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How To Become A Super Affiliate In Niche Markets

2010-12-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

How To Become A Super Affiliate In Niche Markets

Over the past years, web hosting has grown bigger than it used to be. With more companies getting into this business and finding the many benefits it can give them, the demand for web hosting has never been higher. These seem to be the trend of today.

38 million people have put up their very first websites online this year 2005 alone. It is estimated that by 2008, the internet sales industry will top then dollar bank. And to think, majority of those sites will be offering different affiliate programs for people to choose and participate into.

This only means one thing. It is easier now to find the right web host for your application. The possibility of quality web hosting companies separating themselves from the rest of the industry is anticipated. If this is done, the unprofessional and incompetent ones will suffer.

Support will be the number one consideration for people when choosing a web host. It will be obvious that traditional advertising will become less and less effective. Most people would rather opt for the web host based on things that they see and hear. Also based on the recommendations by those who have tried them and have proved to be a successful.

This is a great opportunity for web hosting affiliates and resellers alike. There would hundreds of web hosting and programs to choose from that the difficulty in finding the right one for them is not a problem anymore.

How does one become a successful affiliate in the niche markets using web hosting?

If you think about it, everyone who needs a website needs a web hosting company to host it for them. As of now, there is really no leading hosting industry so most people choose hosts based from recommendations. Usually, they get it from the ones that have already availed of a web hosting services.

With the many hosts offering affiliate programs, there is the tendency to find the one which you think will work best for you. Think of the product you will be promoting. Pattern them to the site and see if they are catering to the same things as you are.

When you have been with one host for quite some time and seem not to be making much despite all your effort, leave that one and look for another. There is no use in trying to stick to one when you would be before off in another one. Things will only have to get better from there because you already have been in worst situations.

Try this out. If you are quite happy and satisfied with your web host, try to see if they are offering an affiliate program you can participate on. Instead of you paying them, why not make it the other way around; them paying you. The process can be as easy as putting a small “powered by” or “hosted by” link at the bottom of your page and you are already in an affiliate business.

Why choose paying for your for your web hosting when you do not have to? Try to get paid by letting people know you like your web host.

Always remember that when choosing a web host, choose the one that is known for its fantastic customer support. There are also many hosting affiliate programs. Residual affiliate program is also being hosted. This is the program wherein you get paid a percentage every month for a client that you refer. This can allow you to have a steady source of income. With perseverance, you can even be quite successful in this field.

There are a lot of niche markets out there just waiting for the right affiliate to penetrate to them and make that dollars dream come true. Knowing which one to get into is being confident enough of your potentials and the good results you will be getting.

Web hosting is just one affiliate market you could try out and make some good and continuous income. Just remember that to be successful on your endeavor also means that time, effort and patience is needed.

Nobody has invented the perfect affiliate market yet. But some people do know how to make it big in this kind of market. It is just knowing your kind of market and making the earnings there.

Here's Why Using Camtasia Can Increase Your Affiliate Checks

2010-12-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

Here's Why Using Camtasia Can Increase Your Affiliate Checks

Since there are already lots of people getting into affiliate marketing, it is no wonder that the competition is getting stiff. The challenge is to try and outdo other affiliates and think of ways to be able to attain this.

There are also many tips and techniques being taught to these affiliate in order to best plan their strategy for their program to work effectively so that more earnings will be achieved.

What better way to wow your prospects and customers than to record and publish top notch, full motion and streaming screen-captured videos. Nothing like feeling your hard work getting paid by having your customers jumping up excitedly in great anticipation to buy your product right there and then.

This is Camtasia in action. It is a proven fact; giving your customers something they can actually see can explode your online sales instantly.

You do not need to have trainings and education to be able to know how this system can work for your affiliate program. Anyone can create stunning videos, from multimedia tutorials and step-by-step presentations available online. The process is like having your customers seated next to you and looking at your desktop, as you show them the things they need to see and hear. All this done step by step.

For those who does not know it yet, how does Camtasia works?

1. It can record your desktop activity in a single click. No need to have to save and compile all your files because it is recorded right there and then.

2. Can easily convert your videos into web pages. Once converted you can have your customers visiting that certain page. Videos are easier to understand and take in unlike reading texts which oftentimes is a trying thing to do.

3. Upload your pages. Publish them through blogs, RSS feed and podcasts. You may want your Camtasis videos to get around and reach out to other people that may be potential customers in the future. Nothing like being visible in many sites and pages to advertise yourself and get your message through.

There are other things you can do with your affiliate program using Camtasia. You can…

Create stunning multimedia presentations that are proven to increase sales because all the senses are engaged. This also has the tendency to reduce skepticism among hard-to-please customers.

Reduce refunds and other customer issues by demonstrating visually how to use your product and how to do it properly. Complaints will also be minimized because all the facts and the presentation are there for the customers to just see and hear about.

Promote affiliate products and services using visual presentations. This is an effective way of redirecting your viewers straight to your affiliate website after they are finished with the video. Make the most of the presentation by putting your site location in the end and make them go there directly if they want more information.

Multiple your online auction bids exponentially when you give your readers a feel of what you have to offer. Based from reports, auctions that includes pictures increases bidding percentage by 400%. Imagine how much higher it will be if it were videos.

Publish valuable infoproducts that you can sell for a much higher price. It will be all worth the price because of the full colored graphics menu and templates that you will be using.

Minimize miscommunication with your customers. Instantly showing them what you want they wanted in the first place is making them understand clearly the essence of your affiliate program. The good thing about multimedia is, nothing much can go wrong. It is there already.

These are just some of the things you can do with Camtasia that can be very helpful in your chosen affiliate program.

Note that the main purpose of using Camtasia is to boost the income that is generated from your affiliate program. Although it can be used for entertainment and enjoyment purposes, which is not really a valid reason why you choose to get all through that trouble.

Try to focus on the goal that you have set upon yourself to and achieve that with the use of the things that may be quite a lot of help in increasing your earnings.

Easy Profits Using PPC In Your Affiliate Marketing Business

2010-12-17T04:10:00.001-08:00

Easy Profits Using PPC In Your Affiliate Marketing Business

PPC is one of the four basic types of Search Engines. PPC is also one of the most cost-effective ways of targeted internet advertising. According to Forbes magazine, PPC or Pay Per Click, accounts to 2 billion dollars a year and is expected to increase to around 8 billion dollars by the year 2008.

Let us take a quick look at how PPC Search Engines work.

These engines create listings and rate them based on a bid amount the website owner is willing to pay for each click from that search engine. Advertisers bid against each other to receive higher ranking for a specific keyword or phrase.

The highest bidder for a certain keyword or phrase will then have the site ranked as number 1 in the PPC Search Engines followed by the second and third highest bidder, up to the last number that have placed a bid on the same keyword or phrase. Your ads then will appear prominently on the results pages based on the dollar amount bid you will agree to pay per click.

How do you make money by using PPC into your affiliate marketing business?

Most affiliate programs only pay when a sale is made or a lead delivered after a visitor has clickthrough your site. Your earnings will not always be the same as they will be dependent on the web site content and the traffic market.

The reason why you should incorporate PPC into your affiliate marketing program is that earnings are easier to make than in any other kind of affiliate program not using PPC. This way, you will be making profit based from the clickthroughs that your visitor will make on the advertiser’s site. Unlike some programs, you are not paid per sale or action.

PPC can be very resourceful of your website. With PPC Search Engines incorporated into your affiliate program, you will be able to profit from the visitor’s who are not interested in your products or services. The same ones who leave your site and never comes back.

You will not only get commissions not only from those who are just searching the web and finding the products and services that they wanted but you will be able to build your site’s recognition as a valuable resource. The visitors who have found what they needed from you site are likely to come back and review what you are offering more closely. Then they will eventually come back to search the web for other products.

This kind of affiliate program is also an easy way for you to generate some more additional revenues. For example, when a visitor on your site does a search in the PPC Search Engine and clicks on the advertiser bided listings, the advertisers’ account will then be deducted because of that click. With this, you will be compensated 30% to 80% of the advertisers’ bid amount.

PPC is not only a source of generating easy profits; it can also help you promote your own site. Most of the programs allow the commissions received to be spent for advertising with them instantly and with no minimum earning requirement. This is one of the more effective ways to exchange your raw visitors for targeted surfers who has more tendencies to purchase your products and services.

What will happen if you when you integrate PPC into your affiliate program?

PPC usually have ready-to-use affiliate tools that can be easily integrated into your website. The most common tools are search boxes, banners, text links and some 404-error pages. Most search engines utilize custom solutions and can provide you with a white-label affiliate program. This enables you, using only a few lines of code, to integrate remotely-hosted co-branded search engine into your website.

The key benefits? Not only more money generated but also some extra money on the side. Plus a lifetime commissions once you have referred some webmaster friends to the engine.

Think about it. Where can you get all these benefits while already generating some income for your site? Knowing some of the more useful tools you can use for your affiliate program is not a waste of time. They are rather a means of earning within an earning.

Best know more about how you can use PPC search engines into your affiliate program than miss out on a great opportunity to earn more profits.

Here's How To Avoid The 3 Most Common Affiliate Mistakes

2010-12-17T04:10:00.000-08:00

Here's How To Avoid The 3 Most Common Affiliate Mistakes

Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective and powerful ways of earning some money online. This program gives everybody a chance to make a profit through the Internet. Since these affiliate marketing programs are easy to join, implement and pays a commission on a regular basis, more an more people are now willing in this business.

However, like all businesses, there are lots of pitfalls in the affiliate marketing business. Committing some of the most common mistakes will cost the marketers a large portion taken from the profit they are making everyday. That is why it is better to avoid them than be regretful in the end.

Mistake number 1: Choosing the wrong affiliate.

Many people want to earn from affiliate marketing as fast as possible. In their rush to be part of one, they tend to choose a bandwagon product. This is the kind of products that the program thinks is “hot”. They choose the product that is in demand without actually considering if the product appeals to them. This is not a very wise move obviously.

Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, try top choose a product in which you are truly interested in. For any endeavor to succeed, you should take some time to plan and figure out your actions.

Pick a product that appeals to you. Then do some research about that product to see if they are in demand. Promoting a product you are more passionate about is easier than promoting one for the sake of the earnings only.

Mistake number 2: Joining too many affiliate programs.

Since affiliate programs are very easy to join, you might be tempted to join multiples of affiliate programs to try and maximize the earnings you will be getting. Besides you may think that there is nothing wrong and nothing to lose by being part of many affiliate programs.

True, that is a great way to have multiple sources of income. However, joining multiple programs and attempting to promote them all at the same time will prevent you from concentrating on each one of them.

The result? The maximum potential of your affiliate program is not realized and the income generated will not exactly be as huge as you were thinking initially it would. The best way to get excellent result is by joining just one program that pays a 40% commission at least. Then give it your best effort by promoting your products enthusiastically. As soon as you see that it is already making a reasonable profit, then maybe you can now join another affiliate program.

The technique is to do it slowly but surely. There is really no need to rush into things, especially with affiliate marketing. With the way things are going, the future is looking real bright and it seems affiliate marketing will be staying for a long time too.

Mistake number 3: Not buying the product or using the service.

As an affiliate, you main purpose is to effectively and convincingly promote a product or service and to find customers. For you to achieve this purpose, you must be able to relay to the customers that certain product and service. It is therefore difficult for you to do this when you yourself have not tried these things out. Thus, you will fail to promote and recommend them convincingly. You will also fail to create a desire in your customers to avail any of what you are offering.

Try the product or service personally first before you sign up as an affiliate to see if it is really delivering what it promises. If you have done so, then you are one of the credible and living testaments aware of its advantages and disadvantages. Your customers will then feel the sincerity and truthfulness in you and this will trigger them to try them out for themselves.

Many affiliate marketers makes these mistakes and are paying dearly for their actions. To not fall into the same situation they have been in, try to do everything to avoid making the same mistakes.

Time is the key. Take the time to analyze your marketing strategy and check if youa re in the right track. If done properly, you will be able to maximize your affiliate marketing program and earn higher profits.

A Day In The Life Of An Affiliate Marketer

2010-12-17T04:09:00.000-08:00

A Day In The Life Of An Affiliate Marketer

Being in the affiliate marketing business is not that hard now with the internet at your disposable. It is much easier now compared to the days when people have to make use of the telephones and other mediums of information just to get the latest updates on the way their program is coming along.

So with technology at hand, and assuming that the affiliate is working from home, a day in his or her life would sound something like this…

Upon waking up and after having breakfast, the computer is turned on to check out new developments in the network. As far as the marketer is concerned there might be new things to update and statistics to keep track on.

The site design has to be revised. The marketer knows that a well-designed site can increase sign ups from visitors. It can also help in the affiliate’s conversion rates.

That done, it is time to submit the affiliate program to directories that lists affiliate programs. These directories are means to attract people in joining your affiliate program. A sure way of promoting the affiliate program.

Time to track down the sales you are getting from your affiliates fairly and accurately. There are phone orders and mails to track down. See if they are new clients checking the products out. Noting down the contact information that might be a viable source in the future.

There are lots of resources to sort out. Ads, banners, button ads and sample recommendations to give out because the marketer knows that this is one way of ensuring more sales. Best to stay visible and accessible too.

The affiliate marketer remembered that there are questions to answer from the visitors. This has to be done quickly. Nothing can turn off a customer than an unanswered email.

To prove that the affiliate is working effectively and efficiently, inquiries would have to be paid more attention on. Nobody wants to be ignored and customers are not always the most patient of all people. Quick answer that should appear professional yet friendly too.

In the process of doing all the necessities, the marketer is logged on to a chat room where he or she interacts with other affiliates and those under that same program. This is where they can discuss things on how to best promote their products.

There are things to be learned and it is a continuous process. Sharing tips and advices is a good way of showing support. There may be others out there wanting to join and may be enticed by the discussion that is going on. There is no harm in assuming what opportunities ahead.

The newsletters and ezines were updated days ago, so it is time for the affiliate marketer to see if there are some new things happening in the market. This will be written about in the marketer’s publication to be distributed to the old and new customers.

These same publications are also an important tool in keeping up to date with the newly introduced products. The marketer has put up a sale and promotion that customers may want to know about. Besides, they have to keep up with the deadline of these sales written in the publications.

It is that time to show some appreciation to those who have helped the marketer in the promotions and sale increase. Nothing like mentioning the persons, their sites and the process they have done that made everything worked.

Of course, this will be published in the newsletters. Among the more important information that have been written already.

The marketer still has time to write out recommendations to those who want credible sources for the products being promoted. There is also time to post some comments on how to be a successful affiliate marketer on a site where there are lots of wannabees.

Two objectives done at the same time. The marketer gets to promote the product as well as the program they are in. Who knows, someone may be inclined to join.

Time flies. Missed lunch but is quite contented with the tasks done. Bed time….

Ok, so this may not be all done in a day. But then, this gives you an idea of how an affiliate marketer, a dedicated one that is, spends the marketing day.

Is that success looming in the distance or what?

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

2010-12-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.
There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.
Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.
Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

Swing Smoothly

2010-12-16T02:46:00.000-08:00

Swing Smoothly

When I get a golf club in my hand, I get that feeling of wanting to knock the cover off the ball. It feels good to put all of my strength into hitting the ball. Just hitting the ball as hard as I can does not mean that I play good golf though.

If you just need to relieve a little stress, then swinging with all your strength may accomplish your goals. However, if you want to play golf well, then you are going to have to hold back on the power a little.

One of the most frequent mistakes is to swing the golf club too hard. A hard swing shows that you have power, but accuracy is the name of the game in golf.

You need to relax when you are swinging. This will help you swing easily and will help to reduce your power. If you put your feet closer together, then you can further reduce the strength of your swing. Tensing up will also cause you to use too much effort.

Your center of gravity is also very important. Keep your center of gravity the same and your head will stay still. If you keep both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing, then your center of gravity will be stable.

If you jerk your body then your head will move and you will not be able to focus on the ball. This can also change your center of gravity. It is imperative that you keep your feet planted so that all your weight will be concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball.

Expending very little effort should be your goal. If you hit the ball correctly, then it will feel smooth and easy.

Don’t tense up when you are about to make contact with the ball. If you tense up, your balance will be thrown off. You want the club head to travel in a straight line to make contact with the ball.

To help correct slicing, see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can send the ball. If you send the ball too high, it gets into the wind and can go left or right on rough ground.

You want to only use the amount of power that you are able to control. The goal of the game is not power, but accuracy. You want to be able to control every facet of your swing so that you hit the ball cleanly and it goes where you want it to go.

The distance will come from your clean and correct swing, not how much power that you put into it.

You want to try to gradually increase your speed during your swing until you connect with the ball solidly. If you do not have a smooth swing, then you are pulling your hands somewhere during the swing. Keep your head as still as you would if you had a glass of water balanced on top of it. This will help to improve your swing and help you to swing more smoothly and fluidly.

Swing at a decent enough speed to keep yourself from becoming tense and stiff. Don’t swing too slowly or so hard that you feel the effort of the swing. Stay relaxed.

Try to keep the idea of power out of your head. Keeping your power under control so that you can be more accurate is what counts!

Keep Supplies in a Homework Kit

2010-12-16T02:45:00.000-08:00

Keep Supplies in a Homework Kit

It’s four o’clock…you know what that means…time to do homework. You scour the house looking for a pencil. Then you need a pencil sharpener. Ten minutes later you find one. Finally you sit down to start your homework. Where’s the calculator? Dad’s desk? Brother’s bedroom? Once found, you discover that it is low on batteries…there have to be some in the house…but where? If you find your typical study session unfolding like this, then here are a few suggestions to make you finish your homework with ease…

You can waste a lot of time looking for homework supplies and making sure they are ready to be used. OR, you can use a homework box or supply kit of some kind to keep it all together. Then, when it comes time to do homework, everything is in place for you. No running around, no scouring the house.

Any kind of box will do. You can use a storage tote, an old shoebox, or even a drawer. The key is to keep everything you need in there, ready to go. Make sure the tote or box is placed conveniently in your study area. It should not move from the spot.

Make sure siblings and family members know that these supplies are for homework, and not for other activities. Those supplies should stay there, and only be used for homework. You may want to label it so there is no confusion as to its purpose.

Pencils and crayons should be sharp, calculators fully equipped with fresh batteries, markers with lids tightly attached. Here’s a tip, since your parents are always offering to help with your homework but it is up to you to do the work, suggest that they take responsibility for keeping the supply kit full and in working order.
When it comes to studying, there are few people that want any more struggle or stress than is necessary. Keeping all materials and supplies handy and ready to go will make your studying not only go smoother, but possibly quicker. And who wouldn’t want to shorten the time they need for studying?

Concentration is Key

Learning to concentrate while studying and doing work is a skill that will be used for the rest of your life. The art of concentration is to eliminate any possible distractions and completely focus on the task at hand. Many students will read through material and discover that they have no idea what they have just read. Or, they will attend lectures and have difficulty paying attention to what is being said. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay focused and boost your grades…

When scheduling study times, try to stick to a consistent and efficient routine. Try to avoid studying one day late at night, and the next in the afternoon. Write in your planner or calendar when you will study so as not to have conflicts.

Always study in a quiet environment. If you haven’t already, find a designated study spot free of distractions. If you live in a noisy house or dormitory, this may mean heading to a study room or even the library.

When you need a study break, do something different from you have been doing, and in a different area. Get up and walk around in another room. Listen to music for a few minutes. Grab a snack. Try to take a break every hour for about 10 minutes.

Every student struggles with day dreaming while studying…thinking about plans for the night or tomorrow’s basketball game. To avoid daydreaming, ask yourself questions about the material as you study it, which will keep your mind focused.

If you have trouble focusing during classroom lectures, look over the notes of the previous lecture and read the course material pertaining to the lecture beforehand so you can anticipate the main ideas that the instructor will cover. Additionally, show outward interest during lectures. Have an attentive expression and posture. This will self-motivate internal interest. Also, resist distractions by sitting in front of the room away from disruptive occurrences and classmates and by focusing on the instructor through listening and note taking.

Just a few minor adjustments in your studying habits will go a long way in improving grades and concentration.

Skimming with Skill

Think about how you find a name in a telephone book. You don’t read any more than necessary to find the name. Maybe you use your finger to guide your eyes. This type of reading is known as scanning. Skimming uses the same type of skill mechanically but a different skill mentally. In scanning, you know what you are looking for; in skimming, you don’t.

Since you don’t know exactly what you are looking for while skimming, prepare yourself by reading the title, source, author, and any pictures; then question yourself,--who, what, when, where is this likely to focus on? With a questioning mind direct your eyes down the column of print, or in a zigzag, if the lines are quite long. Look for exact names of people, places, things, ideas, numbers and words like therefore, whenever, until, because, and instead, to clue you to how and why.

When you first start to learn to skim you may see only the words in bold type, italics, digits, or capitalized words. Soon you will note new or unusual vocabulary. As you become an efficient skimmer your span of perception will develop and your ability to make closure will increase.

Skimming is a step you should always take before you read any article of factual or practical narrative. You will soon be able to detect most important facts, strange vocabulary, and words that are clues to important relationships.

It's a good practice to skim everything in mass media after reading the title and first paragraph. You may get all the information you want. This keeps your skimming skills from deteriorating, or will give you the practice you need to develop necessary skills.

Skim everything you intend to read before you make a final decision to read, discard, or study the material.

Skim all highlighting and develop a read-skim pattern to use for rapid review. And don't overlook this! Reviewing frequently and rapidly is the best way to memorize (or simply remember information) from notes and long text assignments. Skimming is a very useful tool for studying, so learn it and use it!

From Start to Finish

Confused about what to write down in your notebook during class? Get stressed when preparing for tests and looking over your notes? Here are some suggestions to take you from the beginning of the studying process in the classroom, to the end, or the test itself.

Read assignments before heading to class. This will build your background for the information that will be presented in class. It helps you be familiar with the vocabulary and concepts. This is especially helpful if you are unfamiliar with the subject matter. As you read, underline and highlight important information. If you don’t have time to read the entire assignment, at least look over introduction paragraphs, bolded words, and summaries. This will give you a good overview of the information.

Although it seems obvious, you need to go to class and take notes. Most professors or teachers lecture during class periods, emphasizing points of importance. Head to class ready to be attentive and write during the entire class. Don’t stop taking notes until the lecturer is finishing. Pay particular attention to the end of the lecture, as professors will cram information into this part to finish up for the day. Use abbreviations; get details and main ideas to get complete notes.

While the notes are still ‘fresh’ in your mind, look over them and make any additions or corrections as soon as possible after class. Be sure to make note of any parts you didn’t understand or missed. Ask either the professor or a friend via email or before the next class period to get the missing information.

Try to pass your first test in each class to boost self-confidence. Make up a list of study questions and definitions and practice reciting this information aloud, either to yourself or someone else. Don’t wait until the last minute study. Rather, study for short periods over several days. Of course, you will want to review the night before a test.

Finally, test day arrives. Use these strategies during your exam to make all your hard work worthwhile. Read directions carefully before you begin. Take a few minutes to look over the test, then answer all the questions you know first. This will help you get sure points and builds confidence. Don’t leave any blanks; it is better to guess if you don’t know. Watch your time, and manage it accordingly. Don’t rush, but don’t go too slow. Take a few minutes at the end of class to look over your test to be sure you have answered all questions and that your answers make sense.

Find a Place to Study

2010-12-16T02:44:00.000-08:00

Find a Place to Study

Figuring out a time and place to do your homework and study is of the utmost importance. Once you have figured out when to do your homework, the next question is where to do it.

A good study area should have a desk or table big enough to spread out books, notes, worksheets, etc. without them all being on top of each other. You do not want to make a mess, but you also do want to have ample room to work.

Make sure you have plenty of light. Ideally, you will near a window with an overhead light and perhaps even a small reading lamp.

Most important in choosing a study location is finding a place that is relatively free from distractions. That means no TV on in the room, no brothers or sisters running by, no phone conversations to listen in on, and no instant messenger or emails to keep you busy.

Whether or not you listen to music while you study depends on your personal preference. You may choose to ignore any phone calls, or turn off your cell phone, and forget about the urge to go and get a snack every ten or fifteen minutes.

Depending on your home, you may be able to find this area at the kitchen or dining room table, or in your bedroom. You may be able to set aside a study space in your basement or an office in you home. Some people find their homes too filled with distractions, and prefer to take their studies to the local library.

Wherever you choose, it is best if you can study in that same place all the time. If you can study in this same location consistently, your mind will get used to this being a focused and important place. When you enter this area, you will know it is time to get down to business. Your pens and pencils, paper, erasers, stapler, calculator, and anything else you use often can be kept nearby. Also, you can keep them in a bin or bag which can be pulled out whenever you need them. This will avoid having to stop studying to collect supplies.

Having this dedicated study spot will help you get down to business and focus more easily on getting your work complete.

The Magic Key to Putting

2010-12-16T02:43:00.000-08:00

The Magic Key to Putting

When you have it, you have it. The world is yours. When you don’t have it…then you think that you would be better off placing the ball in the hole with your hand rather than using your putter.

Just the last time you played you had the same stance, putter, and “feel” as you had today, but last time you made the shot easily. What happened?

Do you just have bad luck this time?

Putting is not a game of chance. Although sometimes it may seem that there is no rhyme or reason to it, there are some tips to help your putting.

If you are having putting problems, your solution can be boiled down to one little word.

Tension.

Concentrate on keeping your muscles relaxed while you are putting and your shots will become more and more accurate.

Stiff muscles only make it harder to putt. Good putting takes complete muscle relaxation so that your movements are fluid. Fluid movement gives you the freedom to make a good putt. If you are trying to tense your body up to keep your balance, then you are guaranteed to have problems.

When you are not having problems putting, your confidence is increased and you are having free movement. When you miss an easy putt, then you become tense and you try more carefully. The more tense you become, the more freedom you lose and your putting goes down the drain.

You can change everything about your putting and try to copy every professional player imaginable, but it all hinges on you being relaxed. Relax your muscles. Be loose and free. Pretend your muscles are like jelly.

Making a good shot is impossible if you are tense. When you stiffen up from your face to your feet, you lose the freedom that you need to make a good shot. You may make several shots this way, but there will come a time when all you will hit are bad shots. You need to stay relaxed enough to fall down (but stay up).

If you will stay relaxed then your putt will improve, your confidence will rise, and you will be more relaxed for the entire golf game!

Are you looking for the magic key to putting? RELAX! Good putting hinges on this one key!

Breastfeeding Questions & Answers

2010-12-16T02:42:00.001-08:00

Breastfeeding Questions & Answers

Q. How often should a newborn be nursed?

A. You should nurse a newborn no less than 8 times a day, depending upon how long he sleeps between feedings at night. If he can go four hours between feedings, then you will probably feed him twice between 11pm and 7am. If you feed him right before he goes to bed, then you may only have to get up one time during the night.

Q. How often should an older baby be nursed?

A. Depending upon the age of your child, you should be feeding him every 3-4 hours during the day. As your child gets older, they will nurse less, but they will be eating more during each nursing. If you are going to nurse after your child is over 6 months old, you should not nurse less than 5 times a day. If your milk supply is decreasing, then you may need to add a nursing or two to your day to help increase your milk supply.

Q. How do I go about dropping a feeding as my baby gets older?

A. The most common change that moms need to make is going from a every 3 hour to every 4 hour routine, dropping a feeding in the middle of the night, or dropping a late-night feeding.

Most of the time you will know when your baby is ready to change their eating habits by a change in their sleep patterns. A baby that has been on an every 3 hour routine normally takes 3 naps a day and if they eat every 3,5 to 4 hours then they may drop the last nap of the nap or shorten one of the other naps considerably. Babies are usually ready to do this at around 3 months of age.

Most babies drop the feeding in the middle of night by themselves at around 6-14 weeks old. You will know that they are ready when you awake in a panic in the morning wondering why your baby did not get you for a feeding. The baby will require more food during the day though, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts may feel full for a few days, but it is well worth it!

The late night feeding is usually the hardest to let go of. Some parents think that if they do not feed the baby right before bed that the baby will awake in the middle of the night. If you don’t think your child can do without the late night feeding, then push it back in 15-minute increments until you are feeding him at the time you would like to. If the last two feedings of the day seem too close together, don’t worry. It will all work itself out and you both will be much happier for it!

A Few Tidbits for Parenting

2010-12-16T02:42:00.000-08:00

A Few Tidbits for Parenting

New parents face many problems and issues that they are expected to understand and deal with immediately. Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book so here are a few topics that you may need to know about.

* Bathing your baby: Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge baths. A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with alcohol can help to dry the umbilical stump or follow your pediatrician’s directions. After the stump falls off, you can give him a bath in a sink or shallow tub.

* Caesarian delivery: A caesarian is usually performed to make delivery safer for you or your baby. C-sections can be done for many different reasons including stalled labor, complicated labor, problems with the baby that may make delivery difficult, or other problems. It does not matter if you deliver vaginally or by a caesarian section, you are still a mother with a beautiful new blessing.

* Circumcision: Many doctors agree that there may be some benefit to circumcision, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It may help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer. Circumcision does not cause long-term emotional problems for your child.

* Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS. Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things:

o Male babies are more likely to die from SIDS than females
o Prematurity makes it more likely
o Minority children are affected by it more often than non-minorities
o More children of young, single mothers die from it
o Children who live in a home with one or more smokers are more likely to be affected

Some people say that sleeping with your baby can reduce the risk of SIDS, but the American Academy of Pediatrics disagree with this statement and go on to say that there is a greater risk of SIDS in babies who co-sleep.

Back sleeping is what most pediatricians recommend for babies to decrease the SIDS risk. The reason for this is widely debated between health experts. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician.

Changing the Awkward Shots Into Opportunities

2010-12-16T02:41:00.002-08:00

Changing the Awkward Shots Into Opportunities

For some of us golfers, this is something that happens to us more often that we would like. You know what I am talking about. Shots that throw you off balance or aren’t as simple as instruction videos or professionals make them look. Here are some great ways to overcome the awkward shots.

When you have an awkward shot to make, think about how you can swing, keep your balance, and keep from moving your head. Then imagine the line your club travels along.

Prior to setting up your shot, consider where the club head needs to travel for the greatest distance in a straight line. Keep in mind that the ball makes contact with the club head for several inches. After you make a few practice swings, you will be able to see what relationship your feet will have with the line and then you can determine your stance.

It is important to keep from swaying when you are about the hit the ball. Just before you swing, see if there is any problem keeping your balance. If there is, you need to keep shifting until you find a comfortable position where there is no tension in your swing. Freedom in your muscles and mind is what you are looking for so that you will be able to swing smoothly. If you are fidgety when you address the ball, you are not going to be able to focus on the ball. Be sure you keep your feet still.

Ensure that you can see the ball from the beginning to end of your swing. Even if it is a difficult shot, do not lose focus on the ball. This will help you hit the ball cleanly and solidly.

If you keep your eye on the ball, then your swing will be free from faults and the ball will be hit correctly. If you can keep your head still for the entire swing until the club head meets the ball, your swing will definitely improve. Then if you have an awkward shot, you will be able to hit it with confidence and assurance.

Bad or difficult weather can make any shot more difficult. When the wind is blowing, it is important to keep your feet closer together. It is natural to think that you just need to hit the ball harder, but the wind makes it even more important to hit the ball correctly.

The more awkward the shot, the more you need your muscles to be relaxed enough to make the shot. Here is a tip. The shorter the shot that you need to make, the closer your feet should be brought together. Hit the ball true, instead of with all of your strength to keep it from bouncing away and reducing the distance that it travels.

Awkward and difficult shots are something that every golfer needs to learn to deal with. Once you learn how to handle them, then you will be much more confident and be enjoying a lower golf score!

More Tips For Parenting

2010-12-16T02:41:00.001-08:00

More Tips For Parenting

* Diapers: Most babies that are fed using the PDF method usually need a diaper change at each feeding time. This means that your baby will need about 6-8 diapers a day or more. Many new parents time the diaper changes with the after dinner bowel movement, but if you miss it, you will just have a few more diapers to change during the day.

* Diaper rash: Sensitive skin is a common problem for some babies and they may get a diaper rash due to a food allergy, yeast infection, sitting too long in a wet or messy diaper, or teething. If you notice your baby beginning to get a diaper rash, talk to your pediatrician about which diaper rash medicine will work for your baby.

* Growth spurts: Growth spurts can start as early as 10 days after your baby’s birth. Growth spurts usually are preceded by a sleepy, lethargic day and a big jump in appetite. Growth spurts may happen again at 3, 6, and 12 weeks and again at 4 and 6 months. If you begin to notice that your child is not as satisfied with the amount that you have been feeding her previously, then she may be beginning a growth spurt period. If you are breastfeeding, you may want to add a feeding or two to satiate your baby’s appetite and to help increase milk production.

* Immunizations: With all of the conflicting reports on immunizations, you may be unsure about whether or not you want your child to receive immunizations. I think that there are simply too many fatal diseases that can be prevented by immunizing your baby to take the chance. If you are unsure, then you need to talk with your pediatrician, but understand that the reason that the infant mortality rate is so low in this country is because immunizations are routinely done.

* Pacifiers & thumb sucking: If you breastfeed, do not allow your child to use you as their pacifier. If your baby seems to have a need to suck beyond eating, then you need to give them a pacifier. There is no “nipple confusion” between a breast nipple and a pacifier as they are very different in feel and taste. Babies will know the difference between the two. Some children do not want a pacifier but will suck on their thumb. If you don’t have a problem with it, then let them.

* Spitting up: It is very common for babies to spit up, but some babies do it more than others. If your baby is growing normally, then there is no need to worry about it. Projectile throwing up is not the same as spitting up. Projectile throwing up is a violent reaction to reject the contents of the stomach and not just “burping” up a little milk. If your baby does this frequently, consult your pediatrician.

Baby’s Naptime

2010-12-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

Baby’s Naptime

If you baby is not napping well during her first few months of life, you may want to try to cut back on the time she is awake by 15 minute increments. If she is getting overstimulated, then she will fight sleep and be difficult to get to nap. The way to prevent this is to watch her “sleepy” cues to make sure that you put her down when she is beginning to get sleepy.

Some parents believe that letting their child cry will harm him or her. Fifteen or twenty minutes of crying will not harm your child physically or mentally. Babies will learn to self-soothe and fall asleep by themselves, but only if you let her. It is very important that babies learn to fall asleep by themselves so that they can self-soothe if they awake in the middle of the night. Otherwise, you may have a child that will not sleep through the night for years.

Regular sleep patterns are intermeshed with regular eating patterns, so let us look at the stages of a baby’s life:

* Newborn: Your newborn will sleep anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a day, including the naps that he takes between feedings. When your baby has been fed, let him stay awake for a short while and then put him down before he becomes overstimulated.

* Two months: At two months and older, your child should be allowed to try to self-soothe during their naptimes and bedtime. Crying is normal when you put your baby down, but it is okay. If he cries for longer than 10-15 minutes, then go in and check on him. Don’t get him up, but pat his bottom or lightly rub his back until he calms down.

* 3-6 months: At around 3-6 months, your baby will stop taking one of his naps. Usually it is the third nap or late afternoon nap that they do not need as much. He may be a little fussy and may want to take a little nap, but you need to try to keep him up if you want him to go to bed at a decent time and sleep soundly through the night.

* 16+ months: When your child is between 16-20 months, they usually quit taking the morning nap in favor of a longer nap in the afternoons. Babies this age usually sleep between 10-12 hours a night and take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap.

Ground Rules about Naps
1. You decide when the nap starts and ends, not the baby.
2. When your baby is older than 4 months old, she will wake up crying if she hasn’t slept enough. She might have a dirty diaper, be in a position that is not comfortable, or cold/hot. Fix the problem and encourage her to go back to sleep. Babies that have enough rest wake up happy, talking, and in a good mood.

Breastfeeding Your Baby

2010-12-16T02:40:00.001-08:00

Breastfeeding Your Baby

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties, are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do occur. Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food, you still may experience a milk production issue. Many things can cause production problems. Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:
> What mom eats
> How much mom rests and sleeps
> Her state of mind
> The age of the mom
> How many children you have
> Your desire to breastfeed
> Your nursing capabilities
> Your nursing techniques
> Baby’s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed. If you don’t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate? There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

During the first week of your baby’s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for them to drink. Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby’s immune system. It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium. Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth. Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery. Bottle-fed baby’s pass firmer, tannish stools than breastfed baby’s.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of “suck, suck, suck, swallow.” This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no “clicking” noises. The “clicking” sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you. If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him. If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day. His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day. Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition. If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

Keys to Golfing Better

2010-12-16T02:40:00.000-08:00

Keys to Golfing Better

The golf professionals do have something that they agree on. If you do not keep your balance during the entire swing, it is not possible to have a good stroke. It sounds simple to keep your balance, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it is impossible to have good balance when you are so tense that you are “white knuckling” the club, your entire body is stiff, and you are trying to hit the ball too hard.

When you are just starting to play golf, you are frequently warned to not hit the ball too hard. Energy that is focused will make the ball go much further than a hard swing that does not make contact with the ball at the club’s center. When you are well balanced, you are more free to hit the ball correctly.

Keep your head still, with your eyes focused on the ball. The more still your head is, the better you will be able to see the ball. This helps to create the foundation for you to keep your balance. Any movement or distraction that hinders your balance will make it impossible to focus on the ball. It is imperative that you keep your head perfectly still and do not move it during your swing.

If you want to keep your balance, you need to relax your body and muscles. If you don’t relax, then your head is going to move.

If you will watch yourself in front of your mirror, you will soon realize that you need to relax your muscles for your head to stay still while you swing. No two golfers have the same build, so you will have to figure out some things for yourself. It is a necessity to begin by keeping your head in the same position from the beginning to end of your swing. If you keep your head still, you will be able to focus on the ball, and you will turn your hands at the right time.

You will be able to cure many of your problems just by keeping your head completely still. It will be impossible to incorrectly grip your club without losing your balance and moving your head.

If you don’t follow through correctly, you will not be able to keep your balance.

If you concentrate on your balance and keeping your head still, then you will not swing too hard or pull your club away. It will be impossible to put too much strength into your swing. You will be relaxed and will have a smooth swing and a successful finish.

Keeping your balance is necessary for you to enjoy a great game of golf. It will take time for you to see definite improvement, so be patient. Concentrate on keeping your balance and your head in one place and in no time you will be enjoying an excellent golf game that your friends will be envious of!

Watch The Ball!

2010-12-16T02:37:00.000-08:00

Watch The Ball!

This phrase is often repeated in nearly every sport – keep your eye on the ball. It applies to golf too! If you do not watch the ball, then the chance that you will hit it is very slim!

Keep your eyes focused on one part of the ball. Don’t watch your club as you swing.

Keep your focus on the ball and let everything else fade into the background.

Try to look down on the ball, rather than watching it at the end of the golf club. Raising your shoulders is not going to help you see the ball more clearly. If you will look down on the ball, you will get results that are more successful and you will not have a tendency to look up before the end of your swing.

Unfortunately, it is completely natural to look away when you begin to pull the club back. Ignore the natural feeling and keep your eyes on the ball.

When you are looking down at the ball, you should notice that the only way you can keep the club head in the correct line of flight is to keep your hands moving parallel to the flight line. Keep your hands in line with the club head when making contact with the ball.

It is very important to learn to watch the ball no matter what kind of shot you need to make. It does not matter if the ball is in the long grass, the sand trap, on a slope, or anywhere else, the main thing is to see the ball completely so that you can hit it solidly and successfully.

There are not many golfers who stand still and keep their attention on the ball. Many times, people will look at where they want the ball to go and then look at the ball. Most golfers would be surprised to learn that they do not stand still and watch the ball. The instant that you take your eye off the ball, you begin having problems.

Most golf mistakes are a result of a loss of concentration. It you keep your focus on the ball, you will be able to hit the ball well.

To help your golf game, remind yourself to keep your eye on the ball for the entire swing. You will find your golf game improving so much that your friends may be asking you for advice!

Create and Maintain a Budget

2010-12-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

Create and Maintain a Budget

The first step to avoiding the troubles of financial debt is to create and maintain a budget. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds, don’t worry.

First off, create a list of all your monthly income and also a list of your monthly expenses. When determining income, list all sources including alimony, child support, side jobs, etc. In calculating expenses, be sure to include housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, etc. To gain an accurate reflection of actual expenses, sit down each night and write down expenses, just make sure to save receipts. Determine if your income covers all of your expenses. If the answer is no, then some expenses need to be reduced.

Adjust expenses. If it is a small discrepancy, it may mean reducing some minor expenses like entertainment or cell phone plan. If the deficit is larger, you may need to downsize your vehicle or living arrangements. If your income covers all of your expenses, you still may want to trim some of the excess fat off your spending habits. This can free up extra money for things such as vacations or college funds for your children.

Additionally, consider if you need to add new categories. Some areas that are often overlooked are debt reduction, emergency savings funds, and retirement savings. An emergency fund ensures there is an adequate amount available to cover unforeseen events (car emergency, etc), should it arise. This will eliminate the need for using credit which can quickly damage your budget.

There are several advantages to sticking to your budget. Firstly, most people have set financial goals that they would like to reach in the future. Sometimes it may be a trip, a brand new car, or a college education. A budget can help people save money to make these goals a reality. Additionally, many people are crushed under heavy consumer debt. Without a disciplined pattern of spending, it is virtually impossible to make much headway in reducing debt. A personal budget will provide the necessary framework to begin eliminating these inflated account balances.

If executed properly, a budget will allow a person to simultaneously meet their expenses, place money into savings, and pay back outstanding debts. Therefore, it is anyone’s best interest to create and implement a budget.

Cut Back on Spending

At first it may seem difficult to limit spending and stick to a budget, however there are a few practical changes that you can make everyday that will cut your spending more than you expect.

Firstly, alter credit car behavior. Start to pay cash whenever possible. This will help you avoid making a purchase unless you actually have the money available. If you decide to make a credit card purchase, be prepared to pay the balance off monthly. This will save a lot of money through avoiding interest charges. If you already have a credit card balance, then transfer to a card with a low interest rate. Also, find a card that does not charge an annual fee.

Another tip is to pack your lunch everyday. All of those lunch hours spent at restaurants will add up. Bringing your own lunch can save you several dollars every day, which will add up over time.

Use your cell phone during off peak hours. Some people will spend a couple hundred dollars a month on phone charges. Avoid this by making most calls during off peak times. Check with your service and plan to find out when you have cheaper or unlimited calls.

Stop throwing away the Sunday newspaper before skimming through the advertisements. Clip some of those coupons and check out the sales. This may seem tedious, but the savings are often worth it. Many stores will double or triple the amount of the coupon. This technique can save you up to 20 or 30 dollars each time you head to the food store.

Additionally, refinance. Mortgage rates have been extremely low over the past year. This has been a great opportunity to reduce the monthly house payment significantly. If you are planning to have your house paid off prior to retirement, then you may want to factor this in before refinancing.

Finally, bundle your insurance. Many insurance companies will offer their customers lower rates if they purchase multiple policies. For instance, some people use the same agent for multiple cars, and others combine their cars and house. Always keep in mind that a dollar here and there really begins to add up. Avoid the temptation of thinking that changing your spending habits wouldn’t save that much money.

Start Saving!
So you are loaded down with bills to pay each month and are wondering how you can begin a savings account for emergencies and other high-expense endeavors. In other words, where can you find that extra cash to put away for later?
Firstly, when configuring your budge, plan for your savings first. You will grow richer each month if you begin to pay yourself first. Before paying any bills, decide on a set amount that you will pay yourself first—maybe five or ten percent—or whatever you decide—of your paycheck. Then, deposit the amount into a savings account before paying any bills.
When you do this at the beginning of the month, your entire paycheck will not suddenly slip through your fingers. If you wait until the end of the month, there may be nothing left to save. Paying yourself first will give you a systematic way to make your money grow. Regardless of your profession or your income, this system will work if you stick to it.
Another technique you may try for saving money is to empty your extra change into a coffee can or a jar each day. At the end of the month, roll the coins and put them into your savings account. You may be able to save 30 or 40 dollars each month just with your spare change.
Remember that good money management is more than just a mathematical formula. It’s too closely tied with the ups and downs of living to be just that. Your money management plan is always subject to change if your life situation changes. The object of a good budget is to make your money go the farthest in helping you reach your goals, it is not there to force to you to abide by rules.
Don’t get discouraged if the budget plan doesn’t work perfectly right away. It may involve some revising and editing until it fits your needs. Then, make sure to review it often, and be sure it is making the best use of every penny! Because we know how helpful those spare pennies can be!

Avoid Spending Pitfalls!
With all the advantages that are evident from personal budgeting, it is no wonder that more and more people are relying on them to reduce debts and increase their savings. However, all ‘budgeters’ need to be careful to avoid some common pitfalls that appear often.
Credit cards may seem like small pieces of plastic, however they can cause a great deal of trouble for the owners. It is common for people to make unwise purchases, which they would have avoided otherwise, because they had the credit card in their wallet. The best solution for many people is simply to get rid of credit cards and begin paying only by cash, check, or debit cards. You may want to keep one card handy for emergencies, but it is probably best to keep it out of reach, and far away from your wallet.
Another problem with budgeting is impatience. There are financial goals set, but people do not have the patience to complete a savings program. For instance, an individual begins setting aside money for a new car; however, after a few months they discover the car of their dreams. Rather than waiting, they make the purchase. This could pose some serious financial strains. Discipline is a must to prevent impatience from breaking your budget.
Once a person makes a budget, they often fail to adjust it when necessary. A budget is created using a set of expenses and income figures that are liable to change. As these figures do change, it is important that the budget changes to reflect the adjustments. There could be some major deficits if this is not done appropriately and promptly.
Of course nobody forgets about Christmas or Hanukkah, however many people do not consider budgeting for holidays when creating a budget. Therefore, adequate funds have not been set aside for presents, food, parties, etc. These items should be factored in and saved for throughout the year.
Finally, many people factor in transportation and accommodations for vacations in their budget, however they underestimate money needed for food, entertainment, and spending money. Keep in mind that all the resorts and tourists areas are double or triple what you would normally pay.
With a little planning, you’ll be on your way to saving more money than you ever thought possible!

Easy Money-Saving Changes
One of the most obvious and easy ways to save some extra cash is to change some of the way you use products and items in your everyday life. The key is to make minor changes.
For instance, always buy the cheapest hand soap you can find. The quality doesn’t necessarily go up with the price and you can use it in place of ‘bath soap.’
Always use the whole product. Turn bottles upside down and drain to get the last bit from them. Tear open sugar and flour sacks to get everything; squeeze or cut open tubes to use it all before running out to buy more. You’ll be surprised at how much there really is left!
Also, never use more than you need. Just because it says on the box that you need a full cup, doesn’t mean that you really do it need it. Half a measure of laundry detergent and a half teaspoon of dish soap are examples of what are usually enough, rather than what the manufacturer says.
To save some cash, you can use some of the things in your house in some unique ways. Instead of spending lots of money on the fancy floor cleaners, try using ammonia. It does a great job, and you can use plain water in between times. If your furniture needs some polishing, mix equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil and rub on the furniture. Buff with a cloth until it shines.
For a freezer bag, use empty chip bags and close with masking taps. Also try a bowl with a lid, such as a margarine tub.
If your skin is feeling a little dry, there are several substitutes for expensive lotion. Petroleum jelly rubbed into your hands at night after a warm water soak, mayonnaise (rinse w/ cold water after), or any other oil based food. Just be sure to put it on immediately after your hands have been in water.
To save some money on laundry, dissolve a bar of handsoap in water to replace laundry detergent. Add three gallons of hot water, mix thoroughly and add a cup of washing soda.
Sure, these are small changes, but added up, they can put some extra change into your pocket throughout the year!

Getting Out and Staying Out of Credit Card Debt

2010-12-16T02:11:00.000-08:00

Getting Out and Staying Out of Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is a major cause of over one million bankruptcies each year. The reason is that many people get a credit card without researching and reading the fine print. By the time annual fees are added on, along with spending indiscriminately, payments are missed, which causes their balance to skyrocket.

Although we all like to place the blame on the credit cards and the credit card companies, you need to keep in mind that the real cause of your financial mess is you.

One shopping spree does not usually cause high debt. It is usually a pattern that consists of gradually increasing purchases that add up to a large debt. The great thing is that it can be very easy to get out of debt. The key is to start spending less than you make. This is a long-term solution that can help you to whittle your debt down.

Although it may sound simple, it can be very difficult if you have a problem with willpower. It is important to stick with spending less than you make or you will find yourself in exactly the same place as you were before. Overcoming your debt will take willpower and a great deal of time.

It may be difficult to stick with your debt repayment program, but keep yourself strong and you will find yourself out of debt before you know it.

It is important to learn how to get out of debt and then stay out of debt. If you can summon enough willpower and strength towards your finances and spending, then you will find yourself the winner in the game of debt. It may be easy to get into debt, but getting out of debt is much more difficult, but worth it.

One simple phrase can sum up the solution to your financial problems. If you don’t have the money to spend, then don’t spend it!

Choosing a Credit Card In the UK

2010-12-16T02:00:00.001-08:00

Choosing a Credit Card In the UK

Credit card companies are all over the world and so are credit cards. Some of the credit card companies only offer cards to a specific country or region that they are in. If you live in the UK, then you might need some information about credit cards that are available for you.

Credit cards that you get in the UK are not any different from any other credit cards. The credit card companies offer special incentives to get customers like 0% APR for a specific time period, no annual fees, and you may even be able to apply for the credit cards online. Many credit card companies based in the UK do not give their cards to consumers in other countries due to security reasons. However, if you live in the UK, then there are many companies that are sure to let you fill out an application to receive their specific credit card.

There are many companies that encourage you to apply online. They overwhelm you with ads, promising a 60 second approval.

Credit card use in the UK can cause financial problems just as it does all over the world. People in the UK owe tens of billions of pounds in credit card debt at an interest rate of over 16% and this figure keeps getting higher and higher. Debts over 2500 pounds are common to ten percent of the people in UK and combined with high interest rates, this figure is near impossible to get to come down.

There are some benefits to having a credit card that a great many UK consumers find appealing. Some of the credit card companies offer cash back with purchases, air miles, travel insurance, and insurance for your purchases. A credit card looks good to many UK consumers, especially when you add in the discount vouchers.

When you decide to apply for a credit card, you should research all of your choices to find the one that is best for you. Once you receive it, you need to be careful in using it or you could find yourself in a financial mess. If you use your credit card wisely, then you will find that it will make your life easier, no matter what country you live in.

Tips To Apply For A Credit Card

2010-12-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tips To Apply For A Credit Card

Filling out a credit card application is just like filling out a job application-everyone needs some tips to use so that they get approved.

If your credit is bad, then it may be a little more difficult to get a credit card than if you have good credit. Do not give up, because there are hundreds of companies out there that offer credit cards for people with bad credit and if you shop around, you will find the credit card that is just right for you.

If you are researching credit cards, the first place that you can get information is the Internet. The Internet has a lot of information about many different credit cards, including their rates, fees, and incentives, so that you can find the best credit card for you.

There are some credit card companies that say that they will give you a credit card with no credit check. However, keep in mind that having a credit card almost always means that you are going to go into debt. Be cautious when choosing the credit card for you. Read the fine print of their terms and agreements to make sure that there are not going to be any surprises.

Analyze your financial situation to make sure that you can handle a credit card and its payments. Even the most cautious of us go on a little shopping excursion every now and then and you do not want to be thrown into a financial tailspin when your bill comes in.

Cautiousness is very important in using your credit card. If you are not sure that you can handle a credit card, then rethink applying. You need to be sure that when the bill comes in that you can make the payments. If you are not completely sure, then don’t get a credit card until you are ready.

Credit Card Company That You Can Trust: Chase

2010-12-16T01:59:00.000-08:00

Credit Card Company That You Can Trust: Chase

If you are looking for a credit card company to give your business to, but are unsure of which one to choose, then you may want to consider Chase. They are known for being one of the best credit cards around. They make applying for one of their cards very simple and there are no hidden charges.

When you sign up, they will give you all of the information about any charges that they may charge you. They do not have annual fees and offer a 0% interest introductory rate. Also, Chase offers fraud protection, which is a very important thing to have these days.

It is so easy to apply for a Chase credit card. Applying on their website is simple, too. Their website is also a great place to learn more about their credit cards including the interest rates and pictures of each kind of card.

You can also pay your credit card bill online. This is a fast and secure way for you to pay your credit card bill. If you do not have a Chase credit card, but have heard great things about the company, you can sign-up on their website. If you fill out the form correctly, then you could be a Chase member in just a few days.

Chase offers individual accounts and small business accounts. This is great for those of you who are looking for a credit card to start your small business.

Chase credit cards are accepted all over the world, so you do not have to worry about being able to use it on a trip abroad. Chase also gives their customers air miles for every dollar, so you may be able to take a vacation much cheaper than you think.

Recently, Chase has went through some bad press – mainly aimed at their customer service practices, but they have made strides to make their customer service better and to lower their interest rates. If you are looking for a credit card with a proven track record, then you will want to consider Chase.

Learning About Cash Back Credit Cards: Good or Bad Idea?

2010-12-16T01:56:00.000-08:00

Learning About Cash Back Credit Cards: Good or Bad Idea?

Getting a credit card that offers cash back always sounds like a good idea. What could be better than getting cash back on all the purchases that you make with your credit card? It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Well, there are cards that give you free cash, but it is usually only around 1% cash back. However, free money is free money, right? Well, sometimes.

If you like to buy a lot of things in one month, this kind of credit card probably sounds great to you. However, you need to keep in mind that they are not going to give you cash back on every purchase that you make. Even if they claim to give you cash back on every purchase, they will only give you up to a certain amount per transaction. The company also has a strict limit on the amount that they will give back to their customers. If you read the little, bitty print on the form that you signed, you will see a paragraph with their limits in the terms and agreements.

This is another way to try to draw in new customers for these companies. It is a good credit card to have and sounds great in theory, but they will have to check your credit rating before they will give you their card.

Research different credit card companies to see what they are offering. You may be surprised to find a cash back credit card that offers you just what you need and want with a high cash back percentage, few limits on the amount they will give you back, and instant cash deposits when you make each purchase with their card.

Although these credit cards seem like a great thing to have, some companies will need your credit rating to be great too. However, there are credit card companies that offer these cards to people with a low credit rating to help them rebuild their credit. Research all of your options.

What should your decision be? If you have a good credit rating, then this card is a great option for you. Research different card companies – there are cards out there that offer you up to 3% cash back and impose very few limits. If, however, you have a bad credit rating, you may want to find a credit card that will help you rebuild your credit.

Evolution

2008-02-25T02:55:00.000-08:00

This article is about evolution in biology. For other articles with similar names, see Evolution (disambiguation).
For a non-technical introduction to the topic, please see Introduction to evolution.
Part of the Biology series on
Evolution
Mechanisms and processes
AdaptationGenetic driftGene flowMutationSelectionSpeciation
Research and history
EvidenceHistoryModern synthesisSocial effect
Evolutionary biology fields
Ecological geneticsEvolutionary developmentHuman evolutionMolecular evolutionPhylogeneticsPopulation geneticsEvo-devo
Biology Portal ·
In biology, evolution is the process in which some of a population's inherited traits become more common, at the expense of others, from generation to generation. This is usually measured in terms of the variant genes, known as alleles, that encode the competing traits. As differences in and between populations accumulate over time, speciation, the development of new species from existing ones, can occur. All organisms, including extinct species, are related by common descent through numerous speciation events starting from a single ancestor.[1][2]
Mutation of the genes, migration between populations, and the reshuffling of genes during sexual reproduction creates variation in organisms. While a certain random component, known as genetic drift, is involved, the variation is also acted on by natural selection, in which organisms which happen to have combinations of traits that help them to survive and reproduce more than others in the population will, on average, have more offspring, passing more copies of these beneficial traits on to the next generation. This leads to advantageous traits becoming more common in each generation, while disadvantageous traits become rarer. [1][3][4] Given enough time, this passive process can result in varied adaptations to changing environmental conditions.[5]
The theory of evolution by natural selection was first put forth in detail in Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species. In the 1930s, Darwinian natural selection was combined with Mendelian inheritance to form the modern evolutionary synthesis.[5] With its enormous explanatory and predictive power, this theory has become the central organizing principle of modern biology, providing a unifying explanation for the diversity of life on Earth.[6][7][8]
Contents
1 Basic processes
1.1 Variation
1.2 Heredity
1.3 Mutation
1.4 Horizontal gene transfer
2 Mechanisms of evolution
2.1 Selection and adaptation
2.2 Recombination
2.3 Genetic drift
2.4 Gene flow and population structure
2.5 Speciation and extinction
2.6 Cooperation
3 Evidence of evolution
3.1 Morphological evidence
3.2 Molecular evidence
4 Ancestry of organisms
4.1 History of life
5 Study of evolution
5.1 History of modern evolutionary thought
5.2 Academic disciplines
6 Misunderstandings
7 Social and religious controversies
8 See also
9 Footnotes
10 References
11 External links
//
[edit]

Basic processes
Evolution consists of two basic types of processes: those that introduce new genetic variation into a population, and those that affect the frequencies of existing genes. Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould once summarized this as "variation proposes and selection disposes".[9] There is a certain amount of variation in apparent traits, or phenotypes, in populations. This phenotypic variation is the result of genotypes, the specific genetic makeup encoded on DNA molecules. Variants in gene sequences in the individuals of a population and the interaction of a genotype with the environment are involved in phenotypic plasticity. There may be one or more functional variants of a gene or locus, and these variants are called alleles. Most sites in the genome (i.e., complete DNA sequence) of a species are identical in all individuals in the population; sites with more than one allele are called polymorphic, or segregating, sites.
[edit]

Variation
Genetic variation is often the result of a new mutation in a single individual; in subsequent generations the frequency of that variant may fluctuate in the population, becoming more or less prevalent relative to other alleles at the site. This change in allele frequency is the commonly accepted definition of evolution, and all evolutionary forces act by driving allele frequency in one direction or another. Variation disappears when it reaches the point of fixation—when it either reaches a frequency of zero and disappears from the population, or reaches a frequency of one and replaces the ancestral allele entirely.
Variation is also produced during the production of gametes and union at fertilization to produce a zygote (there is genetic recombination that produce variation). In some organisms (like bacteria and plants) the lateral transfer of genetic material or Horizontal gene transfer plays a significant role, and the mixing of genetic material by hybridization (mixing species) produces significant variation (like in plants and birds).
[edit]

Heredity

A section of a model of a DNA molecule.[10]
Gregor Mendel's work provided the first firm basis to the idea that heredity occurred in discrete units. He noticed several traits in peas that occur in only one of two forms (e.g., the peas were either "round" or "wrinkled"), and was able to show that the traits were: heritable (passed from parent to offspring); discrete (i.e., if one parent had round peas and the other wrinkled, the progeny were not intermediate, but either round or wrinkled); and were distributed to progeny in a well-defined and predictable manner (Mendelian inheritance). His research laid the foundation for the concept of discrete heritable traits, known today as genes. After Mendel's work was "rediscovered" in 1900, it was found that the concepts could have wide applicability, and that most complex traits were polygenetic and not controlled by single unit characters.
Later research gave a physical basis to the notion of genes, and eventually identified DNA as the genetic material, and identified genes as discrete elements within DNA. DNA is not perfectly copied, and rare mistakes (mutations) in genes can affect traits that the genes control (e.g., pea shape).
A gene can have modifications such as DNA methylation, which do not change the nucleotide sequence of a gene, but do result in the epigenetic inheritance of a change in the expression of that gene in a trait. Another epigenetic mechanism is via micro RNA's, and RNA interference which serve regulatory roles in gene transcription and translation.
Non-DNA based forms of heritable variation exist, such as transmission of the secondary structures of prions or structural inheritance of patterns in the rows of cilia in protozoans such as Paramecium[11] and Tetrahymena. Investigations continue into whether these mechanisms allow for the production of specific beneficial heritable variation in response to environmental signals. If this were shown to be the case, then some instances of evolution would lie outside of the typical Darwinian framework, which avoids any connection between environmental signals and the production of heritable variation. However, the processes that produce these variations are rather rare, often reversible, and leave the genetic information intact.
[edit]

Mutation

Mutation can occur because of "copy errors" during DNA replication.
Genetic variation arises due to random mutations that occur at a certain rate in the genomes of all organisms. Mutations are permanent, transmissible changes to the genetic material (usually DNA or RNA) of a cell, and can be caused by: "copying errors" in the genetic material during cell division; by exposure to radiation, chemicals, or viruses. In multicellular organisms, mutations can be subdivided into germline mutations that occur in the gametes and thus can be passed on to progeny, and somatic mutations that can lead to the malfunction or death of a cell and can cause cancer.
Mutations that are not affected by natural selection are called neutral mutations. Their frequency in the population is governed by mutation rate, genetic drift and selective pressure on linked alleles. It is understood that most of a species' genome, in the absence of selection, undergoes a steady accumulation of neutral mutations.
Individual genes can be affected by point mutations, also known as SNPs, in which a single base pair is altered. The substitution of a single base pair may or may not affect the function of the gene (see mutation) while deletions and insertions of a single or several base pairs usually results in a non-functional gene.[12]
Mobile elements, transposons, make up a major fraction of the genomes of plants and animals and appear to have played a significant role in the evolution of genomes. These mobile insertional elements can jump within a genome and alter existing genes and gene networks to produce evolutionary change and diversity. [13]
On the other hand, gene duplications, which may occur via a number of mechanisms, are believed to be one major source of raw material for evolving new genes as tens to hundreds of genes are duplicated in animal genomes every million years.[14] Most genes belong to larger "families" of genes derived from a common ancestral gene (two genes from a species that are in the same family are dubbed "paralogs"). Another mechanism causing gene duplication is intergenic recombination, particularly 'exon shuffling', i.e., an aberrant recombination that joins the 'upstream' part of one gene with the 'downstream' part of another. Genome duplications and chromosome duplications also appear to have served a significant role in evolution. Genome duplication has been the driving force in the Teleostei genome evolution, where up to four genome duplications are thought to have happened, resulting in species with more than 250 chromosomes.
Large chromosomal rearrangements do not necessarily change gene function, but do generally result in reproductive isolation, and, by definition, speciation (species (in sexual organisms) are usually defined by the ability to interbreed). An example of this mechanism is the fusion of two chromosomes in the homo genus that produced human chromosome 2; this fusion did not occur in the chimp lineage, resulting in two separate chromosomes in extant chimps.
[edit]

Horizontal gene transfer

A phylogenetic tree of all extant organisms, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, showing the evolutionary history of the three domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Originally proposed by Carl Woese.
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) (or Lateral gene transfer) is any process in which an organism transfers genetic material (i.e. DNA) to another organism that is not its offspring. This mechanism allows for the transfer of genetic material between unrelated organisms of the same species or of different species and is a form of gene flow.
Many mechanisms for horizontal gene transfer have been observed, such as antigenic shift, reassortment, and hybridization. Viruses can transfer genes between species via transduction.[15] Bacteria can incorporate genes from other dead bacteria or plasmids via transformation, exchange genes with living bacteria via conjugation, and can have plasmids "set up residence separate from the host's genome".[16] Hybridization is highly significant in plant speciation [17] , and one out of ten species of birds are known to hybridize.[18] There are also examples of hybridization in mammals and insects [19] , however it most often produces sterile offspring.
HGT has been shown to result in the spread of antibiotic resistance across bacterial populations.[20] Furthermore, findings indicate that HGT has been a major mechanism for prokaryotic and eukaryotic evolution.[21][22]
HGT complicates the inference of the phylogeny of life, as the original metaphor of a tree of life no longer fits. Rather, since genetic information is passed to other organisms and other species in addition to being passed from parent to offspring, "biologists [should] use the metaphor of a mosaic to describe the different histories combined in individual genomes and use [the] metaphor of a net to visualize the rich exchange and cooperative effects of HGT among microbes."[23]
[edit]

Mechanisms of evolution
[edit]

Selection and adaptation

A peacock's tail is the canonical example of sexual selection.
Natural selection comes from differences in survival and reproduction. Differential mortality is the survival rate of individuals to their reproductive age. Differential fertility is the total genetic contribution to the next generation. Note that, whereas mutations and genetic drift are random, natural selection is not, as it preferentially selects for different mutations based on differential fitnesses. For example, rolling dice is random, but always picking the higher number on two rolled dice is not random. The central role of natural selection in evolutionary theory has given rise to a strong connection between that field and the study of ecology.
Natural selection can be subdivided into two categories: ecological selection occurs when organisms that survive and reproduce increase the frequency of their genes in the gene pool over those that do not survive; and sexual selection occurs when organisms which are more attractive to the opposite sex because of their features reproduce more and thus increase the frequency of those features in the gene pool.
Natural selection operates on mutations in a number of different ways. Arguably the most common form of selection is stabilizing selection, which decreases the frequency of harmful mutations; "living fossils" may be a result of this. Other forms of natural selection include directional selection, which increases the frequency of a beneficial mutation, and artificial selection, the purposeful breeding of a species.
Through the process of natural selection, organisms become better adapted to their environments. Adaptation is any evolutionary process that increases the fitness of the individual, or sometimes the trait that confers increased fitness, e.g., a stronger prehensile tail or greater visual acuity. Note that adaptation is context-sensitive; a trait that increases fitness in one environment may decrease it in another.
Most biologists believe that adaptation occurs through the accumulation of many mutations of small effect. However, macromutation is an alternative process for adaptation that involves a single, very large-scale mutation.
[edit]

Recombination
In asexual organisms, variants in genes on the same chromosome will always be inherited together—they are linked, by virtue of being on the same DNA molecule. However, sexual organisms, in the production of gametes, shuffle linked alleles on homologous chromosomes inherited from the parents via meiotic recombination. This shuffling allows independent assortment of alleles (mutations) in genes to be propagated in the population independently. This allows bad mutations to be purged and beneficial mutations to be retained more efficiently than in asexual populations.
However, the meitoic recombination rate is not very high - on the order of one crossover (recombination event between homologous chromosomes) per chromosome arm per generation. Therefore, linked alleles are not perfectly shuffled away from each other, but tend to be inherited together. This tendency may be measured by comparing the co-occurrence of two alleles, usually quantified as linkage disequilibrium (LD). A set of alleles that are often co-propagated is called a haplotype. Strong haplotype blocks can be a product of strong positive selection.
Recombination is mildly mutagenic, which is one of the proposed reasons why it occurs with limited frequency. Recombination also breaks up gene combinations that have been successful in previous generations, and hence should be opposed by selection. However, recombination could be favoured by negative frequency-dependent selection (this is when rare variants increase in frequency) because it leads to more individuals with new and rare gene combinations being produced.
When alleles cannot be separated by recombination (for example in mammalian Y chromosomes), there is an observable reduction in effective population size, known as the Hill-Robertson effect, and the successive establishment of bad mutations, known as Muller's ratchet.
[edit]

Genetic drift
Genetic drift is the change in allele frequency from one generation to the next due to sampling variance. The frequency of an allele in the offspring generation will vary according to a probability distribution of the frequency of the allele in the parent generation. Thus, over time even in the absence of selection upon the alleles, allele frequencies tend to "drift" upward or downward, eventually becoming "fixed" - that is, going to 0% or 100% frequency. Thus, fluctuations in allele frequency between successive generations may result in some alleles disappearing from the population due to chance alone. Two separate populations that begin with the same allele frequencies therefore might drift apart by random fluctuation into two divergent populations with different allele sets (for example, alleles present in one population could be absent in the other, or vice versa).
[edit]

Gene flow and population structure

Map of the world showing distribution of camelids. Solid black lines indicate possible migration routes.
Gene flow, also called migration, is the exchange of genetic variation between populations, when geography and culture are not obstacles. Ernst Mayr thought that gene flow is likely to be homogenising, and therefore counteracting selective adaptation. Obstacles to gene flow result in reproductive isolation, a necessary condition for speciation.
The free movement of alleles through a population may also be impeded by population structure, the size and geographical distribution of a population. For example, most real-world populations are not actually fully interbreeding; geographic proximity has a strong influence on the movement of alleles within the population. Population structure has profound effects on possible mechanisms of evolution.
The effect of genetic drift depends strongly on the size of the population: drift is important in small mating populations, where chance fluctuations from generation to generation can be large. The relative importance of natural selection and genetic drift in determining the fate of new mutations also depends on the population size and the strength of selection. Natural selection is predominant in large populations, while genetic drift is in small populations. Finally, the time for an allele to become fixed in the population by genetic drift (that is, for all individuals in the population to carry that allele) depends on population size—smaller populations require a shorter time for fixation.
An example of the effect of population structure is the founder effect, in which a population temporarily has very few individuals as a result of a migration or population bottleneck, and therefore loses much genetic variation. In this case, a single, rare allele may suddenly increase very rapidly in frequency within a specific population if it happened to be prevalent in a small number of "founder" individuals. The frequency of the allele in the resulting population can be much higher than otherwise expected, especially for deleterious, disease-causing alleles. Since population size has a profound effect on the relative strengths of genetic drift and natural selection, changes in population size can alter the dynamics of these processes considerably.
[edit]

Speciation and extinction

An Allosaurus skeleton.
Speciation is the process by which new biological species arise. This may take place by various mechanisms. Allopatric speciation occurs in populations that become isolated geographically, such as by habitat fragmentation or migration.[24] Sympatric speciation occurs when new species emerge in the same geographic area.[25][26] Ernst Mayr's peripatric speciation is a type of speciation that exists in between the extremes of allopatry and sympatry. Peripatric speciation is a critical underpinning of the theory of punctuated equilibrium. An example of rapid sympatric speciation can be clearly observed in the triangle of U, where new species of Brassica sp. have been made by the fusing of separate genomes from related plants.
Extinction is the disappearance of species (i.e., gene pools). The moment of extinction is generally defined as occurring at the death of the last individual of that species. Extinction is not an unusual event on a geological time scale—species regularly appear through speciation, and disappear through extinction. The Permian-Triassic extinction event was the Earth's most severe extinction event, rendering extinct 90% of all marine species and 70% of all terrestrial vertebrate species. In the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, many forms of life perished (including approximately 50% of all genera), the most commonly mentioned among them being the non-avian dinosaurs. The Holocene extinction event is a current mass extinction, involving the rapid extinction of tens or hundreds of thousands of species each year. Scientists consider human activities to be the primary cause of the ongoing extinction event, as well as the related influence of climate change.[27]
[edit]

Cooperation
Generally mathematical models incorporating mutation and natural selection have been used to model adaptation and evolution. Recent trends now incorporate "game theory" as more applicable to generating reliable models.[28] This work and others studies have focused attention on cooperation as a fundamental property needed for evolution to construct new levels of organization. Selfish replicators sacrificing their own reproductive potential to cooperate seems paradoxical in a competitive world. However a number of mechanisms have demonstrated the capacity to generate cooperation, and even altruism, such as kin selection, direct reciprocity, indirect reciprocity, network reciprocity, and group selection. The ubiquity of cooperation in the natural world and studies from the last twenty years reveal cooperation as a significant principle in constructive evolution.[29][30]
[edit]

Evidence of evolution

Tiktaalik in context: one of many species that track the evolutionary development of fish fins into tetrapod limbs.
Evolution has left numerous signs of the histories of different species. Fossils, along with the comparative anatomy of present-day organisms, constitute the morphological, or anatomical, record. By comparing the anatomies of both modern and extinct species, paleontologists can infer the lineages of those species.
The development of molecular genetics, and particularly of DNA sequencing, has allowed biologists to study the record of evolution left in organisms' genetic structures. The degrees of similarity and difference in the DNA sequences of modern species allows geneticists to reconstruct their lineages. It is from DNA sequence comparisons that figures such as the 95% genotypic similarity between humans and chimpanzees are obtained.[31][32]
Other evidence used to demonstrate evolutionary lineages includes the geographical distribution of species. For instance, monotremes and most marsupials are found only in Australia, showing that their common ancestor with placental mammals lived before the submerging of the ancient land bridge between Australia and Asia.
Scientists correlate all of the above evidence, drawn from paleontology, anatomy, genetics, and geography, with other information about the history of Earth. For instance, paleoclimatology attests to periodic ice ages during which the world's climate was much cooler, and these are often found to match up with the spread of species which are better-equipped to deal with the cold, such as the woolly mammoth.
[edit]

Morphological evidence

Letter c in the picture indicates the undeveloped hind legs of a baleen whale, vestigial remnants of its terrestrial ancestors.
Fossils are critical evidence for estimating when various lineages originated. Since fossilization of an organism is an uncommon occurrence, usually requiring hard parts (like teeth, bone, or pollen), the fossil record provides only sparse and intermittent information about ancestral lineages.[33]
The fossil record provides several types of data important to the study of evolution. First, the fossil record contains the earliest known examples of life itself, as well as the earliest occurrences of individual lineages. For example, the first complex animals date from the early Cambrian period, approximately 520 million years ago. Second, the records of individual species yield information regarding the patterns and rates of evolution, showing whether, for example, speciation occurs gradually and incrementally, or in relatively brief intervals of geologic time. Thirdly, the fossil record is a document of large-scale patterns and events in the history of life. For example, mass extinctions frequently resulted in the loss of entire groups of species, while leaving others relatively unscathed. Recently, molecular biologists have used the time since divergence of related lineages to calibrate the rate at which mutations accumulate, and at which the genomes of different lineages evolve.
Phylogenetics, the study of the ancestry of species, has revealed that structures with similar internal organization may perform divergent functions. Vertebrate limbs are a common example of such homologous structures. The appendages on bat wings, for example, are very structurally similar to human hands, and may constitute a vestigial structure. Vestigial structures are idiosyncratic anatomical features such as the panda's "thumb", which indicate how an organism's evolutionary lineage constrains its adaptive development. Other examples of vestigial structures include the degenerate eyes of blind cave-dwelling fish, and the presence of hip bones in whales and snakes. Such structures may exist with little or no function in a more current organism, yet have a clear function in an ancestral species. Examples of vestigial structures in humans include wisdom teeth, the coccyx and the vermiform appendix.
These anatomical similarities in extant and fossil organisms can give evidence of the relationships between different groups of organisms. Important fossil evidence includes the connection of distinct classes of organisms by so-called "transitional" species, such as the Archaeopteryx, which provided early evidence for intermediate species between dinosaurs and birds,[34] and the recently-discovered Tiktaalik, which clarifies the development from fish to animals with four limbs.[35]
[edit]

Molecular evidence
By comparing the DNA sequences of species, we can find out their evolutionary relationships. The resultant phylogenetic trees are typically congruent with traditional taxonomy, and are often used to either strengthen or correct taxonomic classifications. Sequence comparison is considered a measure robust enough to be used to correct erroneous assumptions in the phylogenetic tree in instances where other evidence is scarce. For example, neutral human DNA sequences are approximately 1.2% divergent (based on substitutions) from those of their nearest genetic relative, the chimpanzee, 1.6% from gorillas, and 6.6% from baboons.[36] Genetic sequence evidence thus allows inference and quantification of genetic relatedness between humans and other apes.[37][38] The sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, a vital gene encoding a part of the ribosome, was used to find the broad phylogenetic relationships between all extant life. This analysis, originally done by Carl Woese, resulted in the three-domain system, arguing for two major splits in the early evolution of life. The first split led to modern bacteria, and the subsequent split led to modern archaea and eukaryotes.
Since metabolic processes do not leave fossils, research into the evolution of the basic cellular processes is done largely by comparison of existing organisms. Many lineages diverged when new metabolic processes appeared, and it is theoretically possible to determine when certain metabolic processes appeared by comparing the traits of the descendants of a common ancestor or by detecting their physical manifestations. As an example, the appearance of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere is linked to the evolution of photosynthesis.
The proteomic evidence also supports the universal ancestry of life. Vital proteins, such as the ribosome, DNA polymerase, and RNA polymerase, are found in everything from the most primitive bacteria to the most complex mammals. The core part of the protein is conserved across all lineages of life, serving similar functions. Higher organisms have evolved additional protein subunits, largely affecting the regulation and protein-protein interaction of the core. Other overarching similarities between all lineages of extant organisms, such as DNA, RNA, amino acids, and the lipid bilayer, give support to the theory of common descent. The chirality of DNA, RNA, and amino acids is conserved across all known life. As there is no functional advantage to right- or left-handed molecular chirality, the simplest hypothesis is that the choice was made randomly by early organisms and passed on to all extant life through common descent. Further evidence for reconstructing ancestral lineages comes from junk DNA such as pseudogenes, "dead" genes which steadily accumulate mutations.[39]
There is also a large body of molecular evidence for a number of different mechanisms for large evolutionary changes, among them: genome and gene duplication, which facilitates rapid evolution by providing substantial quantities of genetic material under weak or no selective constraints; horizontal gene transfer, the process of transferring genetic material to another cell that is not an organism's offspring, allowing for species to acquire beneficial genes from each other; recombination, capable of reassorting large numbers of different alleles and of establishing reproductive isolation; and endosymbiosis, the incorporation of genetic material and biochemical composition of a separate species, a process observed in organisms such as the protist hatena and used to explain the origin of organelles such as mitochondria and plastids as the absorption of ancient prokaryotic cells into ancient eukaryotic ones.[40][41]
[edit]

Ancestry of organisms

Morphologic similarities in the Hominidae family are evidence of common descent.
The theory of universal common descent proposes that all organisms on Earth are descended from a common ancestor or ancestral gene pool. Evidence for common descent is inferred from traits shared between all living organisms. In Darwin's day, the evidence of shared traits was based solely on visible observation of morphologic similarities, such as the fact that all birds, even those which do not fly, have wings. Today, there is strong evidence from genetics that all organisms have a common ancestor. For example, every living cell makes use of nucleic acids as its genetic material, and uses the same 20 amino acids as the building blocks for proteins. The universality of these traits strongly suggests common ancestry, because the selection of many of these traits seems arbitrary.[42]
[edit]

History of life

Precambrian stromatolites in the Siyeh Formation, Glacier National Park. In 2002, William Schopf of UCLA published a controversial paper in the journal Nature arguing that formations such as this possess 3.5 billion year old fossilized algae microbes. If true, they would be the earliest known life on earth.
The origin of life from self-catalytic chemical reactions is not a part of biological evolution, but rather of pre-evolutionary abiogenesis. However, disputes over what defines life make the point at which such increasingly complex sets of reactions became true organisms unclear. Not much is yet known about the earliest developments in life. There is no scientific consensus regarding the relationship of the three domains of organisms (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota) or regarding the precise reactions involved in abiogenesis. Attempts to shed light on the origin of life generally focus on the behavior of macromolecules—particularly RNA—and the behavior of complex systems.
Fossil evidence indicates that the diversity and complexity of modern life has developed over much of the 4.57 billion year history of Earth. Oxygenic photosynthesis emerged around 3 billion years ago, and the subsequent emergence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere made the development of aerobic cellular respiration possible around 2 billion years ago. In the last billion years, simple multicellular plants and animals began to appear in the oceans. Soon after the emergence of the first animals, the Cambrian explosion, a geologically brief period of remarkable biological diversity, originated all the major body plans, or phyla, of modern animals. This event is now believed to have been triggered by the development of the Hox genes.
About 500 million years ago (mya), plants and fungi colonized the land, and were soon followed by arthropods and other animals. Amphibians first appeared around 300 mya, followed by reptiles, then mammals around 200 mya and birds around 100 mya. The human genus arose around 2 mya, while the earliest modern humans lived 200 thousand years ago.
[edit]

Study of evolution
[edit]

History of modern evolutionary thought

Gregor Mendel's work on the inheritance of traits in pea plants laid the foundation for genetics.
Although the idea of evolution has existed since classical antiquity, being first discussed by Greek philosophers such as Anaximander, the first convincing exposition of a mechanism by which evolutionary change could occur was not proposed until Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace jointly presented the theory of evolution by natural selection to the Linnean Society of London in separate papers in 1858. Shortly after, the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin popularized and provided detailed support for the theory.
However, Darwin had no working mechanism for inheritance. This was provided by Gregor Mendel, whose research revealed that distinct traits were inherited in a well-defined and predictable manner.[43]
In the 1930s, Darwinian natural selection and Mendelian inheritance were combined to form the modern evolutionary synthesis. In the 1940s, the identification of DNA as the genetic material by Oswald Avery and colleagues, and the articulation of the double-helical structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, provided a physical basis for the notion that genes were encoded in DNA. Since then, the role of genetics in evolutionary biology has become increasingly central.[44]
[edit]

Academic disciplines
Scholars in a number of academic disciplines continue to document examples of evolution, contributing to a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms. Every subdiscipline within biology both informs and is informed by knowledge of the details of evolution, such as in ecological genetics, human evolution, molecular evolution, and phylogenetics. Areas of mathematics (such as bioinformatics), physics, chemistry, and other fields all make important contributions to current understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. Even disciplines as far removed as geology and sociology play a part, since the process of biological evolution has coincided in time and space with the development of both the Earth and human civilization.
Evolutionary biology is a subdiscipline of biology concerned with the origin and descent of species, as well as their changes over time. It was originally an interdisciplinary field including scientists from many traditional taxonomically-oriented disciplines. For example, it generally includes scientists who may have a specialist training in particular organisms, such as mammalogy, ornithology, or herpetology, but who use those organisms to answer general questions in evolution. Evolutionary biology as an academic discipline in its own right emerged as a result of the modern evolutionary synthesis in the 1930s and 1940s. It was not until the 1970s and 1980s, however, that a significant number of universities had departments that specifically included the term evolutionary biology in their titles.
Evolutionary developmental biology (informally, evo-devo) is a field of biology that compares the developmental processes of different animals in an attempt to determine the ancestral relationship between organisms and how developmental processes evolved. The discovery of genes regulating development in model organisms allowed for comparisons to be made with genes and genetic networks of related organisms.
Physical anthropology emerged in the late 19th century as the study of human osteology, and the fossilized skeletal remains of other hominids. At that time, anthropologists debated whether their evidence supported Darwin's claims, because skeletal remains revealed temporal and spatial variation among hominids, but Darwin had not offered an explanation of the specific mechanisms that produce variation. With the recognition of Mendelian genetics and the rise of the modern synthesis, however, evolution became both the fundamental conceptual framework for, and the object of study of, physical anthropologists. In addition to studying skeletal remains, they began to study genetic variation among human populations (population genetics); thus, some physical anthropologists began calling themselves biological anthropologists.
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Misunderstandings
There are a number of common misunderstandings about evolution, some of which have hindered its general acceptance.[45][46][47] Critics of evolution frequently assert that evolution is "just a theory", a misunderstanding of the meaning of theory in a scientific context: whereas in colloquial speech a theory is a conjecture or guess, in science a theory is "a model of the universe, or a restricted part of it, and a set of rules that relate quantities in the model to observations that we make" [48] Critics also state that evolution is not a fact, although from a scientific viewpoint evolution is considered both a theory and a fact.[49][50][51] A related, more extreme claim is that evolution is a "theory in crisis", generally based on misrepresenting the scientific support and evidence for evolutionary theory.[52]
Another common misunderstanding is the idea that one species, such as humans, can be more "highly evolved" or "advanced" than another. It is often assumed that evolution must lead to greater complexity, or that devolution ("backwards" evolution) can occur. Scientists consider evolution a non-directional process that does not proceed toward any ultimate goal; advancements are only situational, and organisms' complexity can either increase, decrease, or stay the same, depending on which is advantageous, and thus selected for.[53]
Evolution is also frequently misinterpreted as stating that humans evolved from monkeys; based on this, some critics argue that monkeys should no longer exist. This misunderstands speciation, which frequently involves a subset of a population cladogenetically splitting off before speciating, rather than an entire species simply turning into a new one. Additionally, biologists have never claimed that humans evolved from monkeys—only that humans and monkeys share a common ancestor, as do all organisms.[54]
It is also frequently claimed that speciation has only been inferred, never directly observed. In reality, the evolution of numerous new species has been observed.[55] A similar claim is that only microevolution, not macroevolution, has been observed; however, macroevolution has been observed as well, and modern evolutionary synthesis draws little distinction between the two, considering macroevolution to simply be microevolution on a larger scale.[56]
Other widespread misunderstandings of evolution include the idea that evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics, which applies to isolated systems, not open systems like the earth, which absorbs light from the sun an radiates heat to space; and that evolution cannot create new physical information, although this regularly occurs whenever a novel mutation or gene duplication arises.[57]
[edit]

Social and religious controversies

This caricature of Charles Darwin as an ape reflects the cultural backlash against evolution and common descent.
Ever since the publication of The Origin of Species in 1859, evolution has been a source of nearly constant controversy. In general, controversy has centered on the philosophical, social, and religious implications of evolution, not on the science of evolution itself; the proposition that biological evolution occurs through the mechanism of natural selection is completely uncontested within the scientific community.[58]
As Darwin recognized early on, perhaps the most controversial aspect of evolutionary thought is its applicability to human beings. Specifically, many object to the idea that all diversity in life, including human beings, arose through natural processes without a need for supernatural intervention. Although many religions, such as Catholicism, have reconciled their beliefs with evolution through theistic evolution, creationists argue against evolution on the basis that it contradicts their theistic origin beliefs.[59] In some countries—notably the United States—these tensions between scientific and religious teachings have fueled the ongoing creation-evolution controversy, a social and religious conflict especially centering on public education. While many other fields of science, such as cosmology[60] and earth science[61] also conflict with a literal interpretation of many religious texts, evolutionary biology has borne the brunt of these debates. Some also argue that evolutionary common descent "degrades" human beings by placing them on the same level as other animals, in contrast with past views of a great chain of being in which humans are "above" animals.
Evolution has been used to support philosophical and ethical choices which most contemporary scientists consider were neither mandated by evolution nor supported by science.[62] For example, the eugenic ideas of Francis Galton were developed into arguments that the human gene pool should be improved by selective breeding policies, including incentives for reproduction for those of "good stock" and disincentives, such as compulsory sterilization, "euthanasia", and later, prenatal testing, birth control, and genetic engineering, for those of "bad stock". Another example of an extension of evolutionary theory that is now widely regarded as unwarranted is "Social Darwinism", a term given to the 19th century Whig Malthusian theory developed by Herbert Spencer into ideas about "survival of the fittest" in commerce and human societies as a whole, and by others into claims that social inequality, racism, and imperialism were justified.[63]
[edit]

See also
For a more comprehensive list of topics, see Category:Evolution and Category:Evolutionary biology
Abiogenesis
Behavioral ecology
Convergent evolution
Divergent evolution
Evolution of sex
Evolutionary algorithm
Evolutionary art
Evolution of multicellularity
Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary tree
Experimental evolution
Gene-centered view of evolution
Genetics
Gradualism
Human behavioral ecology
Kin selection
List of publications on evolution and human behavior
Paleontology
Parallel evolution
Punctuated equilibrium
Sociobiology
[edit]

Footnotes
↑ 1.0 1.1 Futuyma, Douglas J. (2005). Evolution. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 0-87893-187-2.
↑ Gould, Stephen J. (2002). The Structure of Evolutionary Theory. Belknap Press. ISBN 0-674-00613-5.
↑ Lande, R., Arnold, S.J. (1983). "The measurement of selection on correlated characters". Evolution 37: 1210–1226.
↑ Haldane, J.B.S. (1953). "The measurement of natural selection". Proceedings of the 9th International Congress of Genetics 1: 480–487.
↑ 5.0 5.1 Mechanisms: the processes of evolution. Understanding Evolution. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.
↑ Myers, PZ. "Ann Coulter: No evidence for evolution?", Pharyngula, scienceblogs.com, 2006-06-18. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
↑ IAP Statement on the Teaching of Evolution Joint statement issued by the national science academies of 67 countries, including the United Kingdom's Royal Society (PDF file)
↑ From the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society: 2006 Statement on the Teaching of Evolution (PDF file), AAAS Denounces Anti-Evolution Laws
↑ Stephen J. Gould (1997-06-12). Darwinian Fundamentalism. New York Review of Books. Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
↑ Created from PDB 1D65
↑ Beisson, J. & Sonneborn, T. M. (1965). Cytoplasmic inheritance of the organization of the cell cortex of Paramecium aurelia. Proc. natn. Acad Sci. U.S.A. 53, 275-282
↑ Snustad, P. and Simmons, A. 2000. Principles of Genetics, 2nd edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New-York, p.20
↑ Aminetzach YT, Macpherson JM, Petrov DA. (1992). "Pesticide resistance via transposition-mediated adaptive gene truncation in Drosophila.". Science 309 (5735): 764-7..
↑ Carroll S.B,. Grenier J.K., Weatherbee S.D. (2005). From DNA to Diversity: Molecular Genetics and the Evolution of Animal Design. Second Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-1950-0.
↑ enmicro.pdf
↑ Pennisi_2003.pdf
↑ Rieseberg LH, Raymond O, Rosenthal DM, Lai Z, Livingstone K, Nakazato T, Durphy JL, Schwarzbach AE, Donovan LA, Lexer C. (2003). "Major ecological transitions in wild sunflowers facilitated by hybridization.". Science 301 (5637): 1211-6..
↑ Grant, P.R., and Grant, B.R. (1992). "Hybridization in bird species". Science 256 (4061): 193-7..
↑ Gompert Z, Fordyce JA, Forister ML, Shapiro AM, Nice CC. (2006). "Homoploid hybrid speciation in an extreme habitat.". Science 314 (5807): 1923-5.
↑ Dzidic S, Bedekovic V. (2003). "Horizontal gene transfer-emerging multidrug resistance in hospital bacteria". Acta pharmacologica Sinica 24 (6): 519-526.
↑ Andersson JO (2005). "Lateral gene transfer in eukaryotes". Cellular and molecular life sciences 62 (11): 1182-1197.
↑ Katz LA (2002). "Lateral gene transfers and the evolution of eukaryotes: theories and data". International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 52 (5): 1893-1900.
↑ Evolutionary Theory by Peter Gogarten, Ph.D.
↑ Hoskin et al (Oct 2005). "Reinforcement drives rapid allopatric speciation". Nature 437: 1353-1356.
↑ Savolainen et al (May 2006). "Sympatric speciation in palms on an oceanic island". Nature 441: 210-213.
↑ Barluenga et al (February 2006). "Sympatric speciation in Nicaraguan crater lake cichlid fish". Nature 439: 719-723.
↑ Leakey, Richard and Roger Lewin, 1996, The Sixth Extinction : Patterns of Life and the Future of Humankind, Anchor, ISBN 0-385-46809-1.
↑ Nowak et al. "Evolutionary dynamics of biological games"Science"'303'", 793-799 (2004), see also Nowak's book Evolutionary Dynamics
↑ Nowak et al. Five Rules for the Evolution of Cooperation Science 314, 1560 (2006)
↑ Sachs, J.L. Cooperation within and among species Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19, 1415 (2006)
↑ Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium (2005). "Initial sequence of the chimpanzee genome and comparison with the human genome". Nature 437: 69–87.
↑ Britten, R.J. (2002). "Divergence between samples of chimpanzee and human DNA sequences is 5%, counting indels". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99: 13633–13635.
↑ Schweitzer M.H. et al (2005). "Soft-tissue vessels and cellular preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex". Science 307 (5717): 1952-1955.
↑ Feduccia, Alan (1996). The Origin and Evolution of Birds. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-06460-8.
↑ Daeschler, Edward B., Shubin, Neil H., & Jenkins Jr, Farish A. (April 2006). "A Devonian tetrapod-like fish and the evolution of the tetrapod body plan". Nature 440: 757–763. DOI:10.1038/nature04639. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.
↑ Two sources: 'Genomic divergences between humans and other hominoids and the effective population size of the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees'. and 'Quantitative Estimates of Sequence Divergence for Comparative Analysis of Mammalian Genomes' "[1] [2]"
↑ The picture labeled "Human Chromosome 2 and its analogs in the apes" in the article Comparison of the Human and Great Ape Chromosomes as Evidence for Common Ancestry shows how humans have a single chromosome which is two separate chromosomes in the nonhuman apes.
↑ The New York Times report Still Evolving, Human Genes Tell New Story, based on A Map of Recent Positive Selection in the Human Genome, states the International HapMap Project is "providing the strongest evidence yet that humans are still evolving" and details some of that evidence.
↑ Pseudogene evolution and natural selection for a compact genome. "[3]"
↑ Okamoto N, Inouye I. (2005). "A secondary symbiosis in progress". Science 310 (5746): 287.
↑ Okamoto N, Inouye I. (2006). "Hatena arenicola gen. et sp. nov., a Katablepharid Undergoing Probable Plastid Acquisition.". Protist Article in Print.
↑ Oklahoma State - Horizontal Gene Transfer: "Sequence comparisons suggest recent horizontal transfer of many genes among diverse species including across the boundaries of phylogenetic 'domains'. Thus determining the phylogenetic history of a species cannot be done conclusively by determining evolutionary trees for single genes."
↑ Bowler, Peter J. (1989). The Mendelian Revolution: The Emergence of Hereditarian Concepts in Modern Science and Society. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
↑ Rincon, Paul. "Evolution takes science honours", BBC News, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-07-16. According to the BBC, Colin Norman, news editor of Science, said "[S]cientists tend to take for granted that evolution underpins modern biology [...] Evolution is not just something that scientists study as an esoteric enterprise. It has very important implications for public health and for our understanding of who we are" and Dr. Mike Ritchie, of the school of biology at the University of St Andrews, UK said "The big recent development in evolutionary biology has obviously been the improved resolution in our understanding of genetics. Where people have found a gene they think is involved in speciation, I can now go and look how it has evolved in 12 different species of fly, because we've got the genomes of all these species available on the web."
↑ BBC Report on Biology Education in North America "In a study of 1,200 college freshmen, Professor Alters found that 45% of those who doubted the theory of evolution had specific misunderstandings about some of the science that has been used to support it."
↑ Constance Holden (1998). "SCIENCE EDUCATION: Academy Rallies Teachers on Evolution". Science 280 (5361): 194.
↑ Miller JD, Scott EC, Okamoto S. (2006). "Science communication. Public acceptance of evolution.". Science 313 (5788): 765-766.
↑ Stephen Hawking A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes New York: Bantam Books 1988.
↑ Five Major Misconceptions about Evolution, Mark Isaak, Talkorigins, 2003
↑ Stephen Jay Gould, " Evolution as Fact and Theory"; Discover, Volume 2, Number 5, May 1981, p. 34-37, reprinted in Speak Out Against The New Right, Herbert F. Vetter (Editor), Beacon Press, 1982, ISBN 0807004863, Beacon Press, January 1982, ISBN 0807004871 and by Fenestra Books, October 31, 2004 ISBN 1587363577 and also in Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes, Stephen Jay Gould, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, editions printed April 1983, November 28, 1984 and April 1994, pp. 253-262 ISBN 0393017168
↑ "Evolution: Fact and Theory", Richard E. Lenski, American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2000.
↑ Morton, G.R. (2002). The Imminent Demise of Evolution: The Longest Running Falsehood in Creationism
↑ Scientific American; Biology: Is the human race evolving or devolving?
↑ Index to Creationist Claims, Claim CC150 edited by Mark Isaak. The TalkOrigins Archive, 2005
↑ Boxhorn, Joseph. Observed Instances of Speciation. Talk Origins Archive.
↑ Theobald, Douglas L. '29+ Evidences for Macroevolution: The Scientific Case for Common Descent.' The Talk.Origins Archive. Vers. 2.83. 2004. 12 Jan, 2004
↑ Evolution and Information: The Nylon Bug. New Mexicans for Science and Reason.
↑ An overview of the philosophical, religious, and cosmological controversies by a philosopher who strongly supports evolution is: Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995). On the scientific and social reception of evolution in the 19th and early 20th centuries, see: Peter J. Bowler, Evolution: The History of an Idea, 3rd. rev. edn. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003).
↑ [4]
↑ Spergel, D. N., et al. (2003). "First-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Determination of Cosmological Parameters". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 148: 175—194. DOI:10.1086/377226.
↑ Wilde, S. A., Valley J. W., Peck W. H. and Graham C. M. (2001). "Evidence from detrital zircons for the existence of continental crust and oceans on the Earth 4.4 Gyr ago". Nature 409: 175—178.
↑ Darwin strongly disagreed with attempts by Herbert Spencer and other to extrapolate evolutionary ideas to all possible subject matters; see Mary Midgley The Myths we Live By Routledge 2004 p62.
↑ On the history of eugenics and evolution, see Daniel Kevles, In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity (New York: Knopf, 1985).
[edit]

References
Carroll, Sean B (2005)., Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom, W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-06016-0
Futuyma, D. (2005). Evolution. Sinauer Associates, Inc.. ISBN 0-87893-187-2.
Garcia-Fernàndez, Jordi. Amphioxus: a peaceful anchovy fillet to illuminate Chordate Evolution. Int J Biol Sci (May, 2006).
Gigerenzer, Gerd, et al., The empire of chance: how probability changed science and everyday life (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989).
Larson, Edward J. Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory (Modern Library Chronicles). Modern Library (May 4, 2004). ISBN 0-679-64288-9
Mayr, Ernst. What Evolution Is. Basic Books (October, 2002). ISBN 0-465-04426-3
Menand, Louis. 2001 The Metaphysical Club. New York: Farar, Straus and Giraux. ISBN 0-374-19963-9
Williams, G.C. (1966). Adaptation and Natural Selection: A Critique of some Current Evolutionary Thought. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Zimmer, Carl. Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea. Perennial (October 1, 2002). ISBN 0-06-095850-2
[edit]

External links
Understanding Evolution from University of California, Berkeley
National Academies Evolution Resources
National Academy Press: Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
Charles Darwin's writings
EvoWiki, a wiki dedicated to education about evolution
Evolution (provided by PBS)
Everything you wanted to know about evolution (provided by New Scientist)
Howstuffworks.com — How Evolution Works
Synthetic Theory Of Evolution: An Introduction to Modern Evolutionary Concepts and Theories
Evolution News from Genome News Network (GNN)
Understanding Evolution: History, Theory, Evidence, and Implications Deals heavily with the history of evolutionary thought
Becoming Human - Journey through the story of human evolution
Timeline of Evolutionary Thought The life and work of notable people who have contributed to evolutionary thought
Talk.Origins Archive — see also talk.origins
Dispelling the Top Ten Myths About Evolution Endorsed by Ann Druyan and the American Association for the Advancement of Science: introduces the top ten common myths and misunderstandings about evolution and includes a sample chapter, "Survival of the Fittest".
Evolution simulators
Isolated species evolves to interact more efficiently with its environment (java applet)
Evolution in a predator-prey relationship (java applet)
Watch small creatures evolve into more efficient swimmers
Blind Watchmaker Applet (java)

Astrology

2008-01-31T03:56:00.000-08:00

Astrology
The art of judging the influence of planets and stars on human beings—in the past, in the present, and, by extrapolation, in the future.
India and China have had astrological systems for a long time. These are highly developed, and regarded with respect. The Western version has its ancestry in Babylonia, where astronomers were listing constellations and prominent stars in the second millennium b.c. With the passage of time, they came to distinguish seven “planets,” counting the five true ones visible without telescopes plus the Sun and Moon—in other words, the seven bodies that were not fixed like stars. All seven were associated with divine beings. They were seen to travel through sections of the sky that astronomers defined by twelve constellations, the signs of the Zodiac.
In the sixth century b.c., Babylonians developed a theory that these celestial orbs influenced the world below. Greek advances in astronomy presently refined the possibilities, and the Western form of astrology took shape. Earth was located at the center of the universe, with seven transparent spheres rotating around it, one outside another, each carrying a planet. The Moon’s was nearest to Earth; concentrically outside it, in order, came the spheres carrying Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Outside Saturn’s sphere was a larger one bearing the stars, and outside that was an even larger one that imparted motion inward to all the others. The planets exerted influence on the world at the center, and, in their varying relations to the Zodiac and each other, were “interpreters” of destiny. As in Babylonia, deities were associated with them. “Mercury,” “Venus” and the rest are the Roman names of the divinities that were assigned to these planets by classical astrologers because they were thought to be the appropriate ones. The fifth planet’s influence, for example, tended towards strength, assertiveness, and anger, so it was taken to be the planet of the war god Mars.
Astronomically, the system is no longer viable, and astrologers are quite aware of the fact. But they still tacitly assume it, in its essentials, as a kind of operating fiction, its use justified by results. In practice—supposedly—it does work. A horoscope can be drawn up on the basis of the planets’ positions at someone’s birth. The most important is the Sun, which is in Aries (the Ram) during part of March and part of April, then in Taurus (the Bull) during the rest of April and part of May, and so on. The date of birth determines the person’s Sun-sign or birth-sign: Aries, for instance, if the Sun was in that portion of the sky at the time, Taurus if it was in the next portion, and so on. The Sun-sign is said to have a crucial bearing on the personality.
Complex calculations about the positions of the other six planets—sometimes, today, computerized—can be expressed on a birth-chart, and add further insights into the individual’s character and destiny. On the basis of the inferred destiny and perhaps also of the planets’ foreseeable positions at some future time, events yet to come can be predicted; or, at any rate, probabilities—the celestial bodies, to quote an astrologer,“influence but do not compel.” Auspicious and inauspicious days can be identified in advance for some
important action. The technique is not confined to individuals. It can be applied to cities, states, institutions, or whatever, preferably at the time of their foundation, the equivalent of birth. Projections into the future can be made similarly. A horoscope of the city of Liverpool, in England, is said to have shown that it will become the capital of England in the twenty-third century—an extreme case but not inconsistent with the logic of the system.
An astrologer casting a client’s horoscope in 1617. The progress of astronomy was beginning to raise doubts about astrology, but astrologers were still being consulted.
(Ann Ronan Picture Library)
To revert to history, Romans were hesitant about embracing this production of Greek cleverness, but early in the Christian era, it was growing popular at high social levels, and the casting of a horoscope at a child’s birth was becoming customary. An astrologer named Thrasyllus was an adviser to the emperor Tiberius. When some of his predictions failed, Tiberius lost patience and was about to push him off a cliff, but he managed to make a good one just in time.
After the Roman Empire became officially Christian in the fourth century, astrology began to be frowned upon. Augustine, the most influential of the Church fathers, offered rational arguments against it and argued that even when astrologers got predictions right, this was probably due to inspiration by evil spirits. For a long time, it was in disfavor. However, it began to come back in the early Middle Ages as a quasi-scientific technique. Planets could no longer be gods, but in some mysterious way, they might still play a part in earthly affairs. Scholars in the Church kept it off the list of forbidden arts, and Saint Thomas Aquinas, the leading medieval philosopher, allowed it a strictly limited validity. Its practitioners worked freely, though they stressed character reading and medical diagnosis rather then prediction. It became very popular in the sixteenth-century Renaissance. John Dee, in England, was allowed to draw up horoscopes for royalty and to set a date for Elizabeth I’s coronation. Nostradamus, in France, published hundreds of prophecies, some of them remarkable, though for him, astrology seems to have been subordinate to another method of forecasting that remains obscure.
The waning of Earth-centered astronomy was naturally adverse to astrology, and it declined again, but it never expired, and eventually, it began to recover. It could be rationalized, as it still can, by the argument that it reads the heavens as they appear to be, and no astronomical proof of what they actually are can make any difference. Its Western revival had its origin in Theosophy. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the founder of the movement, endorsed it in her book Isis Unveiled, published in 1877. One of her followers, writing under the name Alan Leo, was its first popularizer and produced a handbook entitled Astrology for All. In England, France, and the United States, interest gradually revived. However, it was only in Germany that astrology became a serious field of study, thanks partly to another Theosophist, Hugo Vollrath. The suffdrings of Germans in the great inflation of 1923–1924 and in the ensuing years of mass unemployment contributed to a longing for a doctrine that would make sense of events and perhaps foreshadow a better time ahead. An Astrological Congress in Munich was the first of a series. Germans of academic standing tried to make astrology an authentic system.
During this interwar period, astrology also enjoyed a vogue on radio and in newspapers. Exponents in English-speaking countries, such as Evangeline Adams and R. H. Naylor, made forecasts on topics of public interest. However, their occasional successes were outweighed by numerous failures. Later in the twentieth century, while astrology of a sort still flourished in the press, it was more cautious and largely confined to minihoroscopes for the day (or week or month) giving vague advice to readers born under each sign and avoiding specific detail about the future. In 1967, a well-informed writer on astrology, Ellic Howe, pronounced, in the light of his own negative findings, that prediction was its “Achilles’ heel.”
The astrology of a more responsible kind that continues to be practiced is concerned chiefly with character and destiny. Howe’s adverse verdict on prediction might be allowed to stand if it were not for an exceptional case history, that of Germany under the Nazi regime, from 1933 on. Seemingly, the activities of Vollrath and other enthusiasts showed predictive results that cannot be dismissed. Someone had cast the horoscope of the German republic on the basis of the date of its proclamation in 1918, and several attempts had been made to cast Hitler’s. There is evidence—some of it indisputable, some of it circumstantial but good—for correct long-range forecasts of Hitler’s career and the fortunes of Germany in World War II and its aftermath. Hitler, it was foretold, would be triumphant at first, and Germany would be victorious for two years, but in 1941, the tide would begin to turn. There would be major disasters in 1943 and a cataclysmic end, including the Führer’s downfall, in 1945, though a recovery would be under way after three years of peace. All of this was right. Hitler did not believe in astrology, but his awareness of its prediction for 1941 as a threat to morale was shown by a clampdown on astrologers in June of that year.
The German successes raise a problem. Can astrology predict after all? If so, how to make sense of these facts? Whatever astrologers may say in defense of their art, it remains the case that the universe is not what it looks like from below. They have done their best to fit in the three planets added to the traditional seven, but much more is involved than that. The crystal spheres and their resident deities have gone. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, together with the three latecomers, are barren globes moving through a void at vast distances from Earth and from each other. Medieval astronomy recognized greater distances than is commonly thought, but came nowhere near the remoteness of the stars, which are not only remote but in spatial relationships to each other that have nothing to do with the Zodiac: its constellations would disappear for an observer from a different vantage point.
An astrologer today might speak of correlations or synchronisms rather than influences. If such a claim were borne out by results, it would deserve to be investigated, but results are lacking. The German phenomenon may be thought to hint at some quite separate factor. The same could be said of the rare but documented triumphs of character reading by horoscope (or ostensibly by horoscope), such as one recorded at the University of Freiburg, where an astrologer named Walter Boer diagnosed the problems of a juvenile delinquent unknown to him in virtually the same way as a team of psychologists. Ellic Howe, who draws attention to this case, takes the view that such successes are not really produced by the subject’s birth-chart as such but by a kind of intuition making use of it, which few would-be astrologers are capable of. Jung, as is well known, took an interest in astrology, but he used patients’ horoscopes chiefly as therapeutic aids rather than sources of information.
One quasi-astrological finding has stood up to scrutiny, often very hostile. In 1955, a French statistician, Michel Gauquelin, proved that a significant number of people with certain abilities were born when certain planets were either just clearing the horizon or at the apex of their passage across the sky. Many outstanding athletes, for instance, were born when Mars was either rising or “culminating.” Jupiter seemed to be connected with famous actors in the same way. The ironic fact is that Gauquelin’s correlations are totally unrelated to traditional astrology, for which he found no support whatever.

Doesn't Have A Clue

2008-01-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

This is a real life story, so bear with me as I give somebackground information.We have a "free ad" section at our web site where people canplace a free ad for their business. Ads are submitted weekly andpublished on the web. Now, to place an ad, someone has to visitour web site and fill out a form containing their email addressand the copy of the ad. We try to make it as easy as possible,but the bottom line is many people are not serious, and don'thave a clue as to how to run a business on the web.When the ads are received, we send an automatic response to theperson who sent it. Perhaps one out of ten has an incorrectemail address and the response is returned as undeliverable.What a waste of time.How do these people think that people can respond to their ad iftheir email address is incorrect?Going through our archives, I found some real gems - what do youthink about these offers?"Join our MLM and earn beg income". This is either a typo orthey are promising very little in the way of earnings. Thisperson obviously didn't proof their copy before submitting thead.Another ad promised huge earnings, but gave no contactinformation. Not a web site URL or an email address to befound. Guess they figure it is so powerful an offer, we willfind them - another waste of time."Make Money! Turn $10 into $40,000 CASH like I did" - but wait -this guy is using a free email account. If he's making all thatmoney, wouldn't you think he could afford one for ten bucks amonth - maybe he is saving all those $10 bills so he can earn$40,000 CASH with each one."You can make 500% Profit without investing any money" - need Isay more!"Tired of the "Rat Race"? Free online training and no capitolneeded!" Did this guy mean "capital"? I'll hang on every wordhe has to say."Exciting,EasyandProfitable" - guess this person never learnedhow to use that big bar on the bottom of the keyboard. I thinkyou see where this article is going.If you are going to advertise a business on the web, and youpresent less than a professional image - you're not going to dobusiness. If you present yourself like the above examples, enjoyyour "walk on the quiet side". Most people are not idiots, andI'm sure the authors of the above ads are not either. But whygive that impression? I sure wouldn't do business with any oneof them.I read another ad for Web Design and the HTML coding in his adwas wrong. That sure built a lot of confidence.Most people scan poorly constructed ads and simply "click away".Guess they feel like I do. If you don't care enough to write acredible ad, why should I think you'll care about me if I buyfrom you?Many people rely too heavily on the spell checker on theircomputer. This is a mistake. After you do spell check, getsomeone else to read it. When writing something, many times youget so close to the article, you miss mistakes that someone elsewould quickly find. Many words that are being used incorrectlywill pass spell check.Remember - you usually only get one "shot" when a person seesyour ad. If it is well written, and has an attention gettingheadline, you just might make that sale. If you want to dobusiness on the web, get serious or people will come to theconclusion that you are someone who "Doesn't Have a Clue" andlook elsewhere.

Test, Test and Re-test

2008-01-27T23:47:00.000-08:00

We could all take a lesson from children. As they are growingup, and learning right from wrong, they are constantly testing tosee what they can do, and what is not acceptable.I see hundreds of ads everyday on the web, and while there aresome good ones, most fall into the "ho-hum" variety, and some aredownright awful. Now this isn't bad, if they are testing to seewhat is going to work, and what isn't.Many put up an ad with no idea as to whether it will produce ornot. They let the same ad run for a period of time, and wonderwhy they didn't get results. They then do one of two things.They either blame the publication for not generating business forthem, or give up entirely and go out of business. Others will runan ad once, and when the world doesn't beat a path to their door,they react the same way.It is a proven fact that an ad must be seen five to seven timesbefore someone can be expected to take action. If your ad istargeted to your market, and you are not getting responses, theodds are you have a "crummy ad". It is not then time to quit orblame the publication. It is time to change the ad.All successful marketers have one thing in common. They areconstantly testing the effectiveness of their ads. One of themost successful that I know, almost always runs more than one adin the same or similar publication at the same time. You couldput the ads side by side, and not realize they were from the sameperson for the same thing. She lets each ad run five times,always keeping careful track of the drawing power of the ads, andkeeps the strongest and changes the weakest.Mechanically, her method is really quite simple. She uses adifferent email address in each ad, and a different websiteaddress as well. Both websites are exactly the same, but havedifferent URL's. She got her websites from a low cost web spaceprovider where she not only reserved the name of her site, butgot web space as well for less than the cost of her ads. Thereare several low cost web space providers. I can recommend and - You reallyshould go with the one that meets your needs at the best price.Don't fall for the "hoopla" that you get "jillions" of charactersof online storage for a few bucks more. You don't need all thatroom. I have dozens of web sites, and they are all under 10MBof storage. Capabilities being equal - price is boss.She uses a popular ISP, but doesn't use that address in her ads.She feels, and I agree, that an ISP email address does notconjure up a strong "business image". Your choice of an ISP isimportant if you hope to do business on the web. Be sure yoursprovides an industry standard POP3 email capability. While AOLis great for many things, it does use their own proprietary emailsystem, and isn't, in my judgement, the best choice for running a business.She got a POP3 email address with each of her web sites, so sheuses those. She also uses a different email address on her websites - most web space providers give you unlimited emailaliases. She then installed the Eudora email package with adifferent folder for each address she uses. When she gets anemail, which was sent to one of those addresses, she has Eudoraautomatically file it in the appropriate folder, and send animmediate response. This lets her prospect know she got the message, but more importantly, allows her to track which ad it came from. If the email address was one of the addresses in her ads, she knows which one. If it came from one of the web sites, she knows which ad sent the prospect to that site.But what has happened here? A quick count of the emails in eachof the folders reveals which ad is pulling, and where theprospect is coming from. Now, remember the unlimited aliases,she got with her web space. If she is going to try to test theeffectiveness of several publications, she simply uses adifferent alias for that ad in each publication, and sets up aseparate folder in Eudora for it.There are other ways of course to track the ads by forcing thesubject in your email address, and having a different subject foreach ad. The cost of web space however, and email addresses hascome down so much in the last few years, that having separateemail addresses is most likely the easiest way to track theresults of your ads, and present a professional image.You must test, test, and retest your ads. If you do, you willfind the winning combination, and realize the power of the web.

The Trap

2008-01-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

ot a day goes by that I don't hear about someone lamenting their decision to leave corporate America and work at home.Maybe they were laid off, opted for early retirement, or justdecided that commuting four hours on the train, coupled with aneight hour workday was simply too much. Possibly, they will keeptheir job and work part-time at home to earn extra income. Whoknows what the reasons are, but that is not important.With "visions of sugarplums" dancing in their head, they decidedto start their own home business. They believed the ads aboutworking in their pajamas when the spirit moved them, and after amonth or so woke up to reality. They weren't making a dime.Where did they go wrong? Well, when they worked for someoneelse, they were expected to be at work at a certain time everyday. Depending on the business, there was a certain dress code,and they had goals to meet. Granted, these goals were usuallydetermined by someone else, but they were the ones who had tomeet them.It is easy to work for someone else, as they are the ones callingthe shots. They actually lived under an umbrella of discipline.Granted it was someone else's umbrella, and maybe they didn'trealize this. Possibly they did, and that was the reason theydecided to work on their own.One of the most common problems behind the failure of a homebusiness, is the lack of discipline. Some think they can workwhen (and if) they want to, and their mailbox will "overfloweth"with twenty dollar bills. Well, I got news for you!Running your own business, whether it is a brick and mortarestablishment, or a home business, requires work. It usuallyrequires more effort than if you worked for someone else. Youwill also have to do some things you don't enjoy. But, if youare the chief (or only) "honcho", you had better be able tohandle all facets of your business.So, how do you go about working at home? First and foremost, youhave to have a regular schedule and adhere to it. This isespecially true if you expect people to contact you by phone. Ifpeople try to call you, and don't get an answer, they quicklymove on. You have to be available during normal business hours.If you are in an online business, this is usually from 9:00 AM to8:00 PM. Yes there are three time zones in the USA. If you liveon the east coast like I do, when you are getting ready to packit in for the day, folks on the west coast may just be returningfrom lunch.If you are not tied to a telephone, it is still important tomaintain regular hours. More importantly, you should have dailygoals. If you meet those goals, the rest of the day is yours.But many people always think there is tomorrow.For far too many, tomorrow never comes, and things that shouldhave been done aren't. Maybe when the kids are at school willwork for you, or possibly late at night. You might even have topass up on your favorite "soap". Don't deal with hours - you'renot being paid by the hour - deal with goal oriented results.Working in your pajamas sounds great, and many of the offers youmay hear state that you can. If I get an idea in the wee hours,I may hop on the computer dressed like that, but for normalbusiness hours that is simply a myth. Who wants to spend theirlife like that?You must have an effective work space, which is free ofdistractions. You should have quiet office space in your house,which is out-of-the-way, and off limits during your work hours.Treat this like an office. Keep it neat. While I am not theneatest person in the world, I do know where everything is. If Iget a call from a client, I'm not fumbling about looking for theinformation I need. A filing cabinet next to your desk goes along way.When you get an email, take appropriate action the same day, thenfile it in a place where you can find it. Delete all emails inyour "in-basket" older than 30 days. If they're older than 30days, they're not worth anything anyway.If you don't fall into the "trap", which many folks do, you justmight make it in your own home business.

FIVE FANTASTIC WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR AFFILIATE PROGRAM

2008-01-27T23:15:00.000-08:00

If you belong to any affiliate program, you know that beingsuccessful at the affiliate game hinges on one simple concept:getting as many people to join as you possibly can.There are a lot of different programs out there and even moreways promote them, so I've narrowed things down to what I believeare the five absolute best ways to get the word out about YOURaffiliate program. So, without further ado, here they are:1) ON EVERY PAGE OF YOUR WEB SITEThat's right... every page. After looking through your site andseeing that link on every page, they're just bound to click on atleast one of them. Promoting your program on every page will notonly utilize the proven marketing method of repetition, but willalso display your enthusiasm, which is also a great tool.2) IN YOUR NEWSLETTERSince most of your core customers are already looking at it, yournewsletter is a terrific place to promote your affiliate program.Position an ad with a link right at the top of your newsletter,again somewhere in the middle, and also at the bottom.3) EZINE ADSEzines like DEMC and AIM have huge numbers of subscribers, andboth cater mostly to an audience of online businesspeople andopportunity seekers. Therefore, ads placed in these newsletterscan reach literally tens of thousands of the right kind ofpeople. Reaching a targeted audience like this is key if youwant a good return on your investment.4) PRESS RELEASESIf your affiliate program is new, unique, or especiallyprofitable, a press release sent to the right audience can reallygive you a boost. A well-written press release just placed onyour web site can give your program a "newsy" feel that mightreally impress people.5) WORD OF MOUTHI can't say enough about word-of-mouth advertising. If you'reexcited about your affiliate program, talk about it. Tell yourfriends, your family, your co-workers, and people on the bus allabout how you're making money. People who know you are morelikely to take you on your word, and if they tell their friendsand family... you get the picture.Promoting your affiliate program really isn't very hard, and itcan make the difference between success and failure. Use thesemethods, and you're likely to go far.

Make This One Change To Your Web Page... and Double and Triple Your Profits

2008-01-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

Are you getting visitors to your web site but nobody wants tobuy? Do people come to your site once, but never return? I'vegot a simple change you can make to your opening web page thatcan quickly turn your luck around.By far the biggest reason most web sites don't sell as much asthey could is due to a single problem. The words on theiropening page don't do their job.On the Web, you only get a few seconds to grab new visitors andkeep them. If the wording on your opening page is falling downon the job, no one will stick around long enough to buy. Yoursite is finished before it even gets started.Over and over again, everywhere I go on the Web, I see sites thatare shooting themselves in the foot. The opening page has toolittle information to hold a visitor. Or the opening page hasplenty of information, but it is too hard to make heads or tailsof. Or the opening page has too much information, so much thatnew visitors get lost.Given the few seconds visitors spend on a new site, they justdon't have time to carefully study a site's copy to figure outwhat the owner intends for them. Your copy needs to IMMEDIATELYhit visitors squarely between the eyes.Here's how to do it.Distill what you have to offer down to your most popular andpowerful product or service. Don't throw a whole selection ofproducts at new visitors. Just give them one good one they cansink their teeth into.Next figure out the one most powerful advantage your product orservice gives customers. Also think about what kinds of visitorsare most likely to buy. Once you have these two things in mind,you're ready change your copy so it grabs visitors and makes thembuy.Give Your Page a Headline.Start your page with a headline in big type. Begin your sentencewith an action word. Look at the title of this article. "Makethis one change to your web page and double and triple yourprofits."I don't say "here are 27 ways," I just promise you one. Then Igive you a powerful benefit this change can bring. Do you wantto double and triple your profits? Absolutely. Most peoplecontinue to read the article.The same principle works for your opening web page. A big, fat,exciting headline is quick and easy to read. It pulls peopleinto the copy that follows it.Feel The Reader's Pain.People only buy when they feel you can solve a problem that iscausing them pain. People want to save money, save time, get alife, feel sexier, and more.Don't follow your headline with a diatribe on how good yourproduct is. Instead, talk about the thing readers care aboutmost. Make your copy describe a problem the reader has. Tellhow the problem affects the reader's life. Show the reader howthe problem will get worse, much worse, over time if it is notfixed.Now Dole Out The Medicine.Present your product or service as the solution to the customer'sproblem. Describe its most important features, then connectthem with the benefits they will bring.Most of your customers don't automatically understand how yourproduct's great features can help them. You have to describe thebenefits. It helps to give real life examples of how the featurehelps people.Try not to bury your reader in features. If you have more thanthree, list them in bulleted form. Bullets help readers digest abatch of related points.Trot Out The Raves.Next is a good time to add several enthusiastic testimonials fromsatisfied customers. Have the customer talk about how she gotthe results you promised in your benefits section.If your product will save the customer time and hassles, have areal life customer talk about how he now has time to go to hisson's baseball games...now that he can get work finished faster.If your product or service is new, have several people try it,then give you their comments. Most people are delighted to help,especially if they know you will be publishing their opinions.Tell Them HOW TO BUY.This is the one thing so many sites miss. Give people a bigorder button they can't miss. Make it easy for them to buy.Easy ordering should include information on how customers cancontact you. Include your email address (which you check often),your phone number, and your physical location. Also include yourguarantee if you have one.Let customers know how long it will take for you to deliver theproduct or service. And be sure to tell them how much extrashipping and handling will cost. Stating these things right upfront helps customers make a decision to buy, NOW.Make these changes to your opening web page today. Thisimprovement is the one thing that can turn your sales aroundimmediately. I've seen sites double and triple their sales afterwe put this changes in place. One man called to say his saleswent up "ten fold" within a couple of days.
About the Author

Give Your Affiliate Program A Lift With A New Or Improved Product

2008-01-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

If an affiliate program is an important part of your business,your profits are only as good as your affiliate members. Salesdrop like a rock when they get discouraged or lose interest.You will see the dreaded signs if you frequently visit youraffiliates' sites. The banner or enthusiastic endorsement theyonce had on their opening page is now relegated to a link on thesecond or third tier of their site. Something as simple as thatcan cut the number of hits you get by a factor of ten or twenty.Two things usually account for members giving you the back burnertreatment: Your product or service isn't selling as well as itonce did for them. Or members are simply losing interest becausenewer, more exciting affiliate programs are grabbing theirattention.You can immediately solve both problems by offering a new orimproved product or service. Spend time to make sure your newproduct is a big improvement over what has come before. The moreyou can insure your product is a big deal, the more excited youraffiliates will get.Make your roll-out a big production. Give your new creation awhole new area with a fresh new look on your web site.Two weeks before you unveil your new product, start sendingannouncements to your affiliates. Let them know somethingimportant is about to happen and they will be the first to hearabout it.After you bring out your product, do a quick follow-up withmembers. Get comments on how they expect the new product tosell. Harvest early accounts of how some members are doing wellwith the product. Include these comments in your weekly emailupdates to members.A word of warning--try not to veer completely away from what hasworked for you before. If you have always sold software, don'tbring in a new line of office furniture as your new product foraffiliates. An exciting new software application will workbetter and will not dilute the brand identity your business hasenjoyed.Got a major product you don't want to ignore? Good! It'salmost always easier to get affiliates and customers excitedabout an improvement to an old favorite than it is to make afavorite out of a completely new product.Keep a file of customer complaints and ideas about your product.Over time you can use these as ideas starters for ways to buildimprovements that customers and affiliates will appreciate andvalue.When interest in your product or service starts to diminish, pullour your file and make requested improvements. Add in enoughimprovements and you have a new issue, a next generation, or afresh edition you can sell as a replacement or upgrade to yourlong list of previous customers.Affiliate programs are still the number one way to market on theWeb. It pays to keep your program exiting and top-of-mind. Formany companies, it is unlikely that a better way to boost profitswill come along any time soon.

REVISITING THE 'BENEFITS' FACTOR

2008-01-27T23:01:00.002-08:00

If you are in the business of making sales (as mostonline marketers are, in one form or another) then youknow that it is a basic tenet that you must appeal toone of people's basic NEEDS if they are going topurchase your product or service.So what are those basic needs, anyway?Well, the most obvious needs are for shelter, food andwarmth. But there's a different kind of 'warmth' thatmany people need, too, and that's where you come in.People need to feel needed, or they need to have comforts,or they need to have their problems solved, or they needto BELONG - these are all needs for a different kind of'warmth' that we can appeal to in our sales campaigns,in our advertising materials, and on our websites.The bottom line is that potential customers are onlyinterested in what your product or service can do forthem - what NEED your offering will fill. Period. So youcan try to convince them that your widget is prettierthan someone else's widget, or faster, or whatever...but only if that can be shown to benefit them.I'm not talking about features, here. There's a bigdifference between 'features' and 'benefits'. A bettermousetrap might have the 'feature' of a more reliablespring-loaded mechanism - but that makes it a bettermousetrap because it has the 'benefit' of being ableto get rid of more mice! See the difference?We've all heard the phrase 'to keep up with the Joneses.'Ad agencies have long used our need to belong, to fit in,to be a 'part of' rather than apart from, to sell us onvarious products or services. You can take advantage ofthis human drive to sell your offering, too.The important thing, then, is to make a point of addressingthe benefits right up front. On the front page of yourwebsite, or in big letters on your ad copy, make sure youtell the reader 'what's in it for them' if they purchaseyour product or service. Which basic human need will itmeet? Figure that out first, and the whole rest of yourmarketing campaign will come so much easier to you.If you can discover what 'problem' your product or serviceis the answer to, then you're on your way to success. Willyour product make your customers sexier, allow them moreleisure time, make them lots of money..? Will it give themone of the many kinds of 'warmth' that we all crave?Make sure you say so, loud and clear, and prospectivecustomers will be sure to hear you!

REVISITING THE 'BENEFITS' FACTOR

2008-01-27T23:01:00.001-08:00

REVISITING THE 'BENEFITS' FACTOR

2008-01-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

YOU CAN DO THE WORK OF 100 PEOPLE!

2008-01-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

It's an old cliche - "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.Teach him to fish, feed him for a lifetime."That's been true forever. But, there's a new game in town andtheir motto goes like this - "Sell a man a fish, earn 10 bucks,feed yourself a happy meal. Teach a man to fish, take part ofevery catch, and HE will feed YOU for a lifetime."They're trying to tell you that the secret to business success ismultiplication - if you can find something that's profitable, doit over and over again, and you will get paid each time you doit.But if you can multiply your efforts by creating a group ofpeople who are doing your something, and if they pay you (just alittle bit) for each something, you get paid 5, 50, 500 timesmore rewards.That's the key to financial security and the freedom to do whatyou want in life - multiplying your efforts.Everybody's heard of the old fashioned way - multi-levelmarketing - where you sign up, then you sign up your friends andthey sign up their friends, and on and on. Problem is, you runout of friends VERY fast, because everyone in your group knowsmany of the same people. In addition, doing both the teaching andpromotion of the business takes up too much of your time andmoney.With the advent of the world wide web, you can now increase thatpool of potential recruits to include everyone on the net -hundreds of millions of people! And the best part is, thepromotion and teaching can be automated by computers.It's called "remote control selling" and it's the biggestopportunity to hit the world since the telephone gave us instantvoice to voice contact. Many companies now have networks that aretrue turnkey systems.That means you get everything you need, like one-stop shopping atthe supermarket. As an affiliate, you can take advantage of allof all the company's resources: banner ads; classified ads; yourown website; a library of articles, training materials, salesletters, and much, much more. Once a proven way to recruit andteach a prospect into successful affiliates is found, let thecompany do the work for you, automatically. You just sign on,turn the key on the system and refer prospects to it!An additional benefit is that getting prospects will becomeeasier because they will trust you because YOU have the image,prestige and resources of the major player behind you.Choose carefully-look over the websites of several companies.Sign up for one that offers a free trial period. Make an informeddecision about the program. Then, be prepared to work. Turn onthe keys and find the prospects and the system will take care ofthe rest.A real network marketing opportunity is NOT a get-rich-quickscheme. It isn't free. If you want the system to work for you,then put in the effort, cultivate prospects, bring people intoyour group and help them to be successful. Can you find 100people that want a new, better life? Yes, and you'll be glad youdid. You take chances every day - stop taking chances that rewardothers, and take a chance on yourself!

THE "MISSING LINK" OF THE INTERNET

2008-01-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

Networking is a powerful tool.Just to be clear, we are NOT talking about running miles ofcable from one computer to the next and we are NOT talkingabout recruiting people for a business opportunity. What we ARE talking about is recognizing, developing and profiting fromyour NETWORK of contacts, no matter what business you are in.We all know more people than we think we do. Surveys haveshown that, by the time we graduate college, most of us knowabout 250 other people. The Internet has changed all of that.That number goes way up when you think of people you know viathe Internet. Let's look at five ways to develop your networkof contacts, online and offline, to help skyrocket your business,no matter what that business is. Make a list of the people youknow and let's get ready to go!STEP 1:The first step is to let your group of contacts know whatyou are doing. Honesty is the key here. HELP them see thenext level of relationship where you can be of help to eachother in a business setting. If they are going to open theircontacts to you, and you to them, you must both be comfortable.And don't push it. If they hesitate, back off.STEP 2:Ask them how you can help them. Many times in life and businesswe get by giving. HONESTLY offering your help to them withoutasking anything in return will set the stage for a mutuallybeneficial relationship. Honesty is the key. If you have lessthan noble motives, stay away.STEP 3:Be involved on the Net. The most efficient way to make newcontacts is over the Internet. There are thousands of chats,newsgroups and forums out there. Almost certainly there aresome on YOUR topic. Get in the swim and meet new people.STEP 4:Develop credibility. Here we go giving before we get again.While in the chats and on the forums answer EVERY questionthat you can. Don't answer if you don't know. But if you DOknow, make your voice heard often. Be sure and let them knowhow to reach you and, over time, they will.STEP 5:Be in for the long haul. If you are not building relationshipsfor the long haul, people will sense that and back away. Letpeople know that even though many things may change over theyears, you won't.If you begin with these five basics you will start to developyour own network of contacts that, over time, will mean youmay NEVER HAVE TO FIND PROSPECTS AGAIN. The math isstraightforward. Each contact you develop who shares even oneperson with you is opening you up to not 1, but 250 otherpotential prospects.Remember to be honest and up front about your intentions andYOUR network of contacts will grow up to produce a bumper crop.

SMART TAGS? WHO SAYS THEY'RE SMART?

2008-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has said a lot about Smart Tags. And it isMicrosoft who claims this is a "smart" idea.I'm not a fan of Microsoft products. Still, there are realbenefits to all software developers and PC users in theuniformity from system to system that Windows provides. But ifMicrosoft makes this move, it's a step too far. Here's whatSmart Tags will do.> Advertisers will agree to pay a fixed amount for a click on a keyword. As at GoTo.Com, keyword "ownership" is subject to a higher bid.> Website pages downloaded from any website to any computerusing Windows will be scanned for these keywords.> Those found will be highlighted and converted to links to the advertiser's site.I've heard talk of Smart Tags for some time. There has beenan awesome hue and cry of opposition. I was glad Microsoftresponded by deciding against including this "feature" in theirnew XP operating system.Then The Other Shoe DroppedSomething just as "good" as Smart Tags is already here. Andit's ugly. Here's a quote from "The San Francisco Chronicle.""TOPtext is an example of 'contextual advertising,' thelatest attempt by online advertisers to reach the eyes and mindsof Web surfers. TOPtext turns existing words on a Web page intohyperlinks that redirect a computer user to the advertiser'ssite." (The full article is available at either of the followinglinks. Erase the spaces and returns in the first one beforepasting.)KaZaA is using a plug in to IE(Internet Explorer) called TOPtext from eZula. For details, please see "Is SomeoneHijacking YOUR Visitors?" by Bob Smith above. For somescreen shots of results, check this out on Bob's site. (It's a must, for once seen, you won't forget it.)My Most Valuable AssetsMy most prized business assets are not things, but visitors. The path to profits on my site, as on many, is to first generatea subscriber. Through "STAT News," I'm able to build thecredibility that brings the sale.By adding a link on "small businesses" on my subscriptionsign up page, my most valuable potential asset is being lured to another site. I lose. Someone else grabs the gain.On my home page, the added link under the ebook I'm sellingseeks to steal a potential sale. The advertiser pays maybe 15cents if the link is clicked, and I lose the potential of a $29sale.Since the link is redirected, the user can not return to mysite with the Back button. Thus it is unlikely he or she everwill. This is grim at best, but ...What Matters MostWhile I remain concerned about such theft, I am moreconcerned about my credibility. Most surfers are not computerexperts. Most will never recognize these links were added bysoftware running on their system. They are quite likely tobelieve I am recommending this company. That I am in factsuggesting they leave my site to go to this more importantdestination.What will happen to people's view of me if I "link" to acompany with a publicly recognized bad reputation? Or to someoneI directly oppose? Or to one I totally mistrust? If this isn'tcrystal clear, consider a link from your site redirected to a p or n site.The "New" Ebook RevolutionSeveral of the most popular ebook compilers link to IE fordisplay. (My ebooks do; this may change soon!) Imagine whatgibberish TOPtext can make of an exquisite ebook page.The future of ebooks remains uncertain. Sure, they'll bearound. But the format is now up in the air. It's a blow to a lot of people heavily committed, some with profits not yetrolling in.The Insidious FactorOne of the things that makes this such an ugly evolution isthat webmasters may never know it's happening. Further, there'sthe obvious impact of slowing download speed, because of theadditional time to add the links. And this matters. But it isminor compared to what your pages will look like. Just how does one design a great looking, carefully polishedsite that can hold this appearance when randomly highlighted inyellow? What Is Microsoft Thinking?I don't know if Microsoft is in any way a part of thisparticular "experiment." But the effects are so much like theresults they expect from Smart Tags, it is difficult to acceptthis implementation as a coincidence. I suspect Microsoft will watch developments with great care. If they can figure a "better" plan, will they implement it in Windows? If so, then whatever browser is in use, results will be the same. And MS will be in a position to control the advertising. There is inconceivable profit potentialin this.Legal PossibilitiesI have no doubt but what this issue will be brought to court. I've a picture of a Ford site reacting to "truck" highlighted ontheir site with a link to a Chevy site.This part of the tale may prove interesting. I'm fascinatedby the following notion I don't believe has come up before.If you buy a book, you may deface it in any way you please. It will be argued that since the downloaded page is on thevisitor's computer, they own it, that the user (or softwareselected) can therefore do as they please with it.To me, the way in which a page is delivered to a visitor isimmaterial. It's my creation. Excepting for limitations in mycoding, I expect my visitor to see it as created. A Boon To Advertising? Maybe. It is something entirely different to webmasters who have spent agonizing hours building site content.How will this end? I can't even guess. But if it does not, the Web as we know it now will be history.
About the Author

DO NUMBERS HELP?

2008-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Demographics about the Web abound. You may find such datahelpful. In general, when I look at the research available, Iget a feeling it's incomplete. The Web is so vast, I don't thinkit's possible to find a small representative sample from whichsignificant results can be obtained that reflect the whole. Inthe end, what is reported with numbers may not matter to you, even though the source is impeccable.Numbers Don't Always WorkFor example, it has been reported that 330 million people are"on the Web." I have not read closely enough to know if thismeans daily, occasionally, or somewhere in between. To me itdoesn't matter.Even if this number were doubled, it would still mean nothingto me. I am interested in reaching an extremely small fractionof web users. The implication I've been seeing in spam messagesof late is that I can reach all 330 million people. This is alie. But there would be no gain in trying to do so in any case.Honest Numbers Can Be WrongI recently read a report that of nearly 100,000 spam messagesreceived by one firm, about a third were promoting po-rn sites. (I used a hyphen in hopes of ducking blocking software.) Whatdoes this mean? Numbers are funny. I never doubt such reports fromrespectable firms or people. But I am always skeptical about thenumbers themselves. Sure, those were the results obtained. Iwill accept this without hesitation. But they often do not seemin accord with my experience.I get lots and lots of spam. Less than 3% is po-rn related. Do I thus conclude the report was wrong? That they were lyingfor some devious purpose?Not at all. It only means their sample of email received was not representative of what I receive. In like fashion, it is doubtful my email is typical of yours. 100,000 spams messages is a very small percentage of what ismailed each day. It is so small, results from this sample havevery little, if any significance. These results were obtained,that's true. But they may have no meaning relative to you.Leave the particulars of demographics to those keen on thetopic. Your best plan is to ignore such numbers and focus oninteractivity with readers and visitors. In every way you can,seek input, then derive your own demographics from it.Your Log Files Can MisleadRecently I was chatting with a fellow who was having troublegetting a page to load under a specific condition in Netscape. Since he uses Internet Explorer, which handled this casecorrectly, he hadn't noticed the problem until I pointed it out.When I did, he commented, "Hey, I don't need to worry. Only5% of my visitors are using Netscape." This fellow is wrong in two ways.Of visitors to my site, over 40% are using Netscape. So haveI got it wrong? Or is the fellow reporting 5% wrong? Neither ofus is. We are both reporting accurately. Why Are There Such Great Differences?The apparent dilemma stems from the fact that we all have ourown set of visitors. Each comes to us from a vast pool of manymillions of Web users. Those who show up on my site may nevereven hear about yours, let alone visit. Thus my visitors are not representative of yours, except asto the fundamentals. For example, all site visitors ask first,"What's in it for me?" Such basics relate to every site. Thespecifics do not.Even if a massive, well respected study reported only 1% ofsurfers use 640 x 480 monitors, it still might not apply to yoursite. For as suggested above, the pool is so vast, hoping todraw a truly random sample from it is impossible.Further, things change rapidly on the Web. Not long ago,Netscape was the browser leader. As Microsoft continued todemand Internet Explorer be installed on all new systemsdelivered, the dominance of Netscape began to fade. Even afterbeing acquired by AOL, market share continued to drop.Can you assume it will continue to do so? That would leaveus with only one major browser. A Microsoft product. A companyalready at odds with the Justice department in anti-trustactions. It may prove to be in their best interest to assurethat Netscape regains a significant share of the market.What seems so today is suspect, for it may not be sotomorrow. Rather than making assumptions which may prove falsetomorrow, the better plan is to accommodate all possible optionstoday, and be prepared to make changes tomorrow.The Mistake That Matters MostBut the second mistake made by the fellow mentioned above is in ignoring Netscape users however small their numbers be. Suppose only 5% of my visitors use Netscape. To toss away thismany potential customers is foolish at least. I take the time to make it work for them.Hasten SlowlyJavaScript has been available for some time. Is it wise touse it if N% of systems can not deal with it? The better plan is to offer an alternate way to access your site for those who can not.Plug ins are popular of late. Will users take the time todownload and install one so as to see your site in all its glory? I doubt it. What's best is to offer the option to do so, but besure your site functions effectively without it.One of my systems uses a Pentium II with awesome supportingresources. However, it doesn't have a sound card. A site thatrequires I have one, will hold my attention only so long as ittakes to hit the Back button or enter another URL.Killer AssumptionsIf we make assumptions about the power and tools our visitorshave readily available, to the extent we are wrong, we aredriving them off our sites.When you consider how hard it is to draw a new visitor,driving even one away seems a pretty silly thing to do.

PRODUCTIVITY AND YOUR BUSINESS

2008-01-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

Productivity. Has a nice sound to it, don't you think?Positive. Upbeat. Forward-looking. Something we probably allshould be seeking to improve. Unfortunately, the word does nothave the same meaning for all.Productivity, Big Business, And PeopleTo big business, productivity means cutting all possibleexpenses. And since wages are a major expenditure, jobsroutinely disappear. (aka: Downsizing)Large companies hire the talent to collect solid data anddetermine exactly what the profitability is for any elementin place. It is then easy to point the finger precisely atelements that are less profitable.It can be demonstrated that if they eliminate a particularcomponent of their business, they will lose N% of customers.More important, they know precisely what N will be for anyproposed cutback.At this level of business, people do not matterindividually. That is, the company is not concerned about theneeds or nature of potential customers turned away. The focusis on the most profitable sale to make.Customer Support Is Decaying RapidlyOne of the early victims in the battle for increasedproductivity was customer support. Adobe, producers ofAcrobat, have taken this to an extreme. There is no contactinformation on their site. Not even an email address. Nobodyto contact if you have a problem with one of their products.Recently the theme has been CRM (Customer RelationshipsManagement) which purportedly improves interaction betweenthe company and its customers. Done properly as a company-wideon-going project, this is extremely effective for firms thatbenefit from staying in touch with their customers.Often, however, CRM amounts to implementing expensivesoftware systems that in effect seek to automate "interaction"and thus decrease the need for salaried employees to dealdirectly with customers.While people in general may accept being treated in suchcavalier fashion, many will not. These people buy such productsas Adobe Acrobat only because they need the tool, and it is notavailable elsewhere.Your OpportunityThe above picture of big business in action is loaded withimplications that can lead to a great business of your own.Or to improving one you have.For openers, consider that N% of previous customersdiscarded. One can make an excellent living off the discardsfrom the giants. And there is nothing to fear in reaching outto embrace these potential customers, for they have already beenwritten off. It's very unlikely that a major firm will reverseits position and want them back. And even if such a move ismade, you will already have a following that will remain loyalto you.Support Is CentralIn every aspect of your business, assure that your eagernessto support your customers shines through. Make this afundamental thrust in all you do. The name of your game mustbe: Build customer loyalty.Can Customer Loyalty Be Sustained?Many argue that it can not. Auto makers spend heavilyeach year to assure you come back and buy your next new carfrom them. Yet only about a third do. Not exciting resultsconsidering the bucks expended.Many also argue that on the Web, this is most certainlytrue. That people shop for price. Period. There are twopoints overlooked in such a statement.First, businesses that sell only on price will not succeedin the long term. Those selling at low prices will tend to disappear. As they do, your fair price becomes morecompetitive. This trend has been in place for a time,and will continue.Second, suppose you do waste some time and/or resourcesonly to lose to a lower price. So what? Those who recognizethe support you offer will pay your price. They want thereassurance you'll be handy if problems arise. As above,expect this trend to continue.Your Business Productivity PlanStill, your business can benefit from efforts to improveproductivity. Nothing fancy is required. Simply ask yourselfif there are any elements on your site that require resources,particularly time, that can be discarded.In a sense, this may also amount to discarding potentialcustomers. Still, if you are spending an hour a monthmaintaining a page that generates only ten bucks, take a closelook. It's at least a candidate to be discarded. Else convertit to a static offer that makes no further demands on your time.Wrapping UpTrack down customers being discarded by big business as theyfocus on downsizing and productivity. Grab them for yourself.Then hold on to them with great customer support. While you maylose a few to price, those who appreciate your efforts will buyfrom you again.And it may pay to look closely at your business with theview of profitability held by big business. If cutting somenear-dead wood frees up valuable time, it may need doing.

SPIDERS AND YOUR WEBSITE

2008-01-27T10:43:00.001-08:00

An effective website must have a clearly defined purpose. And it must lead visitors to the action you want them to take. Nothing can be allowed to interfere in this. The chance of asearch engine spider liking such a site is slim to none. Your presentation may be pointed at making a sale, generating a lead, obtaining information, etc. But at is a sales pitch. This is not what spiders are looking for; they want content. While it is unwise to ignore search engines, all must be focused on the site purpose.To turn this around, suppose all your pages make every spider happy. And suppose all are in the top ten on most searchengines. Then you would expect a ton of hits. But not a one ofthem would do you any good if the site fails to do its job.Once the site is functioning as required, then the gamechanges. You can now think about adding great content pages that do rank well. (For ideas about building content pages, send any email to mailto:contentpage@sitetipsandtricks.com) And you can consider professional services that generate more hits. (For a dandy, see "Search Engine Positioning Done Right!"at But hits to a site that doesn't work are meaningless. In what follows I will use the term site to mean a new site,or a new sub site within an existing site, or simply a new page. While there are exceptions, it is unlikely such pages will rankwell.Define Your Perfect CustomerThe best approach is to define every feature of your product. Then derive all benefits each feature provides. And through allthis, consider all possible people who may respond to thesebenefits. From this set, define the potential customer most likely to buy once your benefits are presented. Regardless of otherpossible buyers, focus all attention on your best prospect, your perfect customer.If you need assistance with the above, pick up a copy of JoeRobson's book, "Make Your Words Sell." Nobody makes this taskclearer than Joe does. For my review of this remarkable work,send any email to Targeted KeywordsThis is the set of phrases your perfect customer is mostlikely to enter when looking for your product or one similar to it. Each must be a phrase that comes naturally to yourprospect's mind.Generic words such as music simply won't work. Even jazz is not sufficiently specific. For a good method for findingappropriate keywords, send any email to:Building Great PagesFrom the headline on each page to the last word on the lastpage, every single word must seek to compel your visitor to takethe action you want. This is *not* the time to be thinking aboutsearch engine spiders; they are not buyers. You write with atotal focus on your perfect customer and let nothing distract you from listening to whatever he or she can share with you.Preparing For The SpidersWhen the site is as ready as it can be, there are a fewthings you can do to help increase the ranking of these newpages. But be sure no change diminishes the effectiveness of the site in any way.The Meta StatementsThe keyword meta statement is no longer of any use in searchengine positioning. Only AltaVista and Excite bother to read the tag. And it appears you get little, if any, boost from it.Some have suggested omitting it entirely. I include only thosekeywords that appear on the page. But I do include the tag. Search engine algorithms change constantly. Who's to say thistag will not again become relevant.But the title and description tags do matter. Most searchengines use them as you wrote them to create the listing for your page. Some do not consider them in ranking the page. Think of the title as the headline of an ad that drawsattention to the ad copy. And think of the description as the ad copy that compels the reader to click to your site. And above all, be certain a visitor who clicks on your listing finds what was expected on the page.Back To KeywordsYou may be able to do some tweaking of your pages relative to keywords. Since the keyword set evolved along with yourdefinition of your ideal customer and the features, then benefits of your product, chances are some of these keywords are included on some pages. Or a minor change can bring this about.Suppose you are working with a page upon which "fly fishing"occurs five times as an integral part of the pitch. While thisis not sufficient repetition for a top position on any searchengine, the page may rank reasonably well.You can improve the chance of a higher ranking by includingthe phrase in your title tag and meta description tag, as closeto the beginning of each statement as possible. Remember thetitle is the ad headline and the description is the ad copy; besure rewriting does not weaken the ad. And while it may beignored, include it first in the keyword tag as well.Try To Add Keywords To The PageSuppose you have the following sentence on the page: "Thesecret to fly fishing is the rod."Consider adding "fly" so that it now reads, "The secret tofly fishing is the fly rod." Adding this word does not help the pitch. But so long as it does not detract from it, we're good. If "fly rod" now occurs four times on the page, add it to the meta keyword tag. And it may be possible to slip it into the description some way, but avoid forcing it. The title and description must bring a click. It's easy to clutter them up to the point where they don't do the job.Other ThingsIf you are using heading tages, it helps if keywords forthe page are included in them as close to the beginning ofeach as possible. Some have reported good success withincluding them in ALT tags.While there is only a small bit of fine tuning that can be done with a well designed site, it's worth the effort to do so. For even a small gain can improve ranking substantially.What Matters MostThe performance of the site is the key. Rankings on search engines is way down on the priority list compared to site performance.Only when the site is up and doing the job, is it appropriateto consider generating more hits. As suggested, content pageswork. And there are those who can generate hits for you. Advertising works, but takes some time to master. Link swaps are very effective, and often overlooked.There is literally no end to what can be done to generatemore hits. But until site performance is maximized, more hitsmean next to nothing.

SPIDERS AND YOUR WEBSITE

2008-01-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Galaxy

2008-01-27T00:06:00.000-08:00

A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an unknown dark matter. Typical galaxies contain ten million[1] to one trillion[2] (107 to 1012) stars, all orbiting a common center of gravity. Galaxies can also contain a large number of multiple star systems and star clusters as well as various types of interstellar clouds.
Historically, galaxies have been categorized according to their visual morphology. The most common form is the elliptical galaxy, which, as the name suggests, has an ellipse-shaped light profile. Spiral galaxies are disk-shaped assemblages with curving dusty arms. Peculiar galaxies are unusual forms that can result from the gravitational pull from other, nearby galaxies. These interactions (as well as merging galaxies) can induce episodes of significantly increased star building, producing what is called a starburst galaxy. Galaxies lacking a coherent structure are termed irregular galaxies.[3]
There are probably more than a hundred billion (1011) galaxies in the observable universe.[4] Most galaxies are a thousand to a hundred thousand[2] parsecs in diameter and are usually separated from one another by distances on the order of millions of parsecs (or megaparsecs).[5] Intergalactic space, the space between galaxies, is filled with a tenuous gas with an average density less than one atom per cubic metre. The majority of galaxies are organized into a heirarchy of associations called clusters, which, in turn, can form larger groups called super-clusters. These larger structures are generally arranged into sheets and filaments, which surround immense voids in the universe.[6]
Although theoretical, dark matter appears to account for around 90% of the mass of most galaxies. But the nature of these unseen components is not well understood. There is also some evidence that supermassive black holes may exist at the center of many, if not all, galaxies. These massive objects are believed to be the primary cause of active galactic nuclei found at the core of some galaxies. The Milky Way galaxy appears to harbor just such an object within the core region.[7]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Observation history
3 Types and morphology
3.1 Ellipticals
3.2 Spirals
3.3 Other morphologies
3.4 Dwarf
4 Unusual dynamics and activities
4.1 Interacting
4.2 Starburst
4.3 Active nucleus
5 Formation and evolution
5.1 Formation
5.2 Evolution
6 Larger scale structures
7 Multi-wavelength observation
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
//
[edit]

Etymology
The word galaxy derives from the Greek term for our own galaxy, galaxias (γαλαξίας) or kyklos galaktikos meaning "milky circle" for the system's appearance in the sky. In Greek mythology, Zeus placed his son by a mortal woman, the infant Hercules, on Hera's breast as she was asleep, so that the baby would drink her divine milk and thus become immortal. Hera woke up while breastfeeding, and realized that she was nursing an unknown baby: she pushed the baby away and a jet of her milk sprayed the night sky, producing the faint band of light known as the Milky Way.[8]
The terms galaxy and Milky Way first appeared in the English language in a poem by Chaucer.
“"See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë Which men clepeth the Milky Wey, For hit is whyt."”
—[[Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer The House of Fame, c. 1380.[9]]]
When William Herschel constructed his catalog of deep sky objects, he used the name "spiral nebula" for certain objects such as M31. These would later be recognized as immense conglomerations of stars, once the true distance to these objects was appreciated, and they would be termed "Island universes". However the word universe was understood to mean the entirety of existence, so this expression fell into disuse and the objects instead became known as galaxies.[10]
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Observation history
In 1610, Galileo Galilei used a telescope to study the bright band on the night sky known as the Milky Way and discovered that it was composed of a huge number of faint stars.[11] In a treatise in 1755, Immanuel Kant, drawing on earlier work by Thomas Wright, speculated (correctly) that the Galaxy might be a rotating body of a huge number of stars, held together by gravitational forces akin to the solar system but on much larger scales. The resulting disk of stars would be seen as a band on the sky from our perspective inside the disk. Kant also conjectured that some of the nebulae visible in the night sky might be separate galaxies.[12]

Sketch of the Whirlpool Galaxy by Lord Rosse in 1845
Towards the end of the 18th century, Charles Messier compiled a catalog containing the 109 brightest nebulae (celestial objects with a nebulous appearance), later followed by a larger catalog of five thousand nebulae assembled by William Herschel.[12] In 1845, Lord Rosse constructed a new telescope and was able to distinguish between elliptical and spiral-shaped nebulae. He also managed to make out individual point sources in some of these nebulae, lending credence to Kant's earlier conjecture.[13]
In 1917, Heber Curtis had observed the nova S Andromedae within the Messier object M31. Searching the photographic record, 11 more novae were discovered. Curtis noticed that these novae were, on average, 10 magnitudes fainter than those that occurred within our galaxy. As a result he was able to come up with a distance estimate of 150,000 parsecs. He became a proponent of the so-called "island universes" hypothesis that held the spiral nebulae were actually independent galaxies.[14]
In 1920 the so-called Great Debate took place between Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis, concerning the nature of the Milky Way, spiral nebulae, and the dimensions of the universe. To support his claim that M31 was an external galaxy, Curtis noted the appearance of dark lanes resembling the dust clouds in our own galaxies, as well as the significant Doppler shift.[15]

Edwin Hubble at the 48-inch telescope on Palomar Mountain.
The matter was conclusively settled by Edwin Hubble in the early 1920s using a new telescope. He was able to resolve the outer parts of some spiral nebulae as collections of individual stars and identified some Cepheid variables, thus allowing him to estimate the distance to the nebulae: they were far too distant to be part of the Milky Way.[16] In 1936, Hubble produced a classification system for galaxies that is used to this day, the Hubble sequence.[17]
The first attempt to describe the shape of the Milky Way and the position of the Sun within it was carried out by William Herschel in 1785 by carefully counting the number of stars in different regions of the sky. Using a refined approach, Kapteyn in 1920 arrived at the picture of a small (diameter about 15 kiloparsecs) ellipsoid galaxy with the Sun close to the center. A different method by Harlow Shapley based on the cataloging of globular clusters led to a radically different picture: a flat disk with diameter approximately 70 kiloparsecs and the Sun far from the center.[12] Both analyses failed to take into account the absorption of light by interstellar dust present in the galactic plane; once Robert Julius Trumpler had quantified this effect in 1930 by studying open clusters, the present picture of our galaxy as described above emerged.[18]
In 1944, Hendrik van de Hulst predicted microwave radiation at a wavelength of 21 cm, resulting from interstellar atomic hydrogen gas;[19] this radiation was observed in 1951. This radiation allowed for much improved study of the Galaxy, since it is not affected by dust absorption and its Doppler shift can be used to map the motion of the gas in the Galaxy. These observations led to the postulation of a rotating bar structure in the center of the Galaxy.[20] With improved radio telescopes, hydrogen gas could also be traced in other galaxies. In the 1970s it was discovered in Vera Rubin's study of the rotation speed of gas in galaxies that the total visible mass (from stars and gas) does not properly account for the speed of the rotating gas. This galaxy rotation problem is thought to be explained by the presence of large quantities of unseen dark matter.[21]
Beginning in the 1990s, the Hubble Space Telescope yielded improved observations. Among other things, it established that the missing dark matter in our galaxy cannot solely consist of inherently faint and small stars.[22] The Hubble Deep Field, an extremely long exposure of a relatively empty part of the sky, provided evidence that there are about one hundred and seventy-five billion galaxies in the universe.[23] Improved technology in detecting the spectra invisible to humans (radio telescopes, infra-red cameras, x-ray telescopes), allow detection of other galaxies that are not detected by Hubble. Particularly, galaxy surveys in the zone of avoidance (the region of the sky blocked by the Milky Way) have revealed a number of new galaxies.[24]
[edit]

Types and morphology

Types of galaxies according to the Hubble classification scheme. An E indicates a type of elliptical galaxy; an S is a spiral, and SB is a barred-spiral galaxy
Galaxies come in three main types: ellipticals, spirals, and irregulars. A slightly more extensive description of galaxy types based on their appearance is given by the Hubble sequence. Since the Hubble sequence is entirely based upon visual morphological type, it may miss certain important characteristics of galaxies such as star formation rate (in starburst galaxies) or activity in the core (in active galaxies).[3]
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Ellipticals
The Hubble classification system rates elliptical galaxies on the basis of their ellipticity, ranging from E0, being nearly spherical, up to E7, which is highly elongated. These galaxies have an ellipsoidal profile, giving them an elliptical appearance regardless of the viewing angle. Their appearance shows little structure and they typically have relatively little interstellar matter. Consequently these galaxies also have a low portion of open clusters and a reduced rate of new star formation. Instead the galaxy is dominated by generally older, more evolved stars that are orbiting the common center of gravity in random directions. In this sense they have some similarity to the much smaller globular clusters.[25]
The majority of galaxies are elliptical. Many elliptical galaxies are believed to form due to the interaction of galaxies, resulting in a collision and merger. They can grow to enormous sizes (compared to spiral galaxies, for example) and giant elliptical galaxies are often found near the core of large galaxy clusters.[26] Starburst galaxies are the result of such a galactic collision that can result in the formation of an elliptical galaxy.[25]
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Spirals
Spiral galaxies consist of a rotating disk of stars and interstellar medium, along with a central bulge of generally older stars. Extending outward from the bulge are relatively bright arms. In the Hubble classification scheme, spiral galaxies are listed as type S, followed by a letter (a, b, or c) that indicates the degree of tightness of the spiral arms and the size of the central bulge. An Sa galaxy has tightly wound, poorly-defined arms and possesses a relatively large core region. At the other extreme, an Sc galaxy has open, well-defined arms and a small core region.[27]
In spiral galaxies, the spiral arms have the shape of approximate logarithmic spirals, a pattern that can be theoretically shown to result from a disturbance in a uniformly rotating mass of stars. Like the stars, the spiral arms also rotate around the center, but they do so with constant angular velocity. That means that stars pass in and out of spiral arms. The spiral arms are thought to be areas of high density or density waves. As stars move into an arm, they slow down, thus creating a higher density; this is akin to a "wave" of slowdowns moving along a highway full of moving cars. The arms are visible because the high density facilitates star formation and they therefore harbor many bright and young stars.

The barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300 (NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope photo)
A majority of spiral galaxies have a linear, bar-shaped band of stars that extends outward to either side of the core, then merges into the spiral arm structure.[28] In the Hubble classification scheme, these are designated by an SB, followed by a lower-case letter (a, b or c) that indicates the form of the spiral arms (in the same manner as the categorization of normal spiral galaxies.) Bars are thought to be temporary structures that can occur as a result of a density wave radiating outward from the core, or else due to a tidal interaction with another galaxy.[29] Many barred spiral galaxies are active, possibly as a result of gas being channeled into the core along the arms.[30]
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, sometimes simply called the Galaxy (with uppercase), is a large disk-shaped barred-spiral galaxy[31] about 30 kiloparsecs in diameter and a kiloparsec in thickness. It contains about two hundred billion (2×1011)[32] stars and has a total mass of about six hundred billion (6×1011) times the mass of the Sun.[33]
[edit]

Other morphologies
Peculiar galaxies are galactic formations that develop unusual properties due to tidal interactions with other galaxies. An example of this is the ring galaxy, which possesses a ring-like structure of stars and interstellar medium surrounding a bare core. A ring galaxy is thought to occur when a smaller galaxy passes through the core of a spiral galaxy.[34] Such an event may have affected the Andromeda galaxy, and as a result it displays a multi-ring-like structure when viewed in infrared radiation.[35]
A lenticular galaxy is an intermediate form that has properties of both elliptical and spiral galaxies. These are categorized as Hubble type S0, and they possess ill-defined spiral arms with an elliptical halo of stars.[36] (Barred lenticular galaxies receive Hubble classification SB0.)
In addition to the classifications mentioned above, there are a number of galaxies that can not be readily classified into an elliptical or spiral morphology. These are categorized as irregular galaxies. An Irr-I galaxy has some structure but does not align cleanly with the Hubble classification scheme. Irr-II galaxies does not possess any structure that resembles a Hubble classification, and may have been disrupted.[37] Nearby examples of (dwarf) irregular galaxies include the Magellanic clouds.
[edit]

Dwarf
Despite the prominence of large elliptical and spiral galaxies, most galaxies in the universe appear to be dwarf galaxies. These tiny galaxies are about one hundred times smaller than the Milky Way, containing only a few billion stars. Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies have recently been discovered that are only 100 parsecs across.[38]
Many dwarf galaxies may orbit a single larger galaxy; the Milky Way has at least a dozen such satellites, with an estimated 3–500 yet to be discovered.[39] Dwarf galaxies may also be classified as elliptical, spiral or irregular. Since small dwarf ellipticals bear little resemblance to large ellipticals, they are often called dwarf spheroidal galaxies instead.
[edit]

Unusual dynamics and activities
[edit]

Interacting
The average separation between galaxies within a cluster is a little over an order of magnitude larger than their diameter. Hence interactions between these galaxies are relatively frequent, and play an important role in their evolution. Near misses between galaxies result in warping distortions due to tidal interactions, and may cause some exchange of gas and dust.[40][41]
Collisions occur when two galaxies pass directly through each other and have sufficient relative momentum not to merge. The stars within these interacting galaxies will typically pass straight through without colliding. However the gas and dust within the two forms will interact. This can trigger bursts of star formation as the interstellar medium becomes disrupted and compressed. A collision can severely distort the shape of one or both galaxies, forming bars, rings or tail-like structures.[40][41]
At the extreme of interactions are galactic mergers. In this case the relative momentum of the two galaxies is insufficient to allow the galaxies to pass through each other. Instead they gradually merge together to form a single, larger galaxy. Mergers can result in significant changes to morphology, as compared to the original galaxies. In the case where one of the galaxies is much more massive, however, the result is known as cannibalism. In this case the larger galaxy will remain relatively undisturbed by the merger, while the smaller galaxy is torn apart. The Milky Way galaxy is currently in the process of cannibalizing the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy and the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy.[40][41]
[edit]

Starburst

M82, the archetype starburst galaxy, has experienced a 10-fold increase[42] in star formation rate as compared to a "normal" galaxy (NASA/ESA/STSci image)
Stars are created within galaxies from a reserve of cold gas that forms into giant molecular clouds. Some galaxies have been observed to form stars at an exceptional rate, known as a starburst. Should they continue to do so, however, they would consume their reserve of gas in a time frame lower than the lifespan of the galaxy. Hence starburst activity usually lasts for only about ten million years; a relatively brief period in the history of a galaxy. Starburst galaxies were more common during the early history of the universe,[43] and, at present, still contribute an estimated 15% to the total star production rate.[44]
Starburst galaxies are characterized by dusty concentrations of gas and the appearance of newly-formed stars, including massive stars that ionize the surrounding clouds to create H II regions.[45] These massive stars also produce supernova explosions, resulting in expanding remnants that interact powerfully with the surrounding gas. These outbursts trigger a chain reaction of star building that spreads throughout the gaseous region. Only when the available gas is nearly consumed or dispersed does the starburst activity come to an end.[43]
Starbursts are often associated with merging or interacting galaxies. The prototype example of such a starburst-forming interaction is M82, which experienced a close encounter with the larger M81. Irregular galaxies often exhibit spaced knots of starburst activity.[46]
[edit]

Active nucleus
A portion of the galaxies we can observe are classified as active. That is, a significant portion of the total energy output from the galaxy is emitted by a source other than the stars, dust and interstellar medium.
The standard model for an active galactic nucleus is based upon an accretion disk that forms around supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the core region. The radiation from an active galactic nucleus results from the gravitational energy of matter as it falls toward the black hole from the disk.[47] In about 10% of these objects, a diametrically opposed pair of energetic jets ejects particles from the core at velocities close to the speed of light. The mechanism for producing these jets is still not well-understood.[48]

A jet of particles is being emitted from the core of the elliptical radio galaxy M87 (NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image)
Active galaxies that emit high-energy radiation in the form of x-rays are classified as Seyfert galaxies or quasars, depending on the luminosity. Blazars are believed to be an active galaxy with a relativistic jet that is pointed in the direction of the Earth. A radio galaxy emits radio frequencies from relativistic jets. A unified model of these types of active galaxies explains their differences based on the viewing angle of the observer.[48]
Possibly related to active galactic nuclei (as well as starburst regions) are low-ionization nuclear-emission regions, or LINERs. The emission from LINER-type galaxies is dominated by weakly-ionized elements.[49] Approximately one-third of nearby galaxies are classified as containing LINER nuclei.[47][49][50]
[edit]

Formation and evolution
The study of galactic formation and evolution attempts to answer questions regarding how galaxies formed and their evolutionary path over the history of the universe. Some theories on this field have now become widely accepted, but it is still an active area of study in astrophysics.
[edit]

Formation
The method of galactic formation is a major open question in astronomy. Theories may be divided into two categories: top-down and bottom-up. In top-down theories such as the Eggen–Lynden-Bell–Sandage (ELS) model, protogalaxies form in a large-scale simultaneous collapse lasting about one hundred million years.[51] In bottom-up theories such as the Searle-Zinn (SZ) model, globular clusters form first, and then a number of such bodies accrete to form a larger galaxy.[52] Modern theories must be modified to account for the probable presence of large dark matter halos.
Shortly after recombination, baryonic matter begins to condense around cold dark matter halos. Zero-metal, possibly massive halo stars (called Population III stars) are the first to develop around a protogalaxy as it starts to contract. These huge stars quickly supernova, releasing heavy elements into the interstellar medium.[53]
During this early era of the universe, most of the hydrogen was neutral (non-ionized), which readily absorbs light. (As a result this period has been called the "Dark Ages".) However the first generation of stars re-ionized the surrounding neutral hydrogen, creating ever-expanding bubbles of transparent space through which light could readily travel.[54]
In 2006 it was discovered that the emission of Lyman alpha radiation from galaxy IOK-1 has a redshift of 6.96, making it thirteen billion years old. While some scientists have claimed other objects (such as Abell 1835 IR1916) to be even older, the IOK-1's age and composition have been more reliably established.[55] The existence of such early protogalaxies suggests that they must have grown in the so-called "Dark Ages", from anisotropic irregularities present during the era of recombination, a few hundred thousand years after the Big Bang.[56] Such irregularities of the right scale were observed using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) in 2003.[57]
[edit]

Evolution
Within a billion years of a galaxy's formation, globular clusters, the central supermassive black hole and galactic bulge of metal-poor Population II stars form. The supermassive black hole appears to play a key role in actively regulating the growth of galaxies by limiting the total amount of accumulated matter.[58]

I Zwicky 18 (lower left) is a recently-formed galaxy that may still be producing its first generation of stars.[59] NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image.
During the following two billion years, the remaining material settles into a galactic disk.[60] Galaxies will continue to absorb infalling material from high velocity clouds and dwarf galaxies throughout its life;[61] the cycle of stellar birth and death will increase the abundance of heavy elements, eventually allowing the formation of planets.[62]
The evolution of galaxies can be significantly affected by interactions and collisions. Mergers of galaxies were common during the early epoch, and the majority of galaxies were peculiar in morphology.[63] Given the distances between the stars, the great majority of stellar systems in colliding galaxies will be unaffected. However, gravitational stripping of the interstellar gas and dust that makes up the spiral arms will produce a long train of stars, similar to that seen in NGC 250[64] or the Antennae Galaxies.[65]
Studies show that the Milky Way galaxy is moving towards the nearby Andromeda Galaxy at about 130 km/s, and depending upon the lateral movements, the two may collide in about five to six billion years. Although the Milky Way has never collided with a galaxy as large as Andromeda before, evidence of past collisions of the Milky Way with smaller dwarf galaxies is increasing.[66]
As time passed, the merging of large galaxies steadily declined until it had virtually ceased after about six billion years. Most bright galaxies have retained their form since that time, and only a small percentage are now peculiar. The net formation of stars also peaked at about two billion years after the big bang and has steadily decreased since then. In fact the majority of star formation now occurs in smaller galaxies where the cool gas has not been as depleted.[63]
Spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, only produce new generations of stars as long as they continue to have dense molecular clouds of interstellar hydrogen in their spiral arms.[67] Elliptical galaxies are already largely devoid of this gas and so form no new stars.[68] However, the supply of star-forming material is finite; once stars have converted the available supply of hydrogen into heavier elements, new star will come to an end.[69]
After the end of stellar formation in under one hundred billion years, the "stellar age" will come to an end after about ten trillion to one hundred trillion years (1013–1014 years), as the smallest longest-lived stars in our astrosphere, tiny red dwarfs begin to fade. At the end of the stellar age galaxies will comprise compact objects: brown dwarfs, black dwarfs, cooling white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Eventually, as a result of gravitational relaxation, all stars will either fall into the central supermassive black hole of the galaxies, or be flung into the depths of intergalactic space as a result of collisions.[70][69]
[edit]

Larger scale structures
Deep sky surveys of galaxies have demonstrated that they are often found in relatively close association with other galaxies. Solitary galaxies, which may be defined as galaxies that have not significantly interacted with another galaxy of comparable mass during the past billion years (1 Gyr), are relatively scarce. Only about 5% of the galaxies surveyed have been found to be truly isolated. However, these isolated formations may have interacted and even merged with other galaxies in the past, and can still be orbited by smaller, satellite galaxies. Isolated galaxies[a] can produce stars at a higher rate than normal, as their gas is not being stripped by other, nearby galaxies.[71]
On the largest scale the universe is continually expanding, resulting in an average increase in the separation between individual galaxies. (See Hubble's law.) However, associations of galaxies can overcome this expansion on a local scale through their mutual gravitational attraction. These associations formed early in the universe as clumps of dark matter pulled their respective galaxies together. Nearby groups later merged to form larger-scale clusters. This on-going merger process (as well as an influx of infalling gas) heats the inter-galactic gas within a cluster to very high temperatures, reaching 30–100 million K.[72] About 70–80% of the mass in a cluster is in the form of dark matter, with 10–30% consisting of this heated gas and the remaining few percent of the matter in the form of galaxies.[73]

Seyfert's Sextet is an example of a compact galaxy group. NASA Hubble Space Telescope image.
Most galaxies in the universe are gravitationally bound to a number of other galaxies. These form a fractal-like heirarchy of clustered structures, with the smallest such associations being termed groups. A group of galaxies is the most common type of galactic cluster, and these formations contain a majority of the galaxies (as well as most of the baryonic mass) in the universe.[74][75] To remain gravitationally bound to such a group, each member galaxy must have a sufficiently low velocity to prevent it from escaping. (See Virial theorem.) If there is insufficient kinetic energy, however, the group may evolve into a smaller number of galaxies through mergers.[76]
Larger structures containing many thousands of galaxies packed into an area a few megaparsecs across are called clusters. Clusters of galaxies are often dominated by a single giant elliptical galaxy, known as the brightest cluster galaxy, which, over time, tidally destroys its satellite galaxies and adds their mass to its own.[77]
Superclusters are giant collections containing tens of thousands of galaxies, found in clusters, groups and sometimes individually; at the supercluster scale, galaxies are arranged into sheets and filaments surrounding vast empty voids.[78] Above this scale, the universe appears to be isotropic and homogeneous.[79]
Our galaxy is a member of an association named the Local Group, a relatively small group of galaxies that has a diameter of approximately one megaparsec. The Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy are the two brightest galaxies within the group. Many of the other member galaxies are dwarf companions of these two galaxies.[80] The Local Group itself is a part of a cloud-like structure within the Virgo Supercluster, a large, extended structure of groups and clusters of galaxies centered around the Virgo Cluster.[81]
[edit]

Multi-wavelength observation
Since galaxies external to the Milky Way were found to exist, much of the initial observation of these objects was been performed in the visual portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The peak radiation of most stars lies in this band, so the observation of the stars that form galaxies has been a major component of optical astronomy. It is also a favorable portion of the spectrum for observing ionized HII regions, and for examining the distribution of dusty arms.
Unfortunately the dust present in the interstellar medium is opaque to visual light, so it is necessary to use the infrared part of the spectrum to observe these regions. The dust is more transparent to far-infrared, allowing the interior regions of giant molecular clouds and galactic cores to be observed in great detail.[82] Infrared is also beneficial for the observation of distant, red-shifted galaxies that were formed much earier in the universe. Unfortunately water vapor and carbon dioxide absorb a number of useful portions of the infrared spectrum, requiring high-altitude or space-based telescope to perform infrared astronomy.

A radio map of the galaxy Centaurus A (upper left and lower right) is overlaid across the optical image (center), showing two lobes from the jets being generated by an active nucleus. (NASA image.)
The first non-visual study of galaxies, particularly active galaxies, was made using radio frequencies. The atmosphere is nearly transparent to radio between 5 MHz and 30 GHz. (The ionosphere blocks signals below this range.)[83] Large radio interferometers have been used to map the active jets emitted from active nuclei. Radio telescopes can also be used to observe neutral hydrogen (via 21 centimeter radiation), including, potentially, the non-ionized matter in the early universe that would later collapse to form galaxies.[84]
Ultraviolet and X-ray telescopes can observe highly energetic galactic phenomenon. An ultraviolet flare has been observed as a star in a distant galaxy was torn apart from the tidal forces of a black hole.[85] X-rays emitted by hot gas in galactic clusters allows the distribution of this material to be mapped. The existence of super-massive black holes at the cores of galaxies was confirmed through X-ray astronomy.[86]
See also: Observational astronomy
[edit]

See also
List of galaxies
List of nearest galaxies
Timeline of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and large scale structure
[edit]

Notes
^ The term "field galaxy" is sometimes used to mean an isolated galaxy, although the same term is also used to describe galaxies that do not belong to a cluster but may be a member of a group of galaxies.
[edit]

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Approach to the adult patient with nausea and vomiting

2008-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

George F Longstreth, MD

UpToDate performs a continuous review of over 375 journals and other resources. Updates are added as important new information is published. The literature review for version 15.2 is current through April 2007; this topic was last changed on March 30, 2007. The next version of UpToDate (15.3) will be released in October 2007.
INTRODUCTION — Nausea, the unpleasant sensation of being about to vomit, can occur alone or can accompany vomiting (the forceful expulsion of gastric contents), dyspepsia, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Retching differs from vomiting in the absence of expulsion of gastric content. In addition, patients may confuse vomiting with regurgitation, which is the return of esophageal contents to the hypopharynx with little effort [1]. (See "Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux in adults").
The pathophysiology of nausea and vomiting and the overall approach to the patient with these symptoms will be reviewed here. Nausea usually lasts longer than vomiting and may therefore be more distressing; in some cases, vomiting partially relieves nausea. This topic is also discussed in an official guideline issued by the American Gastroenterological Association. (See "AGA guideline: Nausea and vomiting").
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY — Normal function of the upper gastrointestinal tract involves an interaction between the gut and the central nervous system. The motor function of the gut is controlled at three main levels: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems; enteric brain neurons; and smooth muscle cells (show figure 1). (See "Pathogenesis of delayed gastric emptying" for a discussion of the anatomy and physiology of gastric motor function).
Nausea — Studies that produce motion sickness in humans indicate how some of the physiologic interactions can cause nausea [2,3]. In one report, for example, gastric myoelectrical activity and endogenous neuroendocrine responses were compared in subjects with and without motion sickness elicited by vection (induced by rotating a drum with black and white vertical stripes around seated stationary subjects) [2]. Thirteen subjects developed tachygastria (an increase in gastric slow wave rhythm) and motion sickness during vection, while nine maintained normal gastric rhythms and remained symptom-free. Nausea followed within minutes of and was proportional to the degree of tachygastria. Anticipatory increases in plasma cortisol and beta endorphin occurred in subjects who developed nausea and gastric tachyarrhythmias; endogenous epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were also increased in these subjects.
Vomiting — Vomiting is a reflex that allows an animal to rid itself of ingested toxins or poisons. It can be activated by humoral or neuronal stimuli, or both [4]. Multiple afferent and efferent pathways exist which induce vomiting; the following are the major components of these pathways: The area postrema in the floor of the fourth ventricle which contains a "chemoreceptor trigger zone" that is sensitive to many humoral factors, including neurotransmitters, peptides, drugs, and toxins. An area in the medulla known as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) which may serve as a central pattern generator for vomiting; information from humoral factors via the area postrema and visceral afferents via the vagus nerve may converge at this site [4]. The central pattern generator presumably projects to the various motor nuclei to elicit the sequential excitation and inhibition that controls the vomiting reflex.
Vagal afferent nerves from the gastrointestinal tract synapse in the NTS. From there, some neurons extend to the area postrema; other neurons from the NTS ascend to the paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and the limbic and cortical regions, where gastric electromechanical events are perceived as normal sensations or symptoms such as nausea or discomfort. Afferent sympathetic neurons mediating nociceptive stimuli synapse in the spinal cord and ascend to brain stem nuclei and the hypothalamus, where vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) and corticotropin releasing factor can be released (show figure 2).
Studies of vomiting in dogs reveal that gastric content is expelled as a result of gastric and lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, retrograde contraction in the proximal small bowel and antrum, abdominal muscle contraction, and initial cricopharyngeus contraction followed by relaxation seconds before vomiting [5]. Retching occurs when the glottis closes and respiratory muscles counteract abdominal muscle contraction to prevent the expulsion of gastric content.
APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT — As a general rule, the following three steps should be considered [1]. The consequences or complications of nausea and vomiting (eg, fluid depletion, hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis) should be identified and corrected. The etiology should be sought Targeted therapy should be provided, when possible (eg, surgery for bowel obstruction or malignancy). In other cases, symptoms should be treated.
Differential diagnosis — A variety of disorders can produce nausea with or without vomiting (show table 1A-1B). Gastroesophageal reflux disease can also cause chronic nausea [6].
The diverse differential diagnosis of nausea and vomiting should be approached initially with a careful history and physical examination. Laboratory evaluation and other testing should be guided by the symptom duration, frequency and severity, as well as the characteristics of vomiting episodes and associated symptoms. The following features can be helpful in diagnosis: Abdominal pain with vomiting usually indicates an organic etiology (eg, cholelithiasis). Abdominal distension and tenderness suggest bowel obstruction. Vomiting of food eaten several hours earlier and a succussion splash detected on abdominal examination suggest gastric obstruction or gastroparesis. Early morning vomiting is characteristic of pregnancy. Feculent vomiting suggests intestinal obstruction or a gastrocolic fistula. Vertigo and nystagmus are typical of vestibular neuritis. Bulimia is associated with dental enamel erosion, parotid gland enlargement, lanugo-like hair, and calluses on the dorsal surface of the hand [7]. Neurogenic vomiting may be positional, projectile, and is usually associated with other neurologic signs or symptoms. (See "Clinical presentation and diagnosis of brain tumors").
Most patients with acute nausea and vomiting can be diagnosed from the history, physical examination and directed laboratory/radiological testing. As in patients evaluated for chronic dyspepsia, which often overlaps with nausea and vomiting, most patients with chronic nausea and vomiting that is unexplained after routine evaluation should undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy to identify disorders that should have specific therapy.
However, endoscopy and other routine tests are often normal, suggesting an idiopathic (functional) etiology. (See "Functional dyspepsia"). Gastric motor dysfunction can be identified by special tests (such as gastric scintigraphy) in a large proportion of these patients, although the relationship to symptoms is not always clear. A non-invasive method of recording gastric myoelectrical activity or slow waves from cutaneous leads placed over the stomach (electrogastrography) reveals abnormalities in some patients. There is no evidence that correction of these abnormalities improves symptoms; thus, the role of this procedure in management is uncertain [8]. (See "Etiology and diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying").
Therapy — Few high-quality therapeutic trials have compared the efficacy of different drugs in specified types of nausea and vomiting. However, acute or chronic nausea and vomiting can often be helped by antiemetic or prokinetic drugs [9]. The recommended antiemetic drug varies according to the etiology (show table 2). Side effects also vary by antiemetic class.
Prokinetic drugs can also be useful [1]. The dopamine antagonist, metoclopramide, has combined antiemetic and prokinetic properties. However, it can be associated with extrapyramidal side-effects. Another dopamine antagonist, domperidone, penetrates the blood-brain barrier poorly; hence, anxiety and dystonia are much less common than with metoclopramide. However, domperidone is not approved for use in the United States. Agents with mainly prokinetic properties include erythromycin (motilin receptor agonist) and bethanechol (muscarinic receptor agonist).
Erythromycin has a narrow therapeutic window, above which abdominal pain and nausea are common. Thus, it can improve gastric emptying without improving nausea. A systematic review of published clinical trials of erythromycin therapy for various types of gastroparesis revealed that all studies were methodologically weak and that symptom improvement occurred in fewer than 50 percent of patients [10]. The side effects of bethanechol are similar to those of erythromycin, and trial data are even more limited. Thus, the role of prokinetic drugs for patients with gastroparesis is undefined.
Surgical therapy (gastrostomy, jejunostomy, and gastrectomy) has been performed in patients with postsurgical, diabetic, and idiopathic gastroparesis, but the reports were uncontrolled, unblinded, and retrospective, and benefit was unconvincing, except possibly for completion gastrectomy in patients with postsurgical gastroparesis [10].
Gastric electrical stimulation via implanted electrodes has been applied to highly selected patients with gastroparesis that is refractory to conventional therapy. (See "Electrical stimulation for gastroparesis").
SPECIFIC DISORDERS
Acute Disorders
Acute gastroenteritis — Acute gastroenteritis is a common cause of acute care seeking and is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost work time [11]. Bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens cause this illness which is characterized by diarrhea and/or vomiting. Vomiting is especially common with infections caused by rotaviruses, enteric adenovirus, and Norwalk agent (See "Epidemiology of viral gastroenteritis in adults").
Laboratory testing usually is unnecessary in adults with domestically acquired illness. One study, for example, evaluated 163 patients, 57 percent of whom had vomiting and diarrhea [12]. There was no association between abnormal laboratory results and the requirement for intravenous hydration, antibiotic treatment with the stool culture being positive, or hospitalization. Stool cultures had higher yields in patients with fever or diarrhea of more than two days' duration.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting — About one third of surgical patients have nausea, vomiting or both after receiving general anesthesia. Risk factors include female sex, nonsmoker status, previous history of postoperative nausea and vomiting or motion sickness, and unanticipated use of postoperative opioids. Most research has been directed toward prevention rather than therapy of established symptoms [13]. In a large trial, intravenous doses of1.25 mg of droperidol and 4 mg of dexamethasone within 20 minutes after the start of anesthesia or 4 mg of ondansetron during the last 20 minutes of surgery each reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting by about 26 percent [13]. Combining drugs had an additive effect, and the combination of the inexpensive drugs, droperidol and dexamethasone, was more beneficial than the expensive drug, ondansetron.
Vestibular neuritis — This acute labyrinthine disorder is the second most common cause of peripheral vertigo, and nausea is a common symptom. The assumed cause is reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. A placebo-controlled clinical trial found that methylprednisolone was more effective than placebo or valacyclovir; the combination of the methylprednisolone and valacyclovir was not superior to the drug methylprednisolone alone [14]. The 22-day therapy comprised methylprednisolone in a daily dose of 100 mg for three days, followed by three days each of 80 mg, 60 mg, 40 mg, 20 mg, and 10 mg and, finally, 10 mg every other day for two doses.
Patients receiving chemotherapy — Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of cancer chemotherapy, and anticipatory antiemetic therapy is indicated when highly emetogenic chemotherapy regimens are given. A multidisciplinary approach at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has classified the emetogenic potential of chemotherapy programs into five categories and has identified effective oral antiemetic therapy (show table 3) [15]. The use of specified antiemetic guidelines for each category has resulted in the treatment of more patients at lower overall cost. The recommended prophylactic regimen for the most emetogenic chemotherapy consists of an oral 5-HT3 receptor antagonist plus dexamethasone (20 mg PO). (See "Prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting").
Drugs — Multiple drugs are associated with nausea and thus a careful medication history is mandatory. The history should include non-prescription drugs. Use of marijuana has been associated with recurrent vomiting with features similar to cyclic vomiting syndrome. Compulsive bathing behavior may be a clue to identifying cannabinoid hyperemesis. (See "Cyclic vomiting syndrome").
Chronic disorders
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy — About 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women suffer nausea and/or vomiting; 50 percent have both nausea and vomiting, and 25 percent have nausea only. Risk factors include increased placental mass (eg, advanced molar gestation, multiple gestation), family history of hyperemesis gravidarum or a personal history of the disorder in a previous pregnancy, female fetus, and a history of motion sickness or migraine headaches.
This disorder nearly always begins within the first nine weeks of pregnancy; onset after the initial nine weeks should direct especially careful evaluation for another cause within the differential diagnosis of nausea and vomiting in nonpregnant patients. The diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum is applied to the most severely affected patients, approximately 0.5 to 2 percent of pregnancies. (See "Hyperemesis gravidarum").
Functional vomiting — A subset of patients with functional gastroduodenal disorders has nausea. (See "Functional dyspepsia").
Gastroparesis — Nausea may be a feature of gastroparesis but there is a poor correlation among symptoms, gastric dysrhythmias and gastric emptying rate. (See "AGA technical review: Evaluation of dyspepsia" and see "Treatment of delayed gastric emptying").
Gastroesophageal reflux — Nausea can occasionally be the presenting symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Gastric outlet obstruction — Pyloric stenosis can occur from malignancy or peptic ulcer disease. Inflammatory edema associated with ulcers may respond to acid suppression therapy and nasogastric suction. However, fibrotic strictures may persist after ulcer healing. Treatment of benign fibrotic strictures can be accomplished surgically or endoscopically. The endoscopic approach is the least invasive, however there is a risk of perforation and recurrence is common after long-term follow-up. Because of the risk of perforation and high long-term recurrence rate, endoscopic dilation may be most appropriate for patients at high risk for surgery. (See "Complications of peptic ulcer disease").
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis — Benign eosinophilic infiltration of the gut is uncommon, but its diagnosis is especially important as steroid therapy is usually effective (See "Eosinophilic gastroenteritis"). The disease can occur from the esophagus to the colon, and the symptoms dependent upon the area and tissue layer of bowel involved [16,17]. Gastric mucosal disease is typically associated with nausea and vomiting. This disorder should be suspected in patients with a history of allergy or peripheral eosinophilia; however, these features may be absent in 50 and 33 percent of cases, respectively [17]. Endoscopic biopsy is needed for diagnosis.
Cyclic vomiting syndrome — Cyclic vomiting syndrome is characterized by repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting that last for hours to days and are separated by symptom-free periods of variable length. It has been most often described in children, in whom symptoms often begin in the early school years and stop spontaneously at puberty [18,19]. In adults, the disorder consists of episodes of nausea and vomiting lasting for three to six days in a patient-specific stereotypic pattern [20,21]. In one report, the average cycle length was approximately three months [19]. The etiology is unknown, although many hypotheses have been proposed. Treatment has been largely supportive. In a series of 17 adult patients, tricyclic antidepressants therapy was associated with a complete remission or a partial response in 18 and 59 percent, respectively [21]. (See "Cyclic vomiting syndrome").
Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction — Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is usually secondary to an underlying disorder affecting neuromuscular function that suggests mechanical bowel obstruction of the small or large bowel in the absence of an anatomic lesion that obstructs the flow of intestinal contents [22,23]. One study of 42 patients with this disorder found that nausea and vomiting were prominent clinical manifestations in 83 percent of patients [23]. Prokinetic drugs usually provide little benefit [22]. (See "Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction").
Rumination syndrome — The rumination syndrome is a behavioral disorder that is most commonly identified among mentally-disadvantaged children, although it is increasingly recognized among adolescents and adults of normal mental capacity. The behavior consists of daily, effortless regurgitation of undigested food within minutes of starting or completing ingestion of a meal. (See "Etiology and diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying" section on rumination syndrome).
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
We suggest the following three steps in patients who present with nausea and vomiting: The consequences or complications of nausea and vomiting (eg, fluid depletion, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis) should be identified and corrected. The etiology should be sought. A variety of disorders can produce nausea with or without vomiting (show table 1A-1B). The diverse differential diagnosis of nausea and vomiting should be approached initially with a careful history and physical examination. Laboratory evaluation and other testing should be guided by the symptom duration, frequency, and severity as well as the characteristics of vomiting episodes and associated symptoms. Targeted therapy should be provided, when possible (eg, surgery for bowel obstruction or malignancy). In other cases symptoms should be treated. Few high-quality therapeutic trials have compared the efficacy of different drugs in specified types of nausea and vomiting. However, acute or chronic nausea and vomiting can often be helped by antiemetic or prokinetic drugs depending upon the underlying cause. (See "Therapy" above).
Use of UpToDate is subject to the Subscription and License Agreement. REFERENCES 1. Hasler, WL, Chey, WD. Nausea and vomiting. Gastroenterology 2003; 125:1860. 2. Koch, KL, Stern, RM, Vasey, MW, et al. Neuroendocrine and gastric myoelectrical responses to illusory self-motion in humans. Am J Physiol 1990; 258:E304. 3. Xu, LH, Koch, KL, Summy-Long, J, et al. Neurohormonal and gastric myoelectrical responses to vection in healthy Chinese subjects. Am J Physiol 1993; 265:E578. 4. Carpenter, DO. Neural mechanisms of emesis. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1990; 68:230. 5. Lang, IM, Sarna, SK, Dodds, WJ. The pharyngeal, esophageal, and proximal gastric responses associated with vomiting. Am J Physiol 1993; 265:G963. 6. Brzana, RJ, Koch, KL. Gastroesophageal reflux disease presenting with intractable nausea. Ann Intern Med 1997; 126:704. 7. Carney, CP, Andersen, AE. Eating disorders. Guide to medical evaluation and complications. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1996; 19:657. 8. Parkman, HP, Hasler, WL, Barnett, JL, Eaker, EY. Electrogastrography: a document prepared by the gastric section of the American Motility Society Clinical GI Motility Testing Task Force. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2003; 15:89. 9. Flake, ZA, Scalley, RD, Bailey, AG. Practical selection of antiemetics. Am Fam Physician 2004; 69:1169. 10. Jones, MP, Maganti, K. A systematic review of surgical therapy for gastroparesis. Am J Gastroenterol 2003; 98:2122. 11. Moffet, HL. Common infections in ambulatory patients. Ann Intern Med 1978; 89:743. 12. Carmeli, Y, Samore, M, Shoshany, O, et al. Utility of clinical symptoms versus laboratory tests for evaluation of acute gastroenteritis. Dig Dis Sci 1996; 41:1749. 13. Apfel, CC, Korttila, K, Abdalla, M, et al. A factorial trial of six interventions for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. N Engl J Med 2004; 350:2441. 14. Strupp, M, Zingler, VC, Arbusow, V, et al. Methylprednisolone, valacyclovir, or the combination for vestibular neuritis. N Engl J Med 2004; 351:354. 15. Nolte, MJ, Berkery, R, Pizzo, B, et al. Assuring the optimal use of serotonin antagonist antiemetics: The process for development and implementation of institutional antiemetic guidelines at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. J Clin Oncol 1998; 16:771. 16. Geldof, H, van der Schee, EJ, van Blankenstein, M, Grashuis, JL. Electrogastrographic study of gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with unexplained nausea and vomiting. Gut 1986; 27:799. 17. Kalantar, SJ, Marks, RM, Lambert, JR, et al. Dyspepsia due to eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Dig Dis Sci 1997; 42:2327. 18. Fleisher, DR, Matar, M. The cyclic vomiting syndrome: A report of 71 cases and review of the literature. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1993; 17:361. 19. Hoyt, CS, Stickler, GB. A study of 44 children with the syndrome of recurrent (cyclic) vomiting. Pediatrics 1960; 25:775. 20. Prakash, C, Staiano, A, Rothbaum, RJ, Clouse, RE. Similarities in cyclic vomiting syndrome across age groups. Am J Gastroenterol 2001; 96:684. 21. Prakash, C, Clouse, RE. Cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults: Clinical features and response to tricyclic antidepressants. Am J Gastroenterol 1999; 94:2855. 22. Mann, SD, Debinski, HS, Kamm, MA. Clinical characteristics of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in adults. Gut 1997; 41:675. 23. Stanghellini, V, Camilleri, M, Malagelada, JR. Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction: Clinical and intestinal manometric findings. Gut 1987; 28:5.

Writing Sales Letters That Work

2008-01-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

If you do any kind of direct mail, sooner or later you'regoing to have to write a sales letter. The point of asales letter is to get people to read it and not tossit in the trash. You need to get their attention fastand get them to act. Your product has to sound appealingand your copy needs to be written to "sell".Your sales letter needs to stress the benefits of yourproduct. If you don't know what they are, spendsome time writing them down. People generallyact on their emotions, so your copy needs to play onemotions hard enough to force them to act. Startyour letter with your product's strongestbenefit.There are no hard and fast rules on the length ofa sales letter. It can be 2, 4, 6, or more pages.Just make sure that every word you include isnecessary; don't be wordy just to increase the letter'slength.After you present the benefits, you need to ask for theorder. You'd be amazed at the number of writers whoskip this simple step. Tell the potential clientwhat to do -- i.e., "call now" or "mail the card." Give peopledirections and a good reason to act immediately. Phrases like"limited time offer," "special price," and "limited numberavailable" can entice your buyers to act quickly.Another tip that will help motivate potential clients isto offer them a free bonus. No matter what you sell, tryto come up with a "free bonus" you can tack onto everyorder. People love getting something for nothing. Offeringbonuses works, but make sure the bonus item is worthy.Don't offer something that has no value. Try addinga free bonus item along with your next sales pitch andwatch your sales increase.Always offer an "unconditional money back guarantee."A strong guarantee convinces a customer that theyhave nothing to lose by trying your product.Use courier font in your letter and if possible scanor write a handwritten signature. Studies haveshown that blue works best for the signature, while therest of the letter should be in black. At the endof the letter make sure you add a P.S. line.Besides the headline, the P.S. is the next thing thatgrabs the viewer's attention.Some may just read the headline and the P.S. andjust scan the rest of the letter, so you want tomake them stand out. The P.S. should repeat yourproduct's strongest benefits. That's right,I said "benefit," not "feature." If you don't knowthe difference between benefits and features, youshould. A benefit is what your product or servicewill do for the potential client. A feature ofthe product describes it -- for example, "red" or"6 inches in height." Remember this simple factand you'll do well in the "crazy" world of sales.Now that your letter is complete, drop it in a#10 envelope and send it off. If you've done agood job and followed the advice above, those orderswill start pouring in.That, my friend, was the benefit of reading this article!

How to Create an Online Identity

2008-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Remember High School? There were kids that stood out,the popular ones. Someone would speak their name and everyone would say "yea, I've heard about him/her".Popularity was everything. Well, the times may havechanged but the basic concept is the same. Popularityis alive and well on the Internet.So what makes some businesses/people stand out onlinewhile others fade off into the Internet haze?There's a method to this madness and I'm going to explainit to you. Pretend you were a resident in the XYZ community.Now how would you make yourself known as part ofthe neighborhood? Maybe by associating withyour neighbors, participating in community groups,maybe even running for council. You could stayhome and just keep to yourself, but no one willknow who you are or what you stand for. It's thesame online.The Internet may be a different kind of neighborhood,but it's still a community of people, and it functionson the same principals. In order to get your business or name out there, you need to create a buzz. To create that buzz you need toget involved in various online activities. You shouldbe doing some, or all of the following on a weeklybasis to get your name out there amongst the people.1) Post to various web based bulletin boards2) Publish your own Ezine/Newsletter3) Make sure you include a script on yourhomepage that allows visitors to recomend yoursite to their friends with just a click. Referalsfrom friends carry a lot of weight, so you really should be taking advantage of this one.4) Writing short articles and getting thempublished in various newsletters- Take it from me this one works. Nothing will establishyou as an expert or send you as much trafficas getting published. Once people see your name popping up over and over, they justhave to visit your website if just only outof curiosity.5) Network with the "Top Online Players'By hanging out with the successful people you canlearn a lot as well as bask in part of their spotlight. Don't be afraid to ask them to partner with you or run an ad for you endorsing yourproduct or service. You'd be surprised at the numbre of people who will help you online ifyou just ask.So, now you think that creating an online presenceis a lot of hard work? Well, you're right, it is!But with anything in life, you get out of it whatyou put into it. Creating an online identity is one of the most important things you can do for yourself online.Along with an identity comes a sense of trust.When people trust you, they will want to becomeyour customers and buy your products and services.After all, that's why you're online in the first place, isn't it? Now, who are you again.......

Focus Your Web Site... Or Get Out Of Business

2008-01-15T04:33:00.000-08:00

Last November, I was jumping up and down absolutely excitedabout my new idea. I was going to create a web site filledwith articles, links and resources on just about any topicyou could imagine. This way no matter who finds my site andfor whatever reason they click on it, I will always makemoney, right?So, I spent time collecting and writing articles on health,beauty, business, finance, insurance, parenting, andcomputers, joined a gazillion of affiliate programs for eachtopic and finally launched my HelpingFoot.com.Three months later I made exactly zero income! I wrote to several e-zine publishers asking for advice. They told me my web site has too much to offer - visitors just don't know where to start, and what direction to go."Yeah, right", I thought. "What do they know? After all,with so many articles and resources my visitors will surelyfind something to do!"I was terribly wrong, and I am glad I realized it beforewasting more of my time. I had to do something to make thissite profitable. But what?I re-designed my HelpingFoot.com completely. But first Iasked myself what I want my visitors to do: order myproducts? sign-up for my newsletter? read articles? visit myweb forum?You see, when you know exactly what you want your visitorsto accomplish on their first visit, you are more likely tocome up with a good design.Since I already had two other web sites devoted to directselling, I decided to use this one entirely for opt-in mailing list by capturing my visitors' e-mails.1) I removed all the links to irrelevant articles and focusedthe entire site around web design for beginners.2) Those old articles are still there (hey, they generated a lot of general traffic from the Search Engines!), but are not linked to from the homepage.3) I created a small pop-up window that asks for my visitorse-mails4) Placed a sign-up form right on my home page, and linked to another page called "free newsletter" in case myvisitors come from a page other than my home page. 5) I have also created an attractive cartoonish logo for mynewsletter.6) Every past issue of my newsletter includes a sign up form atthe bottom so people can subscribe right after reading it.Can you guess what happened?The number of people signing up for my newsletter tripled! I went from 20 subscriptions a week to 60 - in just a fewdays. This means that every month my list will grow byapproximately 240 people! And every self-respecting successful marketer has a growing list to announce newproducts and offers, test marketing strategies, and develop a close relationship with their subscribers.Now, if I wanted to make my web design forum as the mainfocus of HelpingFoot.com, for example, I would emphasize itright on the home page: with graphics, links and incentives.So, ask yourself now: what is my "Most Wanted Response"? Then make sure your entire web site is centered around thisgoal. With the right amount of quality traffic, I guaranteeyou will accomplish that goal.

How much money do you need to start an online business

2008-01-15T04:30:00.000-08:00

While online business start up costs are nothing compared tothe brick-and-mortar businesses, you still need to make someminimum investment to launch a web business.When you hear people say, "start a business on a shoe-stringbudget", remember this: a shoestring also costs something.And what for some people "small investment" means $1,000, forothers it might mean $50 or less.So, how much exactly do you need to have available to startan online company? Let's review the costs. *Please, note: I am assuming that you already have a computer and the Internet access - otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this article :-) I am also assuming that you are starting a basic online business - not an e-commerce web site with advanced shopping cart system selling hundreds of items,which would require a bigger investment.1. Domain NameIf you are serious about your business, you want to choose and register a domain name - www.yourdomain.com. You can purchase it for as low as $16.00 a year. Some web sites offer it for less, you just need to do some searching. Give a lot of thought to your domain name - after all, it will represent your company. I kept thinking about my domain for the longest time. I wanted something unique, memorable and with humor. That's how my HelpingFoot.com was born.2. Web Site HostingHosting is an absolutely necessary component to any web business. Your web site has to reside on a web server, and hosting companies provide you with space on their servers for which you have to pay for. Of course you can choose a free hosting company at first (such as Geocities.com and Angelfire.com) but for reliability try to switch to a paid one. I use Pair.com and my hosting fee is just $5.95 a month. I also had to pay a one-time $28.00 set up fee.3. Web Site DesignNow, the biggest stone in the web business set up - web design. You can choose to do it yourself by picking up a book for beginners, going through the free online tutorials, or purchasingquality training materials to learn how to set up your own web site. Or you can hire a professional designer. Because web design is a relatively simple task for any computer-literate person, just about anyone can call themselves a web designer today. That's why fees vary greatly from $10 to $200 an hour for web design. You can probably hire a college student to do an entire web site for you for $200. That's it for start up costs.Things like promotion, Search Engine submission and, copy-writing you can do yourself at first, via free methods and manual work. After you start making money with your web site, you will be able to afford automating and outsourcing many of these tasks.Remember, you have to make a choice: you are either going toinvest money or time into whatever you want to do. At first,time was the ONLY thing I could afford. But then I decided to outsource a few things (some people have more copy-writing talent than I do ;-) and invest a few bucks into my business. The key is to invest it wisely. Pay for something only when you are absolutely sure it will bring results. Otherwise, spend more time researching and observing other Internet marketers and their strategies.As you start making money with your online business, yourpurchasing power will increase. A year ago spending a $150 onan autoresponder services sounded crazy to me and impossibleto afford. Now I look at it as a necessary cost of running a business and saving time following up with my customers.Let's summarize your online business start-up costs for your first year of operation. If you start making money the first year, your expenses might go up since you will probably be more willing to invest:- Domain Name: $16.00- Web Hosting: $6.00 x 12 months + $28.00 set up fee = $100.00- Web Design: $50 (training materials) or $200 (outsource)- Totals: $166 (do-it-yourself) or about $300 (outsource)As you can see, you still need to spend a little money to getstarted. You can spend more or less money, depending onhow much time you are willing to put into your business. If $166.00 seems like a lot to you to spend in 12 months, then you might want to try a completely free web site offered by Geocities or Angelfire, as I mentioned before. Your business won't be as effective because there will be no company domain name or a well-designed web site, but you will at least get your feet off the ground and get a feeling of what it's like to run a web business.

What Are You Afraid Of Marketing Survey Results About Business Owners Going Cyber

2008-01-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

After two weeks of surveying my visitors, I am finally making an attempt to draw some conclusions. Reading my visitors replies to the survey questions, I sense one common concern in one way or another: lack of money and lack of profits. One person even said, "help me make money first then i'll send you a payment". Another theme dominating in people's replies is the confusion about too many details involved in starting a web business. If you already have a web site, you know what this means. Just step aside for a second and take a look at your business from a newbie's prospective.You had to design a web site, put it online, figure out a way of accepting online payments, find out where and how to advertise, how to capture your visitors' e-mail address and how to contact them later to remind about your products. The list can go on and on, and if you are not web savvy, you might find yourself scratching behind your ear not knowing where to start.Here are some of the common concerns my visitors had: - How to reach target audience (creating a flow of target traffic)- How to focus their online efforts better (web business management)- How to make their web site to sell on the first visit (direct marketing)- Lack of time and how to overcome it (efficient use of time spent online)- Not enough customers (finding and selling to a target customer)- Lack of money to start a business and advertise it- Fear of technology (general Internet knowledge)- How to automate some time-consuming tasks- Making a web site look more professionalMost of the people who filled out the survey are either stay-at-home moms or people with full-time jobs who desperately want to make enough money with their business to quit their jobs. Nothing new there, all right. The words "fast" and "easy" were mentioned in the replies quite frequently which tells me that most people who are starting an online business still don't have a realistic idea of how much time and energy is involved in making it a success.They say, the first million is the hardest. So, please, do me a favor: the next time you see a "make money while you sleep" ad, pass it by.

Take Off Your Blindfold

2008-01-15T04:24:00.001-08:00

After 2 years of designing Web Sites, I decided to take a peek at one of my customer's log files. My fear disappeared after about 10 seconds of looking at it. In the midst of some weird symbols and long lines of funny characters, was able to see something familiar. It was the site's web address! Of course! That is what people see when they come to this site and that is what the web server writes in the log file! I got very excited because all this time that I have read about log files, I kept ignoring it. I thought "they are not for me - they are for the real geeky web professionals who spend their time decoding this stuff". Wrong! They WERE for me. They were meant to help me track my customers' success and I never bothered to look. By the way, if you have never seen a log file, here is one line from my customer's web site's log file: 200.29.64.28 - - [06/Sep/2000:23:20:38 -0400] "GET / HTTP/ 1.0" 200 1074 "www.mamma.com/Mamma?p1=1&timeout=4&query=photos+seniors&qtype=0&x=1&y=11" "Mozilla/2.0(compatible; MSIE 3.02; AK; Windows 95)"The most important piece of information to you, as a web designer, in this line is www.mamma.com/Mamma?p1=1&timeout=4&query=photos+seniors&qtype=0&x=1&y=11 because it tells you how the user found you. Did he find you through the link from another web site where you advertise? Did he just type your web address in the location bar because he already knew it? Or did he find it through a Search Engine query? According to the log file, the visitor went to the web site www.mamma.com and did a search. What was he searching for? If you can't read the text beyond www.mamma.com, then try this trick: Open your Internet browser and paste this line www.mamma.com/Mamma?p1=1&timeout=4&query=photos+seniors&qtype=0&x=1&y=11 in the location bar. Press "Enter". Ta-da! Now you should be able to see that the user typed in "photos seniors" into the search box, because it is in the box right now. Right at the top of the web site. My customer's web site is number 9 on the first results page. It is a success! Now, it would not be a success if the user typed in "jeep photos" and my customer's site would come up number 9. Because the user is not looking for a photographer, which is what my customer is. That is why you always want to know what is in your log files. If you go beyond 20 visitors a day, you should probably get a software that analyzes your log files and comes up with a report. But to get a feel for how your visitors get to your site - the above technique is recommended. If this site was found by someone looking for photos of a jeep, I would think "there is something seriously wrong with the site" and immediately improve the keywords, title and META tags.

Take Off Your Blindfold

2008-01-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

How To Build Instant Rapport With Your Potential Customers

2008-01-15T04:21:00.000-08:00

Effective communication is a highly valuable skill. It enriches our personal and social lives. In business it's a matter of life and death. This article will show us how we can gain almost instant rapport with whoever we meet whether in person or through writing.THREE MODESIn recent years, much has been learned about the way the human brain processes information. The memories we have, the way we perceive experiences, are controlled by our visual, auditory and kinesthetic abilities. Everything in our minds is there primarily due to what we see, hear and feel. Remember these three modalities, they are VERY important. Again, they are VISUAL, AUDITORY, KINESTHETIC.These three modes combine in any learning or communication process. We use all of them to a degree. However, research indicates that with the majority of us, one of those modes is more dominant than others. Do you like to learn by watching, looking at diagrams or training videos? Probably you are more visually oriented. Do you prefer to be told through the spoken word? Or are you the kind that likes to get his hands on the subject and starting doing, learning through a process of experimentation? Then you are probably more of an auditory or kinesthetic.If this is true of us, it is true of the other person. What if you knew which kind of mode is dominant in the person you are talking or writing to? Could that help build rapport or in some way make communication more effective? YOU BET! Companies have spent thousands of dollars educating their salesmen to utilize this knowledge. The results? Dramatic!How can you apply this very valuable insight? By taking special note of the words and phrases your prospect uses. People often uses expressions that indicate which modality they are thinking in at that moment. For example, "I see what you mean", "I hear you", "I've got a feeling about this". When you hear these expressions, sit up, take note. They are sign posts pointing to that person's modality.So you have the sign posts, what do you do now? You respond in the same manner. Start using expressions in that person's dominant modality. Why should this work? Because words convey ideas to the other person's mind. You start communicating on the other person's wavelength. Just like to modems making an internet connection, your two brains start 'hand shaking'. The effect is amazing. Skeptical? That's understandable. Just start and try it and you won't be any longer.REAL LIFE EXAMPLEHere is a true life experience. A close friend of mine has a very successful business as a financial advisor. He read up on this subject and started employing these methods. One day he walked into the office of a manager interested in a pension plan. My friend noticed many beautiful pictures on the manager's office walls. He commented on them and gave an honest compliment. The manager used expressions like "let me show you", "you must see this". My friend immediately picked up on this and realized the manager was a visual.When the time came for him to make his presentation, he started off by saying, "Let me first give you the big picture" and with that he pulled out a diagram. The manager immediately leaned over and started closely scrutinizing the pension plan. From there on it went like a dream. The rapport was established early on. The manager began to think "I like this man, I can do business with him." A very good plan was devised which suited the manager's needs well and both parties were happy - the manager with his plan, my friend with his commission. A win win ending.Don't underestimate the power of communicating in the other person's preferred mode.Now, how can you apply this in your business? Do you write ad copy or sales letters? Do you do face to face selling or telephone selling? Sprinkle your words with phrases from each mode and see how the prospect responds. If they respond with similar expressions, you have identified their mode.KEY WORDS & PHRASES - THE SIGN POSTSHere is a list of words and phrases to help you identify a dominant modality:VISUALcrystal clearfocusedflashhazysight for sore eyesup frontit appears to meget a bird's eye viewit looks likein the mind's eyeyou get the pictureit's clear cuttake a dim viewsuffer from tunnel visionwith the naked eyeAUDITORYthat rings a bellI'm all earscertain overtonesharmonizemake myself heardtuned inthat's unheard ofto tell the truthin a manner of speakinggave him an earfullisten uptongue-tieddescribed in detailsounds likejust say itKINESTHETICI'm conscious ofyou can senseshe perceivedlay your cards on the tablecome to grips with itthat's a pain in the neckpull some stringshang in theretouch base withwhat it boils down tostart from scratchthat was under handedhold onyou need to experience itin a moment of panicThese lists are just to get you started. There are an abundance of signals out there in the way people express themselves. You just need to "read the signs", "hear the bell ring" and "grasp the meaning" behind the words your prospect is using, either in written or spoken form.Rapport is almost priceless. Agreements, contracts, big business deals are often concluded between people because they sense a bonding between them. Develop and practice this essential communication skill and your life and business will take on new vitality!

How to Get Rich on the Internet in 7 Easy Steps

2008-01-15T04:20:00.000-08:00

Step #1.Forget about getting Rich. Instead concentrate on establishing a cyber business that you can be extremely proud of.A business that you will be happy to tell your neighbors about.A business that truly helps people in some way.Look around you, in your hometown. How many millionaires doyou know? Look closely at how they made their money. Many people who are wealthy today got that way through small businesses they started years ago.What do you suppose they were they thinking when they started out? Was their goal to get rich? I doubt it.It is my guess that they had an idea for a business they could start.Maybe it was something they were good at, and just thought itwould be fun to make money doing something they enjoyed.Maybe they always wanted to own a business of theirvery own, and once they got that opportunity they poured theirheart and soul into that business. How did they treat their customers when they first started? Didthey treat them like some kind of a machine that's only purposewas to bring them cash? Or did they bend over backwards delivering world class customer service to make sure those customers kept coming back year after year? I think you know the answer. The millionaires in your hometowndid not get wealthy because they set out to get rich from the onset.They got wealthy because they did a lot of good, and provided their customers with the best service they could.They treated those customers with respect, and went the extramile every single time they got the chance.Forget about getting rich, and concentrate on establishing abusiness that helps as many people as possible, and you willeventually become rich. You may never have a million dollars,but you will be rich in ways you never thought possible.Step #2.Discover your passion. What is it that you are passionate about?There is one thing that you enjoy doing more than anything else.What is it? Baking bread, fixing cars, decorating mailboxes?There is something that you are passionate about. Take that passion and give it a unique twist and turn it into an on-line business.My passion is landscape plants and landscape gardening. I'mreally good with plants and landscaping. I own the worlds smallest, most famous nursery. It's only 1/20 acre, but becauseI am so passionate about this little tiny nursery, people all overthe world not only know about my little nursery, but they aretrying to duplicate what we do in our backyard nursery.How did our little nursery get so famous? I made it that way.It's my passion! I created a website about it, I write articlesabout it, I get magazines and newspapers to write about it, andI even managed to get it featured on a television show. I lovemy little nursery, and I tell everybody about it!Through my website and all this publicity I find other people thatshare my passion. They gladly pay me good money to learn what I do, and how I do it. I wrote a little book and a fewreports. I made some homemade videos about it. And I do mean "homemade". My customers love the videos, even when the screen goes blank for a few seconds because I really don't know how to make videos. They don't care. They love the videos. Why? Because my home brewed videos teach them how to develop their passion into a small business. My customers are extremelygrateful for what I do.Forget about trying to get rich. Instead find your passion, and turn it into an on-line business. No matter how much or how little money you make, you will be rich in a way that most peoplenever get to realize.Step #3.Start writing about your passion. Take a stack of 3 by 5 indexcards, and start writing ideas on them. One idea on each card.Write as fast as you can. Just keep putting one idea on eachcard, until you have at least 200 cards, 500 cards, or whatevernumber you can come up with. What kind of ideas should youwrite? Write an idea for everything you know about yourpassion. Every little detail that you've learned over the years.For instance.Did you know that the best wheelbarrow in the world is a "Jackson"? A Jackson wheelbarrow is designed in such a waythat you can load it so that the bulk of the weight rests on the wheel and not the spine of the "wheelbarrow pusher". I'll bet you didn't know that did ya? I know it. And if I include that one little tidbit along with a hundred others, I've got a saleable product that others are willing to pay me money for.Your brain is packed full of little tidbits about your passion.Write them index cards. Once you have completely exhausted every possible topic for your index cards, beginsorting and organizing your cards. When you are done youwill have the outline for a product that others will pay youmoney for.Step #4.Create a website about your passion. Make it the best websiteon the net about your subject. Make it a fun and friendly placefor people to visit. Make it so good that people who share yourinterest will stop by at least once a day. On my http://www.homemadebooklets.com website I've posted an article, "Internet Secrets Revealed". This article contains 51 tips that I believe can make any website successful. Print a copyof this article and use it as your guide.Step #5.Offer a few products for sale from your website. On mygardening site, http://www.freeplants.com I offer a wealth of gardening information free of charge. I sell my book, but the products that sell the best are the products that teach people how to make money selling plants. Design your site in such a way that each page gently leads your visitors to your sales page.My http://www.homemadebooklets.com is a great example ofhow this is done. This entire website is designed to sell onesimple product. But it is done in such a way that the visitors learn plenty about selling on the internet as they are introduced tomy sales message. Many people just browse, learn what they can, and leave without spending any money. Others want to learn everydetail they can about how I sell tens of thousands of dollars worth of my homemade products on the internet so they buy mye-book, "How to Make Thousands of Dollars with Homemade Booklets". I offer plenty of free advice from the message boards at both of my sites. That's what keeps people coming back day after day.Step #6.Make your product digital. Create a simple information product, a 25 page report is great for starters. My best selling product was a 25 page report that sold for $19.95. Then I added some content to the report and raised the price to $24.95 and it sold even better. Now I've added even more content, converted it to an E-book, and raised the price to $39.99 and it really sells great now.Creating an E-book that can be delivered electronically soundsreally complicated, but it's not. I was really intimidated by the idea of creating a digital product. When I finally looked into it, I couldn't believe how easy it was using Adobe Acrobat.Step #7.Set up an affiliate program so that other internet marketers canearn money for helping you sell your digital products. This ismuch easier than you think. As a matter of fact, it is as simpleas can be. I use ClickBank. They handle the complete salesprocess for me, including processing the credit cards. They evenpay my affiliates for me. All I have to do is let other internetmarketers know that I have an affiliate program, and that theycan earn money simply by putting a link on their website. You can learn more about ClickBank at my website.This is the most incredible business in the world. 24 hours a day,7 days a week, 365 days a year, people can visit your website,order your digital product, take delivery immediately, and theentire process is fully automatic. You never lift a finger, exceptto answer a few e-mails when people have questions.You can have hundreds of other internet marketers sending youcustomers. They get paid for their efforts automatically, and youjust keep selling more and more products. Business has never been this easy!The secret to making it work? Pay a generous commission. Igive my resellers 50%.

Secret Money Making Strategy - Learn How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy

2008-01-15T04:18:00.000-08:00

As simple as this sounds, 99% of all the business owners in the country just plain don't know how to design and write good advertisements. And that includes most of the biggest companies in business. If you have any intentions of operating a business of any kind, learning how to write advertising copy is the most important thing you must do. It quite literally will make or break your business. It is the difference between just barely hanging on, and profiting wildly. I don't how to tell you how important this really is. Looking back over everything that I have learned about making money, without a doubt, the one thing that has brought me the greatest amount of success, is knowing how to write powerful advertising copy. It really is, by far, the greatest money making skill I possess. I will gladly teach you what I know about writing advertising copy. We'll get to that a little later in this manual.For instance, just recently I ran a small advertisement in our local newspaper. It's not a big paper, only about 60,000 readers. The ad was 2 columns by 3" inches. At $38.25 per column inch the ad cost me $229.50 to run it just one time. It brought in over $4,000.00. That's 17 times cost! I challenge you to clip any ad out of your local paper, contact the merchant that ran the ad, ask him or her how much it cost to run the ad, and then ask them if it brought in 17 times that amount. If you can find a merchant that reports their ad is pulling at even 5 times cost I'd love to see the ad, because the truth is most advertisers are happy if their ad breaks even. They figure that as long as they recover what they invest in running the ad, the exposure they get makes it worth while. Although that may be true, what would you do if you had an ad that actually earned $2,000. profit every time you ran it? You would run it as often as you could, as long as it continued to make money, right? This is where business owners everywhere are killing themselves. Early on when their business is new they test different methods of advertising, if they are really lucky they get favorable results and will continue to advertise. But in many cases they don't, and they convince themselves that their business is not like other types of businesses, and newspaper advertising really won't work for them, and they never bother to test newspaper advertising again. It doesn't matter whether you advertise in newspapers, magazines, on billboards, or on the internet, the difference between your ad making really good money and being a total flop lies in how the ad is written. What offer are you advertising? Does the prospect understand what the offer is? Did the prospect even see your ad? Did you tell the prospect exactly how to buy? Each of these elements, plus a number of others determine how well your ad will pull. Many businesses survive for years and years, and the owner manages to squeak out a living, but how well would they do if they really and truly put forth a major effort to learn how to really write powerful ads. I can assure you the difference would be unbelievable. That's the problem. So unbelievable that most business owners just don't believe that it will make even a small difference let alone a major difference. They are so, so wrong! Learn how to write powerful advertisements and you will prosper for the rest of your life!

Keep your web host from costing you money

2008-01-15T04:16:00.000-08:00

Now that you’ve probably just spent hundreds of hours and possibly even thousands of dollars to build your web presence, one of the most important decisions you’ll make next is where to host your website.Choosing a PlatformIt may be true that Unix tends to be more reliable than NT, but it is even more true that any server when overloaded with sometimes 250+ web sites, like most web hosting companies do, will not be as stable as you need it to be. Don’t expect your site to incur 100% availability if you are on a shared virtual server. There are too many things that can go wrong when 250 different sites are competing for the same resources. If your web host doesn’t publish how many sites they put on a single server, find out from them, they shouldn't have anything to hide. By the way, 255 sites is the maximum that Windows NT will allow per server, and most web hosts take full advantage of that for their lower end solutions. Web sites running on NT/Windows 2000:*Rapid application development with scripting languagessuch as ASP or Cold Fusion.*Typically is easier to administer in a shared hostingenvironment.*If need ODBC to support database driven a site.*FrontPage tends to work better on NTWeb sites running UNIX/LINUX:*Scripting languages such as PERL, PHP or any CGIapplications.*If you only need email or a static site, useUnix/Linux, it's cheaper.*Tends to be more reliable then NT in a shared hosting environment.Web site running on a dedicated server:*If Uptime, user experience, branding, and site performance are a main concern.*If you new to hosting, check out the Cobalt RAQ. Narrowing the Selection:Price – Its true here like most things, you get what you pay for. Don’t expect enterprise class uptime for 20 bucksa month, even if they guarantee it.Options – Don’t skimp on your options, if you need extra emailaddress, get them. Some options are a "must have"depending on your websites functionality. Site traffic reporting tools are extremely useful also.Support – Most of the top web-hosting providers have 24/7 support. Make certain that your host has a toll free number for support. Waiting for someone to email youback when your site is down and you’re losing businessis no fun.Expect to Pay:$10-15 Basic email, static site, and 25-50 Megs of space.$25-30 Added features like scripting support, Windows NT, basic databases, site reporting, and SSL.$50-150 Will add advanced database support, e-Commerce, and shopping carts.$199-375 Dedicated Cobalt Raq server.$250-Up Dedicated Windows NT, and Unix servers.Monitor Your Site:Your newly created web presence needs to be up and running 24/7 in order to be effective. Most top-notch web hosts offer money back guarantees if your site is up for less than 99% of the time.That is considerable when:An avg. uptime of 99.9% is 10 minutes of downtime per week.An avg. uptime of 99% is 1 ½ hours of downtime per week.An avg. uptime of 98% is 3 ¼ hours of downtime per week.An avg. uptime of 95% is 8 ½ hours of downtime per week.This is downtime where your business has effectively closed its doors to potential customers. It is recommended you take advantageof web-based site monitoring services. This will allow for accountability between you and your provider. The fact is, you can’t be there checking to make sure your site's up at 3am everyday, but a good web site monitoring service will email or evenpage you when your sites down at anytime with diagnostic data to help pinpoint the problem. In the end, these services can potentially save you money or even justify you switching providers completely. References:http://www.hostcompare.com - compare web hostshttp://www.cobalt.com - rack optimized servershttp://www.serverpatrol.com - advanced website monitoring

Ban the Banners

2008-01-15T04:13:00.002-08:00

New webmasters often hold the mistaken belief, that the more banner ads theyhave on their site, the more money they will make. They blanket their siteswith them, hoping, that the more banners people see, the better the chance,that someone will actually click on them.What they don't understand, however, is that they are actually drivingtraffic away, by making their sites unattractive and slow. The banner adsthat were supposed generate income drive away potential customers.Do you like banner ads? Now, ask yourself the question: "Why do you think,that others would feel different than you do?"While large ads may be successful in magazines, newspapers and telephonebooks, what person would wants them to consume his or her bandwidth on theweb? Isn't the Internet already slow enough?Why do you think that one of the most popular sections on our website is theone that covers programs to eliminate banners and pop-up windows? Manypeople are sick of obnoxious, in-you-face advertising. They are fed up withthe useless clutter of ads filling most websites.No long ago, we removed all the banner ads at our site, leaving only textlinks. The results were that we saw dramatic increase in both traffic andrevenue. Removing the banners increased both our popularity and our profits.Amazingly enough, not one person wrote back to us and complained about thebanners being removed.Now you may be asking yourself, "Why do advertisers use banner ads, if theyare so unpopular with the public?"The answer is simple: Name Recognition!The truth of the matter is advertisers don't really care if people buy fromyour site as long as at some point in time, people remember the product orservice and buy it.Think about it. You annoy your visitors with dozens of ads about somedot-com, causing them to flee your site. Later on, the same visitorsremember those ads and go to the site directly. The company makes a sale,and they don't even have to pay the person, who advertised it.There are some very popular sites on the Internet with huge affiliateprograms. You can find their banners everywhere. You might think that itwould be a cinch to make money off such sites by simply placing one of theirbanners on your site, but guess again. With so many ads, people don't needyour banners to find them. Most people have bookmarked them already. Toeffectively advertise such popular sites, you need to target your readerswith custom reviews or inform people about specific sales and promotions sothat they feel compelled to click on the link immediately.Now, I am not here to tell you that removing the banners off your site willmake you an instant success. Without compelling content on your site, youstill may not see any changes in traffic. A site that is nothing more than aseries of ads is unlikely to be successful, regardless of what form theadvertising the webmaster uses.I am not suggesting that everyone should remove banners from their siteeither. Indeed, it would be foolish for the owner of a popular site toremove paid advertising that is generating income. If advertisers arewilling to pay up front for banner ads, or if you have banner ads that areperforming well, by all means, keep them!What I am suggesting, however, is that if you have banner ads that aren'tgenerating income that you expected, you might think about removing orreplacing them. Consider text-based adverting with compelling reviews aboutthe products or services. Give your readers something more than just flashyslogans or pictures of beautiful models. Provide your visitors with reasonswhy they actually need a product or service, so that they buy it from yoursite now, rather than later.Instead of simply placing a banner on your site for a site where people canbuy a product, write an informative article or review about the product, andthen tell your readers where they can find a great deal on it.

The Easiest, Money Making Business in the World

2008-01-15T04:13:00.001-08:00

The business idea that I am about to share with you, almost seems too easy to actually work. Don't think that for a minute. This one idea is actually powerful enough to change your life forever. It sure has mine.Basically, what you are going to be doing is selling an E-book. The E-book that you will be selling will cost you nothing and will sell for as little as $4.95 or as much as $99.95. That's the beauty of selling E-books. You only have to write or compile the book once, and you can sell it thousands of times, and the product itself does not cost you a dime. There are some costs in processing the order, but they are nominal, and we'll discuss them in a moment.To put this strategy to work making you money, there are a few things that you must know. But don't let the things that I'm about to describe intimidate you. Read this list with an open mind. If you already know how to these things, then you are ahead of the game and ready to get started.You will need:A homemade booklet that was written by you, or for you. Thisbooklet can be just a simple publication. It does not have to bea large publication. Sometimes just a few type pages can actuallybecome a saleable product.Writing a booklet like this is actually very easy. A booklet isnothing more than a series of articles, and you don't have tobe a professional writer to write articles that people will findinteresting. This type of writing is nothing more than writingjust like you speak. That's what I'm doing now as I write this article. I'm writingas if you and I are sitting at my kitchen table having aconversation.You will also need your own domain name: Like www.troutfishing.com or www.breadmaking.com. Some searchengine experts claim that the search engines will send you moretraffic if you register the domain name as www.bread-making.com, with a hyphen. However, keep in mind that this is only advantageous if you are depending on all of your traffic to come from the search engines. If you are goingto be doing any off line advertising, then this can really hurtyou because people will forget about the hyphen, and they willnot find your website.You will also need a simple website.This idea revolves around starting with a subject that you are knowledgeable about, or a subject that you would like to research. This does not have to be a complicated topic like brain surgery. It can be something very simple, as long as there are other people who would like to learn about the subject. Actually trout fishing might be a good topic. Bread making might work, but I'd look for something a little more powerful.I can show you how to find topics that people are hot for, butthat's another article.Fisherman and golfers are fanatics, and many products are already on the market that teach them how to do these things better. Don't let that scare you off. The fact that there are many products already being sold on a given subject, means that there is an intense interest. More than likely there is room for one more product as long as it provides fresh ideas and or new concepts. Or an old concept with a new twist.Maybe you have a hobby that you are passionate about. If so, you can be assured that there are other people who share your passion, but may lack your knowledge of the hobby. If that's the case, they will be willing to pay money for a booklet that will quickly teach them what they need to know about this hobby.Put your thinking cap on and think long and hard about human nature. What is it that people want? Ever been to a little league game or a midget football game? These parents want their child to be the best! There is a market for products that help children achieve their goals. A booklet or video on pitching techniques or any other competitive sport that children participate in will sell really well! They also want this information instantly! They sit down at thecomputer, type in whatever it is that they are looking for, and they want something to pop up on the screen instantly tellingthem what they want to know.Does it really work that way? Yes and no. When people do asearch, information does pop up on the screen, but is it what they are looking? Kinda, but not really.This is where you come in.You create a simple website on the subject of your E-book,and on that website you provide a significant amount of information that your target prospect finds very interesting.You give them lots and lots of information, but you don't givethem everything. Instead you tell them about your e-book thattells it all! Then you explain how they can buy it right now,and be reading it in minutes.Does this really work? You better believe it does!How many different topics will this work for?Thousands.As an example we'll use the keyword phrase "slot machines".Every gambler, and there are tens of thousands of them, wantto know how to beat the slot machines. If you read 10 books about winning at the slots, you would have enough knowledge to write a E-book of your own. Don't copy anybody else's work. Simply do the research, acquire the knowledge, and then write from what you have learned. If you copy word for word you are violating the copyright laws, and you will have trouble. On the other hand, if you thoroughly research a subject, and then write from the knowledge that you have absorbed, the information that you produce is original to you.There are so many potential products that I could make this article 100,000 words long, but we don't have the room here. Anyway, you've got the idea.The secret to making this work is to find a topic that is very narrow. As our example we'll use trout fishing. Once you have written your booklet about trout fishing, you will then create a website about trout fishing. The website will have many references to trout fishing, and a lot of information on the subject, but the absolute best trout catching techniques will not be revealed. In essence, the website will actually be a very well crafted, electronic sales letter.You can create the website yourself, or you can hire an expert. Don't throw your money away. You can learn website design. I did, and I knew nothing about website design, and little about computersIf the topic you choose is narrow enough, and your booklet and web page are well done, you should attract a substantial number of visitors to your website, who are willing to buy your booklet. The secret is to have your page come up very near the top of the list when someone types "trout fishing" into a major search engine. There are no tricks you can use to do this, just creative thinking. What most people don't realize is the number of times that the most mundane words or phrases are searched on a daily basis. If fact, the more mundane your key word, the better your chances, because there is much less competition for these mundane key words or phrases. I'll show you how to find outhow often your keyword is being searched.Once you have your website up and running and your booklet is selling really well, then you can let others sell it for you through an affiliate program. This is when the money reallystarts rolling in.There are people on the net who are using this model to make a living on a full time basis. The topics that they have chosen to write about are certainly not earth shaking, and they would never sell in book stores. Yet on the internet, they do very well with them. I myself sell tens of thousands of dollars worth of information products that are gardening related. I didn't really think my products would sell as well as they do, but I still took that calculated risk to at least test the water. You owe it to yourself to give it some serious thought. For years I sold a homemadebooklet for $19.95, and it was only about 27 typed pages.That booklet is now an E-book, and it is selling really for $39.99!Here's something to think about. You only have to write the booklet once, yet you can sell it forever. People have been trout fishing since the days of the caveman, yet only a very tiny fraction of the people on the planet actually know how. 99.9% of the people that own fishing rods don't have any idea how to catch fish. I'm one of them, and I've been fishing for years. I just never catch much.Find a topic that people have a sincere interest in, and you will have a winner. Stop by the message board at http://www.homemadebooklets.com and join in the discussion. It's a great place to pick up new ideas and lots of inspiration. There is a E-book inside of you. Set it free!

Choosing A Web Site Content Management System

2008-01-15T04:12:00.000-08:00

As the saying goes on the web "Content is King." There is no argument that if you are going tohave an effective Internet presence you must have current, dynamic content that gives yourvisitors reasons to come back time and again. While content may be king there seems to be littlediscussion about the optimal way to manage this content for small to medium sized businesses.Have you ever noticed that when your building the web site you have plenty of helping handsbut once the site is launched and the daily grind of support kicks in it becomes harder andharder to find that help. This is why it is so important to evaluate your Content ManagementSystem (CMS) for you web site in the development stages. Every web site has some form ofcontent management system in place, except for those that never change. The CMS can be asinformal as an email to the web developer or a multi-million dollar computer program thatwarehouses data from several different databases. In focusing on small to medium sizedbusinesses I have decided to eliminate the big dollar systems and concentrate on the threemajor types of CMS's available. The first type of CMS is the default traditional and most widely used method I call the manualupdate system. This usually requires sending the information to the web developer. The webdeveloper then utilizes their FTP program and HTML coding skills to make the requestedchanges. The changes are then reviewed and approved by the requester. The problem with thismodel is that the web developer is usually a high priced contractor and not an in-houseresource. This means that you end paying a hefty price for web site changes. The cost of website changes becomes a budget issue so you end up reducing the number of changes you maketo your site in turn reducing its overall value. The second type of CMS is the WYSIWYG system. This model allows the web site owner touse one of the graphical web development tools on the market today such as FrontPage or NetObjects Fusion. These are great programs that allow you to make changes to the web site in agraphical look. The changes are simple and if you configure the software correctly you canupdate your web site with a few clicks of the mouse. The problem with this model is that youbecome dependent on the WYSIWYG tool. If you can't get to FrontPage then you can't makeyour change unless you resort back to our first model. But now it gets a little trickier. TheseWYSIWYG tools create very convoluted HTML code so manual changes can become very timeconsuming. Another draw-back of the model is that if your company utilizes a tool like this tocreate their site they may limit themselves to the graphical templates that come with thesoftware. You end up getting a site that looks pretty much like everybody else's. Furthermore, Ithink it is important for any company planning on building or revamping their web site to meetwith a web development company to at least review the best practices for web development. The final type of CMS is what I like to refer to as an integrated CMS. This type of ContentManagement Systems is built directly into the site during development. In order to makechanges the web owner simply enters in a secure URL, logins and makes changes to the sitewithout having to know any HTML or FTP commands. Changes are instant and all the userneeds is a web browser and access to the Internet. This has been a very successful model forour company because it allows us to build web sites that empower the web owners. Webowners can make changes to their sites as often as they like without the need for a high pricedweb developer. Of course the cost of a site with an integrated CMS will be a little higher but theoverall cost of ownership of the site will be dramatically reduced over time. Regardless of the model they choose, web site owners must acknowledge that their web sitedoes come with a Content Management System installed. An educated web site owner willensure that their site has a CMS that allows them to get the most out their web site.

How To Ignite The Explosive Power of Questions Under Your Business!

2008-01-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

In this article you will learn how to expose your business to the full blast of questions. Beware! If this method is used effectively, the results can be revolutionary! Can your business take it? The power of the human mind is incredible! How can you tap this awesome potential? By using questions. The brain responds every time to questions. Ask yourself a question and your brain automatically starts considering the answer. Some answers come quickly - the obvious ones. Others require pondering, concentration, thought! The results from questions that generate this kind of thinking can turn your business around, absolutely!Take a lesson from those little mobile question factories - children! Listen in to a conversation between a little boy and his father:"Daddy what are you doing?""I'm changing the tire of the car.""Why?""Because this one had a puncture.""What's a puncture?""It's when something sharp like a nail cuts the tire so it goes flat.""Where did the nail come from?""Some careless person must have left it lying in the road.""Why?""Because some people are not very thoughtful of others.""Why?""Maybe its the way their parents raised them."Now, do you notice how far the conversation has come? From fixing a punctured tire to analyzing parenting methods all within six questions! Yes, questions lead the brain into a vast array of subjects within a very short time.English writer Rudyard Kipling wrote:"I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who."That poem is a little gem. Let's apply it!The 3 top explosive question devices:WHYThis is the Daddy of them all! "Why" screams for reasons. It can be the most thought provoking question of the six. Just keep on asking Why, Why, Why and see where you end up!Examples:Why is my business not succeeding?Why is my site getting more traffic this month than last month?Why is that product selling well?Reasons, reasons, reasons! After this type of analysis you are in a strong position to better success or avoid making the same mistakes over and over.HOWThis question also belongs in the top 3. How demands a method or a plan.Examples:How can I improve the look of my web site?How can I sharpen that advertising headline?How can I reach $X of sales this month?WHENThis one is also a heavyweight because it creates urgency, action! It's the great antidote for procrastination. It calls for a deadline!Examples:When will I employ that new business plan?When am I going to optimize my web site?When am I going to research a new product line?The 3 secondary question devices:WHO/WHICHWho helps you organize assistance and support! Which helps narrow down choices.Examples:Who is the best person to help me with this project?Which organization or company can give me the services/support I require?Who is going to buy this product?Who is going to be attracted by this advert?Which font will look best on this website?Which color best suits my web site theme?WHEREWhere gets us thinking about location and position.Examples:Where do I want my business to be in 1 month's time?Where can I find the best merchant bank on the internet?Where are prospective customers going to look for me?Where are most of my hits coming from?WHATWhat challenges the brain to come up with facts! This makes analysis much more accurate.Examples:What marketing methods are my competitors using right now?What is the first impression a visitor receives when arriving at my web site?What is the percentage click thru rate from my banner ads?What is the best price for this product?If you subject your business to the full force of this kind of question blasting, your business will never remain the same. Questions provoke thought, change, improvement.Using the above format, take 10 minutes of quiet time today and ignite the explosive power of questions under your business!

Secret Money Making Strategy - Learn How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy

2008-01-15T04:08:00.000-08:00

Keep your web host from costing you money

2008-01-15T03:53:00.000-08:00

Complaints and Questions Can Help Your Business Grow

2008-01-15T03:03:00.000-08:00

How many mottos for service companies have you heard that claim"We Listen to Customers"? Ignoring customers is like ignoring thebrown speckled leaves on your tomato plants. They both feed you.But every business gets customers who complain about a product,service, new look, price hike, or change in policy. Are they justwhiners, or have they put some thought into their opinions?Consider Complaints CarefullyI'm that kind of customer that likes to make suggestions forimprovements when I shop. I do it kindly, I believe evenintelligently. With a marketing background I can't stop myself.Be tolerant with this sort of consultant/complainer. My dad isone, too.Take, for example, the egg department at Megagrocery Store. Youcould call it scrambled, week after week. The little plasticprices are half broken off the shelves, never repaired. The signoverhead is crammed with more little plastic numbers andundecipherable abbreviations. The whole situation makes me doubtwhether they ever change the prices, even though their groceryflyer claims week to week sale prices. At Smallergrocery Store amile away, they switch out paper signs above the egg racks everyweek. The simple signs are nicely handwritten on thick coloredpaper. Disposable. Inexpensive. No-brainer.THIS WEEK! LARGE DOZEN, 99 CENTS. I grab one and head off.I had to point out the unnecessary egg chaos to management inMegagrocery. The problem? It's much too difficult for the busyshopper to decipher egg prices. The solution? Easy! Apparently hedidn't like my telling him how nicely his competitor does it,because he didn't change a thing. (Or ask his vendor to.) Butsometimes I get results.Watch out for the mere grumblers. Those with chroniccomplainitis.Every time my family went to dinner with my husband'sgrandparents, they whined about having to choose between soup ORa salad with the entrée. "You mean you don't get BOTH? Really?"The grumbling went on for whole minutes, their complaining moreacidic than the lemon in their ice tea. Diners all around usordered with ease and enjoyed their dinners. It had been a longtime since restaurants had offered both, especially at yourChicken Fried Steak for $5.99 kind of a place - and they knew it.But Gramma and Grampa were STILL unhappy about it, and always letwaitresses know.So when you get complaints does it mean you made a mistake orthat it's time to change a product or policy? Not necessarily.Is the complaint coming from an isolated individual or a verysmall group of customers? You can't please everyone. You may bepleasing a large group of customers (who you don't hear from)while the same policy brings complaints from a few.Watch for the Same Question Over and OverOne of the best gifts your customers can give you just happens tobe among the most annoying. From time to time you will noticecustomer after customer asks the same question.This happened to my employer when just about everyone whoinquired about his press release service wanted to know if theycould approve the release before it was sent to thousands ofmedia. Soon after that a new web page paragraph in bold redletters proclaimed, "We send your release to you for yourapproval BEFORE it goes to media." Sales jumped.Recurring questions in your business can lead you to correct anoversight. That can give sales an immediate boost.Ads often declare, "You asked for it. Now we offer Product X!"Business is, after all, about pleasing customers. Currently I'm"consulting" my grocer on the benefits of reduced-fat salami.Half the fat but excellent taste. Can't they find a vendorplease, and soon?

Tempt Them with a Taste

2008-01-15T02:52:00.000-08:00

When first going into malls across the country, Chick-Fil-Asandwich shops probably did more for business by handing out freechicken samples than anything else. Who could resist a chunk offried white chicken meat, lightly coated, offered to you on atoothpick from a tray dressed up with a doily? Samplers returnedas customers, just as the company knew they would.A specialty condiment company that hocked homemade jams andmustards at street fairs in Texas grew fantastically. They wereawfully generous with the samples, spread on good crackers andfresh bread. Didn't loads of people take advantage of the freefood? Sure, but soon they were a mainstay at bazaars and bigevents, always with their spread of mustards and jams. Peopletasted the product, loved the handsome jar labels, and boughtthem up. How much could it have cost them to open up10 or 15 jarsduring an event?A classic selling dilemma is the need to help customers over thedecision-making hump. Are they sure your product is worth theirhard-earned money? This is your chance to eliminate the risk.It's the "free trial-offer" solution.A baker I knew had earned a place in history when her recipe forFudge Pecan Pie was published in Good Housekeeping Magazine.Still, people hesitated over the twelve-dollar price tag. She didtwo things: she served pieces by the slice. At a buck-fifty, itwas easier to swallow. But swallow they did, and often walked outwith a whole pie. Once the fudge pie or cherry or lemon chess piewas already cut, she offered thin slices from the remaining pieto people humming and hawing over a purchase. Never tastedstrawberry pie? Oh, you can't live another day until you'vetasted mine. This is the first time you've bought our famousbread pudding? I'll put another one in the bag so you won't haveto return quite so soon.Pride in her baked products, combined with some marketing geniusand a little southern charm, made her bakery a winner.What if your business doesn't sell food?Vendors at trade shows are spending huge sums on decking outbooths and rented suites with food themes. A company I worked forspent weeks developing a chocolate theme. Chocolate everything,down to huge printed photographic murals of chocolate chipsadhered to the walls. During the trade show they hired girls topass out printed menus of the tantalizing chocolate desserts inthe company's suite. Did it work? Agents hoarded into the suite.Listening to a pitch on long distance service was simply moreenjoyable while nibbling chocolate truffles. They did a boomingbusiness that day.The winter holidays offer an ideal time to tempt browsers intothe store with the smell of hot cocoa. A cool cup of lemonade isa fun way to attract shoppers to a summertime sidewalk sale. Ithink there's nothing nicer for weary shoppers than a discreettable set up with coffee and cookies. It's a lovely gesture andone of the cheaper efforts you could ever make at developing goodwill and customer loyalty.

Can a People-Person Work Online

2008-01-15T02:49:00.000-08:00

Are all online business owners huddled over a keyboard in anunfinished basement, with silent co-workers like a ping-pongtable and a dusty treadmill, like I was? Are they lonely, findingthemselves longing for a TV outlet in the room? Martha Stewartcould cook, I could listen, then I could leave this dreary holeand go cook myself, I would think. Work sputtered to a crawl thenfinally stopped.I went back to work in a cheerful office writing about people whoDO operate successfully online. And I'm fascinated by (andenvious of) the ones who make it working at home, especiallythose who are people-persons.Tom Marshall is a jolly fellow who has made a success of hisonline specialty foods Internet magazine. His culinary expertisewas impressive, plus he had been in the food brokerage businessfor years. And suddenly the entrepreneur in him drove him tostart all over again. "I had no clue, ZERO idea what I wasdoing," admitted Tom. "I had the words 'under construction' ALLOVER that first website. An expert in the field took a look at itfor me, and he said, "Tom, any website that's worth anything isalways under construction. Get rid of all that!"Tom's wife supported the two of them during the start-up. Tomswears he aged about 50 years trying to get the thing going. Whydid he do it?"It takes a vision and a lot of determination," he said.It doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor, either. Afterrepeatedly telling me 'we're doing this,' and 'we'll besetting up that next', he confessed that 'we' is his multiplepersonality. "It's comprised of "me, myself, and I," he laughed.A caller asked for the 'computer systems manager.' "He justhappens to be in!" Tom told him.So how did he give up the noisy, bustling excitement of finerestaurant kitchens, working as a team with co-workers andfriends? He says it in his mission: He wants to bringspecialty food as a culinary resource to a public that demandshealthy, imaginative and tasty food products as a part of theirdaily lives. The Internet can bring it to the whole world.Yet anyone can tell he's a people-person. He admits he loves mostof all getting to know the people behind the entrepreneurialbusinesses featured on his website. Does he chat on screen?Not entirely. He attends as many food shows as he can. Tomsamples world class everything, from truffles too pretty to eatto cheeses too tempting not to scarf. Everything is packagedbeautifully. Even the shows themselves have fancy names, like TheFiery Food Festival in Las Vegas. But what's just as important asfancy food is that the far-from-shy Tom meets interesting peopleto feature in his magazine. While at regional food shows he'lltravel to nearby food businesses, spending a good part of the daywith the folks who run it and taking his own photos for theonline magazine."I like to go to the heart of the business," he said, "because Iam absolutely infatuated with people."His site lists regional green markets and farmers markets. Tomvisits these himself, having a good time with other food loverswhile he picks up supplies for his newest service, InternetCooking School.The computer fumbler 4 years ago is getting pretty familiar withthe power of technology!Big color pictures show step-by-stepcooking instructions, and anyone is free to e-mail Tom aquestion, comment or suggestion about the recipe and he'll reply.There's a food AND a people lover for you!Tom now lives on 3 acres where he grows much of his own specialtyfood and is presently at work planning his herb garden patternedafter the Arboretum in Washington, DC. If you're a people-personworking online, say hello to Tom Marshall atSpecialtyFoodAmerica.com.

More Ways to Benefit from Your Press Release

2008-01-15T02:42:00.000-08:00

Press releases are one way to get your company in the news.When news-hungry editors report directly from your release, orcreate their own report and just mention your company or service,the publicity value is immeasureable. The big guys send outrelease after release in an effort to gain free publicity.But don't toss a good press release once it's distributed! Thereare other ways to get continued coverage from that one piece ofwriting.USE IT IN YOUR SALES COMMUNICATIONWhether this includes a sales kit, a welcome packet for newmembers, or a direct mail campaign, including a nicely printedcopy of one or more press releases will be both useful andimpressive. Why not dash off a copy of it, with your handwritten"hello, thought you'd like to hear the news" to old leads?Did you have a fabulous quarter? Have you expanded to include anew product or service? Are you ahead of a trend? A press releaselike this informs and also hints at professionalism. (And whenyou DO get that call from a harried reporter wanting informationabout your company, you'll have it ready.)A recent client asked if he could add the press release I hadwritten for him to his direct mail campaign. A sales letter wasready to go to a 70,000 potential new customers. Did I think itwas a good idea? Yes!In this case the client's business "story", from humblebeginnings to 15 years later, had been intermingled into thepress release. We expected a good chance of having the releasepicked up on, since his newest service for finance and creditmanagers was newsworthy (solutions offered in a shaky economy)and groundbreaking (daily credit updates posted to the Interneton businesses experiencing economic stress). Certainly therelease could add strength to the sales letter! He firmly decidedto include it, in the exact form it hadbeen sent out to the media.POST IT ON YOUR WEBSITEPress releases can be an important element to websites. Whodoesn't benefit by being able to click right to currentinformation, important announcements, and news about yourcompany? A progression of releases being made available offers areal history of the business.Have you extended the life of your press release in other ways?Let me know at http://InternetWriters.com.

The Through-A-Goose School of Internet Marketing

2008-01-15T02:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday you were a vacuum bag salesman in SouthPiddleville. Today you're the Vacuum Bag King of the Internet!And me? I'm your customer. Maybe.The Through-A-Goose School of Internet Marketing holds that certain e-commerce websites would be better off streamlining their designs so they can fast-track visitors through the sales process and send them on their way rather than befuddling them with a dizzying array of branding gimmicks and sticky-site gadgets... and sending them on their way.Once you're in a goose's system, the thinking goes, there's only one way out. There are no options or choices, no weighty decisions, no wrong turns, no time for doubt, no chance of error. In and out. Zip zam zooey.A goosed website should be just as slick. The process should be so smooth and fast that the actual purchase practically precedes the decision to purchase. In this light, here are ten thoughts about your vacuum bag website that threaten to keep our relationship from blossoming into a completed transaction:---1. OVER-STRETCHED METAPHORSIt's not ~really~ a mall or a store or even a kiosk. If anything, it's an interactive brochure. If it starts talking or playing music, I get scared and run away. And that off-the-shelf flash intro doesn't really get my vacuum bag juices flowing either.---2. OFF-TOPIC BET-HEDGINGDo I follow that online casino banner after I buy my vacuum bags? Or shall I risk blowing my entire twelve dollar vacuum bag budget there?---3. OOZING NEEDINESSYou seem a little too happy to see me. I'm worried that if I buy something from you, you'll invite me home for supper with the wife and kids. That's more commitment than I care to make for vacuum bags.---4. RABID INFO-SUCKYou're assaulting me with pop-up windows because you want my email address so you can inform me when you make changes to your vacuum bag website. Do I have that right?---5. LIMP USPGoogle informs me that I can buy vacuum bags from any of one hundred eighty-three thousand, six hundred and seventy-five sites. Your Unique Selling Proposition is why I'm gonna pick yours. If your USP is a Free Vacuum Bag Industry Update Newsletter, then maybe I'll click over to one of those gazillion other sites where the USP might be guaranteed lowest price or free overnight delivery.---6. DEMOGRAPHIC MYOPIAIf I came to buy vacuum bags, do you really think the black and red porn-palace motif is appropriate? Do vacuum bags have another use I'm not aware of? (Don't answer that!)---7. MORE IS LESSVacuum bags may be your life, but to us normal people they're... well, vacuum bags. We don't want a huge selection. We don't want to think. We don't want colors, sizes, scents, textures, or frequent flier miles. We just want some zero-hassle, reasonably priced, work-like-they're-s'posta vacuum bags. Got any of those?---8. LESS IS MOREo Wrap some chains around your "Vacuum Bag Buyers' Forum" and toss it overboard. Ditto the headline news feed, the search engine access, and the design award from the from someone who can't even design an award.o That blinking "Recommend This Website To Your Friends" button might be more effective as a blinking "Order Some Vacuum Bags And Get On With Your Life" button.o Oh, and thanks for the free email account offer, but LindaCox@VacuumBagKingUSA.net is a tad clunky for my needs.---9. SLIGHTLY ANAL WEBMASTERThank you for letting me know the best monitor resolution for viewing your vacuum bag site. That'll come in real handy when I'm trying to think of the ninth dumb annoying thing about it.---10. ABRASIVE HOSPITALITYWhoever told you it was important to be chatty and clever with your visitors was yanking your mouse. If you wanna build rapport, go stick your tongue in someone's ear. If you wanna make a sale, sell.---So there it is... a few friendly insights from Linda's Through-A-Goose School of Internet Marketing. It only applies to certain businesses, of course, but don't be too hasty in assuming that yours isn't one of them. If your stats show that most of your hard-won visitors are heading out through the in door, it might be time for a little stream-lining.Maybe then, through the mysterious forces of cyber-alchemy, your website will be able to convert vacuum bags into golden eggs!

Information about "New Cars"

2008-01-14T05:11:00.000-08:00

The keyword "new cars" is searched for on average 440000 times per day,and average CPC (cost per click) for the keyword is $2.35.
Top Search Results for New Cars
1. cars.comoffers vehicles for sale and lease, reviews, comparisons, financing, service warranty contracts, insurance, and more.
2. Autobyteloffers new vehicle reviews, buying guides, and articles.
3. New-Cars.comEdmund's automobile buyer's guides Edmund's automobile buyer's guides Current prices of new and used automobiles and trucks, Chilton automotive repair manuals, Auto-By-Tel buying service, car insurance, recalls since 1989, crash test data, and ...
4. Edmund's automobile buyer's guidesresearch, build, and buy a new or used car online.
5. CarsDirect.comoffers price quotes from local partnered dealers, research tools, specifications and reviews, seller's services, and financing for new or used cars.
6. Car.comResearch new car pricing, reviews, photos and more. Sell your car online, check out used car pricing, and find used cars near you in classifieds listings. ... Research and buy new cars and used cars. Look up Kelley Blue Book used car prices and new ... available rebates and incentives for new cars. Compare cars side by side ...
7. Yahoo! AutosIt's easy to buy a new or used car or sell your own used car online at CarsDirect.com. Get low, no-haggle car prices from our network of car dealers for most makes and models.
8. CarsDirect.com: Research and buy new cars or sell your used car onlineNew Cars Worldwide. Please select. Continent -North America-AfricaAsiaAustralia/OceaniaCentral and South AmericaEurope. Country/Region-Please choose a continent ... Home. New Cars. Used Cars ...
9. Audi World Site > New CarsEdmunds new car buying guide has new car prices, reviews. New car comparisons, ratings, rebates.
10. New car prices, new car reviews at Edmundsautomotive buyer's guide. Dealer invoice on price and options for cars, trucks, vans, wagons, and SUVs.

Information about "Hotels"

2008-01-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

The keyword "hotels" is searched for on average 560000 times per day,and average CPC (cost per click) for the keyword is $2.62.
Top Search Results for Hotels
1. Hotels.com - Your One-Stop Shop for Hotel Pricing, Amenities and AvailabilityFind your hotel at Hotels.com. Get huge discounts on rooms at over 16,000 hotels and 800 cities. Rates for special events and sold out dates. Book online or call.
2. HotelGuide.comsearchable international directory for hotels and other types of lodging.
3. All Hotelsonline hotel directory and reservations.
4. Travelocityprovides online booking for air, car, hotel, cruise, and vacation reservations.
5. Orbitz: Save on Travel DealsOrbitz, the faster, easier way to find the trip you want. Save on Hotels, Airline Tickets, Travel Packages, Vacations, Cruises and Car Rentals. Just Orbitz and go!
6. Expedia.com for all your Travel needs - discount airfare, flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, ... Expedia.com is the premier online travel planning and flight-booking site. Purchase airline tickets, find vacation packages and make hotel and car reservations. Find destination information, travel news and more. Don't Just Travel. Travel Right.
7. marriottowns, manages, and franchises lodging brands that include Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Staybridge Suites.
8. InterContinental Hotels Groupoffers lodging worldwide.
9. Hiltonincludes worldwide hotel directory and online reservations system.
10. Sheraton Hotels & Resortsmake reservations for Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, and Park Hyatt hotels worldwide. Includes rates, specials, resort and spa information, gift certificates, and more.

Three Ways to Get Repeat Sales With Follow-up Marketing

2008-01-14T05:08:00.001-08:00

If you have customers, that's good. If you can sell them repeatedly over time, that's better! Actively pursuing repeat sales, also known as backend sales, is one of themost profitable things you can do for your small business.Here are three ways to do it ...1. Say, "Thank you"Start with a simple thank-you letter. Ask yourself this -- when's the lasttime you got a thank-you letter from a company after giving them yourmoney? I'll bet you can't remember. See the possibilities for standing outand generating good will? I created an email template so I don't have to write the same thank-youemail over and over. It literally takes seconds for me to send one out toeach client. A heartfelt "thank you" is all you really have to say, but you can go a bitfurther in your message, by doing the following: reinforce why it was a good idea to buy from you in the first place -- sellyour company after the sale to cut down on buyer's remorse andreturns/refunds offer another product or service to complement their original purchase; youcan make this a limited-time offer, as I do (see my example thank-you emailbelow) refer customers to affiliate programs at other Web sites that pay you anticipate frequently asked questions (FAQ) and tell customers how they canget service after the sale ask for referrals Simply sending a thank-you message after the sale will help nip serviceproblems in the bud. By acknowledging people who buy from you and opening achannel of communication, you can turn unhappy customers into raving fanswho later recommend your business. Really, when you think of it, the only thing that differentiates yourbusiness -- online or off -- is service. Yes, it's crucial to have the highest-quality product/service possible. Butwhat customers remember (and what they tell their friends) is how they weretreated. You can set the tone for a positive, profitable relationship withall your customers simply by thanking them right after they purchase fromyou. 2. Send a surveyCustomer feedback, negative or positive, is a crucial tool for fixing holesin your business. You can get that feedback via an online survey.As of this writing, you can get one free at Zoomerang (www.zoomerang.com/).I've used them for over a year and highly recommend their survey creator.A good customer survey is like a vigorous massage -- you may feel beat upafter reading the results, because NO business serves its customers as wellas it thinks it does, but the results will energize you. Side benefitA survey is a window into your clients' minds. If you include a section forthem to include their comments, it's like having a free product researchlaboratory! LISTEN and ACT on what your customers tell you. They'll giveyou invaluable tips on what new products to sell, joint ventures to form,etc. Side benefitYou'll also find that clients answering your survey will often give youtestimonials, which you can later use on your Web site. As you probablyknow, testimonials are an incredibly effective way to boost credibility andsales. I've accumulated five or six pages of them over the years (I stoppedcounting) and prospects continually tell me that my testimonials were adeciding factor in why they chose to buy from me. 3. Introduce them to non-competitors' productsWhat if customers won't need your product/service again for a long time, ifever? If you haven't done so already, set up affiliate deals from other Websites that offer items related to your own. My business offers a perfect example. Buying a resume is a lot likevisiting the dentist -- it's not something people look forward to, and theylikely won't make a repeat purchase for 6-12 months … or longer.To overcome this, I email my clients information about career-related Websites where they can register for job search services, buy books and audiotapes, refer jobs to friends, etc. Each of these sites has an affiliate program that pays me $1 to $5 everytime people register or buy. It all adds up to hundreds of dollars inmonthly revenue that would have been left on the table had I not introducedmy customers to these other sites. Need ideas on what kinds of products or services to offer your customers?You can search for an affiliate program that's right for your customers atone of these sites -www.associateprograms.com/orwww.refer-it.com/Best of luck to you!

An exercise to get your site in shape

2008-01-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

Submitting your web site to search engines is the single-most important step, to bringing in a flood of targeted traffic. These people are actively seeking you out when they type your keywords into that little search box. Question is "Are the keywords they're using, the same keywords you're using?" and if so, "How relevant are these keywords to what you're selling?"You see, when you submit your web site to a search engine, some will ask you for a list of keywords *relevant* to your web site. Other search engines will only send a spider to your site to look at your content. What they do, is take a kind of inventory of the words you use on your main page. Whichever words you use most often on this page, the spider will assume that's what your site is about and will base your listing on these words.Then there are those search engines that will base your listing on the keyword and description tags within the heading tag of your page.We are going to focus on getting the right keywords in the right places (optimizing) for the free-to-get-listed search engines; then we will move on to the pay-per-click and the pay-per-inclusion engines.Before you begin compiling your list of keywords, you need to do a little bit of research.Start by putting yourself in your customer's shoes. Pretend that you know nothing about your product or service; this can be very difficult to do. The best way to find out what keywords your customers may use, is to ask them. Using your spouse or your friends as guinea pigs, is the easiest way to do this.Without telling them what your site is about, give them a very vague idea; as most of your customers really don't have any idea that they need your product. For example, you might say, "Honey, if you wanted to make some extra money for Christmas gifts this year, what words would you type in this little box?"If your spouse has the time and is willing to help you out, ask him/her to go to at least 3 different search engines and conduct at least 3-5 searches, using different keywords and phrases each time. Also, be sure that she/he clicks on a few of the results, but only the ones she/he feels is relevant her/his search.Note: Most internet marketers are alone in their work. Meaning, many times the spouse of the marketer usually doesn't know how internet marketing works. (My husband can't even turn on a computer!) Allow your spouse to use any keyword or phrases she/he needs to find what she/he is looking for. There are no wrong answers here and you'll learn a lot more if she/he isn't given a lesson in search engines beforehand.Make sure you write down *every* keyword and/or phrase your spouse uses. Also pay close attention to the web sites she/he clicks on from the search results. This will give you an outside look at how the majority of your customers are going to find you. After your spouse clicks on one of the search results that she/he is interested in, ask them "Why?" What was it about that particular site that interested her/him? Take notes; this is good stuff!Note: Of course not everyone is selling information on how to make money online. Some of you may be selling crafts that you made yourself, vitamins or weight loss products, long distance service, etc. No matter what your site wants from its visitors, you can still do this exercise. Just be sure that your spouse only has a vague idea of what she/he is searching for.The next step in this exercise is to have your spouse conduct their searches again, only this time they should have a really good idea of exactly what it is they are looking for. Tell them to be specific in their searches. Again, write down the keywords and/or phrases they use, what sites they visit from the results and why.Be sure to also write down the URL of the web sites they visit. (This is your competition!) Next week, we are going to do a little undercover work. You will become the ultimate internet spy!Note: The reason I say to use your spouse or friends for this exercise, is that we, as marketers, tend to get so close to what we're doing, that it's hard to get back, outside the box, as newbies. We know what it is our product does, and how it does it, but our customers don't! We need to get inside their heads and discover *their* idea of our product. This is the easiest way to do that. ***Attention, MRI subscribers!***If your spouse isn't available for this exercise, try using the Keyword Finding Tools listed in the "Search Engine Tools" category at Click here Spend some time with the last resource listed and you'll have your keyword list in no time!***Attention, Non-MRI subscribers!***You can subscribe to The Marketing Resource Informer and gain access to the only ezine that does all the work for you and provides you with easy to use resources you won't find anywhere else on the net at Click here