The internet has made a lot of things easier in our lives, and sometimes I wonder how people met each other before the era of dating websites. Have you ever noticed that the popularity of different dating sites seems to change over time? In order to improve your chances of meeting people, it can help to try new and different sites.
One of the latest sites I've heard about is https://speeddatingcupid.com/. This site is described as a place for speed dating, where it only takes a minute to register and start connecting with potential dates.
New people across the US are joining the site and uploading their profiles daily. The site has several features to allow you to meet people in a low-key way. For example, you can easily set up friend lists, and you can send messages or winks to other people on the site. It's free to sign up and get started using the site. There is also a premium level available for those who want to try more features.
Some other cool things about the site are that it has a blog where you can find articles about love and dating related topics, and the site runs contests where you can win prizes like a free premium subscription.
With a free site like this, what can you lose? Check it out and let me know what you think by sharing your experience in the comments below.
EmailOnDeck was founded on the belief that you shouldn't have to give your personal email address to anyone who demands it. It was built by a few privacy-minded engineers with extensive backgrounds in email/SMTP systems and software. EmailOnDeck provides free temporary email addresses for everyone to use. Learn more by visiting: https://www.emailondeck.com.
1. What was the inspiration behind starting EmailOnDeck?
We feel that the internet is becoming a place where every site seems to be demanding your personal information just to access the site. We still believe that the internet is like your local library: what you research and learn about online is nobody's business but your own. More practically, there's an issue of providing your personal email address to a web site you've just visited for the first time. A common concern is: "What will this website do with my personal email if I give it to them?" Websites frequently sell your email address, and ultimately that can lead to one receiving SPAM which could include viruses and phishing emails. We built this service in hopes of allowing one to help retain and protect their online privacy.
2. What sets this project apart from other free email providers?
EmailOnDeck proactively focuses on providing you with temporary emails that work. With access to a large domain pool, EmailOnDeck can create a greater variety of temporary email address increasing the difficulty of advertisers tracking you online. EmailOnDeck also provides you with your own private temporary email inbox; it is not a public inbox for all to view. Finally, once you are done with your temporary email address, it will automatically be securely wiped and all emails securely erased in order to ensure your privacy.
3. When are the times that someone might want to use a temporary email, instead of something like a "backup" email aside from their primary one?
Any website that asks for your email before letting you visit or view their site. This is a great way to protect yourself from untrustworthy sites. Once you get comfortable with a website, then you can decide if you would like to provide your personal email address to them.
Interestingly, though, I actually like to point out when it's not a good time to use a temporary email address. If you're going to be giving a company your credit card number or mailing address, using a temporary email can actually make things more difficult. First of all, they have your personal information, so you're not really being much more private. Secondly, if the company needs to send you an email to confirm your purchase or subscription in a few months, you would no longer have access to that temporary email.
4. How do you keep your service available for free?
Since we're constantly securely wiping emails, our storage costs are very low. We do place non-intrusive ads on certain pages of the web site. We also have plans to provide a paid "pro" version that's ad-free and provides more convenient features. More on that soon...
5. In addition to using a temporary email address, what else do people need to do to protect their privacy when using their computers, tablets, and phones?
If you can clear your cookies and cache after you're done browsing the web, that would be your first basic step. If you are willing to learn (just a bit) about blocking javascript, you can really increase your security by using a browser extension called NoScript. And finally, check out Privacy.com for a way to create virtual credit cards--very cool because vendors will never have access to your actual credit card. This is a life-saver for anyone that has ever been a victim of credit card fraud.
Lisa Sanovski is a freelancer who does web development work for clients, mostly for small to medium sized businesses. She has been building websites for clients for the last five years or so, mainly on WordPress. Over the years, Lisa has come across a number of web hosts; most have been good but some have been not-so-good. Bluehost is one of the latter. Lisa started websitehostingrating.com as a place to post her reviews of Bluehost.com and other web hosting offerings.
1. When someone who has never built a website before tells you they want to start a website, what's the first thing you tell them?
I usually tell them that their website will be built on WordPress which is the exact same platform that many of the Fortune500 brands like News Corp and Sony Music use to build websites, and the reaction I get is often, "Wow," followed by "Oh, and how much is that going to cost me?"
That's the beauty of building websites using WordPress; it powers more than ¼ of all sites on the Internet; it's secure; and because it's open source, it's 100% free use. There are a bunch more compelling reasons why you should WordPress, nicely compiled here.
2. I used to think of WordPress as being more suited for blogs, but over the years, I've seen it used more and more for websites that are fairly static. What's your advice to people who want a website but don't want to be regularly updating it like a blog?
Yeah that's right: WordPress started out as blogging platform, but today it can be used to do so much more. It can power full blown ecommerce sites and run company intranets, online forums, job boards. And it has loads of more uses. I would say it depends on the industry you are in, whether or not you should regularly update your website with more blog-type content. Most clients I create sites for are more static, set and forget type ones.
3. What's your process like in building websites for clients? Do you mostly get people set up with WordPress, and then they carry on with refining and updating their site?
The thing is, anyone can learn how to use WordPress and update their website's content. I think that is one of the main reasons why I love working with WordPress, and regularly use it to build websites, because it's so easy to master. So once the design is more or less locked in, I do a bit of training with the client, and they will learn how to refine and update their own website.
4. What inspired you to start your website about web hosting?
The main reason why I started my honest Bluehost review site was to provide a more of an honest and unbiased review of Bluehost, based on my own personal experience of using them for clients and personal sites over the years. Because Bluehost has a fairly generous affiliate marketing program, there are loads of review sites out there, sites that are more interested in earning an income from referring signups to Bluehost than to provide people with real honest facts.
5. In the five years that you've been doing web development, what changes have you seen--and are there other changes you think might be on the horizon?
That's a really great question. Gosh, there have been so many changes over the years, from one page layouts, parallax scrolling, flat designs, video backgrounds, just to name a few. Looking into the crystal ball, I think the mobile first approach is here to stay; you know, people and "users" of websites are more and more on their mobile devices and expect websites to load fast and display well no smaller screens, and web developers and designers have to adjust to that.
Do you like to color? Do you know someone who likes to color? Or better yet: do you know any kids and want to offer them a fun, affordable activity that will keep them happily occupied? Check out 123coloringpages.com for lots of free coloring pages that you can download and print.
This website is geared toward kids and has simple black and white drawings to color that cover a number of kid-friendly themes that would appeal to coloring fans of a variety of ages. For example, if you click on the "cartoon" section, you'll find kids' favorite characters from Dora the Explorer to Monster High. There are some great educational sections, too, covering topics like the alphabet, numbers, animals, shapes, and the flags of countries from around the world.
In addition to being fun for kids and parents, this site could be a useful resource for teachers, day care providers, babysitters, and more. You can sit down with a child and let him or her pick out their favorite sheets to color, or you can print out a selection yourself and surprise your little friend. This would also be a great site to bring up when you visit the public library if your library (like my local branch) lets you do some free printing.
It's nice that the address for the site is so easy to remember, too. I'm pretty sure that if you tell any kids you know about 123 Coloring Pages, they'll be asking for it by name. :) And by the way, these can be fun for adults, too--the section of coloring pages under the heading of "landscapes" has a lot of detailed pages that adults would enjoy, with imagery drawn from cultures around the world.
In 2010 a digital agency was born Mystic Social Media, which was rebranded as Mystic Advertising later. Husnain Minawala is the director of this company, and in 2013, he launched karachibloggers.org a portal for all bloggers. In 2014 Mystic Advertising LLC opened its office in Dubai U.A.E.
1. How did you first become interested in blogging?
Traveling has always been my passion because the peace it brings to one's soul is commendable. Like it's said, if traveling were free, you wouldn't get to see me. Traveling has taught me how to enjoy the "me" time, and when it became an essential part of my life, I decided to make it a bigger part by blogging about it.
I want every soul to feel the beauty of this world. If my blog gives birth to the love for nature, then I consider every penny spent as a lifelong investment. So basically I started blogging to share the love for nature.
2. How has your blog evolved from when you first started it to today?
Well, initially it wasn't as big as it is now; good things take time, and big things start small. Similarly, it started with passion, and it keeps blooming each day. With time I discovered love for various things, technology being a lead, so I decided to make it a part of the blog. What I learned over time was how to evaluate the interest of my readers. Let's put it like this: for a traveler it's important to capture the mesmerizing beauty forever, which came with the concept of photography, hence cameras and the change in techniques and products to my interest in technology. I have learned how to direct my passion in the right direction on the blog.
3. What is your advice to individuals who want to increase their social media presence and gain more blog readers, more Instagram followers, etc?
For anyone who wants to go big with their blog, they should publish more and more. The bigger the content, the better the visibility. Sharing is the key: you want to be the ultimate resource for your audience and motivate them to share your content on their networks, so make sharing easy. A user friendly and engaging site is IMPORTANT. And PHOTOS. Use them, use them wisely.
There is so much to be done; for beginners, let's keep it easy and achievable.
4. What are some similarities and differences in the way an individual should approach social media and the way a business (from small businesses to large companies) should approach it?
As far as the social media is concerned, one needs to understand that social media is NOT a trend; it's the reality of online existence. Once you know your answers for "where my audience is?", "how far do I want to take my business/brand?", and "how many followers am I aiming to attract?", you will know where to be on social media. Every business and individual has its own approach, depending upon the set target, so I can not really generalize the similarities. You just have got to know your work, and your work will take you where you belong.
Hyder Ali Zaman is a highly accomplished and experienced internet marketing professional with a successful track record extending 13+ years. His ability has helped startups grow into successful business enterprises, drive online marketing strategy in sync with the offline marketing tactics, deliver SEO results, cost effectively manage SEM / PPC / FB Ad campaigns, and use non-traditional yet highly effective organic (SEO) traffic driving techniques to help organizations become successful in any highly competitive online industry in any region of the world.
I was one of the earliest adopters of the internet and the World Wide Web, not only in Pakistan but globally. Back in those days, people did not know much about the internet. However, to me I could see the potential of the internet to actually change the world. I came to know about SEO through my own interest in the internet. For me, SEO has always been a passion to help online businesses succeed. And I strongly believe that when you work for passion, money automatically follows.
2. In the years you have worked in the industry, how have things changed when it comes to improving a site's search engine rank?
Yes, a lot, to say the least. Those old shoddy tricks up the sleeves of the so-called SEO experts to get you to the first page of Google do not work anymore. Google and other search engines have evolved a great deal. In the coming years, you will see a lot of people complaining that SEO is not working (many are already doing it). It is the SEO they know that is not working. Look, SEO is a patience-driven, watch and act kind of endeavor where you keep on adjusting to the changing dynamics. SEOs who are trying to get quick results will not see any success. Areas in which you particularly need to focus in the future include natural link building, social media marketing, blogging, guest posts, and relevant content marketing strategies. Niche-oriented focus would greatly help improve your site's rankings. SEO has finally become something which would only reward people who are willing to work hard and know what it actually means to be an SEO expert.
3. What are some common mistakes you see businesses making with their websites?
Here is my top list of mistakes online businesses really make.
a. They think onsite SEO is just a hoax and they do not really need to think about it much.
b. They spend so much money on paid advertisements, but eventually they run out of money. They should diversify and think about SEO and other ways of generating traffic online.
c. A lot of businesses do not pay any heed to social media marketing when it actually makes a lot of difference. Paid social media advertisement is good, but you also need to find a way to generate leads through other regular updates as well.
d. Old online businesses established for years think that mobile responsiveness is not for them. Google has already penalized such websites, and we are going to see more of that happening.
e. Content does not just mean rewriting everything which is already there. Instead it gives online businesses a way to connect with their customers.
4. What are some of your own best practices?
Here are some of the most important things for me in terms of SEO.
1. Content Marketing
2. Affiliate Marketing
3. SEM & SEO
4. Social Media Marketing
5. Guest Blogging
6. Onsite SEO (deep enough to identify and resolve onsite issues)
7. Offsite SEO
8. Work on domain authority and increase website's authenticity.
9. Evolve my overall SEO strategy in light of the changes recommended by Google and other search engines.
10. Diversify and rely on multiple sources of traffic.
5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your work?
Well, whomever you choose to work with, make sure they are worth their money. Do not work with anyone who does not understand everything and has not been proactively following SEO from the start.
I strongly believe in living up to my clients' expectations, and my work speaks for what I have done in the past. I have successfully helped many startups getting from zero sales to thousands of USDs or even more in revenues per month. I am passionate about my client's website and take every step to ensure that their interests are watched. No matter which SEO expert you wish to work with, always remember that experience has no shortcut. I do not promise my clients to deliver quick results but meaningful results where they can actually see the return on their investments.
Feel free to get in touch with me via email should you have any questions or need SEO consultation for your online business.
Justin Davis is a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert and internet marketer. He also has a website development company that builds websites for businesses and organizations. He is 31 years old. He travels as often as possible (which is quite a bit). In his spare time he watches documentaries, studies new business trends, hangs out with old friends, goes fishing and camping, visits with family, and studies his SEO (even when he has told himself he is supposed to be working).
Justin is a familiar face in the SEO world and on social media. He is a certified Google partner. His personal goal is perfecting the science of manipulating and removing bad Google search results in favor of his clients. He specializes in identity restoration services and other forms of search engine optimization tactics involved in fixing the search results page on the world's biggest search engine.
I started getting into search engine optimization because I just believe in the power of it. It's marketing that happens in live time, as the person is using a search engine and transcribing their thoughts into keyword phrases. It's at this moment, possibly right before the buying moment, that I want to be in front of the prospect with my product or service. Hence, search engine optimization.
2. What are some of the advantages for a small business when it comes to hiring one company to handle both web design and internet marketing, rather than working with separate firms for each?
I believe that most people in the internet marketing or web design industry generally prefer sticking to one specialty. It's pretty rare that someone is good at both. I personally specialize in SEO, and I have a designer to do all of the design aspects of my websites and ads, and a developer to bring it all to life. That's why I say we are so good at both. But my attention is on marketing. I let the website guys deal everything else.
3. I sometimes see people working hard on creating new content for their websites and not seeing results. What do you see as the secret sauce in terms of content being effective in gaining return visitors to a site?
I think you have to create content that adds value to the user. If they are not coming back, it is probably your fault for not getting their attention again. Did you retain their contact information when they visited your site? Are they part of your e-mail list? When you noticed a surge in traffic what was the source? Did you follow up with more high quality content down that avenue? Question everything, and monitor the results. Duplicate what works, and throw punches in bunches.
4. What added benefits to you bring to your business in being a certified Google partner?
It just verifies that I'm authorized by Google to have a high level of competence in various forms of marketing and how it is seen by Google and other professionals innovating the web. I think it just shows a validated credential. People like to know who they are doing business with. That's why I'm in business.
5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your work?
You can check out my website or call any time with questions on what we do and how it can help your business or organization. Also, check out our blog for updates and interesting topics in the search engine optimization industry.
Akhtar is a web designer who specializes in designs and code themes for WordPress websites. With his company GoodWPThemes.com, he has also worked with many clients as a freelancer to enhance their online presence. Learn more about his company and work by checking out his site, goodwpthemes.com or connect with him on Facebook and LinkedIn.
1. How and why did Goodwpthemes.com first get started?
GoodWPThemes has grown from a small company with just one developer back in 2013, when the WordPress was a very different place. The site is a great for responsive WordPress website themes and Bootstrap based templates. The concept of the site is to provide a one-stop shopping solution with high-quality themes for your development needs. The company's perspective is customer-centric, with a focus on design, implementation, and support solutions based on the individual desires and concepts of each new customer. The visitors come from all over the world, with 60% of visitors from the United States, UK, Germany, Australia, and several European countries. We made a decision to focus on custom WP themes development.
2. What makes a WordPress theme stand out, in your opinion?
We discover premium WordPress themes to be always an ideal choice to create something unique and exceptional which is impressive and eye-catching to bring targeted traffic to your website. Even though there are a lot of cost-free themes to choose from, most of them have similar designs and layouts.
There are only a few themes that will help you stand out from the crowd, and improve the blank WordPress installations into a cool looking site which people will visit and share. Check our most popular collection of Creative WordPress Themes for more design ideas.
3. What are some of the features of your website that are available for people to use?
There's a great collection of premium themes as well as some free themes you can download, but the premium themes are priced very competitively with some available for just $5. These are beautiful and nice-looking themes; several are aimed toward specific kinds of businesses, such as real estate, artists, authors, retailers, and much more.
4. Do you have resources that are helpful for newbies to WordPress--and what about for more advanced users?
We're working on the helpful resources section of our site, which covers a series of tips and tutorials about WordPress for both beginners and for advanced users. It will bring a lot of exciting and useful content. Stay updated! It will be worth waiting for! In addition, if you just want to focus on the videos, you can check out GoodWPThemes YouTube channel.
5. For someone who has been thinking of switching to WordPress but hasn't made the switch yet, what would you tell that person?
I think people should think about switching to WordPress, because it is a great choice for all websites owners, when compared alongside other CMS, and it has a big community that supports of the wide range of features.
We also offer additional WordPress installation services that include custom installations and a free installation service, which includes themes, plugins, and much more. This service is currently free but there are plans to expand it into a paid service in the future. To get more info about these services, you can visit our website contact page.
Khalid Zidan is a blogger and entrepreneur. He decided to share his experiences to help people who are struggling in their lives and want to achieve what they've been dreaming of. He's founded serial websites focusing on a range of topics including SEO, freelancers, market review, affiliate market, dropshipping, and more.
1. When did you realize that entrepreneurship was the right career path for you?
When I started to realize I would never be a free man in a 9-5 job.
2. What are some of the ways that you help people who want to make money online?
I believe anyone can earn money online: all you need is a device with Internet access. That's it. I have tried many different ways, including courses, training, and mentors. Most of them were such a failure. However, some worked! And I earned money from them, so I am teaching these successful methods to others so that they do not have to repeat my same mistakes.
3. Why is blogging so important for people who want to start their own business?
Blogging is your voice--it's like your business card. If you are not blogging, you do not have an opinion, and you will not be seen as trustworthy. Come on, even Sir Richard Branson is blogging! Everyone should. Put your voice out there.
4. What are some of the biggest and/or most common mistakes you see people making in starting a business?
Listening to too much advice--or to none at all! I have met aspiring businesspeople telling me that they have read 50 books last year! And I ask them, what did you learn? They do not even remember! So what's the point? My advice will be: choose a very small niche that you like and master it; start small, and then expand your niche while you are growing.
5. What projects are you currently working on, and do you have anything new in the works that you're excited about?
I am working right now on mastering Kindle books and e-dropshipping.
Christine L. Robinson is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator. She holds a Master's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies, and she served seven years in the U.S. Army. Christine is a personal development and business coach and is the author of two books.
1. Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?
It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I realized I could be an entrepreneur. Like many people, I had to get to a point in life where I was able to take the leap into being self-employed and make following my passion a reality.
My inspiration for starting MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator is the desire to help small businesses grow. Having once been there, I understand that it is difficult to balance every aspect of the business. As a business coach, I would give clients strategies on how to increase traffic and engage in meaningful social media marketing, right after telling them that as one person there is only so much they could accomplish in a day. I had to ask myself, why am I telling my clients to outsource a service I could provide; MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator were born from that self-reflective question.
3. Why is it so hard for many small businesses to get traffic to their sites, even when they are posting new and informative content?
In my opinion, it is hard for small businesses to get traffic to their sites because the World Wide Web is so vast and there is so much content that it is easy for a site to get lost. You could have the best blog about dog training, but if you don't have daily traffic to your site, and a strong social media following, how many people aren't reading the best dog training blog? The other problem that I think small businesses face is resources; most small business owners don't have a dedicated employee who can spend all their time generating traffic and/or creating content. It can be a difficult juggling act when trying to focus on the people and product of the business. It's important to outsource what you are unable to do, so that you get the results without having to spread yourself thin or neglect other aspects of the business.
4. I think a lot of people get overwhelmed by the idea of establishing a social media presence and end up undertaking a scattershot, inefficient approach. What do you suggest as a starting point--or as a way to start anew when social media seems flat?
I think the starting point for a business' social media presence is to figure out what you would like to gain from being on social media; is it a means of showcasing your product, engaging clients, sharing content, or providing information/research to funnel potential clients through a sales funnel? Once you have a purpose in place, it is easier to tailor the content so it can be effective and yield results.
5. What are your goals for 2016?
My goal for 2016 is to continue to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest. I know that is what everyone says, but I truly believe in being happy in the present. When you are genuinely the best you that you can be, everything else falls into place; and life is just better!
Viewacam.com is a new website where watch webcams from all over the world, or broadcast your own webcam, too. They aim to feature a variety of webcams showing beautiful places in the world both big and small--from cams in urban settings to backyard nature cams. Our interview is with John Michaels, the website's founder.
1. What gave you the idea to start ViewaCam.com?
I was looking at Earthcam and thought, what a great idea! But I noticed there were a lot of ads and popups on all the pages. Their site is inundated with ads, and we are more about the broadcaster and the viewers. While we do indeed have ads, they are limited to only the bottom of the page, and the site remains nice and clean for viewers to look at the bottom ads only if they want to.
We have to have ads to pay for the site; it's a must, but once we get enough users on there, I may put up a poll asking if users would rather donate a few dollars here and there through a PayPal donate button rather than having ads on the site, and then it would be 100% ad free.
Our site is very easy to navigate, too. It also has a built in chat system that works in two ways. You can either interact with your watchers by chatting with them, or you can use the chat box only for yourself to describe what they may be seeing. You can give viewers details about what they are looking at, especially if there is something that is changing like maybe a parade going by or something like that.
2. Do you stream your own webcam, or have you done this in the past?
Yes, I try to stream my own cam as much as possible, and you'll see mine listed as Admin. The cams use your screen name you create once you join as your ID.
Don't forget to name your broadcast which is right on top of your chat screen, too, before you press start on the broadcast. Then you'll have your broadcast name and screen name, IE: Chardon Ohio - Broadcast by Admin.
3. I think there is a lot of diversity out there when it comes to webcams, and I especially like ones that feature animals or the ocean. What are some of your own favorite webcam subjects?
I personally like the webcams that are around neighborhoods. As I described above, you can see some really neat stuff like parades, people enjoying life and everyday living, and by being able to go from an Ohio neighborhood to a California neighborhood, you can see the differences of culture and ways that people live.
Also, at Christmas time, there is nothing more beautiful than someone who may decorate their home with lights and things like that, which just really brings out that holiday feel. I say this because there are a lot of people that are disabled and can no longer take a drive or a walk just to gaze at the lights in the neighborhood at Christmas, and enjoying webcam feeds can be their way to go out into the world and really look at things from all over our little blue marble we call home.
4. For webcam owners, what are the benefits of making their webcam stream available on your website?
Well, for one, the site is well-designed and easy to navigate. Secondly, again, no intrusive ads, and thirdly and probably most importantly, this isn't just another webcam site in my opinion. It is a webcam community. That's really a big difference even though it doesn't sound like it is.
You can befriend people here, send them messages, comment on their photos (yes, there's a photo section, too), and chat with them in their own chatroom. There is also an events section where broadcasters can post something special coming up so people can look forward to it; broadcasters can use the events section also even if there is no special event, just to let people know when they will be going on air. It is really much more than just a webcam site. You can make good friends here.
We also are very responsive to our broadcasters and will protect them if they are having an issue with an abusive guest, which hasn't happened yet, thank goodness, because we are a brand new site, but you just never know in the future what will come! I have been to a lot of different chats across the web and have learned a lot about what we won't allow here.
5. For people who want to set up their own webcam for the first time, do you have any advice?
For first time broadcasters, I would offer this advice: Have fun with this! Set aside at least a few hours of relaxation time and make sure you spread the word about your webcam to your friends and tell them to come on over and hang out, and before you know it, you'll have new people coming in to see your webcam.
Decide if you want to have it on 24 hours a day or just a few hours a day. If you have an older PC not being used, I'd say set it up, hook up a cam, point it at what you want to show, and let it go 24/7!
Remember, finally, to be friendly when you have a guest come in. They will ask questions about your cam, where it is located, what it is showing, stuff like that, so be ready with that information. Friendliness is really the key to it all.
Even though the community is small right now, everyone has to start somewhere, right? We hope to be a thriving, friendly, warm, and welcoming community that shows the world, YOUR world, through your cam's eye! Come join us, won't you?
Founder of TrepRep, Michael Luchies is an entrepreneur, writer, and consultant who recently gave a TEDx talk on the subject of "The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller." Check out his talk below, and visit him at MichaelLuchies.com.
1. Why is storytelling important for entrepreneurs?
Storytelling is extremely important for entrepreneurs. In fact, it's a necessity for their brand to be able to establish respect and resonance with their customers, grow, and survive, and it's what separates their brand from others.
The best brands today tell amazing stories.
Have you seen a Nike commercial lately, a can of Coca-Cola with someone's name on it, or even an episode of ABC's Shark Tank? These stories bring us closer to those companies.
There is a story (and in some cases thousands of stories) behind every company's brand, and the stronger that story (or stories), the more opportunities that brand has to earn and keep the loyalty of customers.
No one wants to connect with a logo; they want to connect with the brand and the people behind that logo.
After the homepage, a website's about page is the next highest viewed page. Why? Because we want to see how the business began, who's behind it, and why it began. This story helps us establish an understanding of and relationship with the business.
2. What separates a "selfish" from an "unselfish" storyteller?
Like storytelling in general, being a selfish storyteller is a natural part of our lives. It's also a necessity for the vast majority of human beings.
Examples of completely unselfish storytellers are monks and nuns. They dedicate their lives only to serve others, and the vows they take require unselfishly giving up the things that the rest of us seek to gain (money, family, fame, comfort, etc.).
With my TEDx Talk, "The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller," I'm not suggesting that people become monks or nuns, but aware that the personal experiences and tough times and hardships they have been through can help others get through those tough times. These are the stories that can change the world.
What you ate for breakfast posted on Instagram or your blog post about reasons why someone should do business with you may serve a purpose, but are you posting these messages for you or someone else? The more we can even out the proportion of selfish and unselfish stories we tell, the better off the entire world will be. Inching closer to being an unselfish storyteller is something we should all strive for.
3. How did you come upon the opportunity to give a TEDx talk?
Networking and getting involved in things I love in the community.
In my years working for a nonprofit that worked with college students who had aspirations of becoming entrepreneurs, I learned the importance of building a network and the joy that came from selflessly helping others.
It was basically my job to help people--how cool is that?
From this experience I met many amazing people and continued to work with them after I had quit that job. When TEDx was launched in my area, Normal, Illinois, I was lucky enough to have been invited to participate.
If you want to speak at an event like TEDx, or do become involved in community events of this nature, start connecting with people who get stuff done. There are many people who talk about creating change and doing things, but very few people who take those thoughts and good intentions and turn it into actual action. I just got lucky enough to surround myself with a few of those people, and like to think I'm one of them as well.
4. In putting your talk together, what did you most hope that listeners would take away from it?
Too often, we worry about the way we will be perceived because of something we say instead of the positive impact it may have on others. We have to shift our mindsets a little bit to recognize how important being real and vulnerable in our communications to others is.
Leading up to the talk, I was scared and nervous about the talk. When talking to professional speaker coach and author Michael Port, he said that it's important to measure the fear you feel against your desire to get your message out to others. Since I had a significant desire to share the importance of being an unselfish storyteller with a large audience, my fear changed to anticipation. I was excited to share instead of being scared to mess up and fall flat on my face up onstage.
This same kind of shift in thinking is what I hoped to leave with listeners of my talk and people who watch it on the official TEDx YouTube channel. I want them to think of the value of their stories to help other people instead of worrying about how these stories may be used against them or the fear that comes with being vulnerable and giving away information that we’ve been told since an early age isn't appropriate to talk about.
Mentioning that I was held at gunpoint isn't fun or something I do to get people's sympathy or interest, but if one person gets the tiniest bit of comfort or decides to contact me to talk about it, I've been able to make a change that would've been impossible without sharing that piece of information.
We all have had our lives changed because of something someone else said. We can do this positively for others, but we have to be able to recognize these opportunities and not be afraid of opening up unselfishly to help. Each of us has the ability to be inspirational, motivational, and life-changing solely by speaking our truths and giving anecdotes and insight from our lives.
5. What else would you like readers to know about you--and about the ways that you help entrepreneurs?
Whether you're an entrepreneur, corporate professional, or unemployed, I'd like to encourage you to think deeply about how you communicate with others and what people around you need. Whether this is a story, helping hand, or something completely different, solving a need that people have around you will always be in demand.
With the entrepreneurs and small businesses I work with providing content strategy and management, I need to fill their need of connecting with people who need their help.
Regardless of what their business is and the products or services they offer, there are always more people they can serve and better ways to serve current customers. It may seem odd that writing can fill this need, but information is extremely valuable, and stories can be the vehicle for that information.
If you are interested in learning more about me or what I provide, I welcome you to visit MichaelLuchies.com, TrepRep.com, or email me right now at Michael@TrepRep.com and tell me how I may be able to help you or your business.
You only have to turn the TV on for a few moments to see commercials for home and auto insurance. Lots of companies are competing for your insurance dollars, so how do you choose the right company (or companies) for you?
Many people will agree that the best way to choose your insurance is to compare quotes from different companies. Does this mean clicking around from website to website and setting up a spreadsheet to keep track of your results? Well, it could mean that--or you could save yourself some time and aggravation by visiting a website that offers an auto insurance comparison.
It's always nice when someone compiles a bunch of information on a website to save you the trouble of looking it all up! If you visit the quotesautoinsurance.org site, you can simply enter your zip code to find out what policies and rates are available in your area.
You can also search the site for information about specific companies. I think this is a great feature because as I mentioned initially, we're bombarded with TV ads for insurance companies--not to mention direct mail and online ads. So the next time you see an ad, why not check it out online to see what your actual rates might be? For example, you can check out the rates for the well-know
esurance home insurance and get a quote that applies to your own personal situation.
Different companies have different rules about eligibility, how to apply, and more. Personally, I suggest starting at a clearinghouse-type site with info about many different companies, and then clicking through to the company of your choice to find out all the nuts and bolts of the actual process of signing up for a policy. Really, looking at a company's online (and telephone) customer service when signing up is a great way to assess a company because you want to feel that you can communicate easily with the company reps in the event that you have to file a home or auto claim.
Andrew Hendricks grew up in southern Mississippi, and he now lives in Davis, California where he manages his team at Human Creative Content where he is editor-in-chief.
In his own words: "I founded HumanCreativeContent.com to help my clients make the Internet a slightly less crappy place, one website at a time." Learn more about the ways that Human Creative Content supplies written and visual content to websites by checking out their creative services page.
1. For you as a writer and a reader, what distinguishes human-focused web content from other content that's out there?
Too many people have come to the philosophy that because you can publish instantly on the web, web content matters less. With the continuing shift to all-digital media, this is an oddly myopic view, considering there is a HUGE demand for high-quality, thoroughly edited content that is entertaining to read. Just because a story isn't printed on dead trees doesn't mean your reader wants it to be any less entertaining.
2. What would you say are some common misconceptions that small business owners have about SEO?
SEO is a process, not a thing. If someone is selling you "SEO," there's a good chance they have no idea what they're talking about, or more likely, they're hoping you don't. SEO is Search Engine Optimization--it means making your content able to be understand by Google. It doesn't mean writing nonsense, keyword-pumped articles.
The biggest misconception business owners have is thinking that getting their blogs respected by Google is the goal. That is just an aspect of getting your content seen by the viewer, and THAT is what matters. Google can tell if your link was viewed for half a second or 30 seconds, and it treats the two VERY differently.
3. Is it really so difficult to get visitors for a new website, or are people making things hard for themselves without realizing it?
People are focusing on the wrong things. I see this so often--it's not that so many of these website owners are lazy, but you can spend hours and hours trying to funnel traffic to your website, and if you have a fundamental lack of understanding regarding what type of reader you want, then you're really just talking past each other. It is hard to write web copy that doesn't sound like an infomercial or a carnival barker, even if your business is a totally legitimate one.
Getting coherent, concise copy to explain your website is the #1 most important step in even beginning to optimize your web presence and try to get viewers. You want to make sure they have something to view first.
4. What do you enjoy most about your job?
I have found the transition from freelance hustler to Editor-in-Chief very satisfying, but not for the reasons I would have thought. Now owning my own business and publishing platform, I am the first paid gig and portfolio piece for many new talented writers. Being that first leg-up is very rewarding.
5. What is your best advice when it comes to creating a website that people will want to visit again and again?
They used to say "content is king," and that's still true, but all content is not created equally. I don't mean just SEO-oriented blogspam, which has its own problems, but any good website should have content that is tailor-made to the brand and that clearly and coherently explains what the website is, who it services, and why it is a good thing that it exists. This sounds very basic, but you'd be surprised how many people skip this process entirely.
If you're looking to design websites that work equally well on desktop computers and mobile devices like phones and tablets, you're going to run into Bootstrap, an open source project that helps you build responsive and easily navigable sites. Bootstrap is meant to make web development faster and easier, and it has a nice, clean look.
A great way to get started with Bootstrap--or to expand your repertoire--is to check out the free and affordable themes and templates for Bootstrap that are available on Bootstraphunter.com. This site is a digital marketplace for responsive HTML website themes and Bootstrap templates. The idea of the site is to provide a one-stop shop for your development needs.
There are some free themes you can download, but the premium themes are priced very competitively with some available for just $5. These are nice-looking themes, and some are geared toward specific types of businesses such as real estate.
If you're a web developer, you can partner with Bootstraphunter.com and make your themes and templates available for sale on their site. When you license your work with the site, you receive royalties when your work sells.
There are already some great designs available on the site, and the site only launched a few days ago. I'm sure the site will grow very quickly as word gets out.
Christian Okoye is a professional webmaster and internet marketing consultant from Nigeria. He has helped many individuals and companies across Nigeria secure an active and functional online presence. He operates a lot of websites across Nigeria and the continent of Africa. He is the founder of Adhang.com, Nigeria's leading online advertising agency. Adhang.com uses major online platforms around the world--such as Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Cokoye, Microsoft Adcenter, and Facebook--to run and manage internet advertising campaigns.
If you want to learn more about Adhang.com, click here for an overview of the company and their services.
1. How and why did Adhang.com first get started?
Adhang.com started in Nigeria by assembling a group of talented online professionals both local and international to render online promotion services to Nigerian companies, individuals, and people who work with the government. This was an idea I had been nursing for years but felt that Nigerian market wasn't ripe for Adhang.com and might want free ads instead, because most Nigerian companies and individuals started participating in internet activities by getting and expecting virtually everything online for free. This very belief was fueled by Yahoo free email accounts and search, Google search and free email accounts, and many internet marketers who advertise free downloads of all kind of things. But these days, Nigerian consumers/users are wiser and understand now the limitation of wanting to get everything free--they see the need for working with a professional online marketing agency like Adhang.com to handle their internet promotion.
Why Adhang.com started is to help and manage internet advertising for manufacturers and business owners who want to attract buyers for their products and services, Nigerian politicians or political parties who want to attract electorates via online promotion, Nigeria's government to reach masses on any issue important to the government of the day, event organizers to attract participants, etc. Adhang.com does this by undertaking virtually all promotional elements online such as personal selling, direct marketing, publicity, advertising, and more.
2. What are some specific areas of knowledge that your company can offer regarding reaching consumers in Nigeria?
Adhang.com has talented professionals that specialize in virtual marketing communication tools needed for reaching consumers in Nigeria. For example, in the area of "personal selling," our script writers write scripts, and we employ spokespeople to talk to the target audience. In the area of "direct marketing," our copy writers write persuasive articles and content directed to the right consumers. In the area of "publicity," our writers write press releases and publish them on online media sites. And in the area of "advertising," our ad gurus and banner arts designers design online banners that will appear to consumers. Adhang.com has extensive knowledge in using major online media platforms such as Google, Yahoo, Cokoye, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft Adcenter, YouTube, article directories, online slide presentations, and so on.
3. Do you think that international businesses need to pay more attention to the Nigerian market?
Yes, I think international businesses need to pay more attention to Nigeria's market because Nigeria has the biggest economy in the continent of Africa, and Nigeria has the highest population in the continent. These facts alone are huge enough for businesses to pay attention to the Nigerian market.
4. Why is internet advertising so important to businesses today, and how can a business owner choose which form(s) of advertising would be best for them?
Internet advertising is extremely important in the business world today because virtually everything we know and do today is moving to the internet such as reading, entertainment, research, social networking, communication, conference meetings, etc. Also, the internet has all levels of users that can be identified by age, sex, educational level, financial resources, time spent online and on which platform, location, etc. This means that no matter the kind of consumer or audience a business needs to target, the audience members are already on internet.
What Nigerian business owners need to do is tell Adhang.com what their advertising objectives are, and then Adhang.com employs its expertise in online advertising to achieve the objectives by incorporating online media platforms around the world: this is our job and what we do on a daily basis on the internet.
5. When it comes to effectively reaching the Nigerian audience, do you have some tips for potential advertisers?
When it comes to effectively reaching the Nigerian audience, the method that is certain is paid online marketing. I will try comparing some methods a bit below:
Yahoo, Bing, and Google organic searches are free, but unless the whole world is talking about you currently, it might take months or years for your message to be in these search engines' first pages, and depending on the nature of the message, it might never show at all. When you pay for display advertising, you start seeing your ads immediately by the sides, on top, and on the bottom of all these search engines guaranteed.
With Cokoye.com you can add advertising messages in your signature for free, but you need to be very active in Cokoye.com by participating in the discussions in the forum for your signature to be seen and promoted. When you pay for Cokoye banner ads, your banner starts displaying all over the Cokoye.com website immediately to hundreds of thousands of users and visitors without any other work on your part. Not only is the paid banner effective, but this simply allows you to use your time for something else.
You can have social networking accounts and fan pages on places such as Facebook, Cokoyes, LinkedIn, etc, but nobody will know they exist unless you tell them, promote your pages, and remain active on your pages--and at the same time, with all these efforts, you might still achieve little or nothing. But when you pay for sponsored ads, your ads/messages will be displaying to millions of these social network users' walls. This again is not only effective, but it gives you time to focus on something else more important to you.
Is important to note here that unless you know what you're doing, paying money to internet advertising platforms directly and not employing a professional internet advertising agency does not guarantee it will be effective. This is where Adhang.com comes in. The good news is that on our website, we have plans which enable Nigerian advertisers (companies, individuals, and government) to advertise on the platforms mentioned above and major online advertising media around the world at once and under one contract. Advertisers need not to go to all these platforms one by one. Adhang.com takes care of them under one contract.
If you ride your bicycle year-round in the early morning hours or the evening hours, you know how important it is to do everything you can to increase your visibility so that drivers can see you in the dark. One option to explore is the use of LED headlamps. They're easy to use while you ride as they are hands-free since you wear them on your head.
Zoomable cycling LED headlamps are a cool and adaptable product, with many different varieties to choose from. With most models, you get some different options with how to use the LED lights--for example, you can choose to have multiple lights on or only one light on, and you can choose whether or not you want the light to flash (and if so, how rapidly it will flash).
Of course, you can use LED headlamps for other purposes, too, such as walking at night and going on camping trips. There are special lights you can buy, too, that are like the lights you see jewelers or other craftspeople wear so that they can see the intricate details of diamonds or other items that need to be examined closely.
I'd never priced headlamps before and was impressed at what you can get for a relatively low price while browsing on Eachbuyer.com. EachBuyer carries a lot of other products, too, including watches, clothing, and cellphone and tablet accessories. It's always good to find a new source for affordable products.
The following is a guest post from the GreedyGrab social web directory.
Web directories play a very important role in the success of every website. These directories provide the online presence that business owners mostly need for their online business. A web directory, also known as a link directory, is focused on linking with other websites as well as on categorizing the links. If you are thinking that a web directory is a search engine, well, it's not. It is not capable of displaying web pages based on keywords, but it lists websites by category or subcategory.
When you use web directories, especially in your marketing strategy, it will be easier for you to find your way toward success though the market is getting more competitive. As you all know, there really are lots of online business present, big and small businesses, which are competing for the attention of the customers. Web directories are very important since they will provide you with a greater chance of standing out from your competitors. The following are some of the reasons why web directories are important in business and within the internet as a whole:
Generate Traffic
An extra advertising technique comes with more traffic. Through web directories, you will be able to reach potential customers who will soon visit your website, thus helping in increasing the traffic on your website.
Advertising
If your online business did not work on the first attempt, web directories will be very helpful if you want to advertise your business together with your great offerings. Directories are considered the most efficient way for you to market your online business conveniently. Web directories are offering the most convenient access going to the large market. This will greatly help you in attracting more and more customers to visit your website. When you include web directories in your marketing plan, it will enable you to do everything out of your marketing strategy.
Reach Target Market
With the use of web directories, it will be easier for you to reach your target customer and market without the need to exert more sweat and effort. You will no longer be required to break a sweat just to reach the customers that you desire. Directories help in indexing websites through certain categories that can be found by your customers easily. Once they search for your services and products, they can find them easily, and they will not feel bored because of lots of irrelevant information provided.
Web directories are not only important in business but in the World Wide Web as a whole. Without web directories, do you think your business will be recognized, and do you think there will be websites that will be linked to each other? Although you have an online business and you are using different marketing techniques, sooner or later your website will no longer be visited unless you have included web directories in your marketing plan. This will allow you to gain more customers, traffic, and sales. Your online presence will surely direct you to the path of success--just make sure that it is within a web directory.
Rafi Chowdhury is the founder & CEO of Chowdhury's, co-founder of myCampusHacks, and an experienced digital marketer and chess coach based in Memphis, Tennessee. He helps companies in Memphis grow their revenue by directing targeted visitors to their websites. A graduate of the University of Memphis, Rafi Chowdhury holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He is the owner of numerous awards and accomplishments including Shelby County Chess Co-Champion and winner of the Mid-South Psychology Conference, and he has been ranked among the Top 100 best young chess players in the nation. He has appeared on Commercial Appeal, ABC News, and United States Chess Federation, and has recently been featured on The University of Memphis Magazine, Startup Dhaka, and numerous other blogs and magazines. Rafi is currently working as a Digital Marketing Specialist at Total Concept Graphics in Memphis and consults with other local businesses about their marketing campaigns.
1. How did you first become interested in digital marketing?
I got into it when I was marketing my chess projects via Facebook. Then, I was interested in trying to increase my social following, so I learned more about social media marketing in the process. But it was not until I launched my personal blog, www.rafichowdhury.com, that I really began to understand what digital marketing is all about. I began experimenting on that site and learned a ton of stuff in the process about how to get traffic.
2. Does your academic background in psychology come in handy in your work with helping people get more traffic for their websites?
Most definitely. I use psychology all the time to figure out exactly what will appeal to a user. I begin by figuring out who the customer is. Then from there, I try to learn as much about the customer as possible and their behaviors online. Only then, I go about figuring out things such as the best platform to advertise to them, what sort of content to create, how to design the proper sales funnel, etc. Creative marketing is really nothing more than applied psychology, if you think about it.
3. What's the importance of getting local when it comes to building an online presence, and what are some specific ways that you help local businesses in the Memphis area?
You want to start local simply because it's usually low-hanging fruit for most businesses. If you are a local business and you can effectively dominate search engines for local searches better than your competitors, you can seriously grow your business. Google is taking local searches into account a lot more these days. In fact, Google is putting heavy efforts to get Google + to become even larger, so Google is now giving some special ranking privileges to those companies who have a large Google + circle and are sharing good content on their Google + and Google Local business pages.
When you do on-page optimization, focus on local keywords and focus on local on-page optimization. Try to rank for long-tail local keywords while taking into account commercial intent keywords. So, for example, the keyword "carpet cleaning facts" may be something a user is searching for when they are looking for more information about how they can clean their own carpet. On the other hand, the keyword "cheap carpet cleaners" is a commercial intent keyword since this user is probably later on the in the sales cycle and has already done his or her research and now is ready to hire or find an affordable carpet-cleaning company in his area. So, a small business owner (carpet-cleaning company, let's say) who wants to rank for local searches, may want to invest in the keyword "cheap carpet cleaner Memphis, TN," for example, if he wants to get business in the city of Memphis.
This is the kind of research I do to find out exactly the kind of keywords a business may want to target. I use Google Webmaster Tools, Google Adwords, Google Keyword Research tools, MOZ, and other analytics platforms to gather this kind of data. Once I have done keyword research and found the proper keywords to target, I then find out where the customers are and create unique content to market to these customers. It's really a lot more complex than this, but I don't want to bore everyone with all this technical stuff!
4. How would you define the role of chess in your life?
It has helped me in networking and learning self discipline, but most importantly, it has taught me how to do long-term planning and decision making. Almost every decision I make now, I think about how it might affect me in the future. I really do think this is one of the most essential qualities to have in order to stay focused. You have to always be able to see the forest through the trees no matter how complex the present situation gets. Chess has taught me that, along with like a million other things. If nothing else, it paid all my bills starting from early high school until now! Although no longer active in national tournaments, I still sometimes play in an occasional tournament casually or hop online for some speed chess games.
5. If you could give just three pieces of advice to anyone who is wanting to grow their business, what would you say?
1. If you do not have an online presence, you need to. Build a mobile-responsive website for your business.
2. Focus on creative marketing for growth hacking purposes. Be as transparent with your target market as possible. Remember, people buy why you sell them, not what, so be sure to sell them the vision first.
3. Content is King. This is the information age. Those companies who give out the best pieces of information for free will establish themselves as the top dogs within their particular niche. Target your niche and just give away as much free content as you can. Then, focus on how you can turn these visitors into paying customers. You have to be willing to experiment and learn (and be creative!).
Track Kit is a website and app with a clever idea behind it. Like many good ideas, it takes something familiar (online maps) and combines it with something unique: the ability to create your own "tracks" on the maps and include original photos at points of interest along the route that your track follows. It lets you record, upload, edit, and share GPS tracks.
It also has a built-in tool that lets you share your tracks to Facebook, which I think is great because really Track It gives you a nice-looking, visual way to share your experiences with other people.
You can track all sorts of trips. Maybe you want to track a long road trip. Maybe you want to track a walking or running path you've come up with by exploring the different streets in your neighborhood. I really like how you can add photos to your track to show people what you've seen along the way. Maybe there's something really cool but hidden--you can point it out on your track so that others can find it, too.
When you use the "upload track" feature to share your route, you can select from different options, including driving, walking, hiking, swimming, ATV, and geocaching. You can also explore tracks that others have uploaded by searching for specific places or just browsing--there's an editor's choice feature, too, that lets you look at a selection of cool tracks.
There are other cool tools to explore, too, like adding videos to your tracks and utilizing Google street view. Say you wanted to keep a blog where you recorded your travel experiences or your hikes or your bike adventures--you could embed your tracks from Track It in your blog.
