Social Media part.
Online shoppers or users used to find themselves shopping for toys for their loved-ones, gifts, clothes, supplements, and other items that could give them convenience in shopping. Online shopping gives them convenience because it doesnât need to be in the physical store to purchase or look for the items they want. Wanelo has covered the way for businesses to seize more market share by attracting in online marketing and makes easy for the shoppers.
Polyvore focuses on fashion, it is for the fashion enthusiasts and advocates. It is devoted to style and giving a platform for fashion enthusiasts for showing or demonstrating their works in the entire world. It is one of the largest online communities with members from across the globe and helps to unite online shoppers and trendsetters / trend starters by showing the latest trends, the hottest brands, and trend forecasting.
It allows users to create different outfits by culling various products from online stores and online fashion collections, publishing and sharing their works with friends and other Polyvore users.
Polyvore is now becoming another trustworthy social media network for online businesses who aim to create more connection and interaction with their online prospect buyers and online buyers. Some Big Fashion companies are having relationship or connecting Polyvore for promoting and exhibiting their designs, products, and for showcase.
Thank you, Richard!
–ME “Liz” Strauss