Instruction Manual

Instruction Manual
PMI Toolbar
Intellectual Property Rights Notice
PMI retains all titles, interest and intellectual property rights of the material contained herein. The content and
design of this material, including all original graphics, headings and organizational flow, are copyrighted ©
2013 by PMI. Any reproduction of this material without written permission from PMI is prohibited and will be
prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law.
PMI Toolbar
Instruction Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3
PMI ................................................................................................................................................. 5
Search ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Build ............................................................................................................................................. 11
SEO ............................................................................................................................................... 61
Social Media ................................................................................................................................ 73
Advertising ................................................................................................................................. 92
Email .......................................................................................................................................... 101
Content ...................................................................................................................................... 105
Resources ................................................................................................................................... 123
Other Features .......................................................................................................................... 143
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Introduction
Internet marketing offers an exciting opportunity for eager entrepreneurs
to find financial freedom. In fact, there are so many facets of internet
marketing, it’s practically impossible to try them all. While this is an
exciting element, it can also be a discouraging one. After all, how can
anyone keep track of so many different things? That’s where the PMI
Toolbar can help you.
For over a decade, PMI has stood as a pinnacle in the internet marketing
realm. Our consultants own online businesses themselves, and they’ve
tried nearly everything under the sun. They’ve attended top industry
conferences and spent hundreds of hours in research.
The PMI Toolbar is the culmination of PMI’s longstanding efforts. It
contains hundreds of resources and tools, all in one convenient location.
Not only will it save you time when accessing important websites, it can
serve as a point of discovery in and of itself. And with its powerful builtin tools, you’ll soon wonder what you would ever do without it.
Installation
The PMI Toolbar must use the Mozilla Firefox browser in order to
operate. This means that it cannot function with Microsoft Internet
Explorer, Google Chrome or Apple Safari. While these are all excellent
internet browsers in their own right, you might want to consider using
Firefox as your primary browser so that you can take advantage of the
tools and resources contained in the PMI Toolbar.
You can download the most recent version of Firefox by visiting the
following web page:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/download.html
This Manual
This manual discusses the different features of the PMI Toolbar and how
it can benefit your business. It is split into multiple sections. Most sections
discuss a specific button that is part of the toolbar, including the tools and
resources it contains.
Aside from the primary buttons, the PMI Toolbar contains several other
useful tools. These are explained in the final section.
Feel free to explore the PMI Toolbar yourself to see what it offers – that’s
one of the best ways of learning. However, if you need a more detailed
explanation of a specific tool or resource, this manual can serve as your
guide.
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Hierarchy
The PMI Toolbar has resources layered up to six levels deep. The first
level is always the respective button, but all other levels can be either
resources or folders containing additional resources.
Resources and folders are both given a description in this manual, so in
order to distinguish between the two, symbols are provided next to each.
♦ The diamond symbol represents a resource or tool.
▼ The downward triangle represents a folder or subfolder.
The following demonstrates the formatting used for each level.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
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PMI
The first button in the PMI Toolbar is the PMI button. It provides a quick
one-stop reference to resources that are essential to the PMI program.
PMI ♦
The PMI link goes straight to PMI Education, the flagship website for
PMI. All important PMI links are located on this website, including
company information, testimonials and other resources.
Education Center ♦
The Education Center contains all of the interactive lessons to teach you
internet marketing strategies. Many lessons include corresponding study
guides, where you can have access to the slides used in the presentations
to add your own notes. Glossaries provide definitions for obscure terms.
The Resources attachments provide direct links to the resources discussed
in the lessons. You’ll find the same resources discussed in the lessons
located in the PMI Toolbar, making it a more convenient way to apply
what you learn.
Share Your Success ♦
PMI wants your success story! Helping our clients reach the success they
desire is our number one priority, and we love to hear back from our
clients who make their dreams come true through our program. Please
access this resource to share your success story with us.
Email ♦
If you ever need to contact PMI, feel free to use this email shortcut, which
opens our email address ([email protected]) in your default email
client.
Join.me ♦
Sometimes it’s a lot easier to show than tell. That’s where Join.me comes
in – it’s a service that allows one user to share what they see on their
screen with another person. As you might expect, this is very useful in a
teaching environment, and that’s why PMI’s consultants often like to use
it.
Toolbar Documents ♦
The PMI Toolbar is a complex and sophisticated piece of software. If you
would like to access the official documentation regarding its use, you can
do so here.
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Search
The PMI Toolbar includes a built-in search box. The search box allows
you to type in any term and perform a search using that query. What
makes the PMI Toolbar’s search box different from most search boxes is
that it doesn’t just perform simple searches on search engines like Google
or Bing – it performs a number of specialized search functions as well!
Some of the resources found under the Search button are found in other
locations in the PMI Toolbar. The difference is that all resources under the
Search button will actually perform a search using the keyword in the
search box.
Trends ♦
Google Trends is one of the best resources online to determine relative
online interest in any topic. Using Google’s massive amount of search
data, Google Trends can show you a variety of insightful information for
a search query, including:




Overall search interest
Projected search interest
Regional interest
Related search terms
The Trends option in the PMI Toolbar will instantly access Google Trends
using the keyword displayed in the search box.
Google Search ♦
Google is the leading internet search engine, garnering over two-thirds
market share in the United States – and even more in other countries.
Making it available directly under the Search button of the PMI Toolbar
keeps this handy resource in an easy-to-access location.
Yahoo! Search ♦
Interestingly, Yahoo!’s value lies primarily in its legacy rather than its
innovation. Perhaps this is why even though Yahoo! hasn’t powered its
own search engine in years, it is still one of the top three search engines in
the United States.
Bing Search ♦
A search engine with old roots but new blood, Bing is Microsoft’s
strongest competitor to Google. While not as influential as Google, Bing
still has a large following, and some studies even show that many users
prefers Bing’s search results to Google’s. With this function built in to the
PMI Toolbar, you can quickly search Bing for your chosen keyword.
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AllInTitle ♦
The AllInTitle operator is part of Google’s advanced search functions. It
allows you to identify only search results which include the search term
as part of the web page’s meta title.
The meta title (also referred to as the page title) is a piece of HTML code
that is placed within the web page. The meta title has various marketing
and SEO purposes. Using the AllInTitle operator can help you discover
web pages that are specifically about a topic – instead of just remotely
related.
AllInURL ♦
The AllInURL operator is part of Google’s advanced search functions. It
allows you to identify only search results which include the search term
as part of the web page’s URL. For instance, if the search term is example,
then a site like www.website.com/example.html could be returned in the
search results. Using the AllInURL operator can help you discover web
pages that are specifically about a topic – instead of just remotely related.
AllInAnchor ♦
The AllInAnchor operator is part of Google’s advanced search functions.
It allows you to identify search results of web pages that have inbound
links with anchor text matching the search query.
All valid links point to a specific web page. However, many links use
regular text as the visible, clickable link that a user sees. So while a link
might direct a user to www.website.com/example.html, the clickable text
might be something like Click Here!
If a website has a link pointing to it that uses the anchor text This is an
example, then the AllInAnchor operator could return that website in the
search results when used with the keyword example.
Anchor text has historically held a prominent position with SEO. While
this influence has waned in recent years, the AllInAnchor operator can
still be useful in certain contexts.
AllInText ♦
The AllInText operator is part of Google’s advanced search functions. It
allows you to identify only search results which include the term in the
web page’s actual text. Many times, Google uses synonyms when finding
results for regular searches. While this is often helpful, there are some
cases when this can be undesired, so the AllInText operator can help
tighten up your searches in these cases.
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Search Images ♦
Google Images is a service that allows you to search Google’s large index
of image files on the internet. By clicking on an image, you can access the
hosting website.
Search Video ♦
Google Videos is a service that allows you to search for videos online.
Many of the search results come from YouTube, the largest video hosting
website online. However, results can come from anywhere on the web.
Search News ♦
Google News identifies journalistic sources and compiles the articles into
an index, which is searchable. It is a great place to find current and
noteworthy articles for a given keyword.
Search Shopping ♦
Google Shopping provides a searchable database of products offered by
multiple vendors. It is a great place to find the best price for a number of
products. It is also an excellent site to gauge a product’s profitability by
determining what sort of price is appropriate online.
Search Maps ♦
Google Maps is one of the most popular mapping services on the web,
containing a massive database of streets, paths and locations around the
world.
Search Blogs ♦
The popularity of blogs has exploded. Not just personal diaries for online
expression, blogs are used by journalists and other professionals as a way
to communicate with their readers online. Google Blog Search extends the
power of the Google search engine to search exclusively for blogs.
More ▼
There are many possible search functions for the Search button in the PMI
Toolbar. There are so many, in fact, that the list could be long and
unwieldy. This would defeat the PMI Toolbar’s purpose of helping users
quickly access important resources. For this reason, some of the resources
of lesser importance are placed in the More folder.
Search Groups ♦
Google Groups hosts a variety of discussion groups covering numerous
topics. The Search Groups function allows you to search Google Groups
for any keyword in order to find related discussions.
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Search Books ♦
One of Google’s lesser known properties is Google Books, a vast
repository of scanned books – over 20 million. The Search Books function
allows you to search Google Books for a given keyword.
Many of these books are in the public domain. If your search returns one
of these books, you’ll be granted full access to the complete work. Others
are still under copyright, but the publishers have granted Google a
special license to be able to access content. In this case, you’ll have limited
access to the content of the book, with information on how you can obtain
the book in print. There are many other books which are under copyright
and which are not allowed to be displayed digitally in any form. Google
Books will not allow you to view these books.
Search Scholar ♦
Google Scholar is one of Google’s specialized search engines, providing a
search function for the text of scholarly articles and books. It includes
most of the largest peer-reviewed journals in both America and Europe,
making it an excellent resource for research.
Search Finance ♦
Google Finance displays current and historical information for stocks. By
entering a company’s ticker symbol in the PMI Toolbar’s search box, you
can instantly call up stock information with the Search Finance function.
Search YouTube ♦
YouTube is the largest video hosting site online – and incidentally, it
happens to be one of the most popular sites of any kind. YouTube’s
innovation in video sharing has made it an internet sensation, to the point
where a lot of people today search for information on YouTube before a
traditional search engine like Google.
eBay ♦
eBay is the largest auction website in the world, allowing anyone to list a
product (new or used) online. It is a good resource for sellers looking to
make some extra cash and for buyers looking for a great deal.
Amazon ♦
Amazon is one of the largest retailers in the world, rubbing shoulders
with the likes of Walmart. If you’re looking for a good price, Amazon can
offer a quick and streamlined approach to online shopping.
But Amazon offers many more options for internet marketers. If you’re
interested in affiliate marketing, the Amazon Associates program makes it
possible to turn nearly any of the millions of products on Amazon into an
affiliate link. If you’re interested in e-commerce, Amazon allows outside
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sellers (such as yourself) to list products directly on their platform. This
makes it a viable alternative to eBay.
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Build
Every entrepreneur has to start somewhere, and the same is true for
internet marketers. The Build button of the PMI Toolbar is designed to
provide the resources you need to get your business off to a great start,
regardless of where you eventually want to take it.
Affiliate ▼
Affiliate marketing is an internet marketing process whereby one
individual (the affiliate) promotes the services or product of a company
(the merchant). The affiliate drives traffic to the advertiser, typically via a
link which includes tracking information unique to that affiliate. The
advertiser pays the affiliate, usually in the form of a commission based on
the number of sales they obtain as a result of the affiliate’s marketing
efforts.
The Affiliate folder of the Build button contains resources to help you find
affiliate offers that you can promote.
Private Affiliate Networks ▼
Private affiliate networks often offer a wide selection of products with
premium commission rates. There is generally an application process,
and private networks don’t accept all applicants. The advantage is that
you often get to work personally with an affiliate manager and have
access to tools and advertising creatives.
EWA Network ♦
EWA is a small, selective group of affiliate marketers. They boast of
maintaining a personal connection with all of their affiliates and promise
to offer the best commission rates available for any of their offerings.
They only approve a limited number of applicants at any given time –
unless they are referred by existing affiliates in their database.
RevenueFox ♦
RevenueFox is a CPA affiliate network. They differentiate themselves
from others by offering outstanding customer service, promising to treat
seasoned veterans and brand new affiliate marketers alike.
Neverblue ♦
Neverblue is a premiere network, offering a variety of excellent
advertisements to go along with the offerings – some of which are
exclusive to Neverblue. They also have a variety of tools available.
PepperJam Exchange ♦
PJX, short for PepperJam Exchange, claims to focus on omni-channel
performance marketing, extending traditional affiliate marketing tactics to
social media, mobile phones and offline.
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PeerFly ♦
PeerFly operates an affiliate network built from the ground up on a
proprietary platform with popular brands. They are open to nearly any
type of traffic and accept quite a few applicants into their program (as
long as they are legitimate).
Affiliate.com ♦
Affiliate.com boasts a large number of offers in many different niches –
including international offers. They also emphasize their value-added
services related to domains and email lists.
MarketLeverage ♦
Started in 2001, MarketLeverage is a relatively old affiliate network.
Aside from their vast experience and numerous awards, MarketLeverage
is also notable for their high reward and referral programs.
ClickBooth ♦
ClickBooth boasts a high number of exclusives, making it the only
network to find certain premium affiliate offers.
CX Digital Media ♦
CX Digital Media has been around for over 15 years, and their experience
allows them to offer an excellent experience for their affiliates.
LinkShare ♦
Rakuten LinkShare is one of the leading affiliate networks. With a wide
range of advertisers delivering affiliate offers, there are many options to
choose from.
MediaTrust ♦
With a score of proprietary creatives, in-depth reporting options and a
variety of available affiliate offers, MediaTrust is an excellent private
affiliate network.
Motive Interactive ♦
Insisting on only allowing affiliates into their network upon invitation,
Motive Interactive strives to maintain the highest quality in their offers
and affiliates.
CPATank ♦
CPATank is a no-nonsense almost-anything-goes affiliate network. If
you’re honest with the affiliate managers, they don’t have a problem
making exceptions to rules for you. And unlike practically every other
network, they will take any type of traffic.
Public Affiliate Networks ▼
Public affiliate networks are easier to get into and often have a wide array
of offers available. Sometimes they sacrifice advantages of private affiliate
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networks, such as premium commission rates or dedicated affiliate
managers, but this isn’t always the case.
ClickBank ♦
ClickBank exclusively offers information products (such as ebooks or
video courses), many of which are available in digital-only format.
Occasionally physical goods are also available, but they are always part
of a digital information product. ClickBank is a popular network among
affiliates because many programs offer as much as 75% of the sale as
commission.
Amazon Associates ♦
Amazon Associates is the affiliate program for Amazon.com. Most
products that are sold through Amazon.com are available for affiliate
commissions through this program.
Commission Junction ♦
One of the better-known (and more popular) affiliate networks,
Commission Junction distinguishes itself through its vast database of
affiliate offers, including many household-name brands. It uses a simple
but powerful system.
PayDotCom ♦
Powered by an army of affiliates already 600,000 strong, PayDotCom is
one of the largest affiliate networks available, offering both physical and
digital products through its database.
ShareASale ♦
With over 2,500 merchants using ShareASale, there are plenty of options
for affiliate marketers. ShareASale is backed by a long history of
experience and awards in the affiliate industry.
Google Affiliate Network ♦
Harnessed by the power of Google, the Google Affiliate Network (GAN)
is a public network that is easy to use and provides many affiliate offers.
Conversion Tracking▼
An essential component of affiliate marketing is knowing which offers are
converting, in which ads, at which times of day, under what
circumstances, etc. Sometimes this type of information is only available to
savvy affiliate marketers who know conversion tracking inside and out.
Prosper202 ♦
Undoubtedly one of the most powerful and effective conversion tracking
options available, Prosper202 has become one of the key tools for affiliate
marketers.
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Hosting Solutions ▼
While the actual Prosper202 software is free, the hosting provider that is
required to use it is not. Many web hosts will work effectively, but this
subfolder contains a few that are recommended.
Bluehost ♦
Bluehost is hailed as one of the leading hosting providers. Its varied
features and relatively inexpensive cost make it an excellent option when
using Prosper202.
Dreamhost ♦
Dreamhost is a popular hosting provider, offering many options with
ease-of-use.
HostGator ♦
HostGator is a hosting provider with a wide user base. It includes many
features, keeps costs lows and provides all of its services using energy
efficient methods.
Affiliate Launch Pad ♦
If you have purchased the Affiliate Launch Pad service as part of your
package with PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting this page. Affiliate
Launch Pad combines several elements to give your landing pages an
SEO boost within Google and Bing.
e-Commerce ▼
e-Commerce is an internet marketing business model which focuses on
selling physical goods through an online store. The products are then
shipped to the customer. There are many variations, including
wholesaling and dropshipping.
If you are using this business model, the e-Commerce folder of the Build
button on the PMI Toolbar will help you find a supplier, secure merchant
processing and improve your e-commerce marketing.
Wholesale Directories ▼
One of the fastest and easiest methods of finding a supplier is to use a
wholesale directory. Literally composed of lists of suppliers that want to
work with retailers, wholesale directories can help you get on the fast
track to e-commerce success.
Wholesale Pipeline ♦
As a paid wholesale directory, Wholesale Pipeline offers a quick and
convenient solution to finding a solid, reliable supplier. Browsing and
searching options are available, and each supplier is identified according
to the type of business they engage in (wholesaling, dropshipping, etc.).
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ThomasNet ♦
ThomasNet specializes in the industrial sector, but it holds information
for suppliers in numerous niches.
Wholesale Central ♦
While it has a cluttered interface, Wholesale Central includes a large list
of wholesalers in a variety of niches.
Yahoo! Directory B2B ♦
The business to business (B2B) subcategory of the Yahoo! Directory is a
fine complement to DMOZ’s listings. There is even an additional
Wholesalers category within it.
Open Directory Project (DMOZ) ♦
DMOZ is one of the most prestigious directories online. It has a
subcategory devoted exclusively to wholesale trade.
Supplier Search ▼
Wholesale directories are excellent places to discover suppliers for your
e-commerce business. However, sometimes a good Google query can
provide good results as well. These resources will help you search for
suppliers using Google.
Dropshipper ♦
This searches Google for the term dropshipper along with whatever
keyword you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Drop Ship ♦
This searches Google for the term drop ship along with whatever keyword
you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Wholesaler ♦
This searches Google for the term wholesaler along with whatever
keyword you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Manufacturer ♦
This searches Google for the term manufacturer along with whatever
keyword you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Distributor ♦
This searches Google for the term distributor along with whatever
keyword you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Trade Shows ♦
This searches Google for the term trade shows along with whatever
keyword you’ve placed in the search box of the PMI Toolbar.
Merchant Processing ▼
All e-commerce business must have some method of collecting money
online – better known as merchant processing.
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PMI Merchant (PowerPay) ♦
There are many options available for merchant accounts, and some are
definitely better than others. Since merchant accounts are such an
important aspect of your business, it’s important to find a good one to
begin with. That’s why PMI has partnered with PowerPay to provide a
reliable, honest and excellent payment processing solution. All you need
to do is apply using this link in the PMI Toolbar.
PMI recommends PowerPay because their service is dependable and their
charges are transparent. Of course, you are welcome to use other
payment processors if you choose.
Additionally, you may be interested in using PayPal or Google Checkout
in addition to a merchant account. While it is not advisable to use them in
place of a merchant account, they can complement your payment choices
by offering your customers additional options.
PayPal ♦
PayPal is the most popular online payment processor. It has strong ties to
eBay, but it is often used on regular e-commerce sites as well.
Google Checkout ♦
Google’s solution to online payments hasn’t yet gained as much
popularity as PayPal, but it has gained relatively wide usage.
Shopping Portals ▼
The internet can be a confusing environment for online shoppers, so they
naturally seek a source of clarity to help them make purchasing decisions.
Shopping portals compile information on products sold at a variety of
online retailers, allowing consumers to easily identify which retailer sells
a particular product and at what price.
Google Shopping ▼
Google’s shopping portal is known as Google Shopping. In the past,
merchants could submit their feed through Google Merchant Center or
Google would find them through their spidering technology. In order to
improve usability and revenue, Google Shopping is now powered
exclusively from paid results as submitted through Google Merchant
Center and activated with Google AdWords.
Google Shopping ♦
Google Shopping is one of the most popular shopping search engines.
Google Merchant Center ▼
Whereas Google Shopping is a consumer-facing website, Google
Merchant Center is merchant-facing – essentially the other side of the
coin.
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Google Merchant Center ♦
The Merchant Center allows you to upload a product feed to Google
Shopping. It works hand-in-hand with Google AdWords to display
product information to buyers.
Google Feed Specification ♦
This resource explains what each Google Merchant Center attribute is and
how to properly add it to your feed.
Google Merchant Center Categories ♦
This resource allows you to see all available categories and subcategories
for Google Merchant Center.
Google AdWords ♦
AdWords is the most competitive sponsored search platform. But since it
controls ads that are seen on the most popular search engine, it also has
the highest reach.
There are two types of ads for which Google AdWords might use product
information from Google Merchant Center:
1. Product Extensions – Information about products added to
regular text ads on a search results page
2. Product Listing Ads – Product listings placed on either a regular
search results page or on Google Shopping
Google Trusted Stores ♦
The Google Trusted Stores program is free to join and can instill
confidence in your buyers. It works hand-in-hand with Google Merchant
Center.
TheFind ▼
TheFind is a comparison shopping portal that offers enhanced features
and details that aren’t available elsewhere. It is one of the few good
shopping portals that are free to use for merchants. Its high popularity
makes it an excellent marketing target and offers yet another avenue to
drive traffic. Furthermore, its ability to use a product feed designed for
Google Product Search means that it takes very little time to get up and
running.
TheFind ♦
The consumer-facing version of TheFind is one of the most impressive
comparative shopping engines available.
TheFind Merchant Center ♦
The Merchant Center is the merchant-facing version of TheFind, making
it easy for e-commerce retailers to sign up and get listed.
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Shopping ▼
Shopping – hosted at the desirable domain Shopping.com – is a popular
comparative shopping engine. In and of itself, Shopping is an important
shopping portal that should be on the radar of any e-commerce site. But
what makes Shopping even more important is that is holds a special
relationship with the Bing search engine, making it the nearest Bing
equivalent to Google Shopping.
Shopping ♦
The consumer-facing version of Shopping is one of the best shopping
portals available.
Shopping Merchant Center ♦
As with other shopping portals, a merchant-facing version of Shopping is
available to assist e-commerce retailers.
Search Engine Launch Pad ♦
If you have purchased the Search Engine Launch Pad service as part of
your package with PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting this page.
Search Engine Launch Pad combines several elements (including
shopping portals) to give your e-commerce pages extra help in attracting
buyers.
Coupon Portals ▼
Coupons have been used for over 100 years as a means for companies to
promote their products. Because the perception of saving money with a
coupon can entice consumers to buy, it can be a powerful marketing tool.
Online shopping has modified the way coupons work, but it can still be
an excellent way to get your marketing off the ground.
A coupon portal is a site that compiles and lists coupon codes. Because
they have large lists of coupons, many consumers use them to begin their
online shopping experience. A user can type in the name of a product
they are looking for, and the coupon portal will display any coupons for
sites that sell that product. This means that potential customers can find
your site using coupon portals.
ShopAtHome ♦
ShopAtHome began as a “catalog of catalogs” in the late 80s. With the
advent of the internet, it evolved into one of the most popular coupon
portals online.
RetailMeNot ♦
RetailMeNot is often considered the leading coupon portal. With its
massive user base, it has the highest reach of any coupon site.
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CouponCabin ♦
CouponCabin is a highly trafficked coupon portal that has been featured
in high profile news programs.
Tjoos ♦
Armed with the motto “Choose to shop, Tjoos to save,” Tjoos is another
important coupon portal online.
Coupon Chief ♦
Coupon Chief delivers coupons to consumers in an easy-to-use format.
Deal Seeking Mom ♦
The Deal Seeking Mom Coupon Database provides a list of available
coupons. Its emphasis is on grocery coupons, but it contains others as
well.
PromotionCode ♦
PromotionCode is a coupon site that places emphasis on the participation
of its visitors.
Couponit ♦
Another great coupon portal, Couponit offers a simple and easy service.
EZCouponSearch ♦
EZCouponSearch includes coupons from a variety of retailers, both large
and small.
1001coupons ♦
With a simple interface and a lofty mission, 1001coupons shares coupons
with its visitors.
DealHunting ♦
DealHunting is another good coupon portal with an emphasis on deals
(not necessarily just coupons).
NaughtyCodes ♦
NaughtyCodes uses a simple design and purports to be “naughty” by
sharing secret coupon discounts. It only accepts actual coupon codes –
not general deals.
eBay ▼
eBay is one of the most robust online marketplaces available, boasting
nearly 100 million active users worldwide. This makes it not only one of
the most popular shopping sites, but also one of the most popular sites
period. In the United States, it edges out giants such as Wikipedia,
Twitter and Blogger.
When it comes to selling products online, using eBay is a great option,
even if you just use it to supplement other avenues that you use. eBay’s
advantage is that it is massive. It is a top destination choice for online
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shoppers who want to quickly find products at great deals. In a sense,
eBay does a large portion of the marketing for you. The traffic is already
there and searching. Better yet, many times these users have gone beyond
the investigative phase and are actually ready to buy. And since eBay is
recognized primarily for what it is – a marketplace platform targeted to
both buyers and sellers – you won’t find many buyers who are surprised
that their product isn’t actually shipped by eBay.
eBay ♦
eBay started out as an auction platform, and that is still how it is
primarily known. But it also offers popular fixed-price options, allowing
you to remove the uncertainty of a product’s final price.
PayPal ♦
PayPal is the most popular online payment processor. It was acquired by
eBay and is now practically a requirement to selling on eBay.
Completed Listings ♦
An essential part of selling on eBay is conducting presale product
research. This is done by identifying what products have sold (or not
sold) on eBay and at what prices. The completed listings function is
essential in order to complete this.
While the completed listings function is available whenever you perform
a search on eBay, the PMI Toolbar makes it simple by drawing on the
keywords in the PMI Toolbar’s search box and automatically performing
a completed listings search on eBay.
Official eBay Resources ▼
eBay is a single site, but it has grown so large and expansive that there are
literally hundreds of resources and tools specifically designed around it.
Fortunately, there are a handful of official eBay resources that can make
being an eBay seller a little easier.
Announcements ♦
eBay regularly makes tweaks and changes to their system. Some are more
important than others, but it can be difficult for a user to maintain
awareness of what is going on. Thanks to eBay Announcements, it is easy
to stay abreast of the eBay ecosystem.
Seller Information ♦
eBay hosts this little guide that makes it easy to learn how to sell on eBay.
Seller Fees ♦
eBay’s massive popularity has also led to large company expenses. The
end results in a slick platform with many options and a safe shopping
environment. Unfortunately, it also results in high fees – which
sometimes get complicated in how they are calculated. This resource will
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help you quickly determine what fees will apply to you in various
circumstances.
Seller Dashboard ♦
The Seller Dashboard is the place to go to get a handle on how your eBay
selling is going.
International Selling ♦
The eBay.com domain caters toward the United States, but there are
multiple international versions of eBay, many of which are hugely
successful in their respective countries. The international eBay site allows
you to list and focus on a global audience, reaching even more potential
customers.
Trading Assistant Program ♦
Trading Assistants are experienced eBay sellers who charge a fee to sell
items for people who don’t have the time or the desire to sell for
themselves. By becoming a trading assistant yourself, you’ll be able to sell
on consignment, providing a continual source of products to list and sell.
Product Sources ▼
While selling on eBay and selling on an e-commerce website are similar,
there are a number of differences. One of them is the products you sell on
eBay can vary a lot more, opening up a number of additional product
sources that you would never consider with an e-commerce site.
Kunaki ♦
You can use Kunaki to print and dropship professionally made CDs of
digital goods. You can order as many or as few CDs as you need and
have Kunaki send the CD directly to your customers.
Online Deals ▼
There are a number of “daily deal” sites that offer an excellent price on a
single product for a limited amount of time. In some cases, you can
snatch up a great deal and then resell the products on eBay.
Woot ♦
Woot is an online store and community that sells one item per day very
inexpensively until it is sold out – or until 11:59 pm (CT), when it is
replaced. However, each item they sell is in stock and typically ships
within two to three business days.
1 Sale a Day ♦
1 Sale a Day is similar to Woot. It offers one deeply discounted product
every day. The product is only available for a 24-hour period and expires
every day at midnight (ET). It is then replaced with a new discounted
product for the following day.
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Steep and Cheap ♦
Offering multiple deals a day, Steep and Cheap is an excellent product
source for premium outdoor gear and clothing.
Whiskey Militia ♦
Whiskey Militia offers a series of great deals relating to apparel and
accessories.
Chainlove ♦
The daily deal site for cyclists, Chainlove makes cycling clothes and
accessories available at deep discounts.
eBay Daily Deals ♦
Every day, eBay has a number of deals at good prices with free shipping.
Each deal does not last for very long. Make sure to do some presale
product research to ensure that you can actually sell it at a higher price
later.
Deal of the Day Tracker ♦
The Deal of the Day Tracker lists a number of daily deal websites along
with the current product for sale on them.
ShopGoodwill.com ♦
Goodwill is a thrift store chain with physical locations around the United
States and Canada. Their online venue contains several items placed
online by various Goodwill stores in an auction format.
Dealio ♦
Dealio is a source for good deals on a wide variety of products. You can
search for deals directly from the Dealio website or use one of the free
deal hunting tools on the site to find the best deals. You can compare
prices on 30 million products, find online store coupon codes and get hot
daily online deals.
Deal News ♦
Deal News offers deals on the hottest items on the Internet. The site
scours over 2,000 online retailers and tens of thousands of deals to deliver
the best 100 deals that they can find each day. Every deal they list is the
lowest price they could find sold by a reputable store.
Wholesale Directories ▼
One of the fastest and easiest methods of finding a supplier is to use a
wholesale directory. Composed literally of lists of suppliers that want to
work with retailers, wholesale directories can help you get on the fast
track to steady success.
Wholesale Pipeline ♦
As a paid wholesale directory, Wholesale Pipeline offers a quick and
convenient solution to finding a solid, reliable supplier. Browsing and
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searching options are available, and each supplier is identified according
to the type of business they engage in (wholesaling, dropshipping, etc.).
ThomasNet ♦
ThomasNet specializes in the industrial sector, but it holds information
for suppliers in numerous niches.
Wholesale Central ♦
While it has a cluttered interface, Wholesale Central includes a large list
of wholesalers in a variety of niches.
Yahoo! Directory B2B ♦
The business to business (B2B) subcategory of the Yahoo! Directory is a
fine complement to DMOZ’s listings. There is even an additional
Wholesalers category within it.
Open Directory Project (DMOZ) ♦
DMOZ is one of the most prestigious directories online. It has a
subcategory devoted exclusively to wholesale trade.
Government Liquidation ▼
There are several liquidation websites for government property. Many
times the property was originally privately owned, but was seized by the
government due to foreclosure or bankruptcy. Other times, different
government agencies have upgraded their equipment and need to get rid
of their old gear. Regardless of the reason, it provides items at a low cost.
These liquidation websites, while auctioning off government assets, are
not run by the government. Because of this, sometimes they also include
items from private collectors or business organizations.
GovSales.gov ♦
GovSales.gov is the official site to find U.S. government property for sale.
It hosts a variety of categories.
State and Local Surplus ♦
This page, hosted by the federal government, lists individual sites for
surplus sales from state and local governments.
Government Liquidation ♦
One of the most popular and professional sites of its kind, Government
Liquidation provides a myriad of liquidation listings. Over 5 million
surplus items have been sold on its site.
GovDeals ♦
While it doesn’t have the prettiest interface, GovDeals constantly hosts
hundreds of listings for liquidated government assets.
Bid4Assets ♦
While Bid4Assets focuses on government real estate liquidation, they
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offer auctions for other items as well, including art, coins, computers and
jewelry.
GovernmentAuctions.org ♦
Acting as a guide to local and online government liquidation,
GovernmentAuctions.org is an excellent source to help you find products
to sell.
Retail Liquidation ▼
Retailers routinely need to liquidate certain products. These may be items
that have lost local interest and are not selling at the suggested retail
price, or they may be items which were overstocked. And sometimes,
they may be customer returns or refurbished products. The law requires
that a retailer cannot sell a returned product as new if it has been opened,
even if it has not been used. Products that are not sold as new simply do
not sell well in a retail store, but they do sell well online on websites such
as eBay. This gives you an advantage with retail liquidation.
Roden Surplus Imports ♦
Roden Surplus Imports is a popular closeout website. It specializes in
quality closeouts priced below wholesale. It carries a little bit of
everything. All listed merchandise is in the original cases and is in their
warehouse ready to ship. They sell by full cases only, so they do not
dropship. They have thousands of different items in stock, so if you don't
see it on the site, contact them to see if it is in stock.
Via Trading ♦
Via Trading Corporation is an overstock and customer return wholesale
company that deals mostly with department store merchandise. Most
large stores have programs to liquidate what they call their salvage goods.
Basically these stores “salvage” items – which they choose not to sell any
longer. These goods include customer returns, shelf-pulls, mark-down
items, out-of-season items, discontinued items, in-store display items,
overstocks, etc.
NoBetterDeal.com ♦
Carrying a large variety of popular consumer items (including computers
and electronics), NoBetterDeal.com is an excellent online liquidation site.
Liquidation.com ♦
With more than one million registered buyers and 500 product categories,
Liquidation.com offers one of the best liquidation purchasing
opportunities available online.
Department of Goods ♦
Department of Goods is one of the finest liquidation sites online,
specializing in outdoor apparel and accessories.
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Genco Marketplace ♦
As an online liquidator, Genco Marketplace’s strongest point is also its
weakness. It sells liquidated goods in huge quantities – entire pallets or
even truckloads! This allows them to sell products at incredibly low
prices. However, it also means that you’ll need a bit of capital before you
can make a single purchase.
Physical Locations ▼
Not all deals are to be had online! If you know where to look, you can get
great local deals on products to resell on eBay.
TheThriftShopper.com ♦
Many smaller thrift stores exist with various names. You can ask around
to find out what they are called and where they are located.
TheThriftShopper.com is a website that attempts to keep track of local
thrift stores. By entering your zip code, you can see if there are any by
you.
Goodwill ♦
There are some thrift store chains with stores across the United States and
Canada. Goodwill is one of these, with over 160 stores across North
America. You can locate a nearby store with the Goodwill Locator.
Salvation Army Stores ♦
The Salvation Army also runs various thrift stores. Store locations can be
found by searching from any zip code on their website.
Big Lots ♦
Big Lots is a retail store that actually specializes in selling liquidated
products. They obtain them in a way similar to online stores, but rather
than ship them to customers, they set them up in retail stores.
T.J. Maxx ♦
T.J. Maxx is a department store which specializes in low-cost and
liquidated goods, especially clothing. There are over 900 stores globally.
Outlet Bound ♦
Some retailers have outlet stores where they liquidate their old or
returned goods. In some cases you can even use coupons meant for the
regular retail store, allowing for even deeper discounts.
And some manufacturers have factory outlets where they liquidate items
that they can no longer sell through retailers. Because factory outlets skip
more steps in the distribution chain, prices are even better.
Outlet Bound can locate outlet stores nearby you. It can search by
location, by store name, by brand name and more.
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Flea Portal ♦
Depending on the area, flea markets may be held at regular intervals,
usually weekly or monthly. Flea markets typically have multiple booths,
each with a miniature shop set up by individual sellers. They can often be
a great place for bargains because many people do not know the true
value of their items.
Because flea markets are smaller, localized efforts, finding them can be a
little tricky. Some flea markets will place advertisements with times and
locations, but other rely on word of mouth. Fortunately, Flea Portal is a
website that provides locations of flea markets in all 50 states. Even
though it is not all inclusive, it is quite extensive and can be a helpful
resource to find nearby flea markets.
National Auctioneers Association ♦
Local auctions are held in various locations and at different times.
Additionally, some auctions are for specific types of items. Fortunately,
websites like the National Auctioneers Association is designed to track
where auctions are located.
Trade Shows ▼
Trade shows are excellent places to network with professionals who deal
in various niches. There are several trade show directories that can help
you determine when and where events are located.
Trade Show News Network ♦
TSNN is one of the best online resources for the trade show industry. Its
impressive database contains around 25,000 events.
BizTradeShows.com ♦
BizTradeShows.com focuses on facilitating trade show organizations for
various industries. As a result, they have an extensive database of trade
shows and similar events.
ASD ♦
ASD is a single trade show, but it is massive. There are over 2,800
vendors with six major categories.
Garage Sales ▼
Don’t overlook the potential products you can find by going to garage
sales. (Depending on where you are in the country, they may be called
yard sales.) They are a product sourcing method that can definitely work
for eBay and similar online marketplaces.
Yard Sale Search ♦
An extensive database with an impressive interface, Yard Sale Search
makes it easy to find garage sales near you.
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YardSales.com ♦
With a variety of options available, YardSales.com is a great website to
use to locate nearby garage sales.
GarageMaps ♦
You can use GarageMaps to locate garage sales in our area. You can also
use it to map out where garage sales are that you locate by other means,
allowing you to plan out the most effective garage sale strategy.
Craigslist ▼
Craigslist consistently ranks as one of the top-visited sites in the United
States. It is a classified ad site that remarkably sprung out of obscurity
simply through word of mouth. However, much of Craigslist’s potential
is untapped. Most individuals who use it simply want to make a quick
transaction without much hassle and without regard to the item’s real
value. You can take advantage of the wonderful opportunities available
and enhance your eBay sales.
Craigslist ♦
Craigslist is the most popular classified ads site in the world. It has a
localized version for cities in every state.
Claz ♦
Claz provides an aesthetic interface for Craigslist and allows you to
adjust the search radius up to 250 miles. It can also search all local
Craigslist sites at once. One of its advantages is that it conducts searches
based off of a zip code, so if your searches on a local Craigslist site are
providing results from too far away, Claz can solve the problem. You can
also create a username on Claz to save your searches and RSS feeds.
Ad Hunt’r ♦
Ad Hunt’r searches all of the local sites at once. While it has very little
customization, there are multiple versions of the site available, including
a mobile device site, an iPad app and widgets that can be placed on blogs
or social media sites.
SearchTempest ♦
SearchTempest can search all US, Canadian or Mexican local Craigslist
sites. It can also search within a radius of a zip code up to 4,000 miles. Or,
if you prefer, it can search using specified cities from any country
supporting a local Craigslist site. There is also an option to search
exclusively within specific sections or categories.
An additional feature that can be helpful with product research is the
ability to include eBay listings in the search. While this can potentially
complicate the search results, if the search is narrow enough, it can also
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help you compare price differences between Craigslist and eBay more
quickly.
CraigsToolbox ♦
CraigsToolbox is a program that loads directly into the Mozilla Firefox
browser. Its main focus is to enhance the browse and search pages. In
addition to the title and thumbnail image that Craigslist already provides,
CraigsToolbox increases the image size – and if you mouse over it, an
even larger picture is shown. Plus, a sample of the description is also
displayed. Using these two advantages makes scanning items on
Craigslist faster.
Other Classified Ad Sites ▼
With 20 billion page views every month and consistent ranking among
the top sites on the internet, Craigslist is the powerhouse of classified ads.
Nevertheless, there are several other popular websites, some of which do
quite well. By adapting the Craigslist strategies you have learned to other
classified ad websites, you can reach additional individuals and increase
your profits even more.
eBay Classifieds ♦
eBay Classifieds is backed by the infrastructure and support of the
popular auction site, but it is designed with free classified ads in mind.
Americanlisted ♦
Americanlisted is a classified ad website with the intent of being as
localized as possible.
OLX ♦
OLX is a classified ad site that focuses on web enhancements over its
competitors. As such, it has a pretty slick interface.
Backpage ♦
One of Backpage’s main advantages is the ability to post in multiple cities
at a time as a sponsored ad.
Shipping ▼
Unless you’re dropshipping, shipping is an essential component of your
eBay business. Fortunately, there are a number of helpful resources
available.
Shipping Tools ♦
There are several shipping tools which can help you with various aspects
relating to shipping. Because many buyers give shipping charges
significant weight when determining what items to purchase, using these
tools can help you win more buyers and therefore more profit.
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USPS Shipping Zone ♦
The USPS Shipping Zone contains multiple resources to help you ship
with USPS (United States Postal Service).
UPS Shipping Zone ♦
The UPS Shipping Zone contains multiple resources to help you ship
with UPS (United Parcel Service).
Postage Systems ▼
Shipping materials are just one piece of the shipping puzzle – you also
need to worry about postage! There are a number of resources to help
you buy postage.
Stamps.com ♦
Stamps.com allows you to buy postage online and print labels using your
regular computer printer.
DYMO Endicia ♦
With DYMO Endicia, it’s easy to purchase USPS postage online and print
it at home.
Vistaprint Postage Meter ♦
Postage meters are professional office equipment designed to weigh
shipping parcels, calculate postage and print it on demand.
Tools ▼
The first feature added to eBay was the feedback system in 1996. As eBay
users soon found out, learning the feedback system proved to be essential
to selling successfully. Being the auction powerhouse that it is, eBay’s
tools and features are far more advanced and plentiful today than they
were in 1996.
Buyer Tools ♦
There are some eBay tools that are geared specifically to aid buyers. If
you routinely make purchases on eBay, then they can be quite helpful to
you. While eBay categorizes them as Buyer Tools, most of them still have
certain features that are designed for sellers, so even if you never place a
single bid on eBay, you can still benefit from using them.
Seller Tools ♦
The listing and sales management tools are the ones most commonly used
by sellers. By effectively utilizing them, you can stay better organized
while saving time.
Marketing Tools ♦
eBay offers a variety of marketing tools that makes it easier than ever to
make sure your listings are seen by as many eager buyers as possible.
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eBay Certified Providers ♦
eBay Certified Providers are companies which must pass specific
requirements demonstrating their aptitude in working with eBay sellers.
Apps Center ♦
eBay apps are third-party applications which are verified to work in
conjunction with the various steps of the eBay process. Some applications
are free, and all of them are free to try. Furthermore, more eBay apps are
being added all the time, so you might want to check back periodically to
see what is new.
eBay Research Labs ♦
This is an official eBay team of Ph.D.-level computer scientists who
conduct experimental research related to eBay directly and to
e-commerce in general. They have provided several useful web tools.
Because they are only experimental and none of them have been proven
to provide accurate results, they are not advertised nor sold, and most of
them do not have instructions on how to use them.
Garden by eBay ♦
Garden by eBay is a web page that constantly changes. Features are
categorized as either seeds or plants depending on where they are in the
development process. As the seeds receive more feedback and are
tweaked, they transition to a plant. After a similar process, plants
eventually become regular features on the eBay website.
If you use Garden by eBay, you will be able to have a sneak peak of what
eBay will be unrolling for all of its users. And you will be able to leave
feedback, ensuring that changes which benefit you will be considered for
future updates.
Solutions Directory ♦
The eBay Solutions Directory is an older, now low-key list of many
different websites and tools that can assist you in your various uses on
eBay. While the directory is hosted by eBay, not all of the providers are
certified or endorsed by eBay, so it is best to thoroughly investigate each
service that interests you. Nevertheless, because many of the companies
are obscure, you may find a hidden gem which will give you an
advantage over your competition.
Auction Management ▼
Sometimes it’s nice to use professional software to manage your auctions
and make sure that everything runs smoothly.
Auctiva ♦
Auctiva includes a variety of tools designed to help you successfully
manage your eBay listings and sales, including the ability to quickly
schedule, relist and bulk list items. It also has over 1,700 listing templates
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with integrated image hosting, including larger image sizes and
quantities.
Vendio ♦
Vendio, rather than providing a single product with multiple elements,
offers multiple applications which can be purchased separately according
to your needs. Therefore, you only pay for the features that you actually
use. They can be used on the Vendio Platform account or on their own.
Misspelling Tools ▼
There are several tools that can search for items that have misspellings in
the title. Auctions with misspellings lead to less buyer interest because
fewer people see the item while searching for the product. This leads to
lower prices. This can be an effective way to source products to resell on
eBay at higher prices. Most tools like this work by introducing possible
misspellings and searching eBay for them.
Misspellr ♦
Misspellr is a free, powerful tool that offers a variety of options and
features when finding misspellings on eBay, Craigslist or eBid.
Typo Buddy ♦
Offering either simple or advanced search options, Typo Buddy can help
you find typos or misspellings on eBay or Craigslist.
Goodbid ♦
Sporting a stellar interface and a several options, Goofbid isn’t just a
misspelling tool, it includes a number of great eBay tools.
eBay Misspellings Tool ♦
This aptly named tool is simple, easy and effective.
New Life Auctions ♦
New Life Auctions includes a misspelling tool for eBay that allows you to
include additional keywords or even exclude certain keywords.
FatFingers ♦
A no-nonsense approach to eBay misspellings, FatFingers offers a slick
and easy interface.
Ad Building ▼
Some websites allow you to enter information into a form, and they will
create a professional-looking ad for you. The ads are generated in HTML
and can then be copied and pasted into sites like Craigslist.
Slipdex ♦
Although based on a simple concept, Slipdex allows you to easily create
customized, powerful ads.
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vFlyer ♦
More than offering just customized ads, vFlyer is an impressive software
package that provides a variety of powerful web creation options.
Craigslist Ad Maker ♦
This free service makes ad creation as simple as three steps. All you need
to do is choose your design, enter your message and copy the code.
Logo Creation ▼
Having a simple logo can go a long way when it comes to marketing your
eBay listings. While you might want to purchase something
professionally made, here are some free options to create a decentlooking logo.
Cool Text ♦
Cool Text allows you to choose an impressive graphics-based font and
create a logo using text.
Logo Design Engine ♦
All you need to do is select a template, choose a font and pick some
colors. Before you know it, the Logo Design Engine will have created a
simple logo for your business, all for free.
Digital Media ▼
One surefire way to get an edge on your eBay competition is to add in
elements of digital media. Nothing says professional like a video or audio
clip embedded on your eBay listings.
Video Editing ▼
Good editing software and a little bit of time is all that separates a poorly
produced video from a good one. Whenever using video with your online
business, be sure to do it right with video editing software.
Premium Editing ▼
There are several excellent options available for premium editing
software, and they are pretty reasonably priced as well.
Pinnacle Studio ♦
Pinnacle Studio has been one of the best-selling video editing programs
for over a decade.
Adobe Premiere Elements ♦
Adobe’s powerful video editing software is available in a lower-priced
consumer version as Premiere Elements.
Free Editing ▼
If you prefer, there are a few great options for free video editing software.
They generally aren’t as well-rounded or polished as premium video
editing programs, but sometimes you simply can’t beat free.
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Avidemux ♦
Avidemux can apply visual or audio effects in the editing process. It
supports many file formats.
Lightworks ♦
Lightworks is a powerful video editing program that has been used on
important motion picture productions. Originally a paid program, it was
released as freeware in 2010.
VirtualDub ♦
VirtualDub is a simple linear-editing program. Its capabilities are limited
compared to other free video editing options.
Video Hosting ▼
It isn’t enough to simply have a video, or even to place it somewhere
online. In order to truly harness the power of video marketing, you must
have appealing playback options. While this can be done through selfhosting, it’s often easier (and cheaper) to use a good video host.
YouTube ▼
This video-sharing website has a worldwide audience and attracts
millions of visits each day. Started in 2005, YouTube has become the
undisputed king of video sharing. 72 hours of video are uploaded every
minute. Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month,
watching over 4 billion hours of video. In fact, in 2011 YouTube had more
than 1 trillion video views. With impressive statistics like this, it’s an
understatement to say that YouTube’s scope is unprecedented.
While most of YouTube’s content was originally contributed by
individuals, companies and organizations are gradually gaining an
impressive presence. Users have come to expect great video content from
the companies that they love, and video’s natural ability to engage
viewers makes YouTube an ideal marketing opportunity. Uploading a
video automatically creates a channel which can then be customized.
Since others can subscribe to your channel, you can consistently send
marketing messages via video to a targeted audience.
YouTube ♦
YouTube is a video-sharing site, allowing anyone to upload a video that
they have created and let anyone else see it. It is one of the highesttrafficked sites in the world, and it has a high engagement rate. This gives
YouTube immense marketing potential. And the best part is that using it
is absolutely free!
CaptionTube ♦
CaptionTube makes it easy to add captions to YouTube videos. This can
improve a video’s visibility within the YouTube community.
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Vimeo ♦
No one can dispute the popularity of video, and Vimeo is one of the most
popular video-hosting websites online (after YouTube, of course). Vimeo
has released several innovative improvements in the video space, and it
continues to have a loyal following – many of which are independent
filmmakers or individuals otherwise passionate about film.
Vimeo no longer provides a free service for anyone with commercial
intent, but they do have a paid service which can prove useful. Even if
you choose not to host videos with them, you can still sign up for an
account in order to interact with the community.
Metacafe ♦
Recognizing the impossibility of staging a full-on rivalry with YouTube,
the video-hosting service Metacafe instead focuses on entertainment
curation – specifically short-form videos about movies, video games,
television, music and sports.
Metacafe’s target demographic is young males. This targeted audience
can be useful from a marketing standpoint if you need to reach this same
demographic. And if you provide some really great content, you might
find that Metacafe gives you a little boost in visibility.
Dailymotion ♦
Originally started in France, Dailymotion has grown into one of the
leading online video hosts. Every month, it attracts over 100 million
visitors and delivers over 1.8 billion video views.
One of Dailymotion’s distinguishing features is its ability to upload
videos up to an hour in length – and even longer with its paid service. It
also uses Strongtags, which allow you to tag videos with common terms
using specific details.
Audio Editing ▼
With a little audio editing, you can turn a rough voice or music clip into a
real gem. The best thing is, great audio editing is available for free, and it
isn’t even very difficult to use.
Audacity ♦
Audacity is a true diamond in the rough. Despite being offered for free, it
is a powerful audio editing solution that has more options and features
than most people will ever need.
LAME MP3 Encoder for Audacity ♦
In order to export Audacity files as MP3 files, you must have this plugin
installed.
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WaveSurfer ♦
Simple and compact, WaveSurfer is a good audio editing program
available for free.
Sound eXchange ♦
SoX (Sound eXchange) is a free audio editing program for Windows and
Macintosh, claiming to be the Swiss Army knife of sound processing
programs.
Audio Hosting ▼
There are a few options you can use when seeking an audio hosting
solution.
Supload ♦
Supload makes it easy to host various types of files, including audio files.
FileFactory ♦
One of the oldest and most reliable file storage solutions, FileFactory is a
great service to use to host files such as audio files.
Other Platforms ▼
eBay has gained a reputation for being the powerhouse of online
auctions, and rightfully so. Throughout the years, several competing
websites have arisen. Some have been more successful than others, and
some have even surpassed eBay with selling certain kinds of items.
Knowing where and how to expand beyond eBay can give an online
business a larger audience and more sales.
While you can exclusively use eBay and build a successful business,
expanding to other platforms can be a way to really give you a boost in
sales because many buyers do not shop multiple websites. Therefore, by
selling on other venues you can reach a higher number of potential
buyers.
Auction ▼
When it comes to online auctions, eBay is king. Nevertheless, there are
some serious contenders. And for one reason or another, many buyers do
not shop on eBay, choosing instead one of these alternative sites.
Expanding to other online auction websites can increase your buyer base
and therefore your sales.
eBid ♦
eBid was founded in 1998 in Great Britain, but its success has allowed it
to expand to twenty countries. After eBay, eBid is the most popular
auction website in the United States. While not quite as extensive as eBay,
it hosts a variety of options and features.
OLA ♦
OLA is short for OnlineAuction.com, another popular auction website. It
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was started in 1999 by Chris Fain, an online auction enthusiast.
Disenchanted by what he was seeing on other auction websites, he
started OLA, and it has been growing ever since.
WeBidz ♦
Hosting an impressive number of auctions, WeBidz offers a simple
auction platform.
ePier ♦
Innovatively using wiki software to power its platform, ePier allows
anyone to post auction listings with no fees.
Manion’s List It Yourself Auctions ♦
Manion’s List It Yourself Auctions is relatively small, but it distinguishes
itself from sites like eBay by allowing items which are not allowed on
more popular sites.
International ▼
eBay’s international presence is often as strong as it is in the United
States. Nevertheless, some auction websites in other countries maintain a
strong competition with eBay, and some are so popular that eBay has
failed to gain a presence in their respective countries at all. Interestingly
enough, some even have a minor foothold in the United States.
If you reside in a country outside of North America, it is a good idea to
investigate which auction sites do well in your area. And even if you live
in the United States or Canada, selling internationally on these sites can
be one way to increase your profits exponentially – especially if you offer
an item that is difficult to obtain elsewhere in the world.
Trade Me (New Zealand) ♦
Trade Me is a New Zealand auction website that was built in 1999 to cater
toward New Zealand residents. It has become one of the foremost New
Zealand websites on the internet, ranking in the top five.
BidOrBuy (South Africa) ♦
BidOrBuy was also started in 1999 and is South Africa’s premier auction
website. It ranks in the top 20 South African websites and continues to
grow.
Quicksales (Australia) ♦
Formerly known as OZtion, Quicksales is relatively new compared to
many of the other alternative auction sites. It began in 2005 as an
Australian competitor to eBay.com.au. While it still holds second place, it
does command a pretty impressive market share.
CQout (Great Britain) ♦
CQout is one of Great Britain’s principal auction websites. It is very userfriendly to other countries as well and includes pricing in US, Canadian
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and Australian dollars. It also includes shipping details for these
countries.
MercadoLibre (Latin America + Portugal) ♦
MercadoLibre is the primary auction site of about 15 Spanish and
Portuguese speaking countries. It is, in fact, the Latin American partner of
eBay. If you speak either of these two languages, you could have an edge
on international sales that your competitors do not.
Allegro (Poland) ♦
Allegro’s presence is primarily in Eastern Europe. While there are
numerous countries with an Allegro website (and even more under its
parent company, Tradus), Poland’s version is one of the most visited
websites in the world and consistently ranks among the top five Polish
sites online.
Fixed Price ▼
Aside from auction websites, there are also a variety of online
marketplaces that allow sellers to list items at fixed prices. Some websites
host a general catalog of items while others allow sellers to open their
individual stores. Either way, these types of websites are excellent
platforms upon which to expand your current eBay offerings, especially
because they generally receive more traffic than the auction sites.
Amazon ♦
Amazon began in 1994 as an online bookstore. It soon expanded to other
types of media, and ultimately it has gained a presence in multiple types
of markets. Apart from its role as an online retailer, Amazon offers many
products and services. One of these services is Selling on Amazon, a
method by which any individual can sell an item on Amazon.
Amazon has continually grown, becoming the top internet resource for
online shopping – even surpassing eBay! Because of this, expanding to
Amazon as one of your alternative platforms is an excellent way to
increase your profits.
Bonanza ♦
Bonanza is another website that attempts to provide a service that differs
from websites like Amazon. Their motto is Find Everything but the
Ordinary, and they seek to provide an alternate shopping experience by
encouraging items that are collectible or unusual rather than new,
unopened merchandise available at any retailer.
iOffer ♦
iOffer is a website that allows individuals to open their own online stores.
However, instead of merely offering a static shopping environment,
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iOffer strives to create a dynamic experience, encouraging community
interaction.
eCrater ♦
eCrater is a website that provides a free marketplace to buyers and sellers
– no fees are charged to either party at any time during the process. This
offers plenty of incentive to at least try it out, especially if you find that
fees are eating into your profit margins too much on other websites.
Blujay ♦
While simple, Blujay’s appeal comes from its absence of fees and easy-touse interface.
Niche ▼
There are some venues that focus on a single category or two and stick
with that narrow objective. Just because a platform is a niche website
does not mean that there is little buyer interest. On the contrary, some of
these niche websites are more popular than many of the broader-based
platforms. If you sell items that meet the requirements of these niche
websites, taking the time to check them out can lead to serious sales
growth.
Antiques ▼
A few websites focus specifically on antiques. Considering the collectible
nature of antiques, it is not too surprising that most of the niche websites
fit in this category.
Ruby Lane ♦
Ruby Lane is a website dedicated to antiques and vintage items. It boasts
the highest traffic of any website dedicated to these types of products.
Ruby Lane charges a setup fee, a monthly fee and listing fees. Every shop
is considered individually before being allowed to be presented on the
website. Because of this, costs of running a Ruby Lane store tend to be
quite high. But Ruby Lane has developed such a reputation on the online
antique world that if you are a seller of in-demand antiques, profits also
tend to be quite high.
Tias ♦
Tias is a website that is dedicated to antiques and collectibles. While the
website is not built as professionally as Ruby Lane’s, there are a handful
of features that make it worth taking a look at. For example, Tias has an
online collection of numerous antique magazines. It also has links to
classifieds and appraisals. While not as popular as Ruby Lane, Tias does
generate its fair share of traffic.
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GoAntiques ♦
With hundreds of thousands of listings, GoAntiques is a powerful
platform in the antiques niche.
Trocadero ♦
Although using an antiquated interface, Trocadero is a serious contender
with antique-selling platforms.
Arts and Crafts ▼
Some of the most popular niche websites are dedicated to arts and crafts,
along with similar items.
Etsy ♦
Etsy is somewhat unique among niche websites. It is the leading platform
in selling handmade items, but not only is it one of the most popular
online marketplaces, it also ranks as one of the most popular websites of
any kind in the United States.
Etsy’s specialty is all things handmade, though it also boasts a
considerable amount of supplies for sale and vintage items. It has a
number of features and tools, including the ability for buyers to place
special orders with sellers. Etsy charges both listing fees and final value
fees, but they are comparatively small. If you sell anything handmade,
Etsy can offer you higher profits and more success.
ArtFire ♦
ArtFire is a platform to sell handmade products, vintage items, item
supplies and limited run goods. It includes a number of unique
community features such as guilds and artisan councils. It also has a Forge
section where wanted ads can be posted. There are no listing or final
value fees of any sort. Instead, there are varying degrees of membership.
The basic one is free, so if you never expand beyond that, you are never
charged anything. If you upgrade to a paid membership, you pay a
monthly fee and get access to a number of exclusive tools and features.
While ArtFire is not as popular as Etsy, it still generates quite a bit of
traffic.
Babylon Mall ♦
Babylon Mall specializes in arts, crafts, collectibles and vintage clothing.
While it is not visited as frequently as Etsy or ArtFire, it does have some
useful analytic and marketing tools. Babyon Mall requires a monthly fee
but charges no listing or final value fees.
Books ▼
A variety of niche websites focus specifically on books. If you have many
books that you regularly sell, these websites can help increase your
exposure to customers and boost your sales.
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Half.com ♦
Half.com is owned by eBay and actually includes music, movies and
games in addition to books. Because there is crossover from eBay, you
can reach both Half.com and eBay shoppers, and you can use the eBay
user ID that you already have.
Alibris ♦
In a manner similar to Amazon, Alibris both sells books and acts as a
platform for independent sellers. It has memberships for users who sell a
lot or just a little. It has little in the way of advanced features, but it does
boast a large customer base.
AbeBooks ♦
AbeBooks has a slightly smaller though similar market share when
compared to Alibris. It charges a monthly fee and a final value fee to its
sellers, but it includes a tool called HomeBase which features price
comparison, ISBN lookup and importing from Amazon. Additionally, if
you just have a few books you want to get off your hands, you can sell
them directly to AbeBooks.
Biblio ♦
Biblio’s specialty is used and out of print books, making it unique even
among other websites in the book niche.
Delcampe ♦
Delcampe is an auction website for collector’s items such as postcards,
stamps, coins, etc. Registration is free, though there are final value fees
for items sold on the site.
The unique thing about Delcampe is that it encourages international
trade, so all listings appear in the same database. Because of this,
Delcampe has several translation and currency exchange tools built into
its system. Delcampe’s largest user base is in France and Belgium, though
it has buyers and sellers all over the world. Alternatively, by accessing
Delcampe.com (rather than Delcampe.net), you can limit the database to
the United States only.
GunBroker.com ♦
GunBroker.com is a perfect example of a venue to sell items that are
prohibited on eBay. GunBroker.com specializes in online auctions for
firearms and other weapons such as knives or swords. Because there are
many laws governing the sale of firearms, GunBroker.com provides
various guides and resources to ensure that its users follow all applicable
laws. For example, anyone who can legally own a firearm can sell it on
the website – but firearms can only be shipped to dealers, who can then
transfer them to the buyer.
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GunBroker.com is a fantastic resource if you are interested in selling
firearms, but the resources that it provides should be investigated to
ensure complete legal compliance.
Services ▼
Beginning to sell on other platforms may feel like starting over from
scratch. Since you have already become familiar with eBay, this can be a
little frustrating. But it does not have to be. Fortunately, there are a few
services available that can make the transition easier.
Repatoo ♦
On eBay, the feedback system lets buyers know that a seller can be
counted on to provide accurate information and reliable customer service.
Wouldn’t it be great to transfer the positive feedback points you have
already received on eBay to your new platforms?
Fortunately, that is possible with a service called Repatoo. With it you can
import your feedback from multiple merchant websites into a centralized
location. This way, when you begin to sell on other venues, you can direct
potential buyers to your Repatoo page to demonstrate that while you do
not yet have feedback on the new site, you have feedback on eBay and
can be trusted. Buyers can see that you are already an established seller.
Escrow.com ♦
With higher priced items, offering escrow can help inspire trust that you
will deliver the goods. When you use an escrow service, the buyer sends
payment to the escrow service rather than to you. You then send the
product to the buyer, who inspects it. Next, the escrow service sends you
the money.
Escrow services charge a fee, so before you offer it, it is a good idea to
make sure that it is going to make a significant difference to inspire buyer
confidence and get you the best price possible.
Google Checkout ♦
Google’s solution to online payments hasn’t yet gained the popularity of
services such as PayPal, but it has gained relatively wide usage.
EveryPlaceISell.com ♦
EveryPlaceISell.com allows sellers to list all of the platforms they use.
Because it is free to register, there is no reason not to do so once you have
begun using more than one venue. You can also display if you are
offering sales or promotions on some of your platforms, letting buyers
know where they can go to get the best deals.
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Research ▼
It is wise to stay updated with eBay. Changes are made periodically, and
staying on top of those changes can ensure that you are always ready to
implement new strategies before your competition.
EcommerceBytes ♦
Formerly known as AuctionBytes, EcommerceBytes offers a helpful
newsletter that discusses the world of selling online.
Top PowerSellers ♦
One idea with setting goals to be a PowerSeller is to look directly at other
PowerSellers to see how they create their listings and what strategies they
employ. One website, Top Seller List Live, displays the top sellers by total
feedback and by recent growth.
Auction Count and Sell-through ♦
There is a website available for free which provides analytics on eBay’s
auction counts and sell-through rates. You can choose to view data
covering specific time periods like a week, month or year. This can be
helpful when determining what types of items to sell on eBay, what times
to sell them at and what format to choose when listing.
Trends ▼
One of the best things that you can do as a seller is to stay ahead of the
curve by keeping close tabs on trends. This is more important with items
that are easily influenced by fads and fashion, but you can benefit from
watching trends regardless of the types of items you sell. Knowing what
is hot can help you determine what direction to go with the products you
sell.
Google Alerts ♦
Google Alerts is a fantastic service you can use. You can simply add a
search term, and Google will email you whenever something
newsworthy occurs relating to the keywords.
Cassandra Daily ♦
Since 2002, Cassandra Daily has been researching the trends of the day
and providing them via email newsletter and website. With a focus
specifically in lifestyle, fashion, entertainment and technology, Cassandra
Daily can be an indispensable resource.
Trendwatching.com ♦
With a team consisting of 30 analysts and hundreds of spotters around
the globe, Trendwatching.com is constantly on the lookout for the next
big thing.
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eBay Motors ▼
In 1999, eBay diversified and offered a secondary site – motors.eBay.com
– dedicated solely to the sale of vehicles, parts and accessories. By 2006, 2
million passenger vehicles had been sold. Today, over 3.5 million have
been sold. In fact, a passenger vehicle is sold on eBay Motors every
minute. eBay ranks as the number one automotive site on the internet
every year.
eBay Motors ♦
The eBay Motors site is one of the best places to sell automobiles and
parts online.
Vehicle Inspections ♦
eBay Motors recommends sellers to SGS Automotive to provide a 150point vehicle inspection. While this is not free, it is available for a
reasonable price – about $100.00. Examiners are available to come to your
location to perform the inspection at your convenience.
Once the vehicle inspection is complete, a report is posted online with
interior and exterior photographs. The report includes details such as
what accessories are included with the vehicle, tire condition, any noted
damage and if anything out of the ordinary was noted during a test drive.
State Vehicle Laws ♦
Laws governing the sale of vehicles vary from state to state. eBay Motors
encourages both buyers and sellers to investigate and understand those
laws. It has provided this web page with links for buyers and sellers in all
50 states.
Department of Motor Vehicles ♦
Each state has a different DMV (department of motor vehicles).
Fortunately, eBay Motors has put together this handy page with links to
each state’s DMV.
Sourcing Vehicles ▼
Have you wondered where you are going to be able to consistently find
vehicles for a low price that you can then resell? Being able to effectively
source vehicles is essential to making your eBay Motors business thrive.
Fortunately, you can by using the resources in the PMI Toolbar.
GSA Fleet Vehicles Sales ♦
General Services Administration Fleet Vehicle Sales is a division of the
Federal Government which sells government-owned vehicles in public
auction. Registration is free, and there are no buyer fees. On the website,
you can enter your home state to see if there are auctions near you and
when they are scheduled.
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GSA Auctions ♦
GSA Auctions are also controlled by the General Services Administration,
but all auctions are online instead of in person. There are a variety of
items available in addition to vehicles.
Bid4Assets ♦
Bid4Assets is a privately owned company that specializes in unique or
rare high-value items (including vehicles), both from the government and
from private sellers. All auctions are online, so you can investigate and
bid from the comfort of your home.
GovDeals ♦
Similar to Bid4Assets, GovDeals provides an online auction platform for
government agencies to liquidate excess goods, including vehicles.
State and Local Surplus ♦
This website is maintained by USA.gov and contains links to state and
local surplus property websites from many locations throughout the
United States.
Business Setup ▼
Regardless of the business model you operate, the truth is that you are
embarking on an exciting development in your life: owning an online
business. Of course, these means you’ll need to legally register your
business.
Expert Assistance ▼
There are many types of businesses out there – corporations, limited
liability companies, partnerships, sole proprietorships and many more.
Trying to wade through all of the differences and understanding the
implications of each one can get a little confusing. That’s why sometimes
it’s better just to obtain expert assistance – someone who knows the ropes
and can get you started correctly.
SafeGuard Business Advantage ♦
SafeGuard Business Advantage (SBA) is a unique organization that can
assist you structuring your business as an LLC, a C corporation or an S
corporation.
They offer a wide array of tax services, including:
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Preparing your personal income tax returns
Preparing your business income tax returns
Providing unlimited tax consulting
Assisting with your tax questions via an email hotline
Delivering comprehensive tax planning and entity creation
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Do It Yourself ▼
It isn’t impossible to work out creating your business yourself. There is a
specific legal process you must follow, but there are many resources
available online to make it possible to do it yourself.
Types of Business Structures ♦
The U.S. Small Business Administration exists to assist small business
owners wade through the legality of owning a business. Their website
(SBA.gov) provides many resources that can jumpstart your business
registration. This is one of them, discussing various types of business
entities.
Business Registration Information ♦
This article by the SBA explains the steps you need to complete. It is set
up in a way to allow you to walk through the process more or less step by
step.
Tax Obligation Resources ♦
This article by the SBA provides links to different state websites with
information on state tax requirements and registration.
Individual State Resources ▼
Ultimately, you will need to register your business directly with your
state. The sites linked to in this section are intended to be helpful and
provide resources to register a business in your state quickly, but PMI
makes no warranty as to the accuracy or legitimacy of the contents
contained therein.
Not all of the sites linked to in this section are run by the official
governments of the states; some are maintained by outside organizations
that help new business owners navigate the legal structure that exists in
their states. Some states include a One Stop web portal for registering a
new business. Others refer to the secretary of state’s website.
If you are confused with your state’s process, the best option is to contact
your state directly and find out what you need to do by talking to a real
person.
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Alabama ♦
Alaska ♦
Arizona ♦
Arkansas ♦
California ♦
Colorado ♦
Connecticut ♦
Delaware ♦
Florida ♦
Georgia ♦
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Hawaii ♦
Idaho ♦
Illinois ♦
Indiana ♦
Iowa ♦
Kansas ♦
Kentucky ♦
Louisiana ♦
Maine ♦
Maryland ♦
Massachusetts ♦
Michigan ♦
Minnesota ♦
Mississippi ♦
Missouri ♦
Montana ♦
Nebraska ♦
Nevada ♦
New Hampshire ♦
New Jersey ♦
New Mexico ♦
New York ♦
North Carolina ♦
North Dakota ♦
Ohio ♦
Oklahoma ♦
Oregon ♦
Pennsylvania ♦
Rhode Island ♦
South Carolina ♦
South Dakota ♦
Tennessee ♦
Texas ♦
Utah ♦
Vermont ♦
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Outside of the USA ▼
While most of PMI’s clientele is within the United States, we have many
clients who are from other countries. If this is a category you find yourself
in, the PMI Toolbar can help you find important business registration
websites as well.
The sites linked to in this section are intended to be helpful and provide
resources to register a business in your country quickly, but PMI makes
no warranty as to the accuracy or legitimacy of the contents contained
therein.
Canada ▼
As with nearly everything else, Canada’s proximity to the United States
results in many similarities between the two countries. Even so, the
business registration process is a little different, as are the resources.
BizPal ♦
BizPal is an online service established by the federal government to make
the business registration process easier. As ingenious as the concept is, it
requires heavy cooperation with provincial and local governments in
order to keep its information up-to-date and accurate. Fortunately, this is
the case in most instances.
As you begin the process you register your Canadian business, BizPal
might be the very best place to start.
Resources to Start a Business ♦
The Canada Business Network provides government services for
entrepreneurs and is maintained by the federal government. This
particular web page provides a series of articles and resources to help you
make your business registration goals a reality.
Business Number (BN) ♦
A business number is a nine-digit ID number that is unique to your
business. It is the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. EIN (employer
identification number).
Individual Province Resources ▼
Ultimately, you will need to register your business directly with your
province or territory. If you are confused with your province’s or
territory’s process, the best option is to contact your province/territory
directly and find out what you need to do by talking to a real person.
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British Columbia ♦
Manitoba ♦
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Nova Scotia ♦
Nunavut ♦
Ontario ♦
Prince Edward Island ♦
Quebec ♦
Saskatchewan ♦
Yukon ♦
United Kingdom ♦
This page, hosted directly on GOV.UK, provides dozens of helpful
resources to get your business up and running as quickly as possible.
Australia ♦
Did you know that nearly one million people run home-based businesses
in Australia? There’s obviously a lot of potential, but it’s important to get
started out the right way. This site contains a series of articles and
resources to get you going.
New Zealand ♦
New Zealand truly wants to make the online business registration
process as painless as possible. In just a few steps, you can be finished
and ready to go. This website provides the resources you need to make it
happen.
South Africa ♦
Part of the government services website of the South African government,
this web page includes a list of helpful resources to register a business in
South Africa.
Home Business Resources ▼
Running a home-based business offers a lot of advantages, but it also
presents a variety of unique challenges as well. Just because your
business is home-based doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality,
however. That’s why the PMI Toolbar provides a few important
resources to help out.
Computer Security ♦
Invisus provides professional-grade computer security software designed
especially for home-based businesses. It is imperative to protect your
computer. As a small business owner, you will have more important
information on your computer than you did before. This also makes you
a more desirable target with individuals who would want to compromise
your computer.
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Phone Numbers ▼
Even if you ultimately take phone calls on your existing cell phone or
landline, it can be beneficial to have calls routed through a separate
business number initially.
Kall8 ♦
If you’re looking for a professional touch with your communication with
customers, getting your own 800 number can go a long way. And with
the premium features that Kall8 offers for a low cost, there’s no better
provider. Kall8 provides a variety of features and options, allowing you
to get what you want in an 800 number (and nothing you don’t need).
uReach ♦
uReach offers an 800 number with call forwarding and the ability to
update settings online. Vanity numbers are also available.
Onebox ♦
With advanced features that go beyond simply provided an 800 number,
Onebox might be ideal if you are already a growing business or if you
have multiple business partners.
Google Voice ♦
Google Voice is an advanced call management system. It includes a
myriad of features, one of which is a unique local phone number.
YouMail ♦
With some of the most advanced features available for incoming calls and
voicemail, YouMail is a fantastic option if it fits within your business
budget.
Physical Address ♦
The UPS Store allows you to have a physical address with a suite number
instead of a PO box number. You can even set it up to receive a text
message or email whenever a package arrives.
QuickBooks ♦
Don’t allow your new business to throw you off when it comes to taxes. If
you choose not to hire the services of a professional accounting firm, be
sure to get some great tax software to help you out.
Office/Technology ▼
You may find that one of the best things you can do for your new homebased business is upgrade some of your existing equipment – whether
that be a computer, monitor or whatever else.
Dell ♦
One of the most prestigious PC companies, Dell is known for
manufacturing top-of-the-line computers. They are particularly regarded
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for their option to configure a computer directly according to a
customer’s online order – something unusual in the electronics industry.
Office Depot ♦
Office Depot is one of the largest office and technology retailers in the
world, maintaining over 1000 retail locations. Their website similarly
offers great prices on a myriad of products.
TigerDirect ♦
With a long history of strong internet sales, TigerDirect has established
itself as the go-to place to find computer and electronics online.
Keyword Research ▼
Bows and arrows have been used for thousands of years to strike a target
that is far away. While arrow construction is relatively simple, every part
is essential to achieve the best results. One of the most important
components is the fletching, or the feathers at the back of the arrow.
When properly attached, the fletchings stabilize the arrow in flight,
increasing its accuracy.
In internet marketing, your keyword phrases are like fletchings. If you
select good ones, you can better target your audience and increase your
profits. Just as an archer desires every arrow to hit its target, you want
every ad to reach the most qualified audience. Building a good keyword
list is one of the things you can do to achieve this.
Google Keyword Tool ♦
There are a variety of helpful keyword tools available, but the one
provided by Google is the best free one. Google’s Keyword Tool tracks
vital statistics relating to what people are searching for online.
WordTracker ♦
WordTracker offers premium keyword reports, often providing more
information that Google’s tool. However, it charges a fee.
Übersuggest ♦
Übersuggest takes a keyword term and uses various keyword research
tools to aggregate data and provide you with a wide-ranging list of
related keywords.
Keyword Phrase Generator ♦
All you need to do is plug in a few keyword phrases you’ve discovered
using other sources, and the Keyword Phrase Generator serves keyword
combinations.
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Demographics Research ▼
A demographic is simply a set of statistics about your target market. Each
of these bits of information can help you to know what target market
might respond best to various offers.
Quantcast ♦
One of the best places to find demographic information is Quantcast.
Quantcast is a free information-mining site that collects non-user-specific
data about website visitors. They try to determine specific demographic
information that might help you pinpoint the right audience to test your
offers on.
Domain Names ▼
Domain names are like a virtual address. If you type a domain name into
the address bar, it will take you to the website. For example, when you
want to visit Google, all you need to do is type Google.com into your
address bar. Google.com is a domain name.
Your domain name brands you. Not only is your domain an address to
your site, it also becomes the brand name of your site. For example,
Google is not only the address for the site – it’s also a recognizable brand.
Your site will function the same since most people will refer to your
business by your domain name – even though you have a different
business name.
Your domain name also helps with marketing. An important thing about
a good domain name is that you can often tell what is being promoted
right from the domain name. This is important for customers, but it’s also
important for search engines.
Idea Generators ▼
If you have difficulty coming up with ideas for a domain name, there are
a few tools that will generate ideas for you. These aren’t perfect, but they
can get you thinking in the right direction.
NameBoy ♦
NameBoy is a tool that can generate available domain name ideas.
Impossibility ♦
Impossibility allows you to generate domain names by appending
adjectives, nouns or verbs to either the beginning or end of the word you
enter.
Check Domain ♦
When you need to determine whether your chosen domain name is
available for registration, Check Domain is a great resource.
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Registrars ▼
A domain registrar is essentially a store for domain names. While there
are many tools that can assist you find unused domain names, only a
registrar can actually register the domain for you.
Namecheap ♦
Looking for a domain name at a low price without sacrificing features?
Namecheap is the domain registrar you’ve been looking for. It offers
domain registration at prices lower than competitors, and its domain
privacy feature is free for the first year!
GoDaddy ♦
Due to its aggressive marketing campaigns, GoDaddy is perhaps the bestknown domain registrar of all.
eNom ♦
eNom is a great domain registrar you can use to either research domains
or register a domain.
Privacy Policy Generators ▼
Privacy is an important part of any website. Outlining a clear privacy
policy will build your credibility and put your potential customers at
ease, leading to more sales. Whether your privacy policy is a part of your
Policies page, or whether it is its own Privacy page, it does not matter as
long as you have one.
GeneratePrivacyPolicy ♦
This service requires you to set up an account, but it is easy to quickly
create a professional privacy policy.
Free Privacy Policy ♦
This service requires you to set up an account, but it is easy to quickly
create a professional privacy policy. It is run by Trust Guard, a leading
online privacy certification firm.
DMA Privacy Policy Generator ♦
The DMA offers this tool to create a privacy policy. However, you must
have an account with the DMA to use it.
Trust Guard ♦
Trust Guard offers three seals: Security, Privacy and Business. When you
place these seals on your website, you can improve your conversion rate
– sometimes drastically. These seals lend credibility to your business,
validating your site in the minds of potential customers.
PopUp Domination ♦
PopUp Domination is an easy-to-use feature box software that can
increase subscription rates in a professional-looking manner. If you want
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an easy and professional feature box solution, PopUp Domination is an
excellent choice – though you will have to pay for it.
Blogging ▼
Forms of blogs have existed almost since the beginning of the internet –
though they weren’t called blogs back then. Just as with many other
internet elements, blogs slowly rose out of obscurity into the mainstream
– now blogs are run by individuals, non-profit organization, large
corporations and even governments.
Blogs are different from traditional websites in the fact that websites
typically feature a number of static pages while blogs focus on new
content and updates. Blog posts are usually timestamped and are placed
in reverse chronological order.
Free Hosting Blog Platforms ▼
There are several free hosting blog platforms, which essentially offer
blogging software and a hosting location for free. The main advantage is
that they are free. They are also relatively simple to set up a blog.
Typically all you need to do is register an account with your name and
email address, and you can begin using the blog builder immediately.
However, your site is simply a subdomain of the hosting service. There
are also limitations placed on what you can do. And links pointing from
your blog to your site aren’t as powerful as they could be – and this is
important for search engine rankings.
Blogger ♦
Run on the Blogspot domain, Blogger is one of the most popular free
blogging platforms available.
WordPress.com ♦
WordPress.com is the free hosting platform that uses the popular
WordPress blogging software.
Tumblr ♦
Tumblr is a unique spin on the blogging concept, focusing on microposts
and “reblogging” to make content go viral faster.
Blogging Platforms ▼
There are several blog programs available. Some are available for free;
others aren’t. However, due to the popularity of the open source
movement in the blogging sphere, software which is free is fantastic –
even superior. That’s why the PMI Toolbar only lists free programs.
However, since a blog is a website, merely having software is not enough.
You must have a web host, and those generally require a fee.
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WordPress ♦
WordPress is easily the most widely used blogging software available. Its
ease-of-use, powerful features and customizability (through plugins)
make it the dominant platform.
Movable Type ♦
Movable Type is another popular blogging option, used on some highprofile websites.
Drupal ♦
While not as popular as WordPress, Drupal has gained a lot of traction as
a blogging program.
Hosting Solutions ▼
There are many ways to host a blog. However, if you want to use a
popular platform such as WordPress, there’s often no easier solution than
to use a hosting provider that offers one-click installs. You can have a
professional blog up and running in no time!
Bluehost ♦
Bluehost is hailed as one of the leading hosting providers, and they have
many one-click installs for blogging software (including WordPress).
Online hosting for blogging software like WordPress doesn’t get simpler
than with Bluehost. With reasonable prices and excellent features,
Bluehost is a great hosting choice for your marketing needs.
Dreamhost ♦
Dreamhost is a popular hosting provider, offering many options with
ease-of-use and claiming to have WordPress-optimized web hosting.
HostGator ♦
HostGator is a hosting provider with a wide user base. It includes many
features, keeps costs lows and provides all of its services using energy
efficient methods.
Guest Blogging Opportunities ▼
Guest blogging is a valuable marketing strategy. However, oftentimes the
most difficult part of guest blogging is simply finding an opportunity.
That’s where these resources can come in handy.
Google Blog Search ♦
Google Blog Search extends the power of the Google search engine to
search exclusively for blogs. Using Google’s specialized blog search
function can make finding blogs related to your niche easy.
MyBlogGuest ♦
MyBlogGuest makes it easy to find relevant blogs that are seeking guest
bloggers.
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WordPress Backup Article ♦
This article (hosted directly on the official WordPress site) provides a
detailed explanation about why it is important to back up a WordPress
site and how to accomplish it.
WordPress Plugins ▼
WordPress is wildly popular, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that
there are so many possibilities with it. One of the reasons that this is
possible is due to an advanced feature called plugins. A plugin allows
you to directly customize your particular WordPress blog using simple
pre-made tools.
Plugins are helpful if you want to easily complete a specific task which is
normally difficult, impossible or inconvenient using a standard
installation of WordPress.
It seems there are plugins which do almost anything. That’s why the PMI
Toolbar conveniently categorizes plugins so that it’s easy to quickly
discover new plugins that will serve a need you have.
Please note that plugins only work on WordPress.org sites, or self-hosted
WordPress sites. They do not work with WordPress.com.
SEO Management ▼
Search engine optimization – or SEO for short – is an important part of
internet marketing, one which aims to increase a website’s rankings in
search engines. Since search engines can send a lot of traffic, good SEO
can go a long way.
SEO management plugins aim to make SEO easy by automating many
tasks that typically require a lot of time to customize in WordPress.
All in One SEO Pack ♦
This plugin makes it easy to configure meta tags, avoid duplicate content,
optimize content and complete many other SEO-related tasks.
WordPress SEO by Yoast ♦
This plugin allows for advanced SEO editing. While it is one of the best
SEO plugins available, it is also a little more complicated than most.
SEO Boosts ▼
SEO boosts don’t offer the same power as fully fledged SEO management
plugins, but they can help with individual SEO tasks.
SEO Slugs ♦
This plugin removes common words like a, the, in and others from a
post’s URL, making it more SEO friendly.
SEO Friendly Images ♦
This plugin automatically updates all images with alt tags.
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Broken Link Checker ♦
This plugin monitors your blog for broken links on your site.
Redirection ♦
This plugin allows you to easily redirect nonexistent pages to real pages,
correcting errors that may occur to due broken links off your site.
Social Share ▼
It’s no secret that social media has stolen the show for a lot of internet
marketers. The viral aspect related to social sharing can drive massive
traffic in a very short period of time. Social sharing buttons help drive
virality of blog posts.
ShareThis: Share Buttons and Sharing Analytics ♦
This plugin makes it easy to add social media sharing buttons to your
site. If you sign up at the ShareThis website, you can also track the social
sharing that occurs on your site.
Shareaholic | email, bookmark, share buttons ♦
This plugin allows readers to share content on social media sites. It makes
use of a unique but stylish interface.
Digg Digg ♦
This plugin places social sharing buttons in a floating side bar, allowing
them to be available to readers at any time.
Social Media Widget ♦
This plugin places social media follow buttons in a sidebar widget,
allowing readers to follow whichever social media accounts you are
using. Many icon choices are available.
Social Toolbar ♦
This places a toolbar at the top of your page which connects to your social
media accounts.
Design ▼
One of WordPress’s trademark features is its ability to import new
themes to give it a new look. However, sometimes even a good theme
needs a little help with design, and that’s where these plugins come in.
WPtouch ♦
This plugin transforms your blog into a mobile-friendly site for smart
phones – an essential characteristic considering ever-increasing mobile
web usage. It does not affect the way traditional computers view your
site.
All In One Favicon ♦
This plugin makes it easy to change your site’s favicon (the small graphic
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that appears in next to your site’s URL in an internet browser’s address
bar).
Shortcodes Ultimate ♦
This plugin includes a collection of specialty buttons, boxes, sliders and
more – all using shortcodes. It requires a little more advanced knowledge,
but correct usage makes it easy to spice up a site.
Widget Logic ♦
On WordPress, most installed widgets appear universally. This plugin
allows you to specify whether particular widgets appear or don’t appear
on certain pages.
Exclude Pages ♦
This plugin allows you to prevent particular pages from appearing in
menus.
Contact ▼
Many websites these days shy away from providing contact information
directly on their site, primarily to discourage spammers. However, there
still needs to be a way for site visitors to contact the webmaster, so
contact forms have been the preferred contact method for many sites.
These plugins make creating contact forms easy.
Contact Form 7 ♦
This plugin makes it easy to add a contact form to your blog.
Fast Secure Contact Form ♦
This plugin allows you to add highly customizable contact forms to your
site.
Attention ▼
It’s commonly suggested that you only have a few moments to capture a
visitor’s attention before they lose interest in your site and drift off
somewhere else on the web. These plugins can help you grab their
attention in a variety of ways.
The Hello Bar ♦
This plugin drops a simple bar with customizable text (or links) from the
top or bottom of the screen.
SimpleReach Slide ♦
This plugin slides a box onscreen when a reader reaches the bottom of the
page, prompting them to view another post.
Simple PopUp ♦
This plugin allows you to insert a simple pop-up message onscreen when
visitors first land on your site.
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Thank Me Later ♦
This plugin automatically sends an email to those who leave a comment
on your blog. You can use this message to prompt them to return again
soon.
Uji Countdown ♦
This plugin places a countdown timer on your blog.
Related Posts ▼
One unique feature about blogs and news sites is the concept of related
posts. A reader arrives at the end of a post or article, and several others
are presented, allowing the reader to click through and read another post.
Generally they are related or relevant to the existing post. This makes a
website “sticky,” and readers are more likely to stay on a website to
continue reading more and more articles.
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin ♦
This plugin automatically places related posts at the bottom of each post.
Efficient Related Posts ♦
This plugin identifies related posts and displays them at the bottom of a
post. It uses less load time, but it also identifies related posts upon saving.
This means old posts will not identify new posts as related unless they
are resaved.
Flexible Posts Widget ♦
This plugin allows you to display related posts in a sidebar widget.
upPrev – Previous Post Animated Notification ♦
This plugin slides a box onscreen when a reader scrolls toward the
bottom of the page, prompting them to view the next post.
True Google 404 ♦
This plugin allows you to customize 404 pages (pages which appear
when a visitor tries to access a non-existent page) and display actual posts
which may relate to what the visitor was trying to access.
Engagement ▼
Anything you can do to better engage your site’s visitors is good.
Engagement leads to more time on site, and that usually leads to other
important metrics like social sharing or improved monetization.
WP-Polls ♦
This plugin is a simple yet customizable solution to add polls to your
blog.
WordPress Poll ♦
This plugin allows you to add polls to your blog.
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WTI Like Post ♦
This plugin places thumbs-up and thumbs-down symbols on every post,
allowing users to upvote or downvote, similar to social sharing sites.
Post Ratings ♦
This plugin makes it easy for visitors to rate posts on a 1-5 scale. It also
allows you to display top-rated posts in a sidebar widget.
Security ▼
Security is essential with any web enterprise, but it is especially
important with WordPress sites. Being able to mix and match themes and
plugins is great because it offers a level of customization that is not
available with many website builders, but it can also create security holes.
Installing a good security plugin can go a long way with these potential
problems, and some can even prevent spam comments.
SI CAPTCHA Anti-Spam ♦
This plugin places a CAPTCHA to your comments form, preventing
automated programs from leaving spam comments.
Better WP Security ♦
This plugin makes it easy to instantly improve a WordPress site’s security
against hackers. It doubles as a backup plugin.
BulletProof Security ♦
This plugin adds an extra layer of security against hackers by tightening
access to your site.
Secure WordPress ♦
This plugin removes certain details from your site that are known targets
for WordPress hackers.
Stop Spammer Registrations Plugin ♦
This plugin checks a variety of metrics and databases when someone tries
to leave a comment on your blog, effectively identifying spammers and
preventing them from accessing the comment forms on your blog.
Akismet ♦
This plugin checks comments against the Akismet server. It is widely
regarded as an effective spam plugin, but its disadvantage is that it
requires payment for commercial use.
Backup ▼
Backing up your WordPress site is a good way to make sure that if
anything goes horribly wrong, you’ll be back up and running in no time.
WP-DBManager ♦
This plugin provides various management options for your WordPress
database. It supports automatic backups.
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BackUpWordPress ♦
This plugin backs up your entire site once per day.
Tracking ▼
By keeping aware of how users interact with your site, you can make
educated decisions relating to what content you add or what changes you
make.
Google Analytics for WordPress ♦
This plugin connects with your Google Analytics account with your ID. It
tracks many metrics and offers customization that is normally difficult or
not even available with the regular Google Analytics interface.
Social Metrics ♦
This plugin tracks how your site is shared on popular social media
services like Twitter or Facebook.
Speed ▼
The time it takes to load a page on your site can have important impacts.
It directly influences a visitor – especially if it loads too slowly and the
visitor is impatient. But it can also have an impact on search engines.
Because of this, if you can improve your site’s speed, you probably
should.
P3 (Plugin Performance Profiler) ♦
This plugin creates a report that details how much load time is being used
by each active plugin you are using. Since some plugins can slow down a
WordPress site, this plugin is invaluable to discover which plugins are
causing any problems.
WP Super Cache ♦
This plugin creates static files of all of your pages and creates a cache,
effectively speeding up your site. However, changes to your blog might
not be immediately stored in the cache, so if this is an issue then you
might want to deactivate it whenever making updates to your content.
W3 Total Cache ♦
This plugin may require a bit of configuration, but it is widely regarded
as one of the best caching plugins to improve site speed.
WP HTTP Compression ♦
This plugin compresses pages in a smaller-sized format when displaying
on compatible web browsers, effectively improving loading speeds.
Google XML Sitemaps ♦
This plugin creates a search-engine-friendly XML sitemap. It also notifies
major search engines every time you create a new post.
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SEO
Search engines are the most visited websites in the world. In a very real
way, they have become the hub of the wheel upon which the World Wide
Web is based. Because of this, search engines wield a powerful influence
upon internet users. If a person wants to buy a didgeridoo, often they
simply access their favorite search engine, search for “didgeridoo,” and
select one of the first few pages. They are able to quickly locate a website
that sells the item they want. What if they want to buy the type of
products that you promote?
SEO (search engine optimization) is a technique whereby a webmaster
attempts to construct or modify a website in such a way that the search
engines rank the page higher on the results page. These are said to be
natural or organic search results because the page rankings are
determined naturally through the search engine’s algorithm.
Search Engines ▼
What is a search engine? Essentially it is a web tool which allows a user to
search for web pages that are relevant to certain words (called a search
query). Its interface is usually very simple, but the programming which
makes it work is sophisticated, complex and continually changing.
There are hundreds of search engines, but only a few control nearly the
entire market. Because of this, by focusing on just the major search
engines, you can gain maximum effectiveness.
Google ♦
By far, Google is the most used search engine in the world. In the United
States (where Google is headquartered), Google controls about two-thirds
of the market. It controls even more of the global market. In fact, Google
is the premiere search engine in almost every country of the world (China
and Russia being the most notable exclusions).
Since Google’s influence is so strong, it also powers many of the smaller
search engines.
Bing ♦
Bing is a search engine that has old roots but new blood. It originated as
MSN Search back in 1998, when Microsoft entered the search engine realm
for the first time. The search engine later evolved into Windows Live Search
and finally just Live Search. In 2009, Microsoft’s search engine officially
reemerged as Bing.
Bing searchers are shown to be more valuable online buyers. According
to a SearchIgnite US Search Market report, retailers’ average order values
on Bing were 21% higher than across all other search engines.
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Searchers on Bing also have higher buyer intent. Buyer intent means that
the searcher is looking to make a purchase as a result of their search.
Attracting searchers with buyer intent results in a higher conversion rate.
It can also result in a higher average order.
Yahoo! Search ♦
For many years, Yahoo! Search was powered by other search companies
(including Google at one time) before powering its own search engine for
several years. Its popularity has led to a market share of a little below
15%.
Yahoo! and Bing are currently in a contractual agreement in which Bing
powers Yahoo! search.
Ask ♦
For most purposes, Google and Bing are the only search engines you need
to worry about. But of the remaining search engines, Ask.com is the
strongest. It strives to be unique by focusing on search queries in the form
of questions rather than keywords. This is called semantic search.
Link Authority ▼
Link juice is a term that describes the value of inbound links. The more
weight a search engine gives to a particular inbound link, the more link
juice it is considered to have. You might compare it to a fruit. The bigger
and healthier the fruit is, the more juice it has. And juice, as a liquid,
flows from its source through any holes due to gravity. Link juice also
flows through links.
Pages with authority and trust pass a lot of link juice. It is often difficult
to determine what sites have authority and trust. There is no clear-cut
way of doing this, but there are a few easy metrics to take a look at.
Google’s Toolbar PageRank can give a general idea of this. This allows
you to see a general estimation of the site’s value as a number between
one and 10. A similar metric is mozRank, provided by SEOmoz. While
neither of these figures are the perfect way to determine link authority,
both of them can be helpful.
The PMI Toolbar has both PageRank and mozRank preinstalled as part of
the SearchStatus add-on. However, if you want to use an external tool,
the resources located in this subfolder can help.
PageRank/mozRank Checker ♦
While there are many tools available to check a site’s PageRank, this one
can check multiple URLs at a time. It also checks a site’s mozRank, which
uses a similar logarithm as PageRank.
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PageRank Checker ♦
This website allows you to check the Toolbar PageRank of any website
online.
Google Toolbar ♦
The Google Toolbar includes many features that can optimize your
browser. One of the most important is the ability to display a website’s
Toolbar PageRank.
It should be noted that many enhancements provided by the Google
Toolbar – including the PageRank viewer – are already provided by the
PMI Toolbar. Additionally, it is not available for the Firefox web browser.
However, if you sometimes use the Internet Explorer browser, you can
install the Google Toolbar with it. Google Chrome already has the
features of the Google Toolbar preinstalled.
Inbound Links ▼
Inbound links are those which point to one page from another. They are
hosted on other web pages, directing visitors from them to the inbound
link recipient. Thus, your site’s inbound links are the links that other
website owners place on their sites linking to yours.
Inbound links are important because they direct traffic to your site. On
the one hand, search engines factor inbound links into their algorithms,
so understanding them can significantly improve your rankings on search
engine results pages. But inbound links also generate natural traffic if
people on the other websites decide to click the links.
Understanding where inbound links are coming from is important, and
that’s why the PMI Toolbar provides a few resources to help to analyze
your link profile.
Open Site Explorer ♦
SEOmoz’s Open Site Explorer is one of the leading tools to discover a
website’s inbound links. Its full functionality is only available to paid
subscribers, but it still has plenty of information for registered free
accounts.
Majestic Site Explorer ♦
Majestic SEO is a company with powerful software that crawls the
internet, similar to how a real search engine does. This allows it to
provide detailed information about a link profile. Basic information is
available for free, but more detailed information requires a paid
subscription.
Accessing this resource in the PMI Toolbar will automatically feed the
web page’s URL you are already on through the Majestic Site Explorer.
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Google Backlinks ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Google to list inbound
links of the URL you are on. Since it uses the Google search engine, you
know that the information is accurate according to Google’s database.
However, it is notorious for only displaying a fraction of links actually
known to Google.
Broken Links ▼
Link rot is when links no longer point toward a valid page. Broken links
have several negative effects. The main problem that link rot poses is a
lack of traffic that would otherwise be present. But another problem is
that link rot suggests a lack of organization in some viewers’ minds.
Preventing outbound link rot can be difficult because you cannot control
how other sites manage their pages. Fortunately, outbound link rot does
not affect the traffic that your site receives. But it can project a negative
image on the way you manage your links, so it is still advisable to reduce
outbound link rot as much as possible.
Identifying broken links on other sites can also be fruitful, however. You
can inform the webmaster of the broken link. They may reward you by
linking to your site instead.
So how do you identify broken links? You can literally check each link on
the site. Depending on the size of the site, however, this can be time
consuming or simply unreasonable. Luckily, there are several tools that
make identifying broken links quick and easy.
W3C Link Checker ♦
The W3C is an international standards organization for the web. Their
website includes many valuable resources, including this link checker.
Accessing it through the PMI Toolbar will automatically feed the current
page you are on through this tool.
Free Link Checker ♦
This simple tool by MegriSoft has simplicity in its design and use.
Xenu’s Link Sleuth ♦
Xenu’s Link Sleuth is one of the most popular tools available to find
broken links. It works on Windows computers only.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider ♦
While an advanced version of Screaming Frog’s tool is available for
purchase, the standard version is completely free, and it runs on both
Windows and Mac computers.
Directories ▼
Originally, the only way to find a new website was to:
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

Type in the URL and hope for the best
Discover it with a link on a site you already knew
People began creating lists of websites they found useful and wanted to
share with others. These were early web directories and predated search
engines.
Directories became one of the best ways to find new websites online.
However, when search engines came around a little bit later, directories
also became a great indicator to them about how valuable a website was.
After all, if it was found in the directory, it should be ranked highly in a
search engine, right?
In the past, directories were a key tool of SEO, helping new site owners
get ranked highly in search engines very quickly. This is no longer the
case for 99% of directories. However, there are still a few that can help
your SEO efforts.
Free Directories ▼
Free directories require no cost in order to be submitted for consideration.
This has made them very popular. However, sometimes you may have to
wait quite a while for your website to be included.
Open Directory Project (DMOZ) ♦
DMOZ, also known as the Open Directory Project (ODP) is the most
influential of all free directories.
Smart Summary of Web ♦
SMS of Web is a high profile directory.
DMEGS ♦
DMEGS is a high profile directory.
Directory World ♦
Directory World is an important directory.
Blog Catalog ♦
Blog Catalog is a frequently visited directory for blogs.
Paid Directories ▼
Paid directories aren’t necessarily better than free directories, but they are
more likely to move a website through the consideration process a lot
faster. Be aware that usually you are paying a consideration fee, not an
actual inclusion fee.
Yahoo! Directory ♦
The Yahoo! Directory is one of the most used on the internet, but it is
expensive to get listed in it.
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Best of the Web ♦
BOTW has been collecting sites representing the “best of the web” since
1994.
JoeAnt ♦
JoeAnt provides a simple and useful paid directory.
Business ♦
Business has many good promotional options available as a business
directory. It also has the ability to create a company profile, which is free.
Better Business Bureau ♦
The BBB isn’t a traditional directory, but by becoming accredited to gain
an official listing, you can get a good link. You do, however, have to pay a
fee to become accredited.
Finding Niche Directories ▼
Inbound links are important for SEO, but relevant inbound links are even
better. That’s why even though directories can be helpful, a good niche
directory can often go a long ways to give you an SEO boost. Of course,
finding niche directories isn’t always easy, so that’s where these useful
tools come in.
Remember that even if a website is a directory relevant to your niche, if it
doesn’t get any real traffic and only exists to provide links, it probably
isn’t going to help much. But a directory that people regularly use to
discover new sites in your niche is probably going to offer a decent SEO
boost.
Add Site ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “add site” along with it.
Add Link ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “add link” along with it.
Add URL ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “add URL” along with it.
Submit Site ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “submit site” along with it.
Submit Link ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “submit link” along with it.
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Submit URL ♦
This draws on the keyword that is entered in the search box of the PMI
Toolbar, including the term “submit URL” along with it.
Independent Tools ▼
Search engine optimization is basically all about one thing: search
engines. But just as travel agents emerged to help consumers navigate the
travel industry, entire companies have been created to do nothing more
than assist others with their SEO. These companies are completely
independent of search engines, but their tools can become essential in
your quest to improve search engine rankings.
SEOmoz ▼
Widely hailed as one of the leaders in the SEO industry, SEOmoz
provides a whole series of tools that are considered SEO staples. Their
core products require a subscription, but a few of their individual tools
are completely free to use.
SEOmoz Community Registration ♦
With a registered free account at SEOmoz, you will have access to many
features and tools, including data from Open Site Explorer. With a paid
account (SEOmoz PRO), you get even more data and features.
Open Site Explorer ♦
SEOmoz’s Open Site Explorer is one of the leading tools to discover a
website’s inbound links. Its full functionality is only available to paid
subscribers, but it still has plenty of information for registered free
accounts.
MozBar ♦
SEOmoz’s proprietary toolbar offers some pretty helpful analysis tools. It
is available only as an add-on for either the Firefox or Chrome web
browsers. The MozBar is the only toolbar besides the PMI Toolbar that
PMI recommends for you to consider.
SEMrush ♦
SEMrush provides a wealth of information about other websites. It is a
great competitive reconnaissance tool.
SEO SERP ♦
The SEO SERP tool allows you to enter a keyword phrase and your
domain name to see where you rank on Google within the top 1000
positions.
WooRank ♦
WooRank provides SEO reports for your website, offering ideas on how
you might improve it. Under the free account, one report is available per
week.
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SeoTools for Excel ♦
SeoTools for Excel offers an incredible toolset to access SEO data right
from Microsoft Excel. To use it effectively, you should have moderate
SEO and Excel knowledge.
Schema Creator ♦
Schema Creator makes it easy to create schema.org microdata – an
advanced (yet important) coding element.
Sitemap Generator ♦
Sitemaps are often used to provide a structured explanation to search
engines of where pages are located. This handy tool can create sitemaps
for you simply by accessing your site.
Google Tools ▼
There are a number of tools available directly from Google. These can be
particularly helpful for you to understand your SEO efforts in relation to
the Google search engine.
Google Webmaster Tools ♦
Google has often had a distant relationship with webmasters. But that’s
kind of ironic since they’re co-dependent – Google needs webmasters to
create websites in order to have a product (their search engine), and
webmasters get a lot of benefits from the traffic that Google sends them.
Google changed that a number of years back with the introduction of
Google Webmaster Tools, allowing site owners to have access to
information about the way Google sees their site.
Backlinks ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Google to list inbound
links of the web page URL you are on. Since it uses the Google search
engine, you know that the information is accurate according to Google’s
database. However, it is notorious for only displaying a fraction of links
actually known to Google.
Cache ♦
Web crawlers (also called spiders) are special software applications that
search engines employ to discover new web pages or updates to known
pages. The web crawler scans a web page, looking at the content on it.
Once the web crawler scans the web pages, the pages are indexed. Just
like web crawling itself, this is done automatically. Indexes may be of
complete or partial web pages using caches. Search engines also index
other types of files, such as images.
A user may enter a keyword or keyword phrase (a string of keywords)
and search the index of websites that the search engine has compiled. It is
important to note that search engines do not search the internet – they
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just search the index. This means that if your website is not in the index, it
will never appear in a search engine. It also means that changes on
websites are not reflected in search results until the web crawlers recrawl
them and add the changes to the index.
Using this feature in the PMI Toolbar, you are able to look at Google’s
cached version of a website that it is currently using in its index.
Index ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Google to identify the
pages of the site you are on that Google has stored in its index.
Related ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Google to identify
websites that are related or relevant to the site you are on. While it isn’t a
perfect system, it does offer insight into what else is on the web –
especially with regards to how Google views it.
Bing Tools ▼
There are a number of tools available directly from Bing. These can be
particularly helpful for you to understand your SEO efforts in relation to
the Bing search engine.
Bing Webmaster Tools ♦
Google has long been established as the search engine of choice by the
majority of Americans. But with the second largest market share, Bing is
also a search engine force to be reckoned with.
That’s why you can’t focus exclusively on Google when it comes to search
engine traffic – you’ve got to consider Bing also. So even if you use
Google Webmaster Tools already, Bing Webmaster Tools is essential. In
fact, you might find that you like it more!
Index ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Bing to identify the
pages of the site you are on that Bing has stored in its index.
Website Research ▼
Sometimes it’s best to get into the nitty gritty details of a website when
identifying every little thing you need to do to optimize your site for
search engines.
While these tools are excellent for improving your website’s own SEO,
they can also be used as competitive reconnaissance tools to find out
what other websites are doing as well.
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On-page SEO Research ▼
There are two areas of focus when performing SEO. One is on-page factors.
These are factors which are actually on your site, like keyword phrases.
They can be directly influenced by changing the site itself. The other is offpage factors. These are factors which are on other websites, such as links
that point to your site. They can only be indirectly influenced.
While much of SEO focuses on off-page factors, it’s always a good idea to
keep in mind the on-page factors as well – especially since they are easy
to change or update to achieve maximum effect.
View Source ♦
DNA is the building block of life. In a similar vein, HTML is the building
block of websites. This tool allows you to access the HTML coding of the
web page you are currently viewing.
View Meta Tag ♦
Meta tags are designed to tell search engines what is on each page of your
site. Some of them are invisible to human visitors who are actually on the
page itself. In the early days of the internet, search engines relied very
heavily on meta information. Today, web page copy and your design are
more important than meta tags. But they can still be influential if you use
them correctly.
This tool allows you to access all of the meta tags that are coded into the
web page you are currently viewing.
View Page Information ♦
Web browsers collect information about each page that you visit.
Generally this information is not available to view unless you specifically
access it. This tool opens a window with this information.
View Speed Report ♦
The time it takes to load a page on your site can have to important
impacts. It directly influences a visitor – especially if it loads too slowly
and the visitor is impatient. But it can also have an impact on search
engines. Because of this, if you can improve your site’s speed, you
probably should.
This tool allows you to test and determine how fast a web page loads.
Link Research ▼
Understanding a website’s link profile can go a long way with
understanding how those inbound links are improving search engine
rankings. That’s why a little link research once in while can be one of the
best SEO tasks you can do.
An important term to know is anchor text. This describes the clickable text
that comprises the link. Sometimes this is the actual URL, such as
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www.RCHelicopterPad.com. The anchor text can also be descriptive,
such as Buy RC Helicopters! In these two examples, the actual link directs
to the same place, but the anchor text is different.
Display Link Details ♦
This tool takes the web page you are currently viewing and directly
modifies it to display the URL of every link, whether it is the original
anchor text or not. This allows you to quickly ascertain exactly where
each link is pointing.
This tool can be turned on and off.
Display Anchors ♦
Links don’t have to point to another web page. In fact, they might point
to another area on the existing page. These are identified by anchors,
which are different than anchor text. While anchor text is the visible text of
a link, an anchor is a piece of code that can serve as a target for a link on
the page.
This tool can be turned on and off.
Display Title Attributes ♦
The title attribute provides additional text about a link. It is normally only
visible if the user hovers the mouse cursor over the link without clicking
it, but this tool will make all of the title attributes visible at once.
This tool can be turned on and off.
SEO Blogs ▼
Search engine optimization is an exciting subject… partly because it’s
always evolving. There is so much to learn about SEO, but staying on the
cutting edge is one of the best things you can do. These SEO blogs will
help you do that.
SEOmoz ♦
SEOmoz hosts a fantastic blog focused on practical SEO strategies and
statistical research. It also boasts one of the most active SEO communities
online. SEOmoz is often considered one of the leaders in SEO, and they
share their knowledge freely through their blog.
Search Engine Land ♦
Search Engine Land provides one of the most comprehensive news
sources on search engines.
Search Engine Journal ♦
SEJ is a popular resource for search engine news and tips.
Search Engine Roundtable ♦
Google hosts a series of forums where users can discuss various items
relating to the search engine giant. The editors at Search Engine
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Roundtable comb the forums to discover any new developments that
may have snuck by more official sources. They also host a series of
original articles that can be useful.
SEO Book ♦
SEO Book is one of the most trusted resources for SEO education.
SEO Blog ♦
The SEO blog lives up to its name – a great blog about SEO.
Search Engine Watch ♦
SEW is one of the original resources for SEO, dating back to 1997. It is still
an excellent resource.
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Social Media
Social media consists of the tools and resources online to share
information to anyone for practically no cost. Social media is a broad term
which covers many different types of websites and features.
Social media sites typically focus on sharing some type of media, whether
that is information, video, photos or anything else. Social media sites
have grown at an unprecedented rate. About half of the top 10 sites in the
world can be characterized as social media sites. Because of their
effectiveness in engaging people and spreading messages that are
accepted as credible, social media marketing is often the hot topic among
internet marketers. The potential is huge.
Facebook ▼
Originally conceived as an in-school network by a Harvard student,
Facebook has evolved into a global phenomenon, boasting nearly one
billion active users worldwide – three times the entire population of the
United States. Facebook’s impressive statistics don’t just lie in the amount
of users who regularly use the service, but also the amount of time they
use the service. Facebook is the most utilized website in the world.
At its core, Facebook is a social network, allowing users to connect to
friends and share information, photos, videos and more. But Facebook
isn’t just the premiere social network – it’s also one of the most heavily
utilized online marketing tools available. Its ability to create customizable
fan pages which are accessible to any Facebook user is one of its
highlights, especially since it allows you to reach out to existing fans
through status updates. Additionally, its ad platform is one of the most
robust forms of paid advertising online, featuring extensive targeting
options.
Facebook ♦
With over 1 billion users, Facebook is the largest social media website of
all. It provides many marketing opportunities.
Create a Page ♦
Facebook accounts are meant to be personal social networking tools, but
you can create a Facebook Page that is specific to your business. In fact,
this is generally the preferred method of interfacing on Facebook for a
business, website or some other entity that isn’t an actual person.
Facebook Ads ♦
With Facebook Ads, you can reach Facebook’s massive user base with
particularly specific targeting options. It is one of the most popular
advertising methods online, and it can also be extremely effective when
done correctly.
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Facebook Social Plugins ♦
Facebook has many buttons available. You can easily place various
buttons on your site that allow individuals to “like” it or share it with
friends.
Twitter ▼
Twitter began as an idea to create a group text messaging service,
allowing users to blast out a comment with 140 characters or fewer to
whoever cared to receive the message. It quickly expanded into one of the
most influential websites online, with millions of users tweeting news,
promotions or just random thoughts.
Twitter’s genius is also its primary limitation: No messages may exceed
the 140-character length requirement. This results in a quirky atmosphere
that provides an opportunity for unique marketing messages. Despite its
origins as a communication tool for friends, Twitter users in general have
embraced its use among companies who wish to keep customers
informed.
Twitter ♦
Twitter is one of the most popular social media sites online, allowing
anyone to share information in 140-character micro-posts.
Twitter Tools ▼
There are a myriad of tools that are designed to work with Twitter in
some way. The PMI Toolbar has a selection of the some of the very best
available to help you get the most out of Twitter.
Hootsuite ♦
HootSuite helps you manage your social media accounts and gives you
advanced features – such as being able to schedule your tweets.
Twitterfeed ♦
Twitterfeed allows you to easily and automatically send your new blog
posts to social networking accounts you have such as Twitter or
Facebook.
Themeleon ♦
Run by COLOURlovers, Themeleon allows you to easily add professional
looking backgrounds to your Twitter account.
Twitter Buttons ♦
Twitter has a variety of buttons. The Tweet button allows anyone to easily
share content with others. The Follow button allows anyone to easily
subscribe to your Twitter account.
Refollow ♦
Refollow is a powerful tool that helps you connect with other users on
Twitter. You can easily identify users that fit certain parameters that you
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set. At that point, you can act on them by following them, blocking them,
etc.
Twitter Research ▼
There are many tools which are dedicated entirely to research in some
way. Effectively utilizing Twitter research tools can help you gain the
most out of it.
Followerwonk ♦
Followerwonk allows you to look up statistics about Twitter users and
even allows you to search by keyword. The paid subscription includes
more powerful tools.
TweetReach ♦
With TweetReach, you can see how many people have seen a tweet with
a given keyword, phrase or hashtag. There are also paid options for realtime tracking.
Slipstream ♦
Slipstream allows you to filter tweets out of your Twitter account. It is
particularly useful if you follow a lot of Twitter users.
Top Tweets ♦
This official account hosted by Twitter displays some of the most
interesting current tweets.
Twitter Search ♦
You can investigate current trends and search with keywords to research
Twitter.
Tweet Grader ♦
Run by HubSpot, the Tweet Grader allows you to compare tweeters and
determine which ones are the most influential.
Twitter Advertising ▼
Twitter is first and foremost a social media website – one which has
gained massive influence and over 140 million users. But aside from the
value of creating and running your own Twitter account, there are many
marketing opportunities with Twitter, such as paid advertising avenues.
Sponsored Tweets ♦
Sponsored Tweets is a Twitter-specific service owned by IZEA,
connecting advertisers with tweeters. It is one of the premiere Twitter
advertising services. It has developed a surprisingly simple yet robust
system to create an effective Twitter marketplace.
You create “opportunities” for tweeters on a cost-per-tweet or cost-perclick basis. Sponsored Tweets requires a minimum deposit of $50.
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Twitter Advertising ♦
Twitter runs an advertising service of its own. These messages are often
referred to as promoted tweets. While originally designed for large
brands, Twitter has recently made large strides to making their service
effective and useful for small businesses as well. Promoted tweets appear
to come from the brand’s Twitter account and may show up even if a user
isn’t following that account.
Google+ ▼
Google’s dominance among search engines has provided it the resources
to create and maintain a variety of important internet utilities: email,
maps, an internet browser, marketing tools and more. But the one area
where Google had historically been weak was in the social media field.
But in spite of several failed attempts to penetrate the social sphere,
everything changed when Google+ was introduced in 2011.
Google+ is more than a social networking site – it is a social layer that is
integrated into many of Google’s services. It offers a number of unique
features that other popular social media sites don’t have, including the
concept of circles to determine who you share information with. Even
though it is relatively new, Google’s influence has allowed Google+ to
rapidly gain popularity. It has over 100 million active users.
Google+ ♦
Google+ represents Google’s most ambitious social network to date. Its
tight integration as a social layer among Google’s other products has led
to a rapid adoption rate.
Google Authorship ♦
This page makes it easy to hook up Google authorship on your site,
allowing you to reap benefits such as featuring your Google+ profile
photo in search results.
Google +1 Button ♦
The +1 button allows users to recommend your content to others or share
it on Google+.
FindPeopleonPlus ♦
FindPeopleonPlus has indexed over 45 million Google+ users. Their
service makes it easy to discover new people to follow on Google+.
Pinterest ▼
While Pinterest didn’t exist in any form before 2010, it has risen from
obscurity to become one of the most significant social media players. In
fact, Pinterest is becoming a household name alongside giants such as
Facebook and Twitter. Its simple interface combined with a unique
position has allowed it to gain such importance. It allows users to pin
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images from around the web to boards on their accounts. Any other user
can then visit another user’s board in to see what they’ve pinned.
While it is a simple concept, one of the reasons why Pinterest has caught
on so quickly is its ability to share pins through a process called
repinning. Its strength lies in the extensive user engagement that arises
through viewing pins and repinning them. Since its demographic is
skewed toward females and its emphasis is on visual images, Pinterest is
not an ideal fit for every business. Even so, you might be surprised at
how profitable Pinterest can be.
Pinterest ♦
Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites online, allowing
users to “pin” images and video from around the web to their public
boards.
Pin It ♦
When you select this tool on the PMI Toolbar, it will identify all of the
images on the web page you’re currently on and allow you to pin one
directly to one of your Pinterest boards. It functions identically to the
official Pinterest button. You must sign in to Pinterest to use it.
Pinwords ♦
Pinwords is a service that allows you to easily create professional-looking
typography images. These are popular on Pinterest, and they’re an easy
way to transform text into a visually appealing graphic.
Pinterest Goodies ♦
Pinterest has both a Pin It and a Follow button.
YouTube ▼
This video-sharing website has a worldwide audience and attracts
millions of visits each day. Started in 2005, YouTube has become the
undisputed king of video sharing. 72 hours of video are uploaded every
minute. Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month,
watching over 4 billion hours of video. In fact, in 2011 YouTube had more
than 1 trillion video views. With impressive statistics like this, it’s an
understatement to say that YouTube’s scope is unprecedented.
While most of YouTube’s content was originally contributed by
individuals, companies and organizations are gradually gaining an
impressive presence. Users have come to expect great video content from
the companies that they love, and video’s natural ability to engage
viewers makes YouTube an ideal marketing opportunity. Uploading a
video automatically creates a channel which can then be customized.
Since others can subscribe to your channel, you can consistently send
marketing messages via video to a targeted audience.
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YouTube ♦
YouTube is a video-sharing site, allowing anyone to upload a video that
they have created and let anyone else see it. It is one of the highesttrafficked sites in the world, and it has a high engagement rate. This gives
YouTube immense marketing potential. And the best part is that using it
is absolutely free!
CaptionTube ♦
CaptionTube makes it easy to add captions to YouTube videos. This can
improve a video’s visibility within the YouTube community.
Animoto ♦
Animoto is a great way to energize a series of images into an engaging
video. There is also an option to export directly to YouTube.
Social Bookmarking ▼
Social media has completely changed the way internet users find new,
interesting content. In fact, some experts believe that search engines will
slowly wane in influence as individuals use social media to find relevant
sites instead of search engines. Social content sites are some of the leading
resources for finding new content.
They are often called social news sites because anyone can post news –
though they can also post any other type of content as well. This process
is also referred to as social bookmarking because the individual is
bookmarking a particular web page for others’ use. By submitting your
content via social bookmarking, you will drive relevant traffic to your site
and improve your search engine rankings.
Delicious ♦
Previously known as Del.icio.us, this social bookmarking website has
millions of users and hundreds of millions of bookmarked URLs.
Delicious brought the concept of social bookmarking to the masses. At
one time, it was easily one of the most important social media sites
online. While its popularity has waned from what it once was, it is still
one of the best recognized websites.
Delicious has undergone many changes over the years, and it has slowly
evolved into a content curation site. Its unique stacks feature makes it
easy to organize similar pieces of online content and share it with others
on the web.
Digg ♦
Digg’s greatest asset is its legacy. It began in 2004 as a social news site,
allowing anyone to submit interesting stories which were then upvoted
(digged) or downvoted (buried). Those stories which were digged the
most eventually reached the front page, sending massive amounts of
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traffic to those sites. However, due to increasing spam from users who
gamed the system, Digg underwent several redesigns before it collapsed
entirely.
In 2012, an entirely new team rebuilt Digg from scratch with the intent to
do it right this time. The basic features are still there, with the ability to
submit stories and vote on them, but no longer is it possible to game the
system. Since the internet community still recognizes Digg for what it
once was – and now it has a fresh start to rebuild – it’s very possible that
Digg will once again be known for finding the best information online.
It’s already on its way, and no marketer should ignore it simply because
of what happened to it in the past.
Reddit ♦
The social media home to savvy internet users, Reddit is used to share
interesting content from around the web and discover new content.
Reddit’s popularity is due to its use of upvotes and downvotes, allowing
the community to choose which content is deemed the best. Submissions
that receive a lot of upvotes are set to the top of each category page,
allowing many more users to view it. This system – combined with
Reddit’s sheer number of users (over 42 million each month) – makes
Reddit a powerful traffic driver.
The best way to target Reddit is to submit interesting content to specific
categories – called subreddits. Each subreddit is full of a targeted
audience who won’t just visit the content, they’ll often interact with it as
well. However, while Reddit has no policy which prevents you from
submitting your own content, if you do so too often then users may be
annoyed and automatically downvote anything you submit. This is by no
means a reason not to take advantage of it, but it does mean that you
must take a more cautious, strategic approach when using Reddit than
you might compared to other social media sites.
StumbleUpon ▼
StumbleUpon is best described as a discovery engine. It collects a few
details about its users, and whenever they click the Stumble button
through the website or smartphone app, it displays a website. It uses a
social voting system to help determine what content is the most
interesting. It revamped its service in 2012 to add additional social
features, including following other users or curating content by topics.
StumbleUpon offers a lot of potential because it can send a lot of viewers
to a piece of your online content very quickly – if it’s good. Remember, if
your content is submitted to StumbleUpon, it will appear full screen.
Since users are accustomed to stumbling to new things immediately if
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they don’t like what they see, it’s easy for mediocre content to get lost.
But if your content is great, StumbleUpon can do wonders for you.
StumbleUpon ♦
Hailed as a “discovery engine,” StumbleUpon allows users to submit
content and “stumble upon” content submitted by others.
StumbleUpon Paid Discovery ♦
Paid Discovery is StumbleUpon’s advertising system, allowing you to
pay a fee for your site to be included within the stumbles of your target
audience.
StumbleUpon Badge ♦
The StumbleUpon badge allows users to easily share content on
StumbleUpon.
Diigo ♦
Diigo is a social site which has evolved from social bookmarking to
content curation to information management. An acronym which stands
for Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff, Diigo aims to
make it easy to collect interesting information from around the web,
comment on it, share it with friends, and discover new content.
While Diigo has never been the big thing online, it does have its loyal
users, and its unique features make it stand out in ways that will keep it
around for some time to come. Diigo has premium accounts for a cost,
but you should be fine using the basic functions with the free account.
Tagza ♦
Tagza is a social bookmarking site with social voting capabilities (called
promoting and demoting). The focus is all about tagging the web, finding
interesting content to share with others. Tagza doesn’t include a lot of
unique features to set it apart from its competitors, but it performs the
basics well enough to garner an audience.
It isn’t as heavily used as powerhouses like Reddit or Delicious, but it still
has its place online. Because of this, it can be a useful source to submit
your content to drive that much more traffic.
Chime.in ♦
Chime.in is a social network with a unique twist: Instead of creating a
network based on preexisting friendships, users create a network based
on interests. From the latest pop culture icon to the most obscure of
niches, Chime.in encourages like-minded individuals to get together and
share chimes about what they love.
Chime.in is ideal to find targeted communities who are interested in what
you have to offer. As long as the content you submit is good, it will get
upvotes and more exposure.
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Other Social Media Sites ▼
There are literally hundreds of social media sites, and it can be difficult to
keep track of them all – in fact, it’s practically impossible! That’s why
some of the most important of them are assembled in this folder in the
PMI Toolbar.
LinkedIn ▼
LinkedIn is a social network that is focused on connecting professionals.
So while an individual might use Facebook to network with old high
school buddies, the same person might use LinkedIn to network with
past coworkers. Its emphasis on professional networking is fantastic for
B2B (business-to-business) companies, but it doesn’t work as well when it
comes to targeting traditional consumers.
It largely depends on your niche and business model, but you might find
that LinkedIn’s focus does not accommodate your marketing strategies.
This doesn’t mean that it can’t have a place in your business, however. A
LinkedIn presence can be a great way to build credibility; you can even
use its recommendation feature as a way to host testimonials. And even if
you don’t connect to potential customers via LinkedIn, you might be able
to forge business relationships or partnerships using it. And participating
in LinkedIn groups or answering questions can help establish you as an
expert in your niche.
LinkedIn ♦
LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals, connecting over 150
million individuals to each other and to businesses.
LinkedIn Ads ♦
LinkedIn Ads provides advertising access to LinkedIn’s 150 million users,
complete with advanced targeting options and other features. LinkedIn’s
unique status as a social network for professionals makes it an excellent
advertising choice for some niches but not for others.
LinkedIn Share Button ♦
The LinkedIn share button allows others to share a piece of content with
their professional LinkedIn contacts.
Tumblr ▼
The first time you visit Tumblr, it might feel familiar and unusual all at
the same time. This is because Tumblr incorporates many unique features
that are common among other social media sites, like the ability to post
and share content. And yet, Tumblr maintains a unique flavor that has
allowed it to gain prominence in the social media sphere.
Tumblr is commonly classified as a microblogging site, focused on small
snippets of information that can be consumed and shared quickly. Users
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can also follow specific Tumblr blogs in a similar fashion as Twitter or
Pinterest. While the social media spotlight is rarely centered on Tumblr,
its effectiveness in reaching a target audience and spreading content
virally should not be underestimated.
Tumblr ♦
Tumblr is a unique spin on the blogging concept, focusing on microposts
and “reblogging” to make content go viral faster.
Tumblr Buttons ♦
Tumblr offers either Follow or Share buttons in a variety of styles.
Video ▼
It isn’t enough to simply have a video, or even to place it somewhere
online. In order to truly harness the power of video marketing, you must
have appealing playback options. While this can be done through selfhosting, it’s often easier (and cheaper) to use a good video host.
Vimeo ♦
No one can dispute the popularity of video, and Vimeo is one of the most
popular video-hosting websites online (after YouTube, of course). Vimeo
has released several innovative improvements in the video space, and it
continues to have a loyal following – many of which are independent
filmmakers or individuals otherwise passionate about film.
Vimeo no longer provides a free service for anyone with commercial
intent, but they do have a paid service which can prove useful. Even if
you choose not to host videos with them, you can still sign up for an
account in order to interact with the community.
Metacafe ♦
Recognizing the impossibility of staging a full-on rivalry with YouTube,
the video-hosting service Metacafe instead focuses on entertainment
curation – specifically short-form videos about movies, video games,
television, music and sports.
Metacafe’s target demographic is young males. This targeted audience
can be useful from a marketing standpoint if you need to reach this same
demographic. And if you provide some really great content, you might
find that Metacafe gives you a little boost in visibility.
Dailymotion ♦
Originally started in France, Dailymotion has grown into one of the
leading online video hosts. Every month, it attracts over 100 million
visitors and delivers over 1.8 billion video views.
One of Dailymotion’s distinguishing features is its ability to upload
videos up to an hour in length – and even longer with its paid service. It
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also uses Strongtags, which allow you to tag videos with common terms
using specific details.
Images ▼
The social media power of graphics is immense. A picture can be viewed
and understood instantly – and that means that with almost no thought at
all it can be shared with others virally with just the click of a button.
Flickr ♦
First and foremost, Flickr is an image hosting service which makes it easy
to store photos online and share them across the web. However, Flickr
stands apart from other image hosts because of its emphasis on
community. Through its groups (over 1.5 million active) and commenting
system, Flickr truly is a social image service. And this means that you can
do more than just host your pictures – you can connect.
By properly categorizing your photos with tags and interacting with
others via comments and groups, you can extend your online reach
through the world of images. And since Flickr has such a robust set of
tools and features, you can truly make a difference through your photos.
Instagram ♦
Instagram is both a photo-sharing smartphone app and a social network.
It was launched in 2010 and purchased by Facebook approximately 18
months later. It allows anyone to snap a photo with their mobile phone
and add impressive filters to make it look more professional. Users can
then share their photos on platforms like Facebook or Twitter.
One of Instagram’s highlights is its ability to subscribe to another user’s
feed. This is what makes Instagram a true social network, and this is
where it can become a powerful marketing tool if you post interesting
photos. Its features are somewhat limited if you don’t have a phone or
tablet that is optimized for its platform, such as an iPhone, iPad or
Android-powered device.
Gentlemint ♦
With a mustached mascot and a slogan like a mint of manly things, you
might correctly assume there’s a quirky charm about Gentlemint. It’s
commonly considered a clone of Pinterest, the popular image-sharing
site. But it’s much more than that: It’s an opportunity for men to focus on
what’s important to them – something quite unusual considering that the
social media demographic is slanted towards women, particularly in the
case with Pinterest.
Your opportunity with Gentlemint is most prevalent if you’re targeting
males. But even if you’re not, there are plenty of women users too, and it
has a similar allure of Pinterest with an entirely different audience. It’s
even possible to effectively use both.
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Juxtapost ♦
Equal parts social bookmarking and image-sharing, Juxtapost makes it
easy to curate and discover new information – using pictures as the
portal. Juxtapost is similar to sites like Pinterest, but it has a unique
flavor, features and user base.
Signing up for Juxtapost is easy, and once you’re in, you’ll have an
entirely new audience to discover your content. Juxtapost’s more like this
feature makes it possible to find your submissions in new ways,
providing that much more traffic for your business.
Q&A ▼
One of the advantages of the internet is that it can harness the collective
knowledge of a large user base. Wikipedia is the perfect example.
Hundreds of thousands – perhaps even millions – have added content or
made an edit on Wikipedia. This subfolder focuses on another type of
collaborative site with important implications for your business: Q&A
sites.
Yahoo! Answers ♦
While not the most visited Q&A site online, Yahoo! Answers does
provide many unique features that sets it apart from its competitors. Its
points feature helps to keep the community strong and discourages weak
answers.
When answering a question, you are permitted to place a link to the
source material on which you based your answer. This allows you to link
back to your content as the source, potentially driving traffic back to your
site. Yahoo! Answers frequently appears highly in search results, so this
can be a good opportunity to gain exposure for your business.
Answers ♦
With 14 billion user-generated answers on its site, Answers is the
premium Q&A website online. Answers reaches one third of all internet
users in the United States. In fact, Answers has more registered users
than LinkedIn and a bigger total audience than Twitter.
Participating on Answers allows you to establish yourself as an expert in
your niche and participate in a vibrant online community.
Quora ♦
Quora is a Q&A site which requires individuals to use their real name
when signing up – ideally to cut down on spam or useless answers.
However, Quora is much more than just a Q&A site; it is also an
information discovy site.
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By using Quora, you can build your online authority. Just be sure to give
great answers, or other users may downvote your responses – or even
change them!
Opinions ▼
If there’s one thing that social media excels at more than anything else,
it’s sharing opinions. With a platform where anybody can say anything,
you can imagine why this is the case. That’s why a few social media sites
haven’t just accepted this fact, they’ve embraced it by building their
entire platform around it.
Squidoo ♦
Squidoo features user-generated content (called lenses) on a myriad of
topics. Authors can write about whatever they want, and they don’t need
to know any HTML to make great looking pages.
Squidoo’s marketing appeal comes from its ability to include links – even
affiliate links. Setting up a new lens is simple, easy and flexible. And if
you write great content that is in demand, there’s a good chance that
you’ll get a lot of people reading your lens.
HubPages ♦
HubPages allows users (called hubbers) to set up a subdomain of the
HubPages site to post content in the form of articles. Unlike many blogs,
however, each post is generally designed to be definitive and not
superseded by later content.
HubPages is a great way to get the word out about what you know – and
get some links out at the same time. In fact, HubPages encourages linking
and other strategies that make it a marketer’s dream.
Google Groups ♦
Internet forums existed long before today’s traditional social media
websites. In fact, some people may argue that forums were the original
social media platforms. Google Groups is a forum platform that allows
users to find and join in discussions that are meaningful to them.
Originally known as Deja News, Google’s acquisition and rebranding as
Google Groups has made it easier than ever to sign up for the service and
search for topics related to your niche. It’s a great place to reach out to
potential customers. You can customize your profile with graphics and
give yourself a distinctive presence and generate traffic for your site.
With over 700 million postings over the last 20 years, Google Groups
provides an astounding amount of information and potential.
Yahoo! Voices ♦
Yahoo! hosts an impressive contributor network, and on none of their
services does this network shine better than on Yahoo! Voices. Providing
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a platform for content from the latest celebrity gossip to an intimate
sonnet, Yahoo! Voices is all about sharing what you want to say about
anything.
Yahoo! Voices has a fairly strict policy about what it will accept on its site,
but if your article falls within these guidelines, you’ll be able to reach the
immense audience that Yahoo! has built up for itself over the years.
Yuku ♦
Yuku takes internet forums to a new level. Combining the traditional
concept of discussion boards with the appeal of new social media, Yuku
makes forming social communities easy and rewarding.
Once you join, you’ll have access to the photo galleries, chat rooms, blogs
and designer skins. Yuku also offers advanced privacy controls, allowing
you to cater your content to the right audience.
Social Networking ▼
Part of the reason that social media exploded with popularity in the first
place was due to the powerful influence of social networking sites. A few
– like Facebook and LinkedIn – have definitely risen to the top. However,
there are many more which still command a respectable audience.
Myspace ♦
At one time, the social network Myspace was one of the most frequented
websites in the world, accounting for about 3% of all time spent online.
After several poor choices in direction and the rise of competitor
Facebook, Myspace eventually deteriorated into relative obscurity.
Just as with a few other social media sites that enjoyed explosive
popularity followed by a steep decline, Myspace never has died and has
undergone a comprehensive redesign – complete with a restructured
focus. Myspace now longer considers itself a social network on par with
Facebook, but rather delivers a strong social entertainment platform
designed to appeal to individuals interested in music and movies.
Tagged ♦
Whereas Facebook dominates in connecting existing friendships and
relationships online, Tagged excels in helping people make new
connections. Tagged is one of the leading social networks with 300
million registered users and 20 million monthly unique visitors.
Sometimes reaching out to new potential customers on sites like
Facebook can be difficult (or in the least inconvenient). But while Tagged
may not be on the same level as the powerhouse, it can provide options
that simply aren’t available elsewhere. And since about 20% of its users
aren’t even on Facebook, it can provide an excellent source of new traffic
who may not find your business any other way.
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Memory Lane ♦
Formerly known as Classmates.com, Memory Lane was rebranded in
2010 as an effort to emphasize what it was already doing best: providing
a social service that was built around nostalgic content. It does this
through yearbooks, movie trailers, music clips and photos.
Memory Lane can be especially powerful as a marketing tool if you can
tap in to the nostalgic desires of yesteryear. But even if your style is a bit
more contemporary, you might find that Memory Lane provides a social
media audience with quite a few members who aren’t active anywhere
else in the social media sphere.
Bebo ♦
As with many other social networks, Bebo’s fullest glory days may be in
the past. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a strong future to look
forward to. After some restructuring, Bebo has maintained a solid user
base that is distinct from competitors like Facebook.
One of Bebo’s features that set it apart from other platforms is the
tendency of many users to role-play. For example, instead of creating
accounts using real names, some users create accounts using names from
popular fiction (movies, television or novels) and then create new stories
through their dialogue. While this isn’t the only way to use Bebo, it
certainly holds some interesting marketing opportunities.
PerfSpot ♦
This online community strives to keep its content broad and of interest to
individuals of any age, gender and background. From this range of users,
you can attract like-minded followers with your profile.
Establishing your name on PerfSpot and creating an online community is
accomplished by uploading photos, sharing links and messaging your
friends. You can create a profile in a matter of minutes, and new features
allow you to display your personality with custom fonts, backgrounds
and colors.
Zorpia ♦
Founded in 2003, Zorpia allows users to create a customized homepage
with photo albums and online journals. Its wide set of features include
discussion forums and comment systems, allowing it to maintain itself as
a true social network. It is considered one of the top social networks in
terms of functionality.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Zorpia allows you to establish your
unique profile on an international stage. In fact, 40% of its users hail from
India, and it has a massive user base from other countries as well.
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Netlog ♦
A quick registration to Netlog grants you access to this online platform
which attracts over 150 million visitors per month. You can create a
custom profile complete with blog, photos, videos and event
announcements.
Netlog offers you a powerful way to grow your social network and keep
in touch with users of similar interests. It is the social network of choice in
several European countries, allowing you to extend your reach
internationally.
Social News ▼
The news has historically been controlled by a few large media
conglomerates surrounded by a few smaller publishers or studios. The
internet has slowly changed that, especially with the advent of a type of
social media site called social news. These sites allow users to decide
what stories make the front page.
Fark ♦
Fark is first and foremost a news site driven by community interest and
discussion – and often. Submissions that are approved by administrators
end up on the front page and have the potential to drive a lot of traffic.
Newsvine ♦
An attempt at citizen journalism, Newsvine allows anyone to seed the site
with news submissions. News is broadcast to the site from both users and
mainstream sources such as the Associated Press. Users decide which
stories get promoted to greater visibility, and they can add their own
opinions in the form of comments.
Newsvine has the backing of NBCNews.com as an owner, providing an
excellent foundation. Not only is it a great place to submit any of your
own news stories, it also provides an excellent opportunity to network
with a group of like-minded individuals.
NowPublic ♦
Hailed as a true social news site, NowPublic puts news in the hands of
the common person. Its three pillars include reporting, exploring and
sharing. This three-pronged focus allows it to deliver news that really
matters to its users. With millions of readers each month, it is certainly a
player in social media.
NowPublic’s unique interface allows you to participate with news as it
happens. You can create your own articles, upload photos and videos,
and join in the ongoing dialogue. This platform offers you a chance to
establish your voice and allow people to find out more about your
background.
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Gather ♦
If you’re looking for an online platform where like-minded individuals
can gather on a single social network that is broken into as many
categories as makes sense, then it’s safe to say you’re looking for Gather.
Networks are based around interests and goals.
Historically, Gather has catered to an older and more professional
demographic than similar services, but there are plenty of younger users
as well. By submitting a few articles on topics related to your business,
you can establish yourself as an expert and begin to gather new customers
around you.
Foursquare ♦
Foursquare is a location-based social networking site that is available to
smartphone users. It rewards users for checking in at various real-world
locations, and it can even provide personalized recommendations on
interesting sites.
While it isn’t practical for every business, if you can figure out a way to
utilize Foursquare, you can reach a massive community of engaged users.
If your business involves a physical location, Foursquare is practically a
must. But even if you don’t, Foursquare has powerful tools to allow
brands and other companies to join in the fun.
Social Media Tools ▼
A good social media management tool makes it easy to take control of
your social media accounts across a variety of platforms – instead of
letting them take over you!
Hootsuite ♦
HootSuite helps you manage your social media accounts and gives you
advanced features – such as being able to schedule your tweets or
Facebook posts.
Twitterfeed ♦
Twitterfeed allows you to easily and automatically send your new blog
posts to social networking accounts you have such as Twitter or
Facebook.
Social Media Blitz ♦
If you have purchased the Social Media Blitz service as part of your
package with PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting this page. Social
Media Blitz gives you a head start with your social media accounts, and it
particularly jumpstarts your YouTube account by creating 10 promotional
videos.
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Social Media Buttons ▼
One of the reasons that social media has taken the internet by storm is
because it has a powerful influence on users. Ironically, this influence on
users is derived by giving users influence on the site. One of the genius
ways that social media sites have learned to extend their influence is by
giving users even more influence – off the site. They do this with social
buttons, which can be powerful marketing tools for your website.
Social buttons are installed on a website and correspond to particular
social media services, like Facebook, Twitter or Google+. When website
visitors click the button, they share the content with their network of
friends or followers on the particular social media site.
Aggregated Social Buttons ▼
There are a few services that make social media buttons easy. Instead of
adding code for half a dozen individual social buttons, you can grab a
single piece of code for a quick (and slick) process.
ShareThis ♦
ShareThis makes it easy to add social buttons. It is also fully
customizable. With the built-in analytics, you can also see how many
times users have shared your content.
AddThis ♦
AddThis is a popular social sharing service that makes it easy to add
social buttons.
Lockerz Share ♦
With Lockerz Share, you can add many social buttons to your website.
Individual Social Buttons ▼
If you prefer, resources are also provided that allow you to add
individual social buttons, using the code directly from the official sources.
Facebook Social Plugins ♦
Facebook has many buttons available. You can easily place various
buttons on your site that allow individuals to “like” it or share it with
friends.
Twitter Buttons ♦
Twitter has a variety of buttons. The Tweet button allows anyone to easily
share content with others. The Follow button allows anyone to easily
subscribe to your Twitter account.
Google +1 Button ♦
The +1 button allows users to recommend your content to others or share
it on Google+.
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Pinterest Goodies ♦
Pinterest has both a Pin It and a Follow button.
LinkedIn Share Button ♦
The LinkedIn share button allows others to share a piece of content with
their professional LinkedIn contacts.
StumbleUpon Badge ♦
The StumbleUpon badge allows users to easily share content on
StumbleUpon.
Reddit Buttons ♦
Reddit buttons allow users to post a piece of content to Reddit. There are
also buttons that allow users to upvote or downvote.
Tumblr Buttons ♦
Tumblr offers either Follow or Share buttons in a variety of styles.
Delicious Save Button ♦
This button allows users to save a page to their Delicious bookmarks.
Chime.in Button ♦
The Chime.in button allows users to share a piece of content on Chime.in.
Social Media Research ▼
With so many social media users, you can imagine the sheer volume of
content that passes through each platform. This is valuable information,
but unless you have a way to harness it, it is completely useless.
Fortunately, several tools exist which allow you to properly and
effectively research social media.
Social Mention ♦
Social Mention is a tool that allows you to find out what the social media
world has to say about a given keyword phrase.
Klout ♦
Klout analyzes a variety of social media accounts along with social
mentions. It then provides a measurable score that helps you compare
your social media influence to others.
NutshellMail ♦
NutshellMail monitors social media accounts (like Facebook and Twitter)
and emails you a daily report.
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Advertising
In the world of internet marketing, if making a fire is like driving traffic
to your website, then advertising is like gasoline. You can drive a lot of
people to your site in a very short period of time. And that traffic can
mean a lot of quick sales – as long as your advertisements are good.
Think about this: If you put $10 into a vending machine and got out $20
every time, how many times would you put $10 in the vending machine?
You’d do it all the time. With online advertising, you have to pay money,
but you should be getting a lot more back in profit from extra sales if you
do it the right way.
Of course, you should be very methodical when approaching online
advertising. If you aren’t consistently making back more in profit than
you’re spending, you should probably pull back that particular
advertisement.
PPC Search Engines ▼
Advertising on search engines is an important component of the online
advertising industry. Advertising on search engines is sometimes referred
to as sponsored search. Search engines are such an important part of
finding information online, practically everyone uses them – so it’s smart
for an internet marketer to use them as an advertising platform. Of
course, there are many search engines that offer advertising services –
more than you might think!
7Search ♦
Imagine a scenario in which you need to buy 100 pieces of candy. The
upscale candy shop downtown sells each piece for $0.10. However, you
discover a small, largely unnoticed shop that also sells pieces of candy –
but they sell them for $0.01. There’s only one catch: They don’t have
enough candy to sell you all 100 pieces. Would you simply bypass them
and buy all 100 pieces of candy at the upscale shop? Of course not. The
best option would be to buy what the small shop offers and then buy the
rest at a premium.
7Search is like the small shop in this scenario. They aren’t the large
players in the sponsored search arena because they simply can’t offer the
same volume of traffic as platforms like Google or Bing. Their primary
advantage is delivering good traffic at incredibly low prices. This allows
them to boast one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) for any
sponsored search service. For this reason, 7Search is an ideal platform to
use as you begin your sponsored search campaigns.
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Google AdWords ♦
Google is the top search engine in the world. While it has expanded to
include many services and products, it started in the search engine realm,
and that is where it continues to dominate. It’s possible to harness
Google’s power for your business using Google’s sponsored search
platform: AdWords.
Bing Ads ♦
Bing controls enough market share to make it both the second most-used
search engine in the United States (where it is headquartered) and also in
the world. Despite the fact that Bing is continually gaining market share
in an industry that is fiercely competitive, many people strangely ignore
it with sponsored search. But there are some compelling reasons to use it
as part of your overall sponsored search strategy.
LookSmart ♦
One of the leaders among smaller sponsored search platforms,
LookSmart offers a great return on investment.
Adknowledge Miva ♦
Miva is a second-tier sponsored search platform with a long history of
success and proprietary technology to improve traffic quality and
campaign optimization.
eZanga ♦
eZanga boasts a simple interface with multiple tools and features.
adMarketplace ♦
adMarketplace’s emphasis on search syndication provides a unique
offering.
CPV ▼
Imagine an advertising model where you only pay when your target
audience views your landing page. Landing pages pop up based upon
the user’s browsing/keyword history. The landing pages are targeted to
the user. How is this accomplished? CPV advertising.
One of the most effective and least well-known ways to advertise on the
internet is cost per view or CPV. It is also referred to as pay per view or PPV.
CPV advertising’s biggest advantages are the cost and the can’t-miss
delivery system. CPV advertising’s greatest disadvantage is the limited
audience.
Essentially, an advertiser pays a small fee each time their landing page is
displayed. CPV agencies deliver ads via pop-up based on keywords or on
targeted URLs. Ad targets opt in to receive product recommendations
based on browsing activity.
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LeadImpact ♦
LeadImpact is the largest CPV network online, with the ability to reach
millions of individuals with precise targeting features.
DirectCPV ♦
DirectCPV has a variety of features and tools, making it the CPV network
of choice for thousands of internet marketers. Its low prices help you
reach a healthy return on investment.
MediaTraffic ♦
MediaTraffic boasts a large user base, advanced targeting with contextual
advertising and excellent ad visibility.
Trafficvance ♦
For a CPV network, Trafficvance offers an unusually large variety of ads,
including large display ads, text ads, sidebar ads and peelback ads.
AdOn Network ♦
AdOn has a unique offering in the advertising industry, from ad types
such as pop unders to their esteemed customer service.
CPV Research ▼
Part of a good CPV campaign is targeting the right URLs. However, even
after you’ve identified the right URLs to target, scaling your campaign
can be difficult. Fortunately, there is a bit of CPV research that you can do
in order to identify other websites that are similar to the URLs you are
targeting.
SimilarSites ♦
SimilarSites allows you to enter a URL and search for sites which are
similar.
Social Media Advertising ▼
No internet marketer doubts the effectiveness of a good social media
marketing campaign when executed correctly. The problem is that is it
often very difficult to accurately predict how social media marketing will
turn out once begun – and it often flops with little or no results.
Advertising options with social media can turn this around. Advertising
campaigns with social media are much more predictable, and they can
offer an excellent return on investment in a lot of cases.
Facebook Ads ♦
With over 1 billion users, Facebook is the largest social media website of
all. It provides many marketing opportunities. With Facebook Ads, you
can reach Facebook’s massive user base with particularly specific
targeting options. It is one of the most popular advertising methods
online, and it can also be extremely effective when done correctly.
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PlentyOfFish ▼
One of the keys to good advertising is knowing who your audience is.
The tighter you can target your audience, the better you can run an
advertising campaign. PlentyOfFish runs an advertising system that
meets these needs. It’s one of the largest dating sites online, and as such,
it has a wealth of demographic information for advertisers to use when
targeting their ads.
PlentyOfFish Advertising ♦
PlentyOfFish is a free online dating site that allows advertisers to
pinpoint their targeting with the massive amounts of profile data.
PlentyOfFish Advertising Guidelines ♦
It’s essential to follow PlentyOfFish’s rules if you want your ad approved.
PlentyOfFish Advertising Blog ♦
This blog provides tips and tricks to help you get the most out of
advertising on PlentyOfFish.
LinkedIn Ads ♦
LinkedIn Ads provides advertising access to LinkedIn’s 150 million users,
complete with advanced targeting options and other features. LinkedIn’s
unique status as a social network for professionals makes it an excellent
advertising choice for some niches, but not for others.
StumbleUpon Paid Discovery ♦
Hailed as a “discovery engine,” StumbleUpon allows users to submit
content and “stumble upon” content submitted by others. Paid Discovery
is StumbleUpon’s advertising system, allowing you to pay a fee for your
site to be included within the stumbles of your target audience.
Adknowledge Social Media ♦
Adknowledge’s social media advertising allows you to manage ads
across traffic channels that include social apps and online games.
Twitter ▼
Twitter is first and foremost a social media website – one which has
gained massive influence and over 140 million users. But aside from the
value of creating and running your own Twitter account, there are many
marketing opportunities with Twitter, such as paid advertising avenues.
Sponsored Tweets ♦
Sponsored Tweets is a Twitter-specific service owned by IZEA,
connecting advertisers with tweeters. It is one of the premiere Twitter
advertising services. It has developed a surprisingly simple yet robust
system to create an effective Twitter marketplace.
You create “opportunities” for tweeters on a cost per tweet or cost per
click basis. Sponsored Tweets requires a minimum deposit of $50.
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Twitter Advertising ♦
Twitter runs an advertising service of its own. These messages are often
referred to as promoted tweets. While originally designed for large
brands, Twitter has recently made large strides to making their service
effective and useful for small businesses as well. Promoted tweets appear
to come from the brand’s Twitter account and may show up even if a user
isn’t following that account.
BuySellAds ♦
BuySellAds is an advertising network with connections to many different
websites. It offers multiple types of ads on various platforms, including
websites, apps, emails and tweets.
Advertising Networks ▼
While PPC search engines or social media advertising often steal the
show, there are literally dozens of advertising networks out there that
broker their own ad placements across the internet. While they aren’t
talked about as much, they can be incredibly effective in some cases.
Adknowledge ▼
Adknowledge is an advertising network that offers a variety of options.
As such, they literally have multiple platforms on which they offer their
advertising solutions.
Adknowledge Direct Response ♦
Adknowledge’s direct response advertising allows you to manage ads
across traffic channels that include display, search, mobile and email.
Adknowledge Social Media ♦
Adknowledge’s social media advertising allows you to manage ads
across traffic channels that include social apps and online games.
Adknowledge Miva ♦
Miva is a second-tier sponsored search platform with a long history of
success and proprietary technology to improve traffic quality and
campaign optimization.
Advertising.com ▼
With a name like Advertising.com, you know that this platform is prepared
to be a powerful contender in the online advertising field. There are two
major elements of Advertising.com, each accessible through a different
link.
Advertising.com Ad Portal ♦
One of the leading online advertising platforms, Advertising.com can
leverage its extensive network get you access to 85% of the internet user
base in the United States.
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Advertising.com Sponsored Listings ♦
Use ASL to take advantage of Advertising.com’s text ads.
AdOn Network ♦
AdOn has a unique offering in the advertising industry, from ad types
such as pop unders to their esteemed customer service.
BuySellAds ♦
BuySellAds is an advertising network with connections to many different
websites. It offers multiple types of ads on various platforms, including
websites, apps, emails and tweets.
Pulse 360 ♦
Pulse 360 offers a high quality advertising service across a number of
high profile websites (such as MSNBC, USAToday and more). However,
you must contact them to get an account set up.
AdReady ♦
Advertising with sites like FoxNews.com is easy using the powerful
AdReady software. There are even customizable templates that allow you
to make professional-looking ads easily.
Amazon Product Ads ♦
Amazon allows e-commerce site owners to advertise directly to qualified
buyers who are ready to make a purchase.
BidVertiser ♦
BidVertiser is an excellent advertising choice, offering a variety of options
and features.
LinkWorth ♦
LinkWorth offers ads in three major categories: paid content, linking ads
and banner ads.
Text Link Ads ♦
Text Link Ads is a service that provides advertising opportunities to place
links on websites on a monthly basis.
AdEngage ♦
AdEngage’s focus has always been on flexibility with advertising choices.
Their available ads include text ads, PhoText ads, and square button ads.
Retargeting ▼
One of the great things about online advertising is that you can target a
very specific audience. But what if you could have targeting options so
specific that you were only targeting people who had already been
exposed to your website? Actually, you can! It’s called retargeting, and
it’s one of the best ways to advertise on the internet because the
conversion rate is often much better than normal.
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Retargeting is a special targeting option for certain types of display
advertising. There are several variations, but they all focus on targeting
individuals who have demonstrated some sort of interest in what you
offer.
Site Retargeting ▼
Here’s how site retargeting works. Someone visits your site. When they
land on a specific page of your choosing – it can even be every page if you
want – then a piece of code you have placed on your site installs a cookie
on their computer. This is just a small tracking file that is used only for
advertising purposes. But they don’t make a purchase. Instead, they leave
and go to a different site. However, eventually they land on a site that is
part of the advertising network that you use. The cookie recognizes that
they’ve visited your site recently, and it displays an ad for your site.
AdRoll ♦
AdRoll is one of the most extensive retargeting networks online, complete
with robust features especially tailored for retargeting needs. Its reach
extends into well-known advertising networks, including Google,
Microsoft, AOL and more.
FetchBack ♦
FetchBack’s exclusive focus is retargeting, and it remains one of the best
in the industry.
ReTargeter ♦
ReTargeter is a popular choice among retargeting platforms. It includes a
variety of advanced features, including email and social retargeting.
Search Retargeting ▼
Here’s how search retargeting works. Someone visits a search engine, and
they search for a specific keyword. A cookie is installed on their computer
– just like with site retargeting. After they leave the search engine, they
surf the net from page to page. It doesn’t matter if they click on one of the
search results in the search engine or not. Eventually they land on a site
that is part of the advertising network that you use. The cookie recognizes
that they’ve recently searched for a particular keyword that is part of
your advertising campaign, and it displays an ad for your site.
So you can see that the concept is the same – but the execution is
different. In both of these cases, once someone actually purchases from
you, they are taken out of your retargeting audience pool and won’t keep
seeing your retargeting ads.
Chango ♦
Chango offers many search retargeting features, including the ability to
adjust the ad based on the keyword.
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Simpli.fi ♦
Headed by experts in the online advertising industry, Simpli.fi strives to
make search retargeting approachable by anyone without sacrificing
performance.
Magnetic ♦
Magnetic was the first company to focus entirely on search retargeting,
and it remains one of the leaders in the industry.
Email Advertising ▼
A good email list can go a long way when it comes to marketing to an
audience that is both targeted and trusting. But what if you don’t have a
large email list built up yet? Take advantage of someone else’s list by
advertising with them!
LiveIntent ♦
Rather than identify a particular newsletter, with LiveIntent all you need
to do is select a few targeting parameters. LiveIntent automatically uses
this information to dynamically place your ads in front of the audience
that fits your targeting. One of the great things about LiveIntent is that
targeting is based on each individual rather than lumped in by entire
lists.
LaunchBit ♦
Granting you access to the many opportunities in NewsletterDirectory,
LaunchBit is a platform that is built to cater to the advertiser.
Safe Swaps ♦
Safe Swaps allow you to swap ads with other email marketers. You can
also buy or sell solo ads to advertisers.
Conversion Tracking ▼
An essential component of affiliate marketing is knowing which offers are
converting, in which ads, at which times of day, under what
circumstances, etc. Sometimes this type of information is only available to
savvy affiliate marketers who know conversion tracking inside and out.
Prosper202 ♦
Undoubtedly one of the most powerful and effective conversion tracking
options available, Prosper202 has become one of the key tools for affiliate
marketers.
Hosting Solutions ▼
While the actual Prosper202 software is free, the hosting provider that is
required to use it is not. Many web hosts will work effectively, but this
subfolder contains a few that are recommended.
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Bluehost ♦
Bluehost is hailed as one of the leading hosting providers. Its varied
features and relatively inexpensive cost make it an excellent option when
using Prosper202.
Dreamhost ♦
Dreamhost is a popular hosting provider, offering many options with
ease-of-use.
HostGator ♦
HostGator is a hosting provider with a wide user base. It includes many
features, keeps costs lows and provides all of its services using energy
efficient methods.
Marketing Accelerator ♦
If you have purchased the Marketing Accelerator service as part of your
package with PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting this page.
Marketing Accelerator provides a painless way to access major
advertising opportunities and get started with them right away.
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Email
Email marketing is unique in the internet marketing world because the
actual marketing doesn’t take place on the web. It is one of the oldest
online marketing techniques that exist – maybe the oldest of all. Not only
is it different or old, it’s also one of the best online marketing techniques
too.
Free Email Providers ▼
At one time, it was normal for an individual not to have regular access to
a telephone. Of course, that day has gone away long ago. More recently, it
was something of a novelty if someone had a personal email address. But
now it’s to the point where everyone has one.
If you don’t have a personal email address yet, now is the time. And with
the excellent free email providers out there, there’s no reason not to.
Gmail ♦
When Gmail was first introduced, it shocked the internet world by
offering a massive amount of free email storage. It continues to be one of
the leaders of free email services. One of the benefits of opening a Gmail
account is that it can serve as a Google account to access any number of
Google’s products.
Hotmail ♦
Hotmail was started in 1996 as one of the first web-based email services.
It was acquired by Microsoft and has been continually enhanced ever
since. It is one of the largest email providers in the world.
Yahoo! Mail ♦
The mail service that complements Yahoo!’s broader offerings, Yahoo!
Mail is one of the most widely used email providers. Users are able to
choose an address that ends with the domains yahoo.com, ymail.com or
rocketmail.com.
Autoresponders ▼
An autoresponder allows you to collect email addresses from your site
visitors with a lead form. It automatically emails a message when they
sign up using your form, and you can use it to automate your contact
with visitors.
Essentially, an autoresponder is a commercial email provider, offering
advanced features that allow you to communicate with a large number of
people via email.
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Automated Contact ♦
Automated Contact is an autoresponder that is powered by AWeber, one
of the companies on the forefront of email services. It is one of the most
powerful email marketing service providers, with a customer base of over
100,000 globally. The company has deep roots for the internet – nearly 15
years – and it is known for its reliability in delivering emails to inboxes.
Constant Contact ♦
Constant Contact offers a variety of helpful internet marketing services,
one of which is an autoresponder.
Email Spam Testers ▼
Spam – When you read this word, do you think of canned meat? Maybe,
but more likely you think of unwanted email. In many ways, spam has
affected the ways email services deliver mail. Now that you’re the one
sending email though, you need to look at spam from another perspective
– how to convince email services that you aren’t it. Fortunately, there are
a few tools that can help you determine whether or not your emails might
be triggering spam filters.
Mail-tester ♦
Mail-tester allows you to easily test your emails for spam-related
problems that might prevent deliverability. Its slick web-based interface
means that not only is it effective, it’s also extremely easy to use.
SpamAssassin ♦
SpamAssassin is a widely trusted free software program that blocks
spam. You can use it to test your own email to see if they trigger spam
filters.
Email Advertising ▼
Email marketing is a solid online marketing strategy, one that has been
around practically since the dawn of the internet. There are a myriad of
strategies that you can use to improve your email marketing stats. But of
course, in the end, there’s only one stat that really matters: How much
money does it make you? There are a few advertising solutions that allow
you to display ads from other marketers in exchange for a fee.
LiveIntent ♦
By simply inserting an HTML tag into your email campaigns, LiveIntent
can dynamically place targeted ads targeted by location and device – and
you don’t have to do any of the segmenting!
NewsletterDirectory ♦
Once you’re listed in NewsletterDirectory, you can seek monetization
opportunities in their database.
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Safe Swaps ♦
Safe Swaps allow you to swap ads with other email marketers. You can
also sell solo ads to advertisers.
List Building ▼
A list of qualified prospects for a good email campaign can do wonders.
But just as with most anything else with marketing, the more people you
reach, the better results you have. So the question is, how do you grow
your list to include even more people? That’s where these useful tools
come in handy.
PopUp Domination ♦
Make sure that your sign-up form appears in a prominent location across
all of your pages on a site. For example, you can place it in the top
position of a sidebar. But you could also place it at the bottom of every
page – so that once someone has finished reading the page, they sign up.
But if you want to be really effective, you could place it in a feature box,
which is like a popover. This emphasis on subscribing can boost your
subscription rates a lot. PopUp Domination is an easy-to-use feature box
software that can increase subscription rates in a professional-looking
manner.
GetSubscribers ♦
GetSubscribers allows you to place an ad specific to your email campaign
in front of interested users. You only pay for subscribers.
List Builder Elite ♦
If you have purchased the List Builder Elite service as part of your
package with PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting this page. List
Builder Elite makes it easy to get the jump on building your list, with an
expert team developing a lead magnet for you and creating your sign-up
form.
Newsletter Directories ▼
Creating a newsletter is a great way to make your lists sticky and keep
your readers coming back for more. But if you want to be able to use your
newsletter to reach even more people (and grow your list at the same
time), you might consider submitting it to a few good newsletter
directories.
BestEzines ♦
BestEzines is more than just an ezine directory, it allows users to vote as
well. This allows great newsletters to sift toward the top of the directory
where they gain even more exposure.
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Suite101 ♦
More than a directory, Suite101 is a content site that is driven by its
community. Once you create a channel, you can spread your content with
others online.
New-List ♦
Formerly known as Ezine-Universe, New-List is a newsletter directory
with nearly 10,000 listings.
Headline Generators ▼
Headline writing is a skill that is useful for any marketer in any field. You
can find headlines in magazines, billboards, sponsored search ads –
practically anywhere you find advertising or marketing. But headlines
also come into the play with email marketing in the form of subject lines.
A good subject line can make or break a campaign. When that’s the only
thing a reader initially sees, the subject line can determine whether or not
the email even gets opened at all.
You shouldn’t use any tool to completely write your headlines for you.
The best ones will always be the result of your own creativity and
sensitivity to your audience. However, there are a few headline
generators that can get you started in the right direction with your
thinking.
Headline Wizard ♦
The Headline Wizard asks a few key details about the product you intend
to promote, and it automatically generates compelling headlines.
Headline Magician ♦
Just answer a few questions, and the Headline Magician creates great
headlines for your offer.
Format-It ♦
Format-It allows you to take a block of text and automatically place line
breaks based on your settings. It is a great tool to prepare text-based
emails.
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Content
For years, internet marketers have rallied around the maxim, content is
king. This is because while content itself is completely useless, combined
with marketing it provides true incentive to attract web users. No one
online is looking for an opportunity to make you money; they’re looking
for content.
Of course, content can take many forms, and how you use it can be nearly
just as varied. That’s why the resources under this button of the PMI
Toolbar are all designed to help you both create and use content in the
most effective ways possible.
Submission Sites ▼
Submitting your content around the internet offers three major benefits:
1. It reaches a larger audience, hopefully leading them back to whatever
you are promoting through your marketing.
2. It can provide links back to your site, offering an excellent search
engine optimization (SEO) opportunity.
3. It can establish you as an authority in your niche.
Articles ▼
Writing an article is one thing – publishing it is another! There are several
sites online which allow you to publish your article. It used to be a good
idea to place an article on as many sites as you could. This strategy isn’t
nearly as effective anymore. Instead, it’s best to just post it on a single
site.
EzineArticles ♦
EzineArticles is one of the premiere article databases online. Submitting
an article allows you to get a link back to your site from EzineArticles.
Publishers of blogs and email newsletters are also able to use your article.
When they use your article, your link is kept intact, so their readers may
visit your site.
Documents ▼
Repurposing your articles is a great way to multiply your marketing
results with little additional effort. One method of repurposing an article
is by converting it into a PDF, one of the most popular and universal file
formats available online.
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. The purpose of the PDF file
format is to create a document that can be viewed as it is intended
regardless of the software being used to view it. For example, if you
create a Word file and then open it in a different program (such as
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WordPerfect, OpenOffice or Google Docs), the formatting may change and
vary. The only program that can open a Word document exactly right is
Word. With a PDF, it doesn’t matter what program you create the PDF in
– it will ideally display the same in any PDF reader.
The resources listed in this subfolder all allow submissions of PDFs.
However, there are other document file types that they recognize as well.
Scribd ♦
Scribd is the leading document-sharing website online. With the ability to
easily upload and share a document – and make it visible to search
engines – Scribd is an excellent option for PDF hosting.
Issuu ♦
Issuu is a document-sharing site that is particularly suited to graphicintensive projects like magazines or catalogs.
Docstoc ♦
Docstoc is a document-sharing site that has an emphasis on technical,
legal and business documentation – though it accepts any type of PDF.
Slide Shows ▼
A slide show presentation is one of the most popular formats for sharing
information. Unlike a document file, which is focused on text in
paragraph form, a slide show is meant to show succinct ideas or
statements in several screens or pages known as slides.
SlideShare ♦
SlideShare is the top presentation-sharing website online. It boasts nearly
58 million unique visitors per month, making it a very influential site.
authorSTREAM ♦
authorSTREAM is a popular presentation-sharing website that includes
several unique and useful features.
SlideShow ♦
SlideShow is a presentation-sharing website. It has an emphasis on
security and privacy.
Video ▼
It isn’t enough to simply have a video, or even to place it somewhere
online. In order to truly harness the power of video marketing, you must
have appealing playback options. While this can be done through selfhosting, it’s often easier (and cheaper) to use a good video host.
YouTube ▼
This video-sharing website has a worldwide audience and attracts
millions of visits each day. Started in 2005, YouTube has become the
undisputed king of video sharing. 72 hours of video are uploaded every
minute. Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month,
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watching over 4 billion hours of video. In fact, in 2011 YouTube had more
than 1 trillion video views. With impressive statistics like this, it’s an
understatement to say that YouTube’s scope is unprecedented.
While most of YouTube’s content was originally contributed by
individuals, companies and organizations are gradually gaining an
impressive presence. Users have come to expect great video content from
the companies that they love, and video’s natural ability to engage
viewers makes YouTube an ideal marketing opportunity. Uploading a
video automatically creates a channel which can then be customized.
Since others can subscribe to your channel, you can consistently send
marketing messages via video to a targeted audience.
YouTube ♦
YouTube is a video-sharing site, allowing anyone to upload a video that
they have created and let anyone else see it. It is one of the highesttrafficked sites in the world, and it has a high engagement rate. This gives
YouTube immense marketing potential. And the best part is that using it
is absolutely free!
CaptionTube ♦
CaptionTube makes it easy to add captions to YouTube videos. This can
improve a video’s visibility within the YouTube community.
Animoto ♦
Animoto is a great way to energize a series of images into an engaging
video. There is also an option to export directly to YouTube.
Vimeo ♦
No one can dispute the popularity of video, and Vimeo is one of the most
popular video-hosting websites online (after YouTube, of course). Vimeo
has released several innovative improvements in the video space, and it
continues to have a loyal following – many of which are independent
filmmakers or individuals otherwise passionate about film.
Vimeo no longer provides a free service for anyone with commercial
intent, but they do have a paid service which can prove useful. Even if
you choose not to host videos with them, you can still sign up for an
account in order to interact with the community.
Metacafe ♦
Recognizing the impossibility of staging a full-on rivalry with YouTube,
the video-hosting service Metacafe instead focuses on entertainment
curation – specifically short-form videos about movies, video games,
television, music and sports.
Metacafe’s target demographic is young males. This targeted audience
can be useful from a marketing standpoint if you need to reach this same
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demographic. And if you provide some really great content, you might
find that Metacafe gives you a little boost in visibility.
Audio ▼
The way internet users have viewed audio files has changed over the
years. Initially, they were fascinated by simple sound bites. Then music
MP3s took the center stage. Now, podcasts are becoming increasingly
important.
A podcast is a series of audio files that are downloaded as they are
released. Podcasts are commonly compared to on-demand radio shows.
By uploading your MP3 files as podcasts, you can harness the power of
audio as a marketing technique.
PodOMatic ♦
PodOmatic claims to be the largest community of independent
podcasters. It has plenty of features and allows linking directly in
descriptions.
SoundCloud ♦
SoundCloud boasts a user base that dwarfs its competitors.
Unfortunately, it only allows two hours of audio on its free membership,
so it’s not necessarily the best host for every audio file you produce.
Podbean ♦
Emphasizing podcast hosting and social subscribing, Podbean is an
excellent podcasting site.
Podcast Alley ♦
Podcast Alley is a well-known podcast portal.
PodcastMachine ♦
Despite its simple design, PodcastMachine is a great podcast host.
Digital Podcast ♦
Digital Podcast is a little quirky, but it has a good community.
Podcast Pickle ♦
Podcast Pickle has an unusual mascot, but an excellent service.
Podcast Directory ♦
The Podcast Directory is a great place to upload a podcast.
iTunes ♦
Though it requires special (free) software, iTunes is one of the most
influential spots you can submit a podcast to.
Press Releases ▼
One of the best and most time-honored ways for a business to get
publicity – often free publicity – is to write a press release and send it out
to the media. A press release is nothing more than a newsworthy story
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about your company. Some look at it as a public relations announcement
issued to the news media concerning company developments. Notice that
in both of these definitions the common threads are company and news.
Paid ▼
With paid press release sites, you generally have the ability to add anchor
text links directly into the press release. This is an important benefit that
can improve search engine rankings. However, paid sites also usually
have wider distribution, leading to increased publicity. For example, with
a paid site, it can be possible to get on a syndication platform like Google
News.
WebWire ♦
Offering relatively inexpensive options, WebWire is an excellent channel
to distribute your press release through.
Enhanced Online News ♦
Business Wire’s press release service designed especially for online press
releases is pricey, but it is backed by a strong name and can deliver good
results.
PRWeb ♦
PRWeb is one of the most well-established press release sites online and
continues to develop its offerings.
Press Media Wire ♦
Press Media Wire is on the lower end of the paid spectrum, offering
several budget-priced options.
Free ▼
The primary advantage of free submission sites is that they’re free.
Depending on your marketing strategy, they might be good to start out
with to get your feet wet with press releases. They generally don’t yield
as good of results as a paid submission site does, however.
PR Log ♦
PR Log is one of the most popular and effective free press release
submission sites.
Newswire Today ♦
While it doesn’t have the fanciest layout, Newswire Today is still a good
site for free press release submission. There are also paid options.
The Open Press ♦
The Open Press has a simple yet effective design among the free press
release sites.
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1888 PressRelease ♦
1888 PressRelease is a great site for submitting press releases. There are
also paid options available.
Infographic Directories ▼
Have you ever heard the old adage a picture is worth 1000 words? That’s
because we can pick up a lot of visual information with a single glance –
information that would need to be described in detail if it were written
down in words.
Infographics allow you to present a lot of information very quickly and in
a way that is interesting to others. An infographic is an image that
displays information, data or knowledge using a graphical
representation.
An infographic’s purpose is to present information, and it does this
through an image. For example, most information is presented textually –
using words. And the purpose of most images is to entertain or amuse.
That’s what makes infographics special – they are a mixture of two
worlds.
Infographic directories allow you to submit your infographics in various
locations around the web.
Visually ♦
Visually allows you to upload your infographic to share with its large
user base. It is one of the most popular infographic databases online.
Infographic Journal ♦
The Infographic Journal categorizes and discusses a variety of
infographics.
Infographics Archive ♦
The Infographics Archive is a simple database of storing infographics.
Flickr Infographics ♦
While Flickr is generally considered a social media site, this special group
dedicated to infographics acts as a directory more than anything else. You
must have a Flickr account to participate.
Reddit Infographics ♦
This special subreddit focuses on infographics. This site might best be
saved for when you are experienced.
Office Suite Software ▼
Good office suite software is a staple of an internet marketer and the
foundation for content creation. Most computers have some form of office
suite software preinstalled. However, the original software is not always
preferred since it isn’t always very powerful.
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Microsoft Office ▼
Of all the products that the software giant Microsoft is known for,
Microsoft Office is perhaps the most esteemed. It is commonly used in
homes, schools and businesses. If you need quality office software to
enhance your business, Microsoft Office Suite is practically the only way
to go. Not only is it powerful, it is the most widespread office software in
use. In fact, the ability to use Microsoft Office effectively is a marketable
skill in today’s workforce.
The most commonly used applications of the Microsoft Office Suite are
Word (a word processor), Excel (a spreadsheet program) and PowerPoint
(a presentation program).
Microsoft Office ♦
Microsoft Office is the most widely used office suite. Unlike several other
options, however, it is not available for free.
Microsoft Office Training ♦
Sonic offers expert training on using Windows 7 and the Microsoft Office
Suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access). Whether
you are new to Microsoft programs or simply unfamiliar with the
enhancements provided in the new versions of Office and Windows, you
will find these training videos improve your ability to work effectively in
a modern computer environment.
OpenOffice ♦
OpenOffice began as a proprietary office suite, but was released for free
in order to reduce Microsoft’s market share. It is widely used and has
many of the same features as Microsoft’s programs.
LibreOffice ♦
A relatively new office suite, LibreOffice is a fork from the OpenOffice
project. It is not owned by any vendor and is developed entirely by
volunteer programmers. Despite being new, it has quickly become one of
the leading office suites available.
Google Docs ♦
Google’s web-based office suite offers a variety of programs, including
Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations and Drawings.
Zoho ♦
Zoho provides several web-based office suite programs, many of them
free. Among them are a quality word processor, spreadsheet program
and presentation program.
Graphics ▼
There are many facets of running an online business – and if you want,
you get to do all of them. Creating graphics is one of them. This is
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something that is pretty specialized. But if you know where to look and
what to do, you don’t need to be a professional graphic designer to
produce high quality graphics!
Finding Images ▼
Graphics are a powerful way to convey information – especially in
internet marketing. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a professional
graphic designer in order to have access to great images.
Premium Stock Images ▼
Stock image sites provide high quality images and allow you to use the
image in your marketing efforts. Unlike some image licenses – like the
Creative Commons – you don’t need to give any sort of attribution, so
these are often the preferred source of finding images.
Traditional stock image agencies truly have incredible images, but they
come at a premium price, so don’t worry about those at this stage in your
online business. Instead, focus on microstock sites, which provide images
for under $1 in some cases.
iStockphoto ♦
iStockphoto offers premium photos (and other media) for low prices.
iStockphoto has traditionally been the most popular micropayment stock
image site.
Fotolia ♦
With over 15 million images available for purchase and a price point that
is often cheaper than its competitors, Fotolia offers great value for stock
images.
Shutterstock ♦
ShutterStock prides itself on powerful photos offered at great prices. It
offers a subscription plan, so it is an excellent choice if you intend to
purchase several photos.
Jupiterimages ♦
Offering some of the finest stock photos available at value prices, Jupiter
Images is a great choice for excellent photos. It is owned by Getty Images,
the elite stock photography agency.
Free Stock Images ▼
Free stock image sites usually don’t have images that are as good as paid
sites, but they can still be really great graphics, and nothing beats free! It’s
important to note that you generally need an account to download
images, even from the free stock sites.
Stock.XCHNG ♦
SXC is the most popular website online for free stock photography, with
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nearly 400,000 photos available. Some of its photos rival those of paid
sites in quality.
Freerange Stock ♦
While Freerange holds relatively little market share among stock image
sites, it still has many photos which are good – especially since they’re
free.
morgueFile ♦
morgueFile contains a respectable number of free photos. While it is not
the leader in the free stock image websites, it commands a decent market
share.
StockPhotosForFree ♦
Containing high quality still shots from the videos at VideoBlocks,
StockPhotosForFree has impressive photos for free.
Icon Websites ▼
Computer icons are small and versatile, generally used in a variety of
contexts. Due to their simplicity and appealing visual nature, icons are
often great images to use when creating content.
FindIcons ♦
FindIcons operates as an icon search engine, allowing you to find many
kinds of icons. With additional filters (commercial vs. non-commercial,
license type, etc.), you can find an icon quickly and easily.
Iconfinder ♦
Iconfinder allows you to search or browse among a vast collection of
computer icons.
User-generated Images ▼
Several websites exist that provide images that are uploaded by the site’s
users. These images are released under a variety of licenses, so make sure
that you follow an image’s license before using it. Many are released
under Creative Commons licenses – which require attribution to the
image creator. So be aware of that! It’s incredibly important that you give
attribution if that is what the copyright license requires. And some aren’t
released under any license that you can use, so don’t think you can just
take anything.
Wikimedia Commons ♦
Wikimedia Commons is the media file repository that acts as the media
backbone for Wikimedia Foundation projects such as Wikipedia.
Flickr ♦
Flickr is an image hosting website. It allows users to easily place Creative
Commons licenses on their images to allow for reuse.
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Flickr Creative Commons Licenses ♦
This is an easy way to search the Flickr image database using specific
Creative Commons licenses.
Internet Image Search ▼
There are also tools to search images from around the internet. While this
returns many results, a lot of them are copyrighted (and therefore
unusable). By adding words like free to the search query with your
keyword phrase, sometimes you can find images that are not
copyrighted, but it’s always best to visit the hosting site and verify its
status.
Google Images ♦
Google’s specialized image search service, Google Images is perhaps the
most widely known image search engine.
Bing Image Search ♦
Bing, the second most widely used search engine, also has a proprietary
image search function.
Creative Commons Copyright Information ▼
The internet is full of media – photos, drawings, music, video. As an
online business owner, you have more resources available to you than
small business owners have ever had in the past. However, it’s important
to understand what rights you have – and don’t have – in relation to
using these items for your business.
Whether you can use an image (or any type of media) all depends on the
licensing that is available. Usually, you either can or can’t use something.
But there is an increasingly large amount of media online that has a
Creative Commons license. This opens up a lot of media for your use at
no cost – if you understand and follow the licensing agreement.
Creative Commons ♦
Creative Commons is an organization that strives to provide flexible
copyright licensing to content creators.
How to Attribute ♦
This useful article by Creative Commons gives tips on how to properly
provide attribution when you use content with a Creative Commons
license.
Fast Charge Credit Card Logos ♦
This site offers a variety of combinations for credit card logos. All you
need to do is copy the HTML code and place it on your site.
Graphics Software ▼
Your internet business is unique due to your choices on what products
you promote, what channels you use to market, and how you market.
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Just as your business is unique, so must the graphics that you use be
uniquely tailored to your needs. Fortunately, there are many software
options to create or edit images by yourself.
Premium Editing ▼
The proprietary software that Adobe has developed is truly unparalleled.
If you want to have a premium photo editing experience, then Adobe is
the way to go.
Adobe Photoshop ♦
Hailed as the finest graphics software available, Adobe Photoshop is the
most popular and widely-used image editing program. This is the same
program used by professional graphic artists around the globe. However,
it also comes at a very steep price.
Adobe Photoshop Elements ♦
Elements strips many of the features from Adobe Photoshop that regular
consumers might not find essential, allowing the program to be sold at a
much more affordable price. If you want the power of Photoshop without
the high price, you should definitely consider Adobe Photoshop
Elements.
Free Editing ▼
If you want a cheap alternative to premium graphic editing programs,
there isn’t anything better than free! The great thing is that a lot of free
software has come a long way in terms of features and usability. None of
these programs are quite the same as Adobe Photoshop, but a few of
them are still amazingly good.
Pixlr ♦
Pixlr is a web-based graphics program and one of the most popular
software choices available. Since it is web-based, it can be used from any
computer that is connected to the internet – there is no need to download
anything. And compared to some of the other free programs out there,
it’s relatively easy.
GIMP ♦
GIMP is one of the most well-known graphics editing programs.
GimPhoto ♦
GimPhoto is a version of GIMP that more closely matches the user
interface of Adobe Photoshop – especially when it is installed with its
companion program GimPad. However, versions of GimPhoto aren’t
released nearly as frequently as GIMP.
CinePaint ♦
CinePaint is a breakoff of the GIMP project and includes a few different
features that specifically cater to the film industry.
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Phatch ♦
While it doesn’t have some of the advanced functionality of other free
programs, Phatch’s easy-to-use user interface is highly regarded.
RawTherapee ♦
While not as highly used as other graphics editing programs,
RawTherapee has a number of useful features.
Awesome Screenshot ♦
Awesome Screenshot makes it easy to turn what you see on your internet
browser screen into an image file. It is available as a plugin for the
Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers.
Blender (3D Design) ♦
Blender is a free 3D modeling program that is highly praised in the
industry. Using it can require a great deal of time, but it can produce
impressive 3D images.
Graphics Tools ▼
Even if you aren’t visually inclined or have the advanced training of a
graphic artist, there are a number of useful tools to help you make good
graphical decisions.
Color Scheme Tools ▼
Aren’t sure whether two colors go well together or not? Need some help
coming up with a good color scheme for a marketing piece you’re putting
together? These color scheme tools will come in handy.
Color Scheme Designer ♦
Color Scheme Designer is an advanced (yet simple) color tool, allowing
you to easily identify effective color choices.
Adobe Kuler ♦
Brought to you by the same company that produces Photoshop, Adobe
Kuler allows graphic artists to develop color schemes and submit them
for others to view. This makes it a great place to find fantastic color
schemes.
Color Schemer ♦
The Color Schemer online tool allows you to find effective color schemes
quickly. There are also downloadable options to be able to work offline as
well.
View Color Information ♦
This tool identifies the colors that are being used in the web layout of the
web page that you are currently on. It identifies colors right from the
HTML coding, so it will skip any graphics on the page.
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Show Images on Page ♦
This tool instantly identifies the image files that are being used on the
web page you are currently on. It can be useful to understand how a web
page is using image files to enhance its graphical layout.
Infographics ▼
Have you ever heard the old adage a picture is worth 1000 words? That’s
because we can pick up a lot of visual information with a single glance –
information that would need to be described in detail if it were written
down in words.
Infographics allow you to present a lot of information very quickly and in
a way that is interesting to others. An infographic is an image that
displays information, data or knowledge using a graphical
representation.
An infographic’s purpose is to present information, and it does this
through an image. For example, most information is presented textually –
using words. And the purpose of most images is to entertain or amuse.
That’s what makes infographics special – they are a mixture of two
worlds.
Infographic Creation ▼
Infographics are powerful marketing tools, especially in today’s online
environment. However, actually creating an infographic isn’t always easy
– especially if you aren’t the artistic type. Fortunately, there are many
solutions for you to easily create professional-quality infographics.
Easelly ♦
Easelly makes it simple for anyone to create a professional-looking
infographic.
Infogram ♦
Infogram offers tools to make great infographics easily. Finished
infographics are not available as image files, however, but must be
embedded using HTML or posted to a social media service (like
Facebook).
Piktochart ♦
Piktochart allows users to create superb infographics without any prior
skills. There is a free option, though most features require a paid
subscription to the site.
Infographic Directories ▼
Infographic directories allow you to submit your infographics in various
locations around the web.
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Visually ♦
Visually allows you to upload your infographic to share with its large
user base. It is one of the most popular infographic databases online.
Infographic Journal ♦
The Infographic Journal categorizes and discusses a variety of
infographics.
Infographics Archive ♦
The Infographics Archive is a simple database of storing infographics.
Flickr Infographics ♦
While Flickr is generally considered a social media site, this special group
dedicated to infographics acts more as a directory than anything else. You
must have a Flickr account to participate.
Reddit Infographics ♦
This special subreddit focuses on infographics. This site might best be
saved for when you are experienced.
Memes ▼
One of the interesting things about the internet is that it has become
stitched into our cultural fabric. You’ve probably had someone send you
a funny video or picture via email, and you’ve probably sent it on to
someone else. These are called internet memes, and beyond being a core
feature of the internet now, they’re also a great way to advertise for free.
Know Your Meme ♦
Know Your Meme compiles popular memes from around the internet. It
is a great place to conduct meme research.
QuickMeme ♦
QuickMeme is like a directory for internet memes. It allows you to easily
create your own memes.
MemeGenerator ♦
MemeGenerator makes it simple for anyone to create memes.
Audio Software ▼
With a little audio editing, you can turn a rough voice or music clip into a
real gem. The best thing is, great audio editing is available for free, and it
isn’t even very difficult to use.
Audacity ♦
Audacity is a true diamond in the rough. Despite being offered for free, it
is a powerful audio editing solution that has more options and features
than most people will ever need.
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LAME MP3 Encoder for Audacity ♦
In order to export Audacity files as MP3 files, you must have this plugin
installed.
WaveSurfer ♦
Simple and compact, WaveSurfer is a good audio editing program
available for free.
Sound eXchange ♦
SoX (Sound eXchange) is a free audio editing program for Windows and
Macintosh, claiming to be the “Swiss Army knife” of sound processing
programs.
Video Software ▼
Good editing software and a little bit of time is all that separates a poorly
produced video from a good one. Whenever using video with your online
business, be sure to do it right with video editing software.
Premium Editing ▼
There are several excellent options available for premium editing
software, and they are pretty reasonably priced as well.
Pinnacle Studio ♦
Pinnacle Studio has been one of the best-selling video editing programs
for over a decade.
Adobe Premiere Elements ♦
Adobe’s powerful video editing software is available in a lower-priced
consumer version as Premiere Elements.
Free Editing ▼
If you prefer, there are a few great options for free video editing software.
They generally aren’t as well-rounded or polished as premium video
editing programs, but sometimes you simply can’t beat free.
Avidemux ♦
Avidemux can apply visual or audio effects in the editing process. It
supports many file formats.
Lightworks ♦
Lightworks is a powerful video editing program that has been used on
important motion picture productions. Originally a paid program, it was
released as freeware in 2010.
VirtualDub ♦
VirtualDub is a simple linear-editing program. Its capabilities are limited
compared to other free video editing options.
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Flip Video Camera ♦
Hailed as one of the greatest video innovations of the decade, the Flip
video camera won many awards and gobbled up market share when it
was first released. In recent years, it has lost ground to all-in-one devices
like smart phones, but if you still need a simple and portable video
camera solution, you might consider giving Flip a try.
Outsourcing ▼
You’ve probably heard about outsourcing before. If you’re like a lot of
people, it brings to mind large corporations moving jobs overseas to
third-world countries. But outsourcing covers many more situations than
that. Did you know that your business might benefit from outsourcing?
In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do to obtain premium content –
especially if you’re struggling with the content creation process yourself.
Once your business is really rolling, it may feel like you’re juggling things
around. There are a lot of detailed and sometimes mundane tasks that
need to be completed to run your business. But don’t feel like you need to
do it all yourself. When you outsource, you allow others to help you keep
your business running smoothly. Instead of juggling it all yourself, you
become a conductor of an orchestra, signaling when and how tasks need
to be completed in a grand symphony: your business.
Outsourcing is the act of contracting a business-related task to a third
party. If you are the sole member of your company, then outsourcing is
the process of paying anyone else to do something that will benefit your
business.
Freelance Sites ▼
There are a number of freelance websites out there which make it easy to
outsource. In some cases, you can put up a project and allow contractors
to bid on it. In other cases, you can contact contractors directly and offer
them a project.
Elance ♦
Elance is one of the preeminent outsourcing websites available, providing
a massive database of contractors who specialize in many fields.
Odesk ♦
oDesk is similar to (and often compared with) Elance, complete with a
large database of contractors.
Freelancer ♦
Freelancer is a great site to find contractors, but they have other options
as well, such as a graphic design contest platform and a marketplace for
ready-made projects.
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Guru ♦
Guru is an easy-to-use outsourcing service with plenty of contractors and
some exclusive features that benefit the outsourcer.
PeoplePerHour ♦
While not as large as its competitors, PeoplePerHour has available
contractors in many fields, including some unusual ones.
TextBroker ♦
Textbroker is an outsourcing website specifically for tasks and projects
involving writing.
Logo Design ▼
Your logo identifies your company or website, and it often the first thing
an individual sees when introduced to your brand. As such, it can make a
big first impression. When you involve a professional in the process, you
can often get a better result than if you try to do it yourself.
The Logo Company ♦
For about $150, The Logo Company can create a professional logo for
you. It’s easy to use, and they offer a money back guarantee.
Logo Maker ♦
Logo Maker offers a simple solution when you need a logo. It is a logo
design tool rather than a website that connects you with designers, but it
has a relatively low cost.
99designs ♦
99designs is the leading contest website for graphic design. Its contest
nature results in dozens of logo submissions, so you get a lot of potential
logos to choose from.
crowdSPRING ♦
While smaller than other contest websites, crowdSPRING offers an
excellent choice to get tasks completed via contests. It offers a variety of
tasks, but the most common ones relate to graphic design (including
logos).
Small Tasks ▼
If you need to outsource a variety of simple, short tasks and want to do so
at rock-bottom prices, these websites will be perfect for you.
Amazon Mechanical Turk ♦
The Mechanical Turk is unusual in the outsourcing realm, providing the
best “crowdsourcing” platform available with low prices. Tasks are best
kept short and simple.
Fiverr ♦
From the common to the quirky, Fiverr is a growing platform where
every outsourced task is $5.
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File Conversion ▼
In the content creation process, you might find that you have a file
created as one file type, when you actually need it created as a different
file type. That’s where these file conversion sites come in handy.
CometDocs ♦
Cometdocs allows you to quickly and easily convert a document file
(such as .doc or .docx) into a PDF, all for free. It can work with many
other types of files as well.
Zamzar ♦
Zamzar offers a free online service to convert files. This includes the
ability to convert a document file into a PDF. It can work with many other
types of files as well.
Animoto ♦
Animoto is a great way to energize a series of images into an engaging
video. There is also an option to export directly to YouTube.
myBrainshark ♦
myBrainshark is the smaller, individualized version of Brainshark, a
powerful presentation platform. It can convert slide shows to video and
push them to YouTube.
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Resources
There are many things you can do to drive traffic to your site or offers.
The world of online marketing is massive. However, there are a lot of
tools and resources you can use that assist your marketing efforts without
actually driving traffic. Whether you need to conduct detailed analysis or
a bit of research, the Resources button of the PMI Toolbar will help you.
Analysis ▼
If you own a website, there are few better things you can do than
understand how your site’s visitors interact with it. A site that is properly
understood is often more effective than a site that receives much more
traffic.
Website Analytics ▼
Of all the tools you are using as an internet marketer, traditional website
analytics are a must if you are marketing your own website. Fortunately,
there are plenty of free resources available.
Google Analytics ♦
Google Analytics is one of the premier web trafficking tools available
today. And best of all, it’s free! It’s not just for beginners. Google
Analytics is used on the majority of online websites – including some of
the major ones.
Google Analytics Configuration Tools ♦
The Google Analytics Configuration Tool by Raven can help you
complete some of the more complex Google Analytics setup tasks.
Excellent Analytics ♦
Excellent Analytics allows you to easily import your Google Analytics
data into Microsoft Excel.
What Is My IP ♦
WIMI makes it quick and easy to find out what your IP address is. All
you need to do is access the site, and WIMI reacts automatically.
StatCounter ♦
One of the leading website analytics programs, StatCounter isn’t just a
fantastic tool – it’s also free to use for the basic services.
Visual Analytics ▼
Traditional analytics are limited to telling you where your traffic came
from and what pages they visited. Expensive eyeball tracking technology
can tell you what test subjects looked at. However, inexpensive click
mapping can tell you exactly where your visitors clicked. Click mapping
is an effective and useful visual analytics solution.
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Mouseflow ♦
Mouseflow tracks every visitor’s mouse clicks – even those that don’t
occur on live links. This can give you insights into where your visitors
think your links should be. Mouseflow can create five types of visual
reports, including recorded sessions or heatmaps.
Mouseflow offers a powerful solution with its paid services. However, if
you just want to try it out, the only limit on their free version is the
number of visitors it will track on a monthly basis. Its extensive features
for low prices (even free) make it one of the best visual analytics
solutions.
Crazy Egg ♦
Crazy Egg is one of the best value click mapping services available online.
SeeVolution ♦
SeeVolution is a click mapping service that includes not only standard
heatmaps, but also mouse movement maps.
ClickTale ♦
ClickTale is quite expensive compared to competitors, but its services are
unmatched – including the ability to actually watch a user’s interactions
with your site in the form of a screencast video.
Feng-GUI ♦
Feng-GUI is a great way to analyze what parts of your website attract
attention.
Social Analytics ▼
One of the reasons that social media has taken the internet by storm is
because it has a powerful influence on users. Ironically, this influence on
users is derived by giving users influence on the site. One of the genius
ways that social media sites have learned to extend their influence is by
giving users even more influence – off the site. They do this with social
buttons, which can be powerful marketing tools for your website.
Social buttons are installed on a website and correspond to particular
social media services, like Facebook, Twitter or Google+. When website
visitors click the button, they share the content with their network of
friends or followers on the particular social media site.
What can really make social buttons powerful is when you are able to
track them with advanced social analytics.
ShareThis ♦
ShareThis makes it easy to add social buttons. It is also fully
customizable. With the built in analytics, you can also see how many
times users have shared your content.
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Site Examination ▼
Sometimes it’s best to take a step back and look at your site in a new way.
There are a few tools that allow you to do this in a variety of methods.
Customer Focus Calculator ♦
With nearly any website, you’ve got to place the focus on your sales copy
on the customer. If you don’t, they might not really get your message.
That’s where the customer focus calculator comes in. It identifies a few
key areas of writing and determines whether or not your writing is
focused on your site’s visitors. While it isn’t the end-all of copywriting
analysis, it can serve as a good start.
Spider Simulator ♦
Want to see your website through the eyes of a search engine? Try out
this spider simulator, which accesses your site in a way similar to a search
engine crawler.
WooRank ♦
WooRank provides SEO reports for your website, offering ideas on how
you might improve it. Under the free account, one report is available per
week.
Marketing Grader ♦
The Marketing Grader takes the experience and innovation of the wellrespected HubSpot and turns it into an easy and free tool used to identify
a website’s strengths and weaknesses.
Webmaster Tools ▼
Search engine optimization (SEO) places a lot of emphasis on search
engines. While a plethora of tools exist to complement and boost SEO
strategies, sometimes there are details that come best directly from the
search engines themselves.
Google Webmaster Tools ♦
Google has often had a distant relationship with webmasters. But that’s
kind of ironic since they’re co-dependent – Google needs webmasters to
create websites in order to have a product (their search engine), and
webmasters get a lot of benefits from the traffic that Google sends them.
Google changed that a number of years back with the introduction of
Google Webmaster Tools, allowing site owners to have access to
information about the way Google sees their site.
Bing Webmaster Tools ♦
Google has long been established as the search engine of choice by the
majority of Americans. But with the second largest market share, Bing is
also a search engine force to be reckoned with.
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That’s why you can’t focus exclusively on Google when it comes to search
engine traffic – you’ve got to consider Bing also. So even if you use
Google Webmaster Tools already, Bing Webmaster Tools is essential. In
fact, you might find that you like it more!
Research ▼
Nothing can help an internet business as much as good research.
Similarly, nothing can compensate for poor research. When you need to
conduct research in a variety of areas, the tools and resources in this
folder of the PMI Toolbar will help you.
Keyword Research ▼
Bows and arrows have been used for thousands of years to strike a target
that is far away. While arrow construction is relatively simple, every part
is essential to achieve the best results. One of the most important
components is the fletching, or the feathers at the back of the arrow.
When properly attached, the fletchings stabilize the arrow in flight,
increasing its accuracy.
In internet marketing, your keyword phrases are like fletchings. If you
select good ones, you can better target your audience and increase your
profits. Just as an archer desires every arrow to hit its target, so do you
want every ad to reach the most qualified audience. Building a good
keyword list is one of the things you can do to achieve this.
Google Keyword Tool ♦
There are a variety of helpful keyword tools available, but the one
provided by Google is the best free one. Google’s Keyword Tool tracks
vital statistics relating to what people are searching for online.
WordTracker ♦
WordTracker offers premium keyword reports, often providing more
information that Google’s tool. However, it charges a fee.
Übersuggest ♦
Übersuggest takes a keyword term and uses various keyword research
tools to aggregate data and provide you with a wide-ranging list of
related keywords.
Keyword Phrase Generator ♦
All you need to do is plug in a few keyword phrases you’ve discovered
using other sources, and the Keyword Phrase Generator serves keyword
combinations.
Marketing Research ▼
It’s good to take a look at trends in order to better prepare your
marketing strategies. Good marketing research can make sure that when
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you start down a new road of marketing, it’s a road that will lead to
success.
Quantcast ♦
One of the best places to find demographic information is Quantcast.
Quantcast is a free information-mining site that collects non-user-specific
data about website visitors. They try to determine specific demographic
information that might help you pinpoint the right audience to test your
offers on.
Google Trends ♦
Google Trends is one of the best resources online to determine relative
online interest in any topic. Using Google’s massive amount of search
data, Google Trends can show you a variety of insightful information for
a search query, including:




Overall search interest
Projected search interest
Regional interest
Related search terms
Google Trends Hot Searches ♦
This page displays the most popular queries that are currently being
searched on Google. This can be a great place to learn about hot topics.
Hulu ♦
Hulu is an internet service that provides television (and other video)
content available to users online. Its targeted style of advertising and
comments system makes it a great way to gauge public opinion using the
entertainment industry.
YouTube Trends ♦
YouTube is the most popular video sharing site online – and one of the
most influential websites of any type. The YouTube Trends blog discusses
a few key topics that are trending on YouTube.
WordPress Freshly Pressed ♦
WordPress.com is the free hosting platform that uses the popular
WordPress blogging software. When you are logged in, the Freshly
Pressed section will display popular or interesting posts from around the
WordPress.com blogosphere.
Competitive Reconnaissance ▼
Sometimes the difference between success and failure is just a few key
strategies specific to your niche. If your competitors already know those
strategies, wouldn’t you like to know them too? You can learn a lot just
by observing them. The phrase, Keep your friends close, your enemies closer,
applies to internet marketing just as much as anything else.
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KeywordSpy ♦
KeywordSpy is a tool that delivers loads of information on keywords and
PPC ads that are currently being used on Google AdWords.
SpyFu ♦
With SpyFu, you can discover what PPC ads your competitors are
running on Google AdWords.
Compete ♦
Compete offers a rough estimate of unique visitors that a site receives
within a given timeframe. It isn’t as accurate as an actual analytics
software, but it’s one of the best workarounds when this data isn’t
available (such as if you need statistics on a website you don’t have access
to).
ChangeDetection ♦
ChangeDetection allows you to keep an eye on other websites. When
there is any change with them, you will receive a notification.
Alexa Overview ♦
Alexa is well-known in the internet marketing sphere. Thanks to the
extensive use of its toolbar, it has the ability to rank and grade websites.
Alexa is known for being inaccurate, but it is often the best information
available.
This tool in the PMI Toolbar takes whatever website you are currently on
and feeds it through Alexa’s service, allowing you to see statistics relating
to it.
Google Related ♦
This tool uses an advanced search operator within Google to identify
websites that are related or relevant to the site you are on. While it isn’t a
perfect system, it does offer insight into what else is on the web –
especially with regards to how Google views it.
SimilarSites ♦
SimilarSites allows you to enter a URL and search for sites which are
similar.
Check DMOZ ♦
DMOZ, also known as the Open Directory Project (ODP) is the most
influential of all free directories. This tool allows you to check DMOZ to
see if the current website you are on is listed in it.
Survey Tools ▼
Sometimes the best research of all comes from your own audience. After
all, who knows your audience better than they do?
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SurveyMonkey ♦
SurveyMonkey is a widely-used survey tool. While it has paid upgrades,
a free option exists which is sufficient for most needs.
4Q ♦
4Q is a survey tool designed to help website owners solicit feedback from
their site visitors. While it is a paid service, there is a free trial available.
Website Research ▼
You might be surprised by how many tools exist that can provide insight
into practically any website. These tools are helpful to better understand
your own website, or they can be used to gain insight into another
website, allowing you to implement similar practices on your own.
Wayback Machine ♦
The Internet Archive has a large collection of cached web pages as they
have appeared at various times in the past 15 years (depending on the
site). This tool in the PMI Toolbar will feed the page you are currently on
directly through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, allowing you
to instantly access a past version of the page (if it exists in the archive).
View WHOIS ♦
The WHOIS of a domain name is essentially the registration details. If
you want to know who registered a particular domain of the web page
you are currently on, all you need to do is activate this tool.
View Font ♦
Have you ever been on a web page and wished you knew what font it
was using? With this tool, you can. All you need to do is activate it. Then
you can discern the font being used when you move the mouse over text.
On-page SEO Research ▼
There are two areas of focus when performing SEO. One is on-page factors.
These are factors which are actually on your site, like keyword phrases.
They can be directly influenced by changing the site itself. The other is offpage factors. These are factors which are on other websites, such as links
that point to your site. They can only be indirectly influenced.
Why much of SEO focuses on off-page factors, it’s always a good idea to
keep in mind the on-page factors as well – especially since they are easy
to change or update to achieve maximum effect.
View Source ♦
DNA is the build block of life. In a similar vein, HTML is the building
block of websites. This tool allows you to access the HTML coding of the
web page you are currently viewing.
View Meta Tag ♦
Meta tags are designed to tell search engines what is on each page of your
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site. Some of them are invisible to human visitors who are actually on the
page itself. In the early days of the internet, search engines relied very
heavily on meta information. Today, web page copy and your design are
more important than meta tags. But they can still be influential if you use
them correctly.
This tool allows you to access all of the meta tags that are coded into the
web page you are currently viewing.
View Page Information ♦
Web browsers collect information about each page that you visit.
Generally this information is not available to view unless you specifically
access it. This tool provides opens a window with this information.
View Speed Report ♦
The time it takes to load a page on your site can have to important
impacts. It directly influences a visitor – especially if it loads too slowly
and the visitor is impatient. But it can also have an impact on search
engines. Because of this, if you can improve your site’s speed, you
probably should.
This tool allows you to test and determine how fast a web page loads.
Link Research ▼
Understanding a website’s link profile can go a long way with
understanding how those inbound links are improving search engine
rankings. That’s why a little link research once in while can be one of the
best SEO tasks you can do.
An important term to know is anchor text. This describes the clickable text
that comprises the link. Sometimes this is the actual URL, such as
www.RCHelicopterPad.com. The anchor text can also be descriptive,
such as Buy RC Helicopters! In these two examples, the actual link directs
to the same place, but the anchor text is different.
Display Link Details ♦
This tool takes the web page you are currently viewing and directly
modifies it to display the URL of every link, whether it is the original
anchor text or not. This allows you to quickly ascertain exactly where
each link is pointing.
This tool can be turned on and off.
Display Anchors ♦
Links don’t have to point to another web page. In fact, they might point
to another area on the existing page. These are identified by anchors,
which are different than anchor text. While anchor text is the visible text of
a link, an anchor is a piece of code that can serve as a target for a link on
the page.
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This tool can be turned on and off.
Display Title Attributes ♦
The title attribute provides additional text about a link. It is normally only
visible if the user hovers the mouse cursor over the link without clicking
it, but this tool will make all of the title attributes visible at once.
This tool can be turned on and off.
Page Info ▼
If you need to lift up the metaphorical hood and take a look at what is
making the web page tick, there are a few useful tools to help you out.
View Color Information ♦
This tool identifies the colors that are being used in the web layout of the
web page that you are currently on. It identifies colors right from the
HTML coding, so it will skip any graphics on the page.
View Document Outline ♦
Header tags are essential elements of HTML coding. They allow different
pieces of text to be identified as headers. This tool allows you to pull out
all of the header tags and see the page’s outline at a glance.
View Document Size ♦
This tool allows you to quickly determine how large the file is for the
page you are currently viewing.
View CSS ♦
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a programming language that feeds basic
information into a web page when it is created dynamically. CSS is used
with most modern websites. By accessing this tool, you can view a
website’s CSS to better understand its code.
View JavaScript ♦
JavaScript is a programming language that is often used to create
impressive functions or advanced features on websites. By accessing this
tool, you can view a web page’s JavaScript to better understand its code.
Page Structure ▼
Do you want to better understand how a web page is set up? Look no
further than these helpful tools.
Display Access Keys ♦
When a web page is coded for access keys, a user can jump to a specific
part of the page. For example, in Firefox, by pressing ALT + SHIFT on the
keyboard, along with the access key, you can immediately access a
particular part of the web page.
This tool allows you to display any access keys that are in use on a
particular web page.
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Display Block Size ♦
When certain HTML elements are used when coding a website, it creates
what is referred to as a block. This tool allows you to visually discern
where blocks are created and what they include.
Display Element Information ♦
When you activate this tool and then click anywhere on the web page, a
window will appear which displays various information relating to the
coding of that exact spot on the web page. This is helpful if you are trying
to understand the page’s code.
Display Object Information ♦
This tool displays HTML object information. Objects are no longer used
on many websites, and some newer browsers no longer support this
coding element.
Display Tab Index ♦
The tab index allows a programmer to specify the order in which links
are selected with the TAB key on the keyboard. This tool makes that piece
of code visible.
Display Ruler ♦
This tool allows you to create a box on the web page you are viewing. A
bar will appear at the top of the browser indicating the coordinates of the
box along with its size (in pixels).
Tables ▼
Tables were a commonly used HTML element in the early days of the
internet. They are not always used in modern coding. However, if you
find a web page that utilizes tables, these tools will help you better
understand them.
Display Table Depth ♦
Sometimes tables are embedded within other tables. This tool will help
you determine where tables are and when they are part of another table.
Display Table Information ♦
This tool can display additional information about a table onscreen.
Outline Tables ♦
This tool highlights tables on a page, making them more visual.
Outline Table Cells ♦
This tool highlights the actual cells of any tables on a page, making them
more visual.
Look Up in Wikipedia ♦
With over 4 million articles on a myriad of subjects, Wikipedia has
become the go-to source for online research of nearly any kind. When you
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highlight a word on any web page and access this tool in the PMI
Toolbar, it will automatically look up the highlighted word in Wikipedia.
Bing Ads Intelligence ♦
This tool is directly tied with the Bing Ads advertising platform. While
you must download it and use it in conjunction with Microsoft Excel
(which you must already own), it can be a powerful tool to help you with
research for your Bing Ads campaigns.
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) ♦
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) connects researchers with individuals who
have useful information. You can use it to provide information (and
hopefully build meaningful business contacts along the way), or you can
use it to research new content.
Commonly Misspelled Words ♦
Wikipedia’s entry on commonly misspelled words provides a large list.
This can be useful in a few marketing endeavors when identifying a word
that is not commonly misspelled is important. For example, this can be
useful when selecting a domain name.
Alexa’s List of Most Popular Sites ♦
Alexa keeps track of which sites are visited the most frequently. This list
of the top 500 sites is particularly useful for DirectCPV users, since no
advertisers with a budget of less than $50 per day are allowed to target
these top sites.
Microsoft Office Training ♦
Sonic offers expert training on using Windows 7 and the Microsoft Office
Suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access). Whether
you are new to Microsoft programs or simply unfamiliar with the
enhancements provided in the new versions of Office and Windows, you
will find these training videos improve your ability to work effectively in
a modern computer environment.
Computer Security ♦
Invisus provides professional-grade computer security software designed
especially for home-based businesses. It is essential to protect your
computer. As a small business owner, you will have more important
information on your computer than you did before. This also makes you
a more desirable target with individuals who would want to compromise
your computer.
Trust Guard ♦
Trust Guard offers three seals: Security, Privacy and Business. When you
place these seals on your website, you can improve your conversion rate
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– sometimes drastically. These seals lend credibility to your business,
validating your site in the minds of potential customers.
Phone Numbers ▼
Even if you ultimately take phone calls on your existing cell phone or
landline, it can be beneficial to have calls routed through a separate
business number initially.
Kall8 ♦
If you’re looking for a professional touch with your communication with
customers, getting your own 800 number can go a long way. And with
the premium features that Kall8 offers for a low cost, there’s no better
provider. Kall8 provides a variety of features and options, allowing you
to get what you want in an 800 number (and nothing you don’t need).
uReach ♦
uReach offers an 800 number with call forwarding and the ability to
update settings online. Vanity numbers are also available.
Onebox ♦
With advanced features that go beyond simply provided an 800 number,
Onebox might be ideal if you are already a growing business or if you
have multiple business partners.
Google Voice ♦
Google Voice is an advanced call management system. It includes a
myriad of features, one of which is a unique local phone number.
YouMail ♦
With some of the most advanced features available for incoming calls and
voicemail, YouMail is a fantastic option if it fits within your business
budget.
Physical Address ▼
Displaying a physical address can inspire confidence in your business
with your potential customers. But that doesn’t mean that you have to list
your home address.
The UPS Store Mailbox ♦
The UPS Store allows you to have a physical address with a suite number
instead of a PO box number. You can even set it up to receive a text
message or email whenever a package arrives.
URL Shorteners ▼
URL shorteners take any URL and shorten it down to something
manageable. For example, you might start out with this – tkqlhce.com/click-
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3307841-98471764/id-5908174 – and shorten it to this –tinyurl.com/cfqnpp3.
And in some cases, you can customize it, so it doesn’t look as confusing.
Always check your shortened URL after you’ve made it. It’s essential to
make sure that it redirects correctly to your target URL. For example,
some affiliate links – like Clickbank products – won’t work correctly
using the Bitly or Google shorteners. So always test first!
TinyURL ♦
TinyURL is a simple, yet popular URL shortener. You can also customize
your shortened URL for a better user experience.
TinyURL This Page ♦
This tool automatically grabs the URL of the current page you are
viewing and feeds it through TinyURL.
Bitly ♦
Bitly is a URL shortener with a social media twist, encouraging sharing
shortened links (termed “bitmarks”) via social bookmarking.
Google URL Shortener ♦
Google’s own URL shortener includes added features, such as the ability
to track a URL’s usage or transform it into a QR code.
Clicky.me ♦
Clicky.me requires a free account registration to use, but it is a good URL
shortener and works well with affiliate links.
Productivity Tools ▼
Part of being an effective internet marketer is knowing how to get as
much done as quickly as possible. These tools can help boost your
productivity to get more done.
Google Drive ♦
Google Drive allows you to store up to 5 GB of files online (or even more
with a paid account). It can be ideal if you need to move files between
different devices or simply store them in a central location.
FollowUp ♦
FollowUp allows you to schedule reminders to yourself directly in an
email. By simply sending an email to FollowUp, the email will return to
you at a specified time.
GTD Tools ♦
This website provides a list of productivity tools, otherwise known as
GTD (getting things done).
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Conversion Tracking ▼
An essential component of affiliate marketing is knowing which offers are
converting, in which ads, at which times of day, under what
circumstances, etc. Sometimes this type of information is only available to
savvy affiliate marketers who know conversion tracking inside and out.
Prosper202 ♦
Undoubtedly one of the most powerful and effective conversion tracking
options available, Prosper202 has become one of the key tools for affiliate
marketers.
Hosting Solutions ▼
While the actual Prosper202 software is free, the hosting provider that is
required to use it is not. Many web hosts will work effectively, but this
subfolder contains a few that are recommended.
Bluehost ♦
Bluehost is hailed as one of the leading hosting providers. Its varied
features and relatively inexpensive cost make it an excellent option when
using Prosper202.
Dreamhost ♦
Dreamhost is a popular hosting provider, offering many options with
ease-of-use.
HostGator ♦
HostGator is a hosting provider with a wide user base. It includes many
features, keeps costs lows and provides all of its services using energy
efficient methods.
PopUp Domination ♦
PopUp Domination is an easy-to-use feature box software that can
increase subscription rates in a professional-looking manner. If you want
an easy and professional feature box solution, PopUp Domination is an
excellent choice – though you will have to pay for it.
FileZilla ♦
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a protocol used to transfer files from one
location to another. It is sometimes used with web development. If you
need to use FTP, FileZilla is a free FTP Program.
Offline Marketing ▼
The internet has changed almost everything about daily life – how we
communicate, how we learn and how we do business. For example,
online marketing is completely different than traditional modes of
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marketing. However, that doesn’t means that traditional modes of
marketing can’t work for an online business.
QR Code Generators ▼
A QR code is a type of barcode that encodes information and can be read
by smartphones. One of the primary advantages of QR codes is that they
can encode URLs. When a user scans the code, they are taken to the
website.
Just remember to include the http:// part of the address – you can’t just
start with www. If you use QR codes, make sure that the
website is optimized for mobile phones. Also, do not use QR codes
exclusively since not everyone has a smartphone. It’s best to include the
URL in addition to providing a QR code.
These QR code generators make it easy to turn a URL into a QR code.
Create QR Code ♦
This QR code tool uses simplicity as its main feature.
GoQR ♦
GoQR makes it easy to turn text or a URL into a QR code.
Qurify ♦
Qurify is an easy way to create a QR code.
Google URL Shortener ♦
Google’s URL shortener includes added features, such as the ability to
track a URL’s usage or transform it into a QR code.
Business Cards ▼
Traditionally, business cards have been used to provide contact
information when formal introductions are made. You can use a business
card as a reminder to those you meet about your website or offers. It’s
also a great way to share your website without being too pushy or salesy
– just give them your card. A business card ensures that they have the
URLs on hand later. Even if they aren’t interested, they may pass your
card on to someone who is.
Business Card Land ♦
Business Card Land makes it easy to create professional-looking business
cards that you can print yourself.
Business Card Generator ♦
This page, a project by Steven DeGraeve, makes it easy to create simple
business cards quickly, which you can print yourself.
Zazzle Business Cards ♦
Zazzle has proprietary software to make fantastic business cards.
However, you are required to order the cards through their site.
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Business Card Star ♦
With Business Card Star, you can create great business cards very
quickly. It is a paid service, however.
Uprinting Business Cards ♦
Uprinting is a respectable online printing service that offers many tools to
create and print business cards.
Staples Business Cards ♦
Staples isn’t just a massive office retailer – they offer many services, one
of which is for online printing. As part of that, you can create and print
business cards directly using their platform.
Printing Services ▼
Using printed material as a marketing technique predates the internet,
television and even radio. Ever since Gutenberg invented the printing
press in the mid-1400s, printing has been an important part of culture and
business. It is one of the oldest marketing strategies, and it’s still effective
today.
If you need an online printing service, these three are great ones to use for
your offline marketing.
Uprinting ♦
UPrinting allows you to print business with many options.
Staples ♦
The popular retailer also has a great online printing service.
Vistaprint ♦
Vistaprint is one of the premiere online printing companies.
Promotional Clothing ▼
Adding a simple message or logo to clothing can be an easy way to
promote your business inexpensively. It can also provide an opportunity
to talk about your business when others ask you about your clothing.
Zazzle ♦
Zazzles allows you to add your own design to many different types of
products, including clothing and accessories.
CafePress ♦
With CafePress, you can add your design to a variety of products.
Spreadshirt ♦
Spreadshirt makes it easy to design your own t-shirt or other clothing.
CustomInk ♦
Use CustomInk to add a design to clothing.
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Vehicle Advertising ▼
Using your vehicle to advertise allows you to act as a mobile billboard. It
is especially effective if you drive to many different locations or across
long distances. You can even deduct mileage from your taxes by claiming
your mobile advertising as a business expense! This provides exposure to
your online business – and you don’t have to do anything outside of your
normal routine!
There are a wide variety of options available, including window decals,
magnets and full vehicle wraps. Some of these – like vehicle wraps – can
be expensive, but you might be surprised how inexpensive some of the
window decals or vehicle magnets are.
Decal Driveway ♦
Decal Driveway specializes in custom decals that fit on the window or
body of a vehicle.
Decal Junky ♦
While simple, Decal Junky can produce custom window decals that
appear professional.
BuildASign ♦
BuildASign makes it easy to create all sorts of advertising materials,
including vehicle magnets and decals.
Vistaprint ♦
Vistaprint offers a variety of printing projects. One of them is car door
magnets.
SignZoo ♦
SignZoo specializes in custom vehicle wrap solutions.
Trade Magazines ▼
It can also be useful to research trade magazines in your niche and
advertise in them.
WebWire’s List of Trade Publications ♦
This list can help you find a trade magazine within your niche.
Outdoor Displays ▼
There are a variety of outdoor display options when advertising.
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Billboards
Bus stops
Airports
Malls
Taxis and busses
Street and park benches
These ads are most effective when targeted with your audience in mind.
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CBS Outdoor ♦
Owned by the major broadcasting television network, CBS Outdoor is
affiliated with pertinent and highly effective outdoor display advertising
spots across the United States.
Outdoor Billboard ♦
While Outdoor Billboard doesn’t run the most user-friendly website, it
does offer an easy way to find contact information for billboard
companies around the United States.
Clear Channel Outdoor ♦
Clear Channel Outdoor is affiliated with a variety of outdoor display
advertising spots in over 40 major markets in two dozen states.
Radio Advertising ▼
Advertising on the radio can be a great way to engage your audience –
just be sure to present your offers in a fun and enthusiastic way. Radio
stations are run locally, so you will need to contact them individually to
buy ad time on the air.
Radio-Locator ♦
Radio-Locator is the most comprehensive database on the web to find
local radio stations.
Estimated Radio Ad Prices by State ♦
This page, operated by Gaebler, provides helpful information in
estimating what you might need to pay for a radio spot with many local
radio stations. There is also contact information available for most
stations in their database.
Radio Ad Lab ♦
The Radio Ad Lab provides several radio ad studies and can help you
determine if radio advertising is right for you.
Radio Advertising Articles ♦
This page, operated by Gaebler, hosts a series of helpful articles related to
radio advertising.
Cinema Advertising ▼
One option is to advertise on the cinema screen while moviegoers wait
for the film to begin. This is a captive audience that is generally receptive
to the advertisement (since the alternative is a blank screen).
National CineMedia ♦
NCM offers preshow advertising on screens of the three largest movie
theater chains in North America: Regal Cinemas, AMC Theatres and
Cinemark. National or regional options are available. Ad formats include
either video or static images.
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Screenvision ♦
Screenvision makes it easy to get into the preshow advertising world.
Options are available for either national or regional audiences, with either
video or static image ad formats accepted.
Television Advertising ▼
Advertising on television is another option. The key to a successful
television advertising campaign is to know who your target audience is.
Station Index ♦
Station Index provides a list of local television stations in nearly every
state. It isn’t completely comprehensive, but it is a good starting point to
finding information about local stations.
Classified Ad Sites ▼
Classified ad sites can be used in a variety of internet marketing contexts.
Whether you’re listing products for sale, trying to source products for
eBay, acquiring leads or even outsourcing a project, classified ad sites can
be excellent resources.
Craigslist ♦
Craigslist consistently ranks as one of the top visited sites in the United
States. It is a classified ad site that remarkably sprung out of obscurity
simply through word of mouth. However, much of Craigslist’s potential
is untapped. Most individuals who use it simply want to make a quick
transaction without much hassle and without regard to the item’s real
value. You can take advantage of the wonderful opportunities available
and enhance your eBay sales.
eBay Classifieds ♦
eBay Classifieds is backed by the infrastructure and support of the
popular auction site, but it is designed with free classified ads in mind.
Americanlisted ♦
Americanlisted is a classified ad website with the intent of being as
localized as possible.
OLX ♦
OLX is a classified ad site that focuses on web enhancements over its
competitors. As such, it has a pretty slick interface.
Backpage ♦
One of Backpage’s main advantages is the ability to post in multiple cities
at a time as a sponsored ad.
My eBiz Services ▼
If you have purchased a My eBiz service as part of your package with
PMI, you can easily activate it by visiting these pages.
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Social Media Blitz ♦
Social Media Blitz gives you a head start with your social media accounts,
and it particularly jumpstarts your YouTube account by creating 10
promotional videos.
List Builder Elite ♦
List Builder Elite makes it easy to get the jump on building your list, with
an expert team developing a lead magnet for you and creating your signup form.
Marketing Accelerator ♦
Marketing Accelerator provides a painless way to activate major
advertising opportunities and get started with them right away.
Affiliate Launch Pad ♦
Affiliate Launch Pad combines several elements to give your landing
pages an SEO boost within Google and Bing.
Search Engine Launch Pad ♦
Search Engine Launch Pad combines several elements (including
shopping portals) to give your e-commerce pages extra help in attracting
buyers.
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Other Features
The PMI Toolbar’s primary focus concerns the buttons and corresponding
links. However, this is not all that the PMI Toolbar has to offer. There are
a few additional tools included as well.
Some of these tools are created by independent developers and offered
online for free to anyone who uses the Firefox browser. We have
identified some of the most useful for an internet marketer, and they are
installed at the same time as the PMI Toolbar. If you want to adjust what
add-ons are installed, you can add or remove tools such as these by
accessing the Add-ons menu of your Firefox browser. Such actions do not
affect the core PMI Toolbar.
MessageBar
The MessageBar is located directly to the right of the buttons. The
MessageBar can change dynamically and present new messages.
Occasionally time-sensitive offers or other news may be placed in it.
ColorZilla
The ColorZilla tool is installed alongside the PMI Toolbar. It many cases,
it is placed next to the home button, thought this can be configured
depending on your preferences.
When you select the eyedropper tool (which is the default button), your
mouse cursor turns into crosshairs and allows you to select any color on
the web page you are visiting. This is useful for identifying colors
quickly.
However, there is more to ColorZilla than just the eyedropper. By
clicking the arrow next to the eyedropper, you can have access to all of
ColorZilla’s tools.
Color Picker
The color picker offers a full range of colors, allowing you to identify
different colors and hues. You can even save your favorite colors. All
colors are identified in a variety a ways, including HSV, RGB, Lab,
CMYK, Hex and CSS.
Eyedropper
This is the same tool as clicking the picture of the eyedropper.
Palette Browser
The palette browser is similar to the color picker, though fewer options
are provided in order to make it simple to choose related colors.
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CSS Gradient Generator
The Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator is a powerful tool provided
through ColorZilla. Good CSS code can go a long way with your
website’s look and feel. The CSS Gradient Generator allows you to
develop a gradient from one color to another, and it delivers the CSS code
for you. It’s easy and effective.
Webpage DOM Color Analyzer
This tool takes the current page you are viewing and identifies the color
pallet it is using. It does not take into account any images on the page.
When you mouse over a specific color, it also identifies where that color is
used on the page.
Zoom
The zoom tool allows you to zoom in or out of the web page you’re
viewing.
Resample Last Location
This identifies the last color that you selected with the eyedropper.
Add Color to Favorites
This adds the current color that you selected to your list of favorite colors.
Copy
There are several copy options, allowing you to copy the color information
to your computer’s clipboard. This way, you can paste it elsewhere for
use in another program.
Options
There are several options to choose from.
Change Eyedropper Shortcut
If you want to be able to access the eyedropper tool by using a shortcut
on your keyboard (such as ALT + E), you can do so by selecting this
option.
Don’t Change the Cursor for Eyedropper
If you enable this option, whenever you use the eyedropper tool, the
mouse cursor will stay at whatever it was (generally a standard pointer
arrow). If you don’t like the crosshairs cursor, simply activate this option.
Outline Hovered Elements
This option is enabled by default. When enabled, it highlights the HTML
element that your mouse curser is hovering over when you use the
eyedropper.
Auto Copy
This option is enabled by default. When auto copy is enabled, it will
automatically copy the color code to your clipboard.
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Statusbar Format
Whenever you use the eyedropper, a statusbar appears at the top of your
browser, identifying the current color using various color codes. By
altering the format, you can choose exactly what data is displayed in the
statusbar.
Help
If you need help using ColorZilla, simply choose one of the options from
this help menu.
Online Help
This directs you to ColorZilla’s page that provides a simple explanation
of several ColorZilla features.
What’s New
If you ever want to see what has been added to ColorZilla in recent
updates, simply select this option.
About ColorZilla
Besides displaying using information about ColorZilla, selecting this
option also shows you the current version you are using.
Screenshot Button
If you want to send a screenshot to PMI, you can use this button to do so.
It will automatically capture an image of whatever is within your Firefox
internet browser. All you need to do after that is enter your name and
email address.
The screenshot button is used primarily to document success stories. At
PMI, we love success stories, and we want yours! However, because
success stories are so important to us, we also want to make sure that
they are verifiable. When properly used, the screenshot button allows us
to document that you really are making the money you detail in your
success story.
While the screenshot button is used primarily for success stories, it can
send screenshots of anything in your browser to PMI. If you need to send
a screenshot for any reason, you can use this button. Just be aware that
only the consultant who deals with success stories receives screenshots
through this button, so if you are dealing with another consultant, they
will need to have the screenshot forwarded to them. Usually, an easier
way to show what is on your screen when speaking over the phone with
a consultant is to use Join.me. It found under the PMI button of the PMI
Toolbar.
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SearchStatus
The SearchStatus features are only displayed on the add-on bar, and this is
not enabled by default with modern Firefox browsers. If you want to
enable it, all you need to do is right click on the PMI Toolbar and click
Add-on Bar.
SearchStatus is developed by a company called Quirk, and when the addon bar is enabled, it is identified with a q symbol at the bottom of the
Firefox browser on the right-hand side. Nearly all of the functionality
with the SearchStatus tool is accessed by right-clicking this q symbol.
Options
If you select Options, a window appears with a variety of options, placed
within three tabs: General, Privacy and External.
General
The General tab has a variety of options. For example, if you don’t like the
current location of the SearchStatus tool, you can place it somewhere else,
with a surprisingly large number of locations available.
Privacy
One of the primary features of the SearchStatus tool is to display data
relating to a website’s relative SEO authority or popularity, such as
PageRank. Whenever this data is received and displayed in your browser,
certain information (such as the page you are on and sometimes your IP
address) is sent back to the organization that provides the data. This
information is used for statistical purposes, and in most cases there is no
cause for alarm. However, if you prefer to use greater privacy restrictions,
you can do so by accessing the Privacy tab.
External
SearchStatus uses a feature on the web called WHOIS. This allows anyone
to discover the individual or organization that registered a particular
domain name (unless some sort of privacy guard is active). SearchStatus
does not directly query any WHOIS database, but instead relies upon
third-party websites. Whois-search.com is the default source for WHOIS
data, but if you prefer to use a different source, you can indicate using the
External tab.
Enable
The Enable option allows you to turn on (or off) any of the four data
ranking services that SearchStatus uses. These are PageRank, Alexa Rank,
Compete Rank and mozRank. By default, only PageRank and Alexa Rank
are enabled.
All four of these ranking services are used in the SEO industry, but it
should be noted that none of them are without flaws. For this reason,
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using any one of them on their own is not recommended. However, using
two or more in conjunction with each other can prove useful.
When enabled, these ranking services show up in the add-on bar next to
the SearchStatus symbol. When right-clicked, they offer a few extra
options, most of which relate to how or what they display.
Since these ranking services provide one of the primary uses of
SearchStatus, there is good reason to explain a little about each one.
PageRank
All search engines use algorithms (complex mathematical formulas) to
determine which sites are ranked for a specific search query. Historically,
search engines which provided results that were both useful and relevant
have gained prominence. One of the biggest reasons why Google holds a
massive amount of market share among search engines (over 60%
globally) is because when it was introduced in 1997, it was surprisingly
effective at delivering relevant results. Its secret was PageRank.
Under the PageRank system, a website is considered more important if it
has more inbound links. But a website with a high PageRank has more
power in its outbound links, so websites with inbound links from sites
with high PageRank are considered more important than websites with
the same number of inbound links from sites with low PageRank.
In response to the popularity of PageRank, Google created a toolbar
which displays a figure called Toolbar PageRank. The Toolbar PageRank is
a number between 0 and 10, and it is designed to give people a general
idea of what their PageRank is. Google has remained tightlipped about
many details about PageRank, but it is likely that it is updated quite
frequently. Toolbar PageRank, on the other hand, is only updated a few
times a year. When PageRank is enabled in SearchStatus, a green bar
appears which shows the Toolbar PageRank.
It’s important to remember that PageRank and Toolbar PageRank do not use
the same formula, so they don’t always correlate exactly. Furthermore,
PageRank is only one of over 200 factors Google uses to determine search
results today, so even a website with a higher PageRank than another
website won’t always rank higher in search results. Even so, Toolbar
PageRank can give you an idea of the relative value Google places on a
particular web page, especially in relation to other pages.
PageRank and Toolbar PageRank are set on a logarithmic scale. This
means that while there may be around 10 web pages with a Toolbar
PageRank of 10, there are closer to 100 with a Toolbar PageRank of 9,
1,000 with a Toolbar PageRank of 8, etc.
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Alexa Rank
Alexa Rank is derived using a portion of the internet population that has
the Alexa Toolbar (or similar software) installed on their computer. It
tracks what websites receive the most visits and subsequently ranks
them. Thus, the website with an Alexa Rank of 1 is assumed to be the
most visited website in the world – at least, among users of the Alexa
Toolbar. The next most visited website will have an Alexa Rank of 2 – and
so on.
The primary reason why Alexa Rank has gained widespread usage is
because it is so simple to use and is worldwide in reach. It is easy to
compare one website to another on the basis of one of the most valuable
online metrics of all – traffic.
Of course, the Alexa Rank is not without criticism. Historically, it could
only report on websites that were visited by users of the Alexa Toolbar –
a demographic that is not necessarily statistically relevant. Some
individuals have attempted to discredit Alexa Rank by showing data
which contradicts Alexa’s information – effectively disproving it.
Alexa has improved its ranking methods over time, but much of the
criticism against it still stands. While Alexa Rank should not be
considered the absolute truth of website ranking, you can rest at ease
when using it, knowing that it still offers one of the best ranking methods
available.
Compete Rank
Compete publishes their own ranking system – called Compete Rank. It
uses a variety of sources, including internet service providers, opt-in
panels, app providers and individuals who have installed the Compete
toolbar.
Compete claims to have a more accurate measure of a website’s traffic
than competing tools like Alexa Rank. However, its user base consists
solely of users from the United States, so it cannot rank websites on an
international scale in the same way that Alexa can.
Compete Rank is similar to Alexa in that the most visited website is
ranked 1, the second-most visited website is ranked 2, etc.
mozRank
mozRank comes from SEOmoz’s proprietary indexing software called
Open Site Explorer. mozRank is designed to be comparative to Toolbar
PageRank, and it’s even calculated using similar methods.
mozRank is sometimes considered a more valuable metric than Toolbar
PageRank because it uses figures which can be more specific (utilizing
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decimals, such as 3.6 instead of either 3 or 4). It is also updated more
frequently than Toolbar PageRank and may even be more accurate.
SEOmoz’s web crawler does not have the same resources as Google’s, so
it is using a much smaller dataset. While this can affect pages with fewer
inbound links, it is not likely to make a lot of difference for the most
popular pages on the web.
Highlight Nofollow Links
When one website links to another website, it is effectively voting for it or
lending it credibility in a search engine’s ranking algorithms. Nofollow is a
protocol used in HTML code that identifies an outgoing link on a website
as one which the webmaster does not want to “vote for” or “lend
credibility to.” Links that are nofollowed are typically considered
ineffective from a traditional link building outlook.
This tool allows you to quickly highlight what links on a page are
nofollowed.
Link Report
This tool allows you to see how many links are on any given page,
including how many of them link to other pages on the same domain
(internal) and how many link to completely different websites (external).
Show in Archive.org
The Internet Archive has a large collection of cached web pages as they
have appeared at various times in the past 15 years (depending on the
site). This tool in the PMI Toolbar will feed the page you are currently on
directly through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, allowing you
to instantly access a past version of the page (if it exists in the archive).
Show Whois
The WHOIS of a domain name is essentially its registration details. If you
want to know who registered a particular domain of the web page you
are currently on, all you need to do is activate this tool.
Show Robots.txt
The robots.txt file is a page that is used to tell search engines where their
web crawlers should and shouldn’t go on a website. For the most part,
robots.txt files aren’t useful to human users. However, in some cases you
may be able to glean useful information about some websites by taking a
look at their robots.txt files.
Highlight Keyword
If you want to see where a particular keyword is located on a web page,
you can use this tool to highlight every instance of it.
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Intellectual Property Rights Notice
PMI retains all titles, interest and intellectual property rights of the material contained herein. The content and design
of this material, including all original graphics, headings and organizational flow, are copyrighted © 2013 by PMI.
Any reproduction of this material without written permission from PMI is prohibited and will be prosecuted to the
furthest extent of the law.
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