My Journey of Home Based Business

Blogs have increased popularity over this past months. Many people have started to create their personal blogs to express their thoughts and feelings. Internet companies have also started their blogs to inform consumers on the latest product news and reviews.

Because of this, blogs are also being used as internet marketing media. Before, internet marketing is done by placing banners and links on popular websites, such as news and information sites. Links were also included on newsletters and marketing letters sent to the members of their mailing lists.

Many people spend time reading blogs. People read their friend's blogs, their favorite author's blogs, blogs on topics that they are interested in, and blogs on product reviews. With the increasing popularity of blogging, it is even feared that people rely on blogs to get the latest news.

While getting news reports from blogs isn't reliable, some people look for product reviews through blogs. In some cases, this is more dependable. While it is true that some media persons are being paid to write good reviews about a certain product, blog writers write about their actual experiences on products and services from a company.

Since there are many people who read and start their own blogs, blogs are a good medium to market a product. With the increasing blog traffic means increase in product sales.

Blog traffic can be increased by joining affiliate programs and sites, which will list your blog under a certain search category or name. You can also have your blog advertised in popular websites. This, however, will cost some money and is not advisable if you have just started blogging.

A writer who has just launched his/her blog will want as much traffic as possible to increase advertisements on the site. Also, some advertisers pay every time their link is clicked or the page that has their link is viewed.

When you have increased traffic on your blog, you should try to keep you visitors coming back and recommending your blog to friends and colleagues.

This can be done by having informative or amusing content and good blog layout and design. You may develop your blog's content or you can also acquire the services of a web content writer to provide you with the blog articles.

The blog's layout and design also plays a big role. While most of the companies offering free blog hosting offer pre-selected templates, there are also some that allows customization that if you utilize this feature correctly can increase your blog's traffic.

Here are a few tips to make your blog stand out from the millions of blogs out there that have standard designs.

* Customize the banner

The banner usually has the most generic designs that are common to the blogs from a blogging company or service.

You can personalize this banner by having a graphic with the dimensions of the banner. You can also edit the graphic so that it will also include the title of your blog.

In this case, you can create your own graphic or you can purchase professional looking graphics online for less than $10.

* Personalizing photos

Of course, most of the photos that you will be posting will be your own. However, if you don't customize the photos before posting them, you may miss maximizing the enhancing benefits graphics can add to the page. Adding photo borders can help the photo stand out from the page.

It can also add to the design of your blog. You can choose a standard border or you can also create your own border which can be associated with your blog's templates.

* Add a favicon

Don't you think sites with icons on the address bar before the website's URL are cool? Many people do. These favicons add a professional look to the URL. These easy to do using photo or graphic editing softwares.

* Check out blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins from sites

There are sites that offer free blog templates, layouts, backgrounds, textures and skins. You can make use of these so your blog will not look generic like most of the blogs hosted by the service provider.

* Include RSS feeds

This is a cool way to inform people with newsreaders about your blog headlines. Tutorials on RSS feeds are available on the internet.

* Audio makes your blog more personal

Not only does audio personalizes the blog; it can also keep your visitors coming back. You can try having streaming radio stations, mp3 file or playlists loading with your blog.

* Advertisements

If you have signed-up with Google Ad-Sense, which I am sure you would like to do, make sure that the ads are conveniently placed that these will not hinder your readers' ease in accessing the information on your blog.

If writing is an art, then, blogging is one way of using words to come up with an art. This is because people who are into blogging are the ones who are artistic on their own sense, carefully choosing words that would best describe their feelings, sentiments, wishes, desires, and everything.

Basically, blogs were first introduced as weblogs that refer to a “server’s log file.” It was created when web logging hit the virtual market. Since its inception in the mid-1990s, web logging gradually saturated the virtual community making the Internet a viable source of greater information.

However, with web logging, you still need a web site and domain names, but with blogging, you do not need anything just an account with blog providers. In most cases, these kinds of blogs are free of charge.

With the onset of blogging in the industry, personal journaling had been a common ground for people who wish to be known all over the world. However, not literally famous as this is not a case on being popular or well-known personality.

Generally, blogs are created for personal use. Like a journal, people can write their daily adventures, sentiments, and whatever ideas they want to express online.

Nevertheless, with the advent of the online businesses, blogs had gradually taken the limelight in providing businesses a chance to boost their productivity online. This is where the business blogs have taken the limelight.

Business blogs are, basically, created to advertise the services or products of a certain web site or online business in order to increase online sales.

Moreover, business blogs are also one way of promoting the company so that the other readers will know that a certain company exists online. With blogs, entrepreneurs are able to establish a name in the virtual market through articles that can be very useful in the reader’s life.

From there, you can make money out of blogs by simply syndicating it to your business’ web site. This can be done through the RSS technology.

So, if you are thinking to create a blog, whether for business or for pleasure, you need to know some tips that could help you get through and make your blog one of the interesting blogs online.

Here’s how:

Even if your blog is generally personal, still, it would be better to consider the minds of your readers. You have to think of something that would interest them.

After all, most of the reasons of people who write blogs are not at all confined to their own personal motives. Most of them would love to be “heard” (or read) and would love to be known, in some way or another, even for just a minute. Hence, it is very important to come with a write up that everybody can understand, not necessarily that these people can relate to it but they can understand it.

To make your blogging worth the browsing effort of your readers, it would be extremely nice if you will put some pictures in it. It does not necessarily mean you have to place a picture of yourself. Any photographs will do as long as it does not pose danger or insult to anyone who will be reading your blog.

Even if you are free to write anything you wan to say to the world, still, it would be better to create some write-ups that would be beneficial to your readers.

After all, its information technology that you have there so better be inclined to provide information rather than sheer quirky entertainment.

In order to have an interesting blogs, try not to use some highly technical and highfalutin words. After all, it is not a science discourse or a debate that you are making, so better stick to simple facts and short blogs.

Bear in mind that most people who use the Internet usually do more scanning than scrutinizing each site word for word. Therefore, it would be better to come with blogs that will not bore your readers just because you have these lengthy articles.

As much as possible and if your capacity will allow it, make your blog interactive. Yu can do this by placing some video or audio clips in your blog.

You can even place an area for comments or for some feedbacks. In this way, you can get some impressions or reactions of other people. Who knows, you might even gain some friends just by making them feel at home in your blog site.

Indeed, blogs are not created just for the mere fun of it. It also has its own purpose in the world of the Internet.

Therefore, for people who wish to harness their craft, as far as writing is concerned, blogs are the best way to do it.

As they say, blogging is the contemporary term of creative and commercial writing.

Blogging is a concept that started in late 90s. It used to be a way to comment an existing webpage, an opportunity for visitors and readers to react or voice out one’s opinion on the said page. What started as a single-sentence commentary has evolved into pages of personal take on just about anything and everything under the sun. As it continues to move forward, online advertising has tapped into the blog’s potential. Here are 5 reasons why you should use blogging as an Internet marketing tool.

The simplest way to get your piece on the net is through blogging. No skills are necessary… an average adult can read and type, or at least click a mouse. It’s like having a virtual piece of paper and you just write your ideas, experiences, new products, and hope that the truth behind your articles comes out and entice your reader to also try your product. If you have a PC and an Internet connection (who doesn’t?) then you can blog and advertise.

In this day and age where advertising saturate our lives, we question the credibility of promoters’ claims. However, in blogs, real people share their real-life experiences, unscathed by paid advertising. Reading blogs about first-hand product use is like talking to people about their first-hand experience. You definitely want to buy a tried and tested product.

Because blogging is yet to be proven as a mainstream online advertising media, most sites see it as something to augment current marketing tools and thus offer it for free. Any opportunity for free webtime is definitely a bonus especially to businesses that are starting up. Needless to say, paid blog pages can generate more income for your seriously growing business.

As you get more and more into writing your experiences on a particular product or industry, your readers come to realize that they can depend on your posts for their own information needs. As such, you become an expert on it; as a consequence, more readers visit your site and more bloggers link to your blogs. As companies and professional organizations notice the growth of your readership base, they may soon get in touch with you for advertising on your blog page, or make you an affiliate, which pays for every referral generated from your blog site.

Unless you are a Hollywood star, chances are, only your Mom reads your posts. Mom has a lot of friends, so she lets her friends know how interesting your blog site is. But you need not depend on Mom to increase your readership base. Look into the following ways to build your market through blogging:

Today, blogging is overcoming the e-mail’s popularity in quickly and effectively reaching and expanding a market. In this age of speed and quick access, logging in and downloading e-mail is simply taking longer than clicking into a blog site. Let them explore your site by using a short e-mail message as teaser to your blog site. If your e-mail is on an entirely different subject, use your e-mail signature to give a link to the site.

An easy way to get your readers e-mail is to give them an opportunity to subscribe to your blogsite. Keep some exclusive information for your subscribers to entice readers to subscribe and give their e-mail address. Just be responsible in using their e-mail address, as the last thing you want is a comment on your blog that you are a spammer.

Conduct a simple survey for your readers to understand their profile and advertising preferences. Ask consumers to give you feedback on a post, an ad link, or a trial that you shared. In this way, it is like interviewing your readers without the commitment and intrusion of a face-to-face interview.

A network of blogs maybe a collection of blog sites that share the same industry, interest, readership base, payment mode, etc. Consumers find credibility and convenience in clicking one link to several real bloggers about a single subject. Clearly, more bloggers are better than one.

RSS is the fastest growing technology on the Internet today. As such, having RSS feeds to your blog is definitely another means of generating awareness for your readership base. Having a variety of feeds can add interest to your blog site.

Give your business a boost by effectively using blogging as an Internet marketing tool.

This is amazing, and it is why I decided to post.
This kid is only 8 years old and he is already giving out his own business cards. If an 8 year old kid can do this, anyone can.

I know we are all going through an economical downturn, who isn't. But the government can't simply turn this around alone. It needs a few more this "8 year old kid" for the economic to recover.

Whether if this kid is naive or stress free, he has the courage and determination to actually make it work. How about you? Those of you who brag about not being able to find a job, no jobs available, no one is hiring, etc... Ask yourself this question..Really?

Are there really no jobs out there? Is it really that impossible to turn your situation around? Do you really believe in fate, that this is what it is, and you will just let it be?

If we can learn from this 8 year old kid, I believe the economical status can be stimulated by our efforts.

Don't just sit and brag about your problems, lets not give up, have persistence, and keep moving forward. This is the only way to solve your own financial issues.

There's an old Chinese saying, "its easy to break one chopsticks, but it takes much more effort to break 100 chopsticks all at once". The bailout cash alone can only stop the bleeding, but it will need all of our contributions to strengthen our economy.

Be smart, Be Active, Have persistence!

* The following entry are solely my own comments and feelings about home based business, it is only an entry based upon my own experience. It is not mend and/or redirected to or in any form structured to offend anyone.*

So to continue with my previous discussion about basic requirements before starting a home based business. But before I get into that, I would like to discuss about the idea of corporate scam/scheme. Is there one? Well, I am not saying that it is. It really depends on how educate one is, and how one perceive it as.

Anyone of you worked for a huge company with competitive pension plans? Well, the plans might be relatively attractive, but most of these corporations will persuade their workers to sell their pension plan to their company in exchange for their stocks. Without a clue of how the system runs or what direction company is going, most of the workers are dragged into it. Obviously, if the stock rises, its great, but if it drops, corporates are not liable for the loses (common sense, plus its legal). A lot of the workers are not educated enough to understand that theory, and end up losing money (ie. if the company is down-sloping). It’s like corporate schemes or scams? May or may not.

Corporate way of doing business is old school! Just that now most businesses have reallocated their resources, re-produced their products, and re-marketed through advertising via internet, the fastest growing industry.

Although most migrated their business onto the "Internet". But people, that does not alter or change the basic theory of business or the concepts of basic economy!

My reasons for suggesting the need for understanding of the basic economy, and fulfill the requirements before starting home based business (HBB), is due to the high level of failing % that links to lack of knowledge in the concept of business and basic economy when people buy those so-called "internet business packages"!

Let’s elaborate this concept! Most of us have purchase products from big companies, per say, teleservice companies. Sprint, part of AT&T , one of the largest mobile teleservice providers in the states.

In a business standpoint, it’s a successful company, because there are revenue gains as well as capital gains (ie. technological advancements). But often times there are a lot of false or misleading information provided from the workers who represent this company.

I worked as a representatives a few years ago, so that is one of the reasons why I know, and I was ashamed of working for this company. Although in economic terms, Sprint is more economically elastic (more variety of choices, ie. variety of teleservicing companies, choices like T-mobile, verison, etc…) than mobile phones, but the elasticity vanishes once you are brought into their services. Then you will slowly discover their huge corporate scam/scheme, methods of stealing the most money in the most ethical and underground methods as there is. It is not possible for one customer to cancel out services if one desperately wishes to, before a termination fees paid. This fee usually ranges from $200-400. As well, all the little misleading information such as free text messaging, or first few months of text messaging, free for opening a second line, all these hidden or un-told fees all appear on the bills as a used item.

I was an account representative, working with unhappy, unsatisfied clients everyday. As I researched into each and every individual’s account, I began to feel sorry for these individuals. But in this contemporary society, mobile phones (teleservice) is a necessary need and there is nothing much one can do, as these corporate continues to juice up as much $$ out of these clients' pockets as possible.

A lot of Sprint's customers feel awful about the company, but at the same time, they (AT&T) are listed in fortune 500 magazines. WHY IS THAT? A corporate that scams, mislead their customers, gets rewarded with a spot in the fortune 500 ranking?

My answer is sure. Why not? Please don’t get offended with my answer. Because the truth is, this is how the society runs. This is the nature of business, just in more complex terms. All the services provided by them are legal and approved by federal government, it is only a matter of us who chooses to it, given the only choices one has.

My point comes! So when there is nothing much one can do, is this it? We will just let them juice us up like that? NO~~ As I mentioned, "in reality, the most valuable product is not money, but wisdom. Once wisdom is gained, money will flow naturally!"


We need to be more educated! These heartless internet/marketing gurus are sucking every penny we have, and they don't feel wrong about it. Because in reality, who does. To a lot of people, money = god. They don't care about people! Numbers is what is all about.


Next Post: The Idea of Making Educational Choices and Decisions (not best, but educational)!