Home » Archives for June 2008
71 Gradient Resources for Web Design
For web designers and graphic designers, gradients provide almost unlimited options for creating the perfect look. This list is a collection of excellent tutorials and resources for effectively using gradients. Some of the tutorials and resources are specific to Photoshop and Illustrator, and others are general. Regardless of whether you use gradients every day or if you’ve never used a gradient, there should be something here for you.
Photoshop Tutorials:
Using Photoshop Gradient Tool from FreeTimeFoto.
Photoshop 101 - The Gradient Tool from Shape Shed.
A Gradient Tutorial from 9rules.
Creating Web 2.0 Effects with Photoshop - Part 1 from SitePoint.
Smooth Gradient Header Photoshop Tutorial from Tutorial Blog.
How to Create a Transparent Gradient in Photoshop from MediaCollege.com.
Creating Stylish Gradient Buttons from Wipeout44.
Jazzed Up Text With Gradient Effects from Wipeout44.
Become a Gradient Junkie from Wipeout44.
Gradient Mapping Effect in Photoshop from Wipeout44.
Web 2.0 Badge Photoshop Tutorial from Ajax Lessons.
Create a Shiny Badge Photoshop Tutorial from Tutorial Blog.
Tutorial: Rays of Light from Bartelme Design.
Sleek and Spicy Website Header Tutorial “Web 2.0 Style” from Photoshopit.
Gradient Text with Photoshop from Depiction.net.
Underwater Scene with Gradients from Heathrowe.com.
Warm Gradient Sunsets with Gradient Maps from Photoshop Essentials.
Using Gradients to Make Light and Shadow - and a Coffee Cup! from PSDTUTS.
Illustrator Tutorials:
Create Realistic Illustrations Using Illustrator’s Gradient Mesh from Veerle’s Blog.
Colorful Gradient Effects in Illustrator from Veerle’s Blog.
Transparent Gradients in Illustrator from CreativeTechs.
Adobe Illustrator - Gradient Mesh Tool, Gradients and Blends from Kevin Hulsey.
Transparent Gradient in Illustrator from Creative Bits.
Create Abstract Backgorunds in Illustrator from Vectips.
Illustrator 101: One Gradient Across Multiple Paths from BittBox.
Gradient Mesh - The Adobe Illustrator Video Podcast.
Gradient Meshes Introduction from Biorust.
How to Create Gradient Text in Illustrator from Wow Web Design.
GIMP Tutorials:
GIMP Gradient Tutorial from TankedUp Imaging.
GIMP Gradient Tutorial at YouTube.
General Tutorials:
Gradient Text Effect from Web Designer Wall.
Super-Easy Blendy Backgrounds from A List Apart.
Pure CSS Text Gradients from CSS Tricks.
Span-Free Gradient Text Effect from Sam Rayner.
Cross-Browser Gradient Backgrounds Without Images from Slayer Office.
Web 2.0 Design Kit from Photoshop Lab.
Gradients - The Web 2.0 How-to Design Guide from Web Design from Scratch.
Gradient Tiles with Shadow from Projectseven.
CSS Gradient Background from DMXzone.
Background Gradients and CSS from TankedUp Imaging.
CSS Web 2.0 Glossy Text from Just Talk About Web.
Creating Gradient Fills with ActionScript from Lukamaras.com.
The Push vs. Pull Gradient from Blogoscoped.
Gradient Generators:
Gradient Image Maker from Dynamic Drive.
The Amazing Gradient Generator.
RoundedCornr - Create a rounded corner with a gradient.
Form Style Generator - Includes a gradient generator.
Gradient Resources:
CSS Text Gradient from CSS Globe.
CSS Gradient Shadow from Dynamic Drive.
Tabs Generator - Create Gradient Tabs.
Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients - Free Downloads from Deziner Folio.
Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients - Volume 2 from Deziner Folio.
Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients - Volume 3 from Deziner Folio.
130 Web 2.0 Gradient Swatches for Illustrator from Deziner Folio.
Ultimate Web 2.0 Layer Styles - Free Download from Deziner Folio.
Some Gradients to Save Some Time from GoSquared.
Free Photoshop Gradients Download from Euphorish.
Gradient Progress Bar from Slayer Office.
Lose the Images: How to Get Rounded Corners, Gradients, Drop Shadows and More Using CSS
from DesignVitality.
The Gradient Green Navigation Bar from Listamatic.
130 Ultimate Web 2.0 Gradients for Gimp from Gimp-Tutorials.net.
GIMP Gradients from Gimp.org.
Source: Vandelay
11 Places to Sell Your Graphic Art
For graphic designers who are looking for some variety rather than just client work, stock photography sites can provide an opportunity. In this post we’ll take a look at some of the leading stock photo sites that also sell illustrations from graphic artists. There are even a few sites on the list that specializes in graphic art rather than stock photography.
iStockphoto
iStockphoto is probably the largest and most popular place to buy images and photos online. As a seller you can create an account and apply to be a contributor. Once you’re approved you’ll be able to upload your work and earn a base commission of 20% on anything sold, and exclusive providers earn up to 40%. iStockphoto offers buyers the option to pay for files individually or to become a subscriber, so there is a little bit more to the commission structure of the sellers than just a simple percentage. For more details, see their page with details on the program.
Vector Stock
Vector Stock is a good option for graphic designers because the focus of the site is vectors, not photos. To sell your work you can sign up for an account. Once you’re logged in you’ll have the option to request contributor status. If you visit their FAQ you’ll find some more information on selling your work. The payout is 25%, or 30% if you supply images for Vector Stock exclusively. You can potentially earn up to 50% with their accelerated payment structure for artists who have had a high number of downloads.
Graphic Leftovers
Graphic Leftovers is a new site with the purpose of allowing designers the opportunity to sell their unused work. If you are used to doing client work, the stuff that the client doesn’t want can be sold at Graphic Leftovers. They have icons, illustrations, and even some website templates for sale. Regardless of how much you sell, you’ll earn 52% commission. You can get more details about selling your work at Graphic Leftovers.
Stockxpert
Stockxpert is similar to iStockphoto in terms of the photos and images that are available, although the selection is a bit less than iStockphoto. At Stockxpert you can earn 50% commission and you can view your stats and earnings in real time. Get more information about selling with Stockxpert.
Crestock
Crestock is another popular option for buying and selling stock photography and images. Their site does not offer details on payment structure or commissions (at least not that I could find), although there is an option to apply to become a seller.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock only sells photos and images by subscription, not on an individual basis. As a seller, you’ll get paid $0.25 every time one of your images is downloaded. Once you’ve hit $500 in earnings your commission will increase to $0.30 per download. You can sign up to be a seller from their website.
BigStockPhoto
BigStockPhoto sells images individually, and you can earn $0.50 to $3 per download (or more on special license downloads). In order to be accepted into the program you’ll have to pass a test. You can get more information and sign up from their website.
Fotolia
Fotolia sells photos and images individually as well as through subscriptions. As a seller, you can earn up to 80% commission, with an average of 52%. You can sell your work with exclusive licenses and name your price. Get more information at their website.
Photospin
Photospin sells images by subscription. Their website allows you to inquire about becoming a seller, but there is no information about commissions or details.
Dreamstime
Dreamstime sells images individually. The base commission is 50% per download, but it can go as high as 80%. You’ll earn a high commission for exclusivity plus there are different levels according to how many of your files have been purchased. The more you sell, the more you make.
ShutterPoint
ShuttPoint is a much different option. With their service you will pay for the disk space that your images take up ($19 - $49 per year) but you’ll earn 70-85%. You can get more information at their website.
What’s Your Experience?
Have you ever sold your work on any of these sites?
Source: Vandelay
Do Marketers Really Need RSS?
The recent Forrester Research study, which claims that only 2% of online households in North America use RSS, took the internet marketing world by storm. Does this data really mean that marketers can still afford to ignore this channel?
Soon after the Forrrester study became public, I received a press enquiery asking whether marketers should be interested in RSS now that so few online adults use it.
Is this the correct question to ask? Let’s take a look at the bigger picture …
1. THE FORRESTER STUDY VALIDITY
The Forrester study is just one of those available and cannot be considered as the only relevant study, although it was conducted on a sample of 68,000 households.
Jupiter Research estimates RSS penetration at 12% of the American online population, while the latest report from PEW shows that 9% of the American online population has a good idea of what RSS is. An October 2004 PEW study actually estimated RSS penetration at 5%.
It is also important to understand that Forrester data does not include those that might not even be aware they are using RSS, especially through services such as My.Yahoo, which is actually the most popular RSS reader.
Also, at the same time, Forrester Vice President Henry Harteveldt says that »RSS is critical for any organization that wants to reach out to people under the age of 30«.
2. THE FUTURE GROWTH OF RSS
Regardless of the numbers we put our faith in, the future growth of RSS is without question. Microsoft just recently announced full RSS support in the next edition of their Internet Explorer browser and full RSS integration in the next edition of their operating system, the Windows Vista.
Once RSS becomes easily available to most internet users out-of-the-box and becomes as widely spread as bookmarks, its adoption will grow at an incredible rate. Microsoft has now made sure this in fact will happen.
Consequently, the time for marketers to not only become interested in RSS but also master it is now. Those that test and discover the best possible ways of using RSS for marketing will be ahead of their competition once everyone starts using RSS.
Furthermore, since RSS implementation can actually be free of any charge, there’s no reason not to start providing your content in RSS feeds now.
3. GOOGLE SHOWS THE WAY
Microsoft and Yahoo! aren’t the only big players to show support for RSS. Google recently launched RSS advertising as part of their Google AdSense program, giving publishers reason to start their own RSS feeds to generate direct revenues.
Those that depend on Google AdSense for part or all of their online revenues actually need to provide RSS feeds, or stand to lose some of those revenues due to their visitors switching to sites and feeds from their competitors.
Face it, today many users are already starting to request publishers provide them with RSS to subscribe to their content. This trend will only continue, with many users selecting RSS as their primary channel of receiving and reading online content.
4. THE QUESTIONABLE RELIABILITY OF E-MAIL
All marketers today are experiencing e-mail delivery problems, constantly wondering whether their messages are getting through or not. Simply put, e-mail can no longer be relied on.
For one, offering your content via RSS as a supplement to e-mail will help you make certain that at least a portion of your visitors, those that decide for the RSS option, will be receiving all of your content without any doubt.
Lockergnome.com decided to start pushing RSS instead of e-mail some time ago, and as a result saw that their RSS feeds are outperforming e-mail when it comes to clickthrough rates for about 500%. Also an interesting fact, they today have 5 times more RSS subscribers than e-mail subscribers.
And two, for your most important content updates, RSS really is becoming a must, especially if you need to be in contact with your existing customers, partners and other key audiences. If you want to be 100% certain that your messages reach your audience, RSS is the way to go.
5. OTHER BENEFITS OF RSS
But all of the above don’t even touch all the reasons why marketers should start using RSS today …
a) RSS will help you generate additional traffic and reach new audiences. Considering the low cost of RSS implementation, this is reason enough to get started with RSS today.
b) RSS helps you to easily get your content published on other sites, thus generating you more credibility and visitors.
c) As a publisher you can use RSS to display content from other sources, thus making your site more relevant and interesting to your existing visitors.
And the list goes on and on.
RSS may not be mainstream yet, but it provides enough advantages even today to make it a must-choice for marketers.
Soon after the Forrrester study became public, I received a press enquiery asking whether marketers should be interested in RSS now that so few online adults use it.
Is this the correct question to ask? Let’s take a look at the bigger picture …
1. THE FORRESTER STUDY VALIDITY
The Forrester study is just one of those available and cannot be considered as the only relevant study, although it was conducted on a sample of 68,000 households.
Jupiter Research estimates RSS penetration at 12% of the American online population, while the latest report from PEW shows that 9% of the American online population has a good idea of what RSS is. An October 2004 PEW study actually estimated RSS penetration at 5%.
It is also important to understand that Forrester data does not include those that might not even be aware they are using RSS, especially through services such as My.Yahoo, which is actually the most popular RSS reader.
Also, at the same time, Forrester Vice President Henry Harteveldt says that »RSS is critical for any organization that wants to reach out to people under the age of 30«.
2. THE FUTURE GROWTH OF RSS
Regardless of the numbers we put our faith in, the future growth of RSS is without question. Microsoft just recently announced full RSS support in the next edition of their Internet Explorer browser and full RSS integration in the next edition of their operating system, the Windows Vista.
Once RSS becomes easily available to most internet users out-of-the-box and becomes as widely spread as bookmarks, its adoption will grow at an incredible rate. Microsoft has now made sure this in fact will happen.
Consequently, the time for marketers to not only become interested in RSS but also master it is now. Those that test and discover the best possible ways of using RSS for marketing will be ahead of their competition once everyone starts using RSS.
Furthermore, since RSS implementation can actually be free of any charge, there’s no reason not to start providing your content in RSS feeds now.
3. GOOGLE SHOWS THE WAY
Microsoft and Yahoo! aren’t the only big players to show support for RSS. Google recently launched RSS advertising as part of their Google AdSense program, giving publishers reason to start their own RSS feeds to generate direct revenues.
Those that depend on Google AdSense for part or all of their online revenues actually need to provide RSS feeds, or stand to lose some of those revenues due to their visitors switching to sites and feeds from their competitors.
Face it, today many users are already starting to request publishers provide them with RSS to subscribe to their content. This trend will only continue, with many users selecting RSS as their primary channel of receiving and reading online content.
4. THE QUESTIONABLE RELIABILITY OF E-MAIL
All marketers today are experiencing e-mail delivery problems, constantly wondering whether their messages are getting through or not. Simply put, e-mail can no longer be relied on.
For one, offering your content via RSS as a supplement to e-mail will help you make certain that at least a portion of your visitors, those that decide for the RSS option, will be receiving all of your content without any doubt.
Lockergnome.com decided to start pushing RSS instead of e-mail some time ago, and as a result saw that their RSS feeds are outperforming e-mail when it comes to clickthrough rates for about 500%. Also an interesting fact, they today have 5 times more RSS subscribers than e-mail subscribers.
And two, for your most important content updates, RSS really is becoming a must, especially if you need to be in contact with your existing customers, partners and other key audiences. If you want to be 100% certain that your messages reach your audience, RSS is the way to go.
5. OTHER BENEFITS OF RSS
But all of the above don’t even touch all the reasons why marketers should start using RSS today …
a) RSS will help you generate additional traffic and reach new audiences. Considering the low cost of RSS implementation, this is reason enough to get started with RSS today.
b) RSS helps you to easily get your content published on other sites, thus generating you more credibility and visitors.
c) As a publisher you can use RSS to display content from other sources, thus making your site more relevant and interesting to your existing visitors.
And the list goes on and on.
RSS may not be mainstream yet, but it provides enough advantages even today to make it a must-choice for marketers.
What is an Affiliate Program and How Can It Make Me Money?
You may have heard the buzz terms, ‘affiliate programs’ or ‘associate programs’. Chances are your think of them in one of two ways, either – it’s got to be another one of those Internet ‘work at home’ scams. Or, “That’s just out of my league.”
Promoting affiliate programs is in fact an attractive and viable way to initiate multiple residual income streams. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, to be successful it takes a great deal of work and persistence. It also requires flexibility and an inquisitive nature that embraces trying new ways of marketing until you find something that works for your target audience.
What is an affiliate program? Thousands of established businesses set up affiliate programs in order to have people like you promote their products or services. When you sign up for an affiliate program you are given a link with your own unique id embedded into it.
With your own unique link it then becomes your job to promote the affiliate program and drive traffic to the businesses website. You never handle sales or products, but each time an interested prospect visits the website through your link and actually purchases something you earn a commission.
One of the most effective ways to promote affiliate programs is to find a subject that you are passionate about. Something that (humility aside), you may even consider yourself an expert of. Take that subject and develop a website that is devoted to it.
Building a website does not have to be intimidating. There are a tremendous amount of resources available to you to help you build one. You could also have the template of a website designed for you, or you could purchase a website at a price that may surprise you.
Once you have your website built, you will submit it to the major search engines and every day set some time aside to promote your website. At the same time, find affiliate programs that complement your content and ad their banner ads or text links to your website.
Working with a subject you love insures that you won’t become bored with the website. The more content that you add to your site and the more you promote it, the more traffic you will get. It could take a good year to get the site to the point where you are actually surprised at how well it is doing. At that point, it seems to almost effortlessly improve itself.
The key is to draw your visitors to the website because you have terrific content. It is even more effective to offer a newsletter that your visitors can opt-in to. This way you can send them monthly newsletters with articles that will interest them, convincing them to frequent your site over and over again. You can also include the affiliate program links in your newsletters as well.
In the end, you have indulged in promoting a topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about; while at the same time have initiated a residual income from.
Now you will have even more expertise and confidence, and the next site will be a piece of cake!
Lori Redfield is a freelance Internet entrepreneur. She and her husband work solely from home and support their family of five comfortably – with plenty of time for play!
Read more…
Promoting affiliate programs is in fact an attractive and viable way to initiate multiple residual income streams. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, to be successful it takes a great deal of work and persistence. It also requires flexibility and an inquisitive nature that embraces trying new ways of marketing until you find something that works for your target audience.
What is an affiliate program? Thousands of established businesses set up affiliate programs in order to have people like you promote their products or services. When you sign up for an affiliate program you are given a link with your own unique id embedded into it.
With your own unique link it then becomes your job to promote the affiliate program and drive traffic to the businesses website. You never handle sales or products, but each time an interested prospect visits the website through your link and actually purchases something you earn a commission.
One of the most effective ways to promote affiliate programs is to find a subject that you are passionate about. Something that (humility aside), you may even consider yourself an expert of. Take that subject and develop a website that is devoted to it.
Building a website does not have to be intimidating. There are a tremendous amount of resources available to you to help you build one. You could also have the template of a website designed for you, or you could purchase a website at a price that may surprise you.
Once you have your website built, you will submit it to the major search engines and every day set some time aside to promote your website. At the same time, find affiliate programs that complement your content and ad their banner ads or text links to your website.
Working with a subject you love insures that you won’t become bored with the website. The more content that you add to your site and the more you promote it, the more traffic you will get. It could take a good year to get the site to the point where you are actually surprised at how well it is doing. At that point, it seems to almost effortlessly improve itself.
The key is to draw your visitors to the website because you have terrific content. It is even more effective to offer a newsletter that your visitors can opt-in to. This way you can send them monthly newsletters with articles that will interest them, convincing them to frequent your site over and over again. You can also include the affiliate program links in your newsletters as well.
In the end, you have indulged in promoting a topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about; while at the same time have initiated a residual income from.
Now you will have even more expertise and confidence, and the next site will be a piece of cake!
Lori Redfield is a freelance Internet entrepreneur. She and her husband work solely from home and support their family of five comfortably – with plenty of time for play!
"Pay-Per Click" Ad Campaign: Earn More By Spending Less
What is "Pay-Per Click"? "Pay-Per Click", is an easy to understand advertising strategy. There are around 300 million searches at major search engines everyday. This causes 80% of internet traffic. Placing your websites on these search engines is very important in reaching as many potential customers as possible. But in order to be seen and clicked most frequently, your website should be viewed at the top most of the search list. Most people only reach up to the third page of a search engine so the lower your rank, the lesser the chance you will be clicked. In "Pay-Per Click" advertising, you pay to be always visible on the internet. You select keywords or key phrases about your website, and the highest bidder ranks the best. There is no upfront cost. You only pay after a visitor clicks your link. This is why it is called "Pay-Per Click".
Everyday millions of people around the world click on Pay-Per Click Advertising Campaign. With the booming internet industry and the ever growing online business, an ad of virtually anybody on the planet can be seen on the internet anywhere in the world.
The "Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign is the premier growth area in online marketing. Last year, an estimated $741.2 million was spent on "Pay-Per Click" advertising. The usual search engine optimization can take weeks or even months to produce results. "Pay-Per Click" advertising can attract customers at an instant. Why? Because, this cutting edge ad campaign can be placed on any website and can be viewed by potential online customers, anywhere, anytime and all the time. The only challenge is placing the ads on proper websites that will attract possible customers for a specific product or services.
"Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign attracts the right consumers at the shortest possible time. This is the most cost effective way of marketing products or services. You can also monitor the customers who visit your site, what they are looking for and what they are buying. With the right creativity on using the right search-phrases, we can direct the right people who are willing to do business with us.
"Pay-Per Click" advertising can easily be managed 24 hours per day and 7 days a week through the internet. This allows you improve the campaign strategy by effectively responding to the activities of both customers and competitors.
So what are you waiting for? "Pay-Per Click" now and let your business take the fast route to success.
Everyday millions of people around the world click on Pay-Per Click Advertising Campaign. With the booming internet industry and the ever growing online business, an ad of virtually anybody on the planet can be seen on the internet anywhere in the world.
The "Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign is the premier growth area in online marketing. Last year, an estimated $741.2 million was spent on "Pay-Per Click" advertising. The usual search engine optimization can take weeks or even months to produce results. "Pay-Per Click" advertising can attract customers at an instant. Why? Because, this cutting edge ad campaign can be placed on any website and can be viewed by potential online customers, anywhere, anytime and all the time. The only challenge is placing the ads on proper websites that will attract possible customers for a specific product or services.
"Pay-Per Click" advertising campaign attracts the right consumers at the shortest possible time. This is the most cost effective way of marketing products or services. You can also monitor the customers who visit your site, what they are looking for and what they are buying. With the right creativity on using the right search-phrases, we can direct the right people who are willing to do business with us.
"Pay-Per Click" advertising can easily be managed 24 hours per day and 7 days a week through the internet. This allows you improve the campaign strategy by effectively responding to the activities of both customers and competitors.
So what are you waiting for? "Pay-Per Click" now and let your business take the fast route to success.
15 Tips to Bring More Traffic to Your Blog
There are many factors that make blogs much better than normal WebPages including the speed at which blogs are indexed, ability to submit to blog directories & normal directories, pings and track backs. All these little things can help drive more traffic to blogs. Here are 15 popular techniques you can use:
1. Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to "Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts" by TNL.net
2. Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo it is indexed by Yahoo.
3. Submit to Google's Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS to Google's Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.
4. Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.
5. Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time you add a new post.
6. Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as AltaVista, and MSN.
7. Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ. Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google. DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?
8. Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.
9. Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy comments like "I agree." Leave well thought out replies that will force readers to wonder "who wrote this?"
10. Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few interested readers from the linked site.
11. Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards, business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible know your blog exists.
12. Add a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.
13. Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk with them. Make sure to use your blog URL like it is your name.
14. Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own site and leave.
15. Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many others have a social feature that allows you to place your article under keywords or "tags" that everyone interested in that tag can see
1. Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to "Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts" by TNL.net
2. Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo it is indexed by Yahoo.
3. Submit to Google's Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS to Google's Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.
4. Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.
5. Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time you add a new post.
6. Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as AltaVista, and MSN.
7. Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ. Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google. DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?
8. Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.
9. Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy comments like "I agree." Leave well thought out replies that will force readers to wonder "who wrote this?"
10. Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few interested readers from the linked site.
11. Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards, business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible know your blog exists.
12. Add a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.
13. Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk with them. Make sure to use your blog URL like it is your name.
14. Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own site and leave.
15. Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many others have a social feature that allows you to place your article under keywords or "tags" that everyone interested in that tag can see
Tools for Online Tracking
In order to determine which advertising and marketing efforts are effective you must have ways to measure the results of those efforts. Alerts and instant notifications can be instrumental in monitoring search engine position, trademarked terms, monitoring competitors and staying abreast of online occurrences. And, of course, the notification can be used for "ego searches".
Ego Searches
What is an ego search? Find out where your name or company is mentioned, view forum posts or online articles that mention your name or company.
Trademarks
The best offense is a good defense. By monitoring newsgroups or search engines for trademarked terms, you often head off a future conflict. As a trademark owner, it is your responsibility to actively protect your mark. Otherwise, you could lose your trademark rights. Monitoring tools send immediate notification should any suspected trademark infringements occur.
Search Position
Statistics show that more than 85% of Internet users find web sites with the help of the search engines. Therefore, a website's search engine position is crucial to its success. Prudent webmasters regularly check their search engine position. Monitoring fluctuations and re-indexing of major search engines affects keyword terms and phrases. Monitoring of positions will alert webmasters to any shifts before sales decline.
Competitor Watch
Monitoring newsgroups for mentions of competitors may allow you opportunities to chime in and offer an alternative solution in a helpful, friendly way. Knowing exactly what your online competitors are doing provides a competitive edge that can be used to your advantage.
Website Downtime
Accessibility is the most critical measure of your website's performance. If customers can't access your site, they can't shop; and if they can't shop, they can't buy. More important, your business could gain a bad reputation among your customers, which translates into negative word of mouth and even worse, if you're highly visible, negative press. So regardless of what else you monitor, you want to monitor websites for downtime.
Take a look at the various tools available and how they can be used to keep you current on relevant issues.
WebAlerts - Recieve email updates of the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of query or topic. Alerts can be sent based on information in Google News, Google Searches or both.
http://www.google.com/webalerts
PubSub - PubSub matches your requests against new information as it appears real time. Searches can be categorized to search, blog entries, SEC/EDGAR Filings, press releases, news group posts or flight delays.
http://www.pubsub.com
Ego Alerts - Google news search turned into an RSS feed.
http://www.justinpfister.com/gnewsfeed.php
Ebay Alerts - Ebay Alerts monitoring will create an RSS feed to monitor Ebay auctions for specific keywords or phrases. When a new item that contains those keywords is added to Ebay you will receive notification via your RSS feed!
http://www.freebiddingtools.com
Amazon Alerts - Generate a URL which you can use to automatically search Amazon.com with your favorite RSS news reader. It will automatically update you when new items meet your search criteria. I personally use it to look for new books on topics I'm interested in, and I have the defaults set to do the same, but you can adjust it to search any of Amazon's stores. You can also adjust the search order and what kind of items you wish to search.
http://www.oxus.net/amazon
Internet Seer - InternetSeer remotely monitors your website to insure that your site is available 24/7. If InternetSeer is unable to reach your site, we will send you an immediate e-mail alert that your site is unreachable.
http://www.internetseer.com
NetNewsTracker - NetNews Tracker is a clipping service for Usenet newsgroups. Newstracker searches newsgroups twice daily for any specified words or phrases and delivers alerts via e-mail. Newstracker can be used to monitor newsgroups for names, company names, products, URLs, or any other topic of interest.
http://www.netnewstracker.com
Other Suggested Resources -
Monitoring Tools - Monitoring Tools is a directory of online monitoring tools and applications
http://www.monitoring-tools.net
Monitoring Software - Monitoring Software is a collection of downloadable monitoring software solutions.
http://www.monitoring-software.net
Ego Searches
What is an ego search? Find out where your name or company is mentioned, view forum posts or online articles that mention your name or company.
Trademarks
The best offense is a good defense. By monitoring newsgroups or search engines for trademarked terms, you often head off a future conflict. As a trademark owner, it is your responsibility to actively protect your mark. Otherwise, you could lose your trademark rights. Monitoring tools send immediate notification should any suspected trademark infringements occur.
Search Position
Statistics show that more than 85% of Internet users find web sites with the help of the search engines. Therefore, a website's search engine position is crucial to its success. Prudent webmasters regularly check their search engine position. Monitoring fluctuations and re-indexing of major search engines affects keyword terms and phrases. Monitoring of positions will alert webmasters to any shifts before sales decline.
Competitor Watch
Monitoring newsgroups for mentions of competitors may allow you opportunities to chime in and offer an alternative solution in a helpful, friendly way. Knowing exactly what your online competitors are doing provides a competitive edge that can be used to your advantage.
Website Downtime
Accessibility is the most critical measure of your website's performance. If customers can't access your site, they can't shop; and if they can't shop, they can't buy. More important, your business could gain a bad reputation among your customers, which translates into negative word of mouth and even worse, if you're highly visible, negative press. So regardless of what else you monitor, you want to monitor websites for downtime.
Take a look at the various tools available and how they can be used to keep you current on relevant issues.
WebAlerts - Recieve email updates of the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of query or topic. Alerts can be sent based on information in Google News, Google Searches or both.
http://www.google.com/webalerts
PubSub - PubSub matches your requests against new information as it appears real time. Searches can be categorized to search, blog entries, SEC/EDGAR Filings, press releases, news group posts or flight delays.
http://www.pubsub.com
Ego Alerts - Google news search turned into an RSS feed.
http://www.justinpfister.com/gnewsfeed.php
Ebay Alerts - Ebay Alerts monitoring will create an RSS feed to monitor Ebay auctions for specific keywords or phrases. When a new item that contains those keywords is added to Ebay you will receive notification via your RSS feed!
http://www.freebiddingtools.com
Amazon Alerts - Generate a URL which you can use to automatically search Amazon.com with your favorite RSS news reader. It will automatically update you when new items meet your search criteria. I personally use it to look for new books on topics I'm interested in, and I have the defaults set to do the same, but you can adjust it to search any of Amazon's stores. You can also adjust the search order and what kind of items you wish to search.
http://www.oxus.net/amazon
Internet Seer - InternetSeer remotely monitors your website to insure that your site is available 24/7. If InternetSeer is unable to reach your site, we will send you an immediate e-mail alert that your site is unreachable.
http://www.internetseer.com
NetNewsTracker - NetNews Tracker is a clipping service for Usenet newsgroups. Newstracker searches newsgroups twice daily for any specified words or phrases and delivers alerts via e-mail. Newstracker can be used to monitor newsgroups for names, company names, products, URLs, or any other topic of interest.
http://www.netnewstracker.com
Other Suggested Resources -
Monitoring Tools - Monitoring Tools is a directory of online monitoring tools and applications
http://www.monitoring-tools.net
Monitoring Software - Monitoring Software is a collection of downloadable monitoring software solutions.
http://www.monitoring-software.net
