The Domain Name System And Other Web Terms

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL specifies the Internet address of a file stored on a host computer connected to the Internet.

• Every file on the Internet, no matter what its access protocol, has a unique URL.

Web browsers use the URL to retrieve the file from the host computer and the specific directory in which it resides.

This file is downloaded to the user's client computer and displayed on the monitor connected to the machine.
URLs are translated into numeric addresses using the Domain Name System (DNS).
The DNS is a worldwide system of servers that stores location pointers to Websites. The numeric address, called the IP (Internet Protocol) address, is actually the "real" URL.

Since numeric strings are difficult for humans to use, alphanumeric addresses are employed by end users. Once the translation is made by the DNS, the browser can contact the Web server and ask for a specific file located on its site.

Anatomy of a URL

This is the format of the URL:

protocol://host/path/filename

For example, this is a URL on the Web site of the U.S. House of Representatives:

http://www.house.gov/house/2004_House_Calendar.html

This URL is typical of addresses hosted in domains in the United States.

Structure of this URL:

    Protocol: http

    Host computer name: www

    Second-level domain name: house

    Top-level domain name: gov

    Directory name: house

    File name: 2004_House_Calendar_html

Note how much information about the content of the file is present in this well-constructed URL.

Several top-level domains (TLDs) are common in the United States:

.com commercial enterprise

.edu educational institution

.gov U.S. government entity

.mil U.S. military entity

.net network access provider

.org usually non profit organizations
New domain names were approved in November 2000 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): .biz, .museum, .info, .pro (for professionals) .name (for individuals), .aero (for the aerospace industry), and .coop (for cooperatives).
ICANN continues to investigate proposals for addding additional domain names, for example, .mobi for sites designed for mobile devices, and .jobs for the human resources community.
In addition, dozens of domain names have been assigned to identify and locate files stored on host computers in countries around the world.
These are referred to as two-letter Internet country codes, and have been standardized by the International Standards Organization as ISO 3166.

For example:

.Us United states

.de Germany

.jp Japan
   
.uk United Kingdom 

.ng Nigeria
As the technology of the Web evolves, URLs have become more complex.
This is especially the case when content is retrieved from databases and served on to Web pages.
The resulting URLs can have a variety of elaborate structures, for example,
http://spills.incidentnews.gov/incidentnews/FMPro?-db=images&-Format=maps.htm &SpillLink=8&Subject=Waterway%20Closure%20Map&-SortField=EntryDate& -SortOrder=descend&-SortField=EntryTime&-SortOrder=descend&-Token=8& -Max=20&-Find

The first part of this URL looks familiar. What follows are search elements that query the database and determine the order of the results. As a growing number of databases serve content to the Web, these types of URLs are appearing more commonly in your browser's address window. Have a nice day. 

Forex Trading Simply Explained

Forex trading involves dealing in international currencies. Here, one can sell currency of one country to buy that of another.
The trader deals in Foreign Exchange [Forex] at the most appropriate time to profit from the transaction.
Good ability to forecast plays a vital role here.
One may wonder how Forex trading can be such a lucrative earning opportunity since fluctuations in exchange is so little.

But remember, when done in big volumes, a minor change can mean a lot. There are many non-monetary advantages to it as well.

Anyone who wants to deal in Forex can do so, since only the basic knowledge is required for it.

Forex can help you earn a lot of money. But there are certain conditions to follow before trading in Forex. 

Firstly, one must have a thorough knowledge about the trends in the stock market, the basics of trading and risk-taking ability.
You will get all the help you need for attaining these conditions very easily.

There are many sites on the internet which can help you clarify your basics and help you brave rough weather.
 A good reason why Forex trading can be considered is the fact that there are frequent fluctuations in currencies, though in percentage terms it may be small.

You gain if the fluctuation favors you and the reverse holds true as well. No one can accurately predict the trend of the currencies.
 Liquidity is another reason why Forex trading is so popular.

Now the most important part – in Forex, you can make huge sums of money even if your initial investment is on a lower side.
You can invest $50,000. Rich people have no upper cap to the amount of investment.
 So remember that even with a nominal investment, the earning ability is undoubtedly very huge.

Most of the great businesses are connected to the world of internet today, and Forex trading is no exception.
You can deal in foreign currencies right from your home.
 In fact, it is fully conducted online. You have the liberty to choose when you want to trade, and you don’t need to meet any deadlines.

Basically, you can be your own boss. The process of online trading is fairly simple for anyone to understand.
You just need to open an account for Forex trading with a recognized broker and they will complete the rest of the formalities.
The only bit you need to do is get ready with your investment amount.

So, it is thus clear that Forex trading can be one of the best businesses to earn money.
Though there is a level of risk attached to it, but it can be avoided with due care and an alert mind!
Have a wonderful day.

How Browsers Function On The World Wide Web

To access the World Wide Web, you must use a Web browser. A browser is a software program that allows users to access and navigate the World Wide Web.
There are two types of browsers:
    1. Graphical: Text, images, audio, and video are retrievable through a graphical software program such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.

These browsers are available for Windows, Apple, Linux and other operating systems.
Navigation is accomplished by pointing and clicking with a mouse on highlighted words and graphics.
You can install a graphical browser on your computer.
For example, Internet Explorer is a part of the Windows operating system, and is also available on the Microsoft site: http://www.microsoft.com/.
Firefox is available for downloading from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ and Safari is available from http://www.apple.com/safari/.
  2.  Text: Lynx is a browser that provides access to the Web in text-only mode. Navigation is accomplished by highlighting emphasized words in the screen with the arrow up and down keys, and then pressing the forward arrow (or Enter) key to follow the link.
In these days of graphical browsers, it may be hard to believe that Lynx was once very popular.

Extending the Browser: Plug-Ins

Software programs may be configured to a Web browser in order to enhance its capabilities.
When the browser encounters a sound, image or video file, it hands off the data to other programs, called plug-ins, to run or display the file.
Working in conjunction with plug-ins, browsers can offer a seamless multimedia experience.
Many plug-ins are available for free.
File formats requiring plug-ins are known as MIME types.
MIME stands for Multimedia Internet Mail Extension, and was originally developed to help e-mail software handle a variety of binary (non-ASCII) file attachments.
The use of MIME has expanded to the Web.
For example, the basic MIME type handled by Web browsers is text/html associated with the file extention .html.
A common plug-in utilized on the Web is the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
 The Acrobat Reader allows you to view documents created in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). These documents are the MIME type "application/pdf" and are associated with the file extension .pdf. When the Acrobat Reader has been downloaded to your computer, the program will open and display the file requested when you click on a hyperlinked file name with the suffix .pdf.
The latest versions of the Acrobat Reader allow for the viewing of documents within the browser window. Web browsers are often standardized with a small suite of plug-ins, especially for playing multimedia content.
Additional plug-ins may be obtained at the browser's Website, at special download sites on the Web, or from the Web sites of the companies that created the programs. Once a plug-in is configured to your browser, it will automatically launch when you choose to access a file type that it uses.

Beyond Plug-Ins: Active X

ActiveX is a technology developed by Microsoft which make plug-ins less necessary.
ActiveX offers the opportunity to embed animated objects, data, and computer code on Web pages.
A Web browser supporting ActiveX can render most items encountered on a Web page.
As just one example, Active X allows you to view and edit PowerPoint presentations directly within your Web browser.  ActiveX works best with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Have a nice day.

2 Popular Tools That Have Improved Web Participation And Interaction

The Web is welcoming diverse medium for experimentation and user participation. It is becoming easier and easier to post Web contents, Videos and share comments with other users and stuff.
The idea of the website is still very much alive, but Web participation is taking new forms and being driven by new technologies that foster social interaction. Two of these developing trends are Blogs and Rss (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication).

1. Blogs: A blog is an easy-to-create website that allows users to share their thoughts with the world managed by a lightweight content management system.
The word "blog" comes from "Weblog" because a blog consists of a signed and dated log of individual postings. The topic of the blog can be anything, from the personal to the professional.
 A blog is what you make of it. What is important about blogs is the content management system that manages the content.
 This system can offer a variety of features that can make the blog a useful tool. Examples include a calendar view of postings, organization of postings into categories, archived postings, options to send e-mail notification of new postings,follow ups and so on.
Blogging is and should be an interactive activity. Readers can add comments to posts, others can respond, and a conversation ensues. Lately, bloggers have become well-known commentators on the political scene, but blogging can encompass any topic or no topic at all. If the blogging software allows it, bloggers can use RSS to distribute their postings. You can set up your own blog by visiting these two most popular blogging platforms, these are Blogger.com  and Wordpress.com. 
2. RSS: RSS allows people to place news and other announcement-type items into a simple XML format that can then be pushed to RSS readers and Web pages. The initials RSS can stand for different things, including Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication. Users can subscribe to the RSS news feeds of their choice, and then have access to the updated information as it comes in.
RSS is used for all kinds of purposes, including the news itself and announcing new content on Web sites. RSS contents may be read by using an RSS reader or Aggregator. This is usually free software that you can install on your computer that posts new items and stores old ones in a graphical interface.
An RSS reader similar to e-mail software in that it displays incoming items and can store content for offline reading. Subscribing to a news feed is usually as simple as entering the address of the RSS document. A useful list of RSS readers is available on the site of RSS Compendium. It is also possible to subscribe to and read your own collection of RSS feeds on Web sites devoted to this purpose. I use Feedburner.com for this. Feedburner.com is an example. The advantage here is that you can access your RSS feeds from any computer that is connected to the Web.

What You Must Know Before Starting Free Hosting !

Free web hosting is best suited for small sites with low traffic, like family sites or sites about hobbies. It is not recommended for high traffic or for real business. Technical support is often limited, and technical options are few. Very often you cannot use your own domain name at a free site. You have to use a name provided by your host like http://www.freesite/users/~yoursite.htm
This is hard to type, hard to remember, and not very professional.

Good:	Bad:
Low cost. It's free.	No domain names.
Good for family, hobby or personal sites.	Few, limited, or no software options.
Free email is often an option.	Limited security options.
	Limited or no database support.
	Limited technical support.

Shared (Virtual) Hosting

Shared hosting is very common, and very cost effective. With shared hosting, your web site is hosted on a powerful server along with maybe 100 other web sites. On a shared host it is common that each web site have their own domain name. Shared solutions often offer multiple software solutions like email, database, and many different editing options. Technical support tends to be good.

Good:	Bad:
Low cost. Cost is shared with others.	Reduced security due to many sites on one server.
Good for small business and average traffic.	Restrictions on traffic volume.
Multiple software options.	Restricted database support.
Own domain name.	Restricted software support.
Good support

Dedicated Hosting

With dedicated hosting your web site is hosted on a dedicated server. Dedicated hosting is the most expensive form of hosting. The solution is best suited for large web sites with high traffic, and web sites that use special software. You should expect dedicated hosting to be very powerful and secure, with almost unlimited software solutions.

Good:	Bad:
Good for large business.	Expensive.
Good for high traffic.	Requires higher skills.
Multiple domain names.
Powerful email solutions.
Powerful database support.
Strong (unlimited) software support.

Collocated Hosting

Collocation means "co-location". It is a solution that lets you place (locate) your own web server on the premises (locations) of a service provider. This is pretty much the same as running your own server in your own office, only that it is located at a place better designed for it. Most likely a provider will have dedicated resources like high-security against fire and vandalism, regulated backup power, dedicated Internet connections and more.

Good:	Bad:
High bandwidth.	Expensive.
High up-time.	Requires higher skills.
High security.	Harder to configure and debug.
Unlimited software options.

Your Checklist

Before you choose your web host, make sure that:

• The hosting type suits your current needs
• The hosting type is cost effective
• Upgrading to a better server is a possible solution
• If needed, upgrading to a dedicated server is possible

Before you sign up a contract with any hosting provider, surf some other web sites on their servers, and try to get a good feeling about their network speed. Also compare the other sites against yours, to see if it looks like you have the same needs. Contacting some of the other customers is also a valuable option. If you are selling a product or a service, e-commerce might be a smart way to do business.

Internet Commerce

E-Commerce is about selling products or services over the Internet. If you are selling a product or a service, e-commerce might be a smart way to do business. Over the Internet you can reach a large number of customers.

E-Commerce Systems

It is not a very good idea to build your own e-commerce system. Some (larger) companies might do it, but we will not recommend it if you run a smaller business. Building an e-commerce system is a complicated process, with the potential for a lot of errors. You might buy a ready-to-use system and run it on your own server. Many systems are available on the market today, and most of them will cover your basic needs for order management and processing. But again, if you are not familiar with hosting your own web site, starting with an e-commerce site is not the right thing. The best solution, in our opinion, is to find a hosting provider that offers an e-commerce solution.

Hosting Providers

E-commerce covers a very huge range of products. With different hosting providers you will find anything from very simple to very complex solutions. Most providers will offer a simple and inexpensive solution that allow you to run your own "virtual store".

Your Checklist

• How does it handle customers?
• How does it handle product catalogs?
• How does it handle orders?
• How does it handle inventory?
• How does it handle back orders?
• How does it handle shipment?
• How does it handle accounts?
• How does it handle billing?
• How does it handle payment?
• How does it handle foreign currency?
• How does it handle credit cards?
• How does it handle taxes?
• How does it handle security?
• How does it handle integrity (encryption)?

Also check if the most time-consuming tasks are automated. Look for automated billing, invoice handling, accounting, and report generation. Before you sign up a contract with any hosting provider, surf some other e-commerce sites on their servers. Find out how it works.  Actually try some shopping and see if you get a good feeling.  Also compare the other sites against yours, to see if it looks like you have the same needs. Contacting some of the other customers is also a valuable option.

Tax Issues

Taxes are a complex issue for most on-line stores. Especially VAT (Value Added Tax). If you are selling on-line, you will most likely be in the export business. Trading with different countries is easy, but tax issues might be tricky. Exporting goods may not be the subject of VAT in your country, but often your customers will have to pay their local VAT when they pick up the goods. In addition, there will be the issue of income tax for your shop, depending on how you report your income from sales. Before starting an on-line store, be sure to consult your tax adviser. Have a great day.

Programming Languages And Functions Used Online

The use of existing and new programming languages have extended the capabilities of the Web.

What follows is a basic guide to a group of the more common languages and functions in use on the Web today.

CGI, Active Server Pages: CGI (Common Gateway Interface) refers to a specification by which programs can communicate with a Web server.

 A CGI program, or script, is any program designed to accept and return data that conforms to the CGI specification.

 The program can be written in any programming language, including C, Perl, and Visual Basic Script.

 A common use for a CGI script is to process a form on a Web page. For example, you might fill out a form to order a book at Amazon.
The script processes your information and sends it to Amazon to process your order.

Another type of dynamically generated Web page is called Active Server Pages (ASP).

Developed by Microsoft, ASP is a programming environment that processes scripts on the Web server.

The scripts run on the server, rather than on the Web browser, to generate the HTML pages sent to browsers.

Visual Basic and JScript (a subset of JavaScript) are often used for the scripting.

ASPs end in the file extension .asp or .aspx.

Java/Java Applets: Java Java is an object-oriented programming language similar to C++.

 Developed by Sun Microsystems, the aim of Java is to create programs that will be platform independent.

The Java motto is, "Write once, run anywhere." A perfect Java program should work equally well on a PC, Macintosh, Unix, and so on, without any additional programming.

This goal has yet to be realized. Java can be used to write applications for both Web and non-Web use.

Web-based Java applications are usually in the form of Java applets.

These are small Java programs called from an HTML page that can be downloaded from a Web server and run on a Java-compatible Web browser.

A few examples include live newsfeeds, moving images with sound, calculators, charts and spreadsheets, and interactive visual displays.

 Java applets can tend to load slowly, but programming improvements should lead to a shortened loading time.

JavaScript/JScript: JavaScript is a programming language created by Netscape Communications.

Small programs written in this language are embedded within an HTML page, or called externally from the page, to enhance the page's the functionality.

 Examples of JavaScript include moving tickers, drop-down menus, real-time calendars and clocks, and mouse-over interactions.

 JScript is a similar language developed by Microsoft and works with the company's Internet Explorer browser.

XML: XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a mark-up language that enables Web designers to create their own customized tags to provide functionality not available with HTML alone.

XML is a language of data structure and exchange, and allows developers to separate form from content.

 With XML, the same content can be formatted for multiple applications.

In May 1999, the W3 Consortium announced that HTML 4.0 has been recast as an XML application called XHTML.

This move is slowing having an impact on the future of both XML and HTML.

Ajax: Ajax stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This langauge creates interactive Web applications.

 Its premise is that it sends data to the browser behind the scenes, so that when it is time to view the information, it is already "there." Google Maps is an example of an Ajax-enabled application.

Another is SurfWax LookAhead, an RSS search tool that retrieves feeds as you type your query.

Real-Time Communication

Text, audio and video communication can occur in real time on the Web. This capability allows people to conference and collaborate in real time.

 In general, the faster the Internet connection, the more successful the experience.

At its simplest, chat programs allow multiple users to type to each other in real time.

Internet Relay Chat and America Online's Instant Messenger are prime examples of this type of program.

The development of a messenging protocols is underway. Such a protocol would allow for the expansion of this capability throughout the Internet.

More enhanced real-time communication offers an audio and/or video component. CU-See Me is a sotware programs of this type.

Even more elaborate are programs that allow for true real-time collaboration.

Microsoft's NetMeeting and Netscape's Conference (available with Communicator) are good examples of this.

Featured collaboration tools include:

• audio: conduct a telephone conversation on the Web
• video: view your audience
• file transfer: send files back and forth among participants
• chat: type in real time
• whiteboard: draw, mark up, and save images on a shared window or board
• document/application sharing: view and use a program on another's desktop machine
• collaborative Web browsing: visit Web pages together

Currently no standard exists that will work among all conferencing programs.

Using the SQL Language

SQL is the language for accessing databases.

If you want your web site to be able to store and retrieve data from a database, your web server should have access to a database-system that uses the SQL language..

SQL Server

Microsoft's SQL Server is one of the most popular database software for database-driven web sites with high traffic.

SQL Server is a very powerful, robust and full featured SQL database system.

Oracle

Oracle is also a very popular database software for database-driven web sites with high traffic.

Oracle is a very powerful, robust and full featured SQL database system.

Access

When a web site requires a simple database solution, Microsoft Access is a very popular option.

Access is not well suited for very high-traffic, and not as powerful as Oracle or SQL Server.

MySQL

MySQL is also a popular database software for web sites.

MySQL is an inexpensive alternative to the expensive Microsoft and Oracle solutions.

Hosting can be FREE, SHARED or DEDICATED.

A Brief History Of The Internet And Important Web Terms

The World Wide Web is a system of Internet servers that supports hypertext to access several Internet protocols on a single interface.

The World Wide Web is often abbreviated as the Web or WWW.
 
The World Wide Web was developed in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee of the European Particle Physics Lab (CERN) in Switzerland.

The initial purpose of the Web was to use networked hypertext to facilitate communication among its members, who were located in several countries.

Word was soon spread beyond CERN, and a rapid growth in the number of both developers and users ensued.

In addition to hypertext, the Web began to incorporate graphics, video, and sound.



 The use of the Web has reached global proportions and has become a defining aspect of human culture in an amazingly short period of time.

Almost every protocol type available on the Internet is accessible on the Web.

Internet protocols are sets of rules that allow for intermachine (inter Computer) communication on the Internet.

The following is a sample of major protocols accessible on the Web:

E-mail (Simple Mail Transport Protocol or SMTP)

Distributes electronic messages and files to one or more electronic mailboxes

Telnet (Telnet Protocol)

Facilitates login to a computer host to execute commands

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

Transfers text or binary files between an FTP server and client

Usenet (Network News Transfer Protocol or NNTP)

Distributes Usenet news articles derived from topical discussions on newsgroups

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

Transmits hyptertext over networks. This is the protocol of the Web.

Many other protocols are available on the Web.

To name just one example, the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows users to place a telephone call over the Web.

The World Wide Web provides a single interface for accessing all these protocols.

This creates a convenient and user-friendly environment.

Once upon a time, it was necessary to be conversant in these protocols within separate, command-level environments.

The Web gathers these protocols together into a single system.

 Because of this feature, and because of the Web's ability to work with multimedia and advanced programming languages, the Web is by far the most popular component of the Internet.

HYPERTEXT AND LINKS: THE MOTION OF THE WEB

The operation of the Web relies primarily on hypertext as its means of information retrieval. HyperText is a document containing words that connect to other documents.

These words are called links and are selectable by the user.

A single hypertext document can contain links to many documents. In the context of the Web, words or graphics may serve as links to other documents, images, video, and sound.

Links may or may not follow a logical path, as each connection is created by the author of the source document.

Overall, the Web contains a complex virtual web of connections among a vast number of documents, graphics, videos, and sounds.

Producing hypertext for the Web is accomplished by creating documents with a language called HyperText Markup Language, or HTML.

With HTML, tags are placed within the text to accomplish document formatting, visual features such as font size, italics and bold, and the creation of hypertext links.

Graphics may also be incorporated into an HTML document.

HTML is an evolving language, with new tags being added as each upgrade of the language is developed and released.

For example, visual formatting features are now often separated from the HTML document and placed into Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

This has several advantages, including the fact that an external style sheet can centrally control the formatting of multiple documents.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), led by Web founder Tim Berners-Lee, coordinates the efforts of standardizing HTML.

The W3C now calls the language XHTML and considers it to be an application of the XML language standard.

PAGES ON THE WEB

The World Wide Web consists of files, called pages or Web pages, containing information and links to resources throughout the Internet.

Web pages can be created by user activity. For example, if you visit a Web search engine and enter keywords on the topic of your choice, a page will be created containing the results of your search.

 In fact, a growing amount of information found on the Web today is served from databases, creating temporary Web pages "on the fly" in response to user queries.

Access to Web pages may be accomplished by:

1. Entering an Internet address and retrieving a page directly
2. Browsing through pages and selecting links to move from one page to another
3. Searching through subject directories linked to organized collections of Web pages
4. Entering a search statement at a search engine to retrieve pages on the topic of your choice

Mastering The Fundamentals Of Social Networking And Web 2.0 Philosophy

Mastering the fundamentals of Social Networking and the Web2.0 philosophy is merely the permission-based art of selling, knowing how to present! whatever it is that you're selling to your visitor in such a manner that she feels you will personally solve her problems or fulfill her dreams.

Anybody can sell anything to anybody and selling on the Web-absolutely no different than selling by mail, in person, or face to face with your prospect...just a more efficient and economical way of making contact:

You've got to captivate her attention;

You've got to appeal to her interests;

You've got to reveal to her how her purchase of your product will benefit her;

You've got to close the sale by causing her to reach into her purse for her credit card or to write out a check for whatever it is you're selling.

The first few seconds of the opening encounter with your prospect ultimately affects the success of the presentation and inevitably-whether or not a sale is made. Therefore, it's absolutely critical that your sales presentation radiates enthusiasm and success!

Once she's on your Site and is looking at your presentation, you've got to make her feel comfortable; be friendly and believable.

 Stimulate her interest in whatever you're selling by appealing to one of her primordial wants, needs or problems with a solution.

Don't waste her time with a long and/or complicated dissertation...Make your sales presentation flow;

Anticipate her objections; Logically answer them within your presentation.

Explain all of the irresistible benefits gained from ownership of your product or service;

Whenever possible, let her see or read of proof or testimonials from people who have already bought from you.

The most important thing you want to do is to create- within your presentation- the fulfillment she'll have as a result of buying from you....

Stimulate her imagination;

Explain to her how she can use whatever you're selling to solve her

problems or achieve her dreams;

Invite her to attend the theater of her own mind;

Cast a word movie that allows her to see herself ultimately gratified and satisfied with your product.

Give her a payment button to click on or a simple benefits packed squeeze page.

Make it as simple and as easy as possible for your prospect to buy from you, extend a generous guarantee and – most importantly- STAND BEHIND IT.

The payment button, order agreement or simple coupon should close the sale for you - that is, if your presentation is well-written and highly compelling; she sees what you're selling as an immediate solution to one of her immediate wants, needs or problems!

Too many sites begin with some sort of blah-blah story about the seller...

“Hello there, I'm writing to you from the beautiful beaches of Waikiki” Or...

“After a hundred years of research I've found the fountain of youth”.

Even some such tripe as “dear friend, you may not know me but I'm now a millionaire...” blah biddy blah.

Just ask them if they'd like to _____ ...if so, let me explain; if not, then I don't want to waste your time. Treat your prospects as though their time is more precious than your own!

How To Write An Online Advert That Sells Part 1

Whenever you sit down to write advertising copy intended to pull the orders -sell the product -you should picture yourself in a one-on-one situation and "talk" to your reader just as if you were sitting across from him at your dining room table.

Be specific and ask him if these are the things that bother him -are these the things he wants -and he's the one you want to buy the product...the layout you devise for your ad, or the frame you build around it, should also command attention.

Either make it so spectacular that it stands out like lobster at a chili dinner, or so uncommonly simple that it catches the reader's eye because of its very simplicity [known as a “plain vanilla” Web site].

It's also important that you don't get cute with a lot of unrelated graphics and other “eye candy”.

Your ad should convey the feeling of excitement and movement, but should not tire the eyes or disrupt the flow of the message you are trying to present.

Any graphics or artwork you use should be relevant to your product, its use and/or the copy you have written about it.

Graphics [other than your product photo] should be used modestly- as artistic touches; to create an atmosphere.

Any photos within your ad should complement the selling of your product, and prove or substantiate specific points in your copy.

Once you have your reader's attention, the only way you are going to keep it, is by quickly and emphatically telling him what your product will do for him.

Your potential buyer doesn't care in the least how long it's taken you to produce the product, how long you have been in business, nor how many years you've spend learning your craft, save that for your About Me page for those who are interested!

All she really wants to know, is specifically how she is going to benefit form the purchase of your product. Period.

Generally, her wants (and perceived needs) will fall into one of the following categories:

Better health;

More comfort;

More money;

More leisure time;

More popularity;

Greater charisma/beauty;

Greater success and/or

Greater security!

Even though you have your reader's attention, you must follow through with an enthusiastic enumeration of the benefits you can gain.  In essence, you must reiterate the advantages, comfort and happiness she'll enjoy -as you have implied in your headline.

How To Write An Effective Advert

When testing new adverts; start with the tried and true. Don't try to be different.

It is the sound and worthwhile that brings in the customers- time and time again.

The best way to write your advert is to disregard size at first, writing everything on paper that might attract readers.

Tell it all. Stress the need for what you have to offer, what it will do for readers, how they will benefit, benefit and benefit, what they can expect by using your product, how easy or more pleasant life will be for them...

When you have finished writing, you might have a long paragraph or a dozen pages. Now is the time to think of clarity, not cost.

 Unlike a 'zine classified, you do not pay by the word. So you won't have to be nearly as selective in your choice of words in the final ad.

To build sales, this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and cause them to react to the advertising in some way.

 The credit for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads, reverts back to the ad itself.

The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy the product or service.

Any ad that causes the reader to only pause in this thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply believe what's written about the product -is not doing its job completely.

The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do, and any that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute waste of time and money.

Never forget the basic rule of advertising copy writing:

“If the ad is not read, it won't stimulate any sale; if it is not seen, it cannot be read; and if it does not command or grab the attention of the reader, it will not be seen!”

Most successful advertising copywriters know these fundamentals backwards and forwards.

Whether you know them already or you're just now being exposed to them...

Your knowledge and practice of these fundamentals will determine the extent of your success as an advertising copywriter.

All Web copy, sales copy and ads are written according to all the same rules.

What is said in a 'zine classified ad must have the same [if not more] impact that's delivered in a larger, more elaborate type of Web site, in ultra-condensed form.

Honing Your Copy Writing Skills

To start learning how to write good ads, carefully study:

High-octane Copy Writers, like Marc Goldman and Alex Mandossian.

. Note: Neither of the above links are affiliate program links!

Issues of The National Enquirer. These are some of the all-time highest paid copy writers, and with good reason- sales of products advertised.

No, I am not suggesting studying articles such as “Jennifer Williams Gets Impregnated By Alien!”. Only the ads.

Analyze each of these ads for the following:

How has the writer attracted your attention ?

What about the ads keeps your interest?

Are you stimulated to want to know more about the product being advertised?

What action must you take?

How strongly are you "turned on" by each of these ads?

Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best.

Now, just for practice- without clipping the ads- do the same thing with ten different ads from a Wards or Penney's catalog.

In fact, every ad you see form now on, quickly analyze it, and rate it somewhere on your scale.

If you'll practice this exercise on a regular basis, you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power Points" of any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether an ad is good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.

This will give you the "feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing successful ads.

It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it!

Simply recognize and understand the Master Formula [A.I.D.A.]:

Attention!

Interest!

Desire!

Action!

Practice reading and writing the good ads -and rewriting the bad ones to make them better- and keep at it...until the Formula, the Idea, and the feel of this kind of ad writing becomes second nature to you.

This is the ONLY WAY to gain expertise in writing good copy, including classified ads.

Virtually all successful copywriters rate the headline and/or the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad, and in reality, you should do the same.

The Secret Behind Internet Marketing Is Getting Your Reader's Attention

How will your offerings make me look better, feel better? What will my family and friends say?

Will this help me enjoy my leisure?

Money is forever the great desire…..

Saving money and buying at a lower price are sound copy points.

But they must be followed through with benefits, reasons, sound facts and lots more benefits.

When designing a marketing strategy, stick to the emotionally-gratifying benefits.

A potential customer may be sold, but will that person buy?

Endorsements and testimonials are effective ways to dramatize facts and back up the benefits of your product, but don't use ones that look or feel transparent- bad move.

If you use an endorsement from a famous or popular person, that person should use the product.

Any testimonials you use must be true.

 Always aim for satisfaction. Self-respect, accomplishment and security are human aspects everyone strives for.

Never talk down to the readers as though you know something they don't or you're better than they are. To you, the potential customer is POTENTIAL GOLD.

You've caught the reader's attention with a catchy headline.

You've followed through with good copy that demonstrates benefits and appeals to the reader.

Now- before you lose that interest -command an action in their baser interests greed, sloth, etc...

You can to close the gap between reading your sales copy and acting upon impulse.

 The purpose of your advert is to make people buy. You have to tighten the desire to buy.

An iron-clad money-back guarantee is one of the most useful tool in pressing action- The more generous, the better!

It goes for the bottom line: What do I have to lose?

And it affirms the quality of the product. If you are willing to back the claims you make with a full refund, you can get a hook into those borderline buyers.

Absolutely STAND BEHIND your word. Be cheerful and expedient in returning a refund.

 Let them know that you sincerely appreciate their business and not to hesitate in contacting you, if there is any way you can be of further assistance.

If you give a time limit the product will be offered for sale, or mention a limited supply, or have a reduced price for a certain time, you'll increase the impulse to act.

Again, STAND BEHIND your word; do not make a “time sensitive” or limited quantity offer that- in fact- is not; illegal and unethical- better to be a flaming spammer!

What you're after...

Appeal to the reader's urgency;

Make the product totally irresistible to have- now;

Extend a generous guarantee;

Whole-heartedly stand behind the above!

After all, when you ad is surrounded by hundreds of other auction ads; what makes you think anyone is going to see your particular ad?

This brings you to...

The Naked Truth

The truth is, they're not going to see your ad unless you can immediately reach out and grab their attention; entice them to read all of what you have to say.

Your headline has to make it more difficult for your prospect to ignore or pass over, than to stop and read your ad.

If you don't capture the attention of your reader with your headline, anything beyond is useless effort and wasted money.

Successful advertising headlines- are written as promises, either implied or direct.

The former promises to show you how to save money, make money, or attain a desired goal. The latter is a warning against something undesirable.

Example of a Promise: Are You Ready To Become A Millionaire -In Just 18 Months?

Example of a Warning: Do You Make These Mistakes In English?

In both of these examples, I've posed a question as the headline. Headlines that ask a question seem to attract the reader's attention almost as surely as a moth is drawn to a flame.

Once she's seen the question, she just can't seem to keep himself from reading into the rest of the ad to find out the answer.

Remember, however, that your first 250 words are going to make or break whether they read on- and usually a lot less than that!

The best headline questions are those that challenge the reader; that involve her self esteem, and do not allow her to dismiss your question with a simple yes or no.

You'll be the envy of your friends is another kind of "reader appeal" to incorporate into your headline whenever appropriate.

The appeal has to do with basic psychology: everyone wants to be well thought of, and consequently, will read into the body of your ad to find out how she can gain the respect and accolades of her friends.

Wherever and whenever possible, use colloquialisms or words that are not usually found in advertisements.

The idea is to shock or shake the reader out of his reverie and cause him to take notice of your ad.

Most of the headlines you see day in and day out, have certain sameness with just the words rearranged.

The reader may see these headlines with his eyes, but his brain fails to focus on any of them because there's nothing different or out of the ordinary to arrest his attention.

Example of Colloquialism: Do You Experience Severe Brain Farts?

Another attention-grabber kind of headline is the comparative priced magazine headline: Three For Only $3, Regularly $3 Each!

Still another of the tried and proven kind of headlines is the specific question: Do You Suffer From These Symptoms?

And of course, if you offer a strong guarantee, you should say so in your headline: Your Money Refunded, If You Don't Make $100,00 Your First Year.

How To headlines have a very strong basic appeal, but in some instances, they're better used as book titles than advertising headlines.

Who Else Wants In On The Finer Things -which your product or service presumably offers- is another approach with a very strong reader appeal.

The psychology here is the need of everyone to belong to a group (read herd mentality)- complete with status and prestige motivations.

Whenever, and as often as you can naturally work it in, you should use the word "you" (and its derivatives) in your headline, and throughout your copy.

After all, your ad should be directed to "one" person, and the person reading your ad wants to feel that you're talking to her personally, not everyone who lives on her street.

The Benefits Of Joint Ventures In Internet Marketing Business

Like a long pole, that can shift a great weight with little effort; such is the case with succeeding in business.

Your chances of succeeding- as an 'army of one' fall somewhere between zip, zilch and nil.

Social Marketing [i.e. Joint Venture Marketing] is the critical key to enjoying on-going success.

There are approximate over 10,000,000+ Web sites out there...and growing daily. 

Without some good old' fashion Joint Venture Networking skills under your belt; your chances of *not* getting noticed is virtually guaranteed!  

All but gone [certainly rare, to say the least] are the days when you could merely just e-mail an E-zine Publisher with a copy of your offerings and a 50% profit-share.

You've got to captivate your potential Joint Venture Partners with a more strategic, longer-range heap of killer benefits, as well. 

Prove to them that you are extremely sensitive to *their* overall wants, needs and desires- not yours or mine. 

Good Strategic Joint Venture Alliances takes time to cultivate...It's all about building trust.

To create successful, mutually beneficial Joint Ventures; you must pole-position your wants, needs and desires in such a way as to naturally resonate with/compliment theirs. 

Often times, this is *much* easier said than done; as good Joint Venture Proposals require a fair and reasonable amount of selfless and candid receptiveness, attention to detail and deep meditation.

However...the dividends are supremely worth it!

Short of having a 'bottomless wallet'...you will quickly realize, early in your online success endeavors; exactly just how difficult it is to drive consistent, quality traffic to your Web site. 

Virtually all of the 'marketing gurus' trying to sell you how you, too, can quickly and easily make boatloads of cash online, with no out of pocket expenses; are feeding you a fat, stinky pile o' bull.

Run...Fast! And hide your wallet!!! 

Furthermore, they straight-up buy their traffic, one way or another; until such point as they have established a monster downline of resellers, one of your primary goals, actually.

Ahhh, yes... 

Then you too can- indeed- make boatloads of cash on the Internet and perhaps even become the next 'guru'.

 When a List Master recognizes you as a genuine Expert within your niche, and that you just don't recommend anything that you- yourself- are not absolutely delighted with as the end-consumer.

 They will be far more enthusiastic about Joint Venturing with you in the future, because people like to do business with people they know and trust... 

Are you someone who is trustworthy and whole-heartedly worth getting to know?

Is your focus on assisting them, in every way within your means, to help them grow their business and become even more successful? 

If not- You need to seriously reconsider your marketing priorities...before you 'figure it out' the hard way! 

Every single truly successful marketer realized- at some point within their career- that in order to get to where their truly trying to be; they have to whole-heartedly and cheerfully assist others in doing the same. 

This is especially true when making first contact with a good potential Partner...remember; it is you going to them, for something you want- Not the other way around.

Have a great day and stay safe.