Bonker Browsers

Yesterday morning, my lovely wife left for work all excited that the office was finally giving her a new computer to replace the ancient and slow paperweight she had been using for far too long. But then, my lovely wife came home from work at the end of the day complaining and swearing and screaming mad because she couldn't figure out how her brand new computer had screwed up her access an important web site. It was a site that she used often for her job and required a log-in. The problem was that all the log in tabs had "fallen off" the screen and she couldn't get to them in order to do her job. Of course, as the resident "expert" at the whole computer thing, she naturally insisted I solve her dilemma. So I fired up my computer to take a look at the site in question. On my computer there was no fall off. She could easily log on. "What the bleep," said she. "No," said I, "the question is... what the browser?" It turns out her new computer uses a different browser system than her old one. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that the web site wasn't configured properly to run on her new browser application although it worked fine on the old one and it worked fine on my home office system. The next day, she reinstalled the old browser and voila! The point of all this is that if you are running an online business, you had better make sure your web site works with any browser your customers may be using. Either configure the layout to conform to the minimum layouts or test the site on a number of different browser applications to make sure it works the way you want and need it to. Otherwise, your customers will start shopping someplace else.

Monday Morning Blahs

It's Monday morning and I have the blahs. Or rather it's the blah blah blah blah blah's. Why? Well, because like most people I try to spend as much time as possible with my kids and family and friends on the weekends. After all that's the whole point, isn't it - to make a living without really having to work. To become a millionaire without having to try. To get the cash to roll in without any effort whatever. One thing that I preach about on this blog is that the reality is always different than the dream. I've worked hard to build an online business (or two) that can operate without daily attention. And I've been pretty successful. But the truth, and this is something you must never forget if you want to be successful too, is that any business online or not, is a business. And that requires you to work at it all the time. My businesses are doing well enough that I can take time off for weekends with the kids and regular vacations and afternoons golfing. But when I get back to my desk, I have business to take care of. Monday's are always a downer because there's a couple extra days of stuff in my e-mail inbox that needs to be sorted and read and trashed and replied to. After a while it all starts blurring together. Blah blah blah blah blah! I hate those long rambling messages that take for ever to get to the point. So please help me make my Monday's a little brighter... get to the point! Stop sending those e-mail blasts that try to tell me the whole story. I've said it before, your e-mail blasts should be short and catch people's attention - then steer them to the rest of the story on your web site. You'll never sell anything in an e-mail and you'll never sell anything from your web site unless you get people to visit it. In other words, your emails need to drive traffic to your site, not make my Monday a blah blah blah day.

Thinking Beyond Google

Although it’s vital to understand and utilize the Google Giant, you must also remember that Google has competitors. Yahoo and MSM and a host of other systems provide search engine advertising and placement services. They all work in a similar manner and can help you promote your site as well as generate income. And, many of them are cheaper to use! So check them out.

Cross-promotion between different systems can provide great income opportunities. Keywords on one system may cost more than on another. Try buying ads using the system with the cheaper keywords and then selling ads with on the system with their more expensive counterparts.

For more useful tips on thinking beyond Google (and for making the most of it, too!) check out these helpful lessons.