Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Retail Management System (Microsoft RMS) are getting new market share due to the Microsoft strong marketing campaign. Both products: Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft RMS are coming from the same Microsoft subdivision - Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS), however due to the fact that both products were bought by Microsoft from different vendors, the integration between the two is not an easy thing. At this time MBS has RMS integration on the General Ledger and Purchase Order level into Great Plains out of the box. This integration has some advancements in comparison to old product: QuickSell, but it is still GL and PO only. We do understand the need for midsize and large retail companies, structured as clubs and selling on account to their members to have more adequate integration when you can synchronize your Sales information and have robust Great Plains reporting.
There is the product on the market, which is integration on the Receivables Management level from RMS to Great Plains, written by Daniel Sionov and Andrew Karasev and maintained by the alliance between LightEdge Solutions (www.lightedge.com) and Alba Spectrum Technologies (www.albaspectrum.com). In Alba Spectrum Technologies we actually do coding and product tuning for specific client needs.
If you are developer you can end up with your own custom solution, we would like to give you directions.
1. Great Plains Integration Manager - if the sales volume is very low, say 100 transactions per day - then you can do data export from RMS and import it into Great Plains via Integration Manager. This is rather end-user tool - it is very intuitive, it validates 100% of business logic, brings in/updates master records (accounts, employees, customers, vendors. etc.) brings in transactions into work tables. The limitation of Integration Manager - it does use GP windows behind the scenes without showing them - so it is relatively slow - you can bring 100 records - but when you are talking about thousands - it is not a good option. By the way you can program Integration Manager with VBA.
2. eConnect – You can create VB.Net application which will be pulling info from RMS and then uses eConnect to move it to Great Plains. eConnect is kind of Software Development Kit with samples in VB.Net. Obviously the development environment should be Visual Studio.Net. eConnect will allow you to integrate master records - such as new customers, vendors, employees, etc., plus you can bring transactions into so called Great Plains work tables (eConnect doesn't allow you to bring open or historical records - you need to post work records in Great Plains, the same limitation applies to Integration Manager above) eConnect is rather for ongoing integration. It was initially created for eCommerce application integration to Great Plains.
3. SQL Stored Procedures. The product we've mentioned above is collection of stored procs. Obviously you have unlimited control and possibilities with SQL queries. You need to know Retail Management System Headquarters and Great Plains tables structure and data flow. Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers – it should be RM00101 – customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents – they are in SOP30200 – Sales History Header file, etc. Do not change existing tables - do not create new fields, etc. Also you need to realize that each GP table has DEX_ROW_ID - identity column. Sometimes it is good idea to use inbound/outbound XML in the parameters - then you can deploy web service as a middle party between two systems. RMS tables structure is self explanatory.
4. Data Transformation Services (DTS) – Good tool for importing your third party data into staging tables in GP - then you can pull them in using either stored procs of Integration Manager. You can also deploy this tool for EDI export/import.
5. Great Plains Dexterity Custom Screens. You can create the window, which will have integration settings in it - RMS store ID matching GP Company database, etc. Sometimes users prefer to have seamlessly integrated into GP interface custom screens - for parameters settings and initiating integration. Dexterity is a good option, however remember - it is always better to create new custom screen versus customizing existing one - due to the future upgrade issues. Also - Dexterity is in phasing our by Microsoft Business Solutions.
6. Modifier/VBA custom buttons on the existing screens - alternative to Dexterity is you are comfortable with VBA and ADO.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Finding keywords to build your web site traffic.
What are web site keywords and how do I go about finding keywords that will work for me?
You may have the dandiest web site with eye popping text and graphics, but if you have missing keywords then you are going to be out of business quick.
Web sites revolve around traffic. No traffic = no sales. It’s a simple equation but one that many web site owners are unable to resolve. The good news is that it’s reasonably easy to select your web site keywords and deploy them, and I’m going to show you how.
Web site keywords are the words that people will use to search for your product or service. These are the words that people actually type into a search engine to find your site – so you can see how important they are.
So how do you go about selecting your keywords?
Selecting and finding keywords and phrases most likely to drive targeted traffic is THE single most important exercise that you can undertake when planning your web site deployment. Omitting this step will result in a marketing failure. Choosing good keywords is the basis on which all of your future traffic will flow.
You may have your own ideas about the specific keywords that people will use to find your site, however I can tell you from experience that if you are the business owner or proprietor then you are probably well wide of the mark.
Don’t believe me! Write down the top five keywords or keyword phrases that you think people will use to find your site now! Go and grab a paper and pen and scribble them down. Then compare them to what you are going to end up with at the end of this article.
Firstly ask your customers how they would search for your product!
This is important because these are the real human beings that will search for your product, service or information. Draw up a list of ten of the most popular keywords and keyword phrases that your customers tell you they would use to discover your web site and then put them into a spreadsheet.
2. Expand Your Keywords into a List of Key Phrases
Starting with the obvious keyword build your spreadsheet like this:
search
search engine
search engine optimization
search engine optimization Birmingham
search engine optimization Birmingham UK
3. Got to word tracker.
Sign up for the free trial and enter your one word keyword. In this case “search”. When you press the search button you are returned a list of related terms. The first term is the same as the keyword followed by a list of related terms – search, search engine, etc. Choose your main term “search” and in the right hand pane you will see the associated terms for your keyword.
4. Organise your workload
You can now see that you are beginning to build up a sizeable list of keywords, keyword phrases and search terms. Compare the results of your word tracker research with the results from your customer polling.
The Word tracker results are fact. These are the terms that are actually used in Real searches. Hopefully these should closely match. But they are probably different to the terms that you initially wrote down yourself!
Five keywords is a good workload to start with. If you are a beginner and you attempt more you will likely end up confusing yourself. Five keywords and keyword phrases is a good start.
Take the first keyword and then make a keyword phrase so that it looks like this:
search
search engine
search engine optimization
search engine optimization Birmingham
search engine optimization Birmingham UK
5. Prioritise your terms
There is a huge amount of competition for your primary keyword “search” but much less for the fifth ranked. Your word tracker results will tell you how popular each term is and how many searches are carried out for each keyword phrase.
It’s unreasonable to expect to get top search position for “motorcycle” as the competition is just too intense. However it’s perfectly possible for the last term and if you are serious about search engine traffic then you should be able to achieve good results for all of your other keyword phrases.
List your terms in REVERSE order and go to work. The reason I suggest doing them in reverse is that you should get good results from the less searched for terms and this will give you the encouragement to be more adventurous when you repeat the process for another keyword set.
Another keyword set!
Ah yes, I omitted to tell you that building traffic is a tedious and time consuming pastime, but hey! Someone’s got to do it!
6. Putting your keyword phrases to work
OK, so now you have your keyword phrases you can put them into action. Allocate each keyword phrase to a specific page and build the content around them.
What do I mean by this?
There are “hotspots” on your pages that search engines look for when they are indexing your pages.
These hotspots are the page title, the page description and the page heading. By incorporating your keyword phrase into these hotspots you are telling the search engine what your page is all about. Sprinkle in some eye-popping copy with your keyword phrase repeated once or twice and you are well on your way to receiving copious amounts of search engine traffic.
7. Repeat the dose
As I mentioned above, you need to build on your basic five keyword phrases and build up a stack of “keyword sets” Once you get to five or more keyword sets then you should be well on your way to a successful web site By allocating each keyword phrase to a page you will know that you need five pages for each keyword set. So five keyword sets will give you twenty five pages of search engine content. That’s a good target for a small web site
Summary
Finding keywords is a process that you simply can not afford to leave out of your marketing mix. It’s important that you target the correct keywords and build your content around them to induce good search engine traffic.
If you miss this vital step then all of your marketing efforts will crumble around you.
Start with five keywords and keyword phrases to make a keyword set. Use word tracker to sanitise your own research findings. Allocate each keyword phrase to a page and fill the hotspots. Sprinkle liberally with good, quality content and repeat your keyword phrases within the main body text.
Now go and service that traffic!
You may have the dandiest web site with eye popping text and graphics, but if you have missing keywords then you are going to be out of business quick.
Web sites revolve around traffic. No traffic = no sales. It’s a simple equation but one that many web site owners are unable to resolve. The good news is that it’s reasonably easy to select your web site keywords and deploy them, and I’m going to show you how.
Web site keywords are the words that people will use to search for your product or service. These are the words that people actually type into a search engine to find your site – so you can see how important they are.
So how do you go about selecting your keywords?
Selecting and finding keywords and phrases most likely to drive targeted traffic is THE single most important exercise that you can undertake when planning your web site deployment. Omitting this step will result in a marketing failure. Choosing good keywords is the basis on which all of your future traffic will flow.
You may have your own ideas about the specific keywords that people will use to find your site, however I can tell you from experience that if you are the business owner or proprietor then you are probably well wide of the mark.
Don’t believe me! Write down the top five keywords or keyword phrases that you think people will use to find your site now! Go and grab a paper and pen and scribble them down. Then compare them to what you are going to end up with at the end of this article.
Firstly ask your customers how they would search for your product!
This is important because these are the real human beings that will search for your product, service or information. Draw up a list of ten of the most popular keywords and keyword phrases that your customers tell you they would use to discover your web site and then put them into a spreadsheet.
2. Expand Your Keywords into a List of Key Phrases
Starting with the obvious keyword build your spreadsheet like this:
search
search engine
search engine optimization
search engine optimization Birmingham
search engine optimization Birmingham UK
3. Got to word tracker.
Sign up for the free trial and enter your one word keyword. In this case “search”. When you press the search button you are returned a list of related terms. The first term is the same as the keyword followed by a list of related terms – search, search engine, etc. Choose your main term “search” and in the right hand pane you will see the associated terms for your keyword.
4. Organise your workload
You can now see that you are beginning to build up a sizeable list of keywords, keyword phrases and search terms. Compare the results of your word tracker research with the results from your customer polling.
The Word tracker results are fact. These are the terms that are actually used in Real searches. Hopefully these should closely match. But they are probably different to the terms that you initially wrote down yourself!
Five keywords is a good workload to start with. If you are a beginner and you attempt more you will likely end up confusing yourself. Five keywords and keyword phrases is a good start.
Take the first keyword and then make a keyword phrase so that it looks like this:
search
search engine
search engine optimization
search engine optimization Birmingham
search engine optimization Birmingham UK
5. Prioritise your terms
There is a huge amount of competition for your primary keyword “search” but much less for the fifth ranked. Your word tracker results will tell you how popular each term is and how many searches are carried out for each keyword phrase.
It’s unreasonable to expect to get top search position for “motorcycle” as the competition is just too intense. However it’s perfectly possible for the last term and if you are serious about search engine traffic then you should be able to achieve good results for all of your other keyword phrases.
List your terms in REVERSE order and go to work. The reason I suggest doing them in reverse is that you should get good results from the less searched for terms and this will give you the encouragement to be more adventurous when you repeat the process for another keyword set.
Another keyword set!
Ah yes, I omitted to tell you that building traffic is a tedious and time consuming pastime, but hey! Someone’s got to do it!
6. Putting your keyword phrases to work
OK, so now you have your keyword phrases you can put them into action. Allocate each keyword phrase to a specific page and build the content around them.
What do I mean by this?
There are “hotspots” on your pages that search engines look for when they are indexing your pages.
These hotspots are the page title, the page description and the page heading. By incorporating your keyword phrase into these hotspots you are telling the search engine what your page is all about. Sprinkle in some eye-popping copy with your keyword phrase repeated once or twice and you are well on your way to receiving copious amounts of search engine traffic.
7. Repeat the dose
As I mentioned above, you need to build on your basic five keyword phrases and build up a stack of “keyword sets” Once you get to five or more keyword sets then you should be well on your way to a successful web site By allocating each keyword phrase to a page you will know that you need five pages for each keyword set. So five keyword sets will give you twenty five pages of search engine content. That’s a good target for a small web site
Summary
Finding keywords is a process that you simply can not afford to leave out of your marketing mix. It’s important that you target the correct keywords and build your content around them to induce good search engine traffic.
If you miss this vital step then all of your marketing efforts will crumble around you.
Start with five keywords and keyword phrases to make a keyword set. Use word tracker to sanitise your own research findings. Allocate each keyword phrase to a page and fill the hotspots. Sprinkle liberally with good, quality content and repeat your keyword phrases within the main body text.
Now go and service that traffic!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Displaced Dragons!
While dragons are somewhat mystical and mythical, there exists another type of dragon. These ones are real enough and specialists at silent manoeuvres.
Unlike the dragons of legend, they come with help, or so it would seem.
Worms, mail worms or viruses, their names are less important than their action.
Cutting to the chase, see for yourself the reality, and reason to yourself your reaction, to such helpful mail;
START OF COPY
FROM Administration@myparticulardomain.com
SUBJECT Notify about using the e-mail account.
Dear user of myparticulardomain.com gateway e-mail server,
Our main mailing server will be temporary unavaible for next two days, to continue receiving mail in these days you have to configure our free auto-forwarding service.
Advanced details can be found in attached file.
For security purposes the attached file is password protected. Password is "77200".
Best wishes,
The myparticulardomain.com team
http://www.myparticulardomain.com
END OF COPY
Things to note about above mail;
I replaced the name of my domain with “myparticualdomain”
It also had an attachment “Attach.zip(12.4KB)”.
Double spacing between “Advanced” and “details”, and a similar deal with “For” and “security”.
Unavailable was miss spelt.
MOST IMPORTANT THING. I didn’t or don’t need this type of “help”.
Following is another example;
START OF COPY
FROM MAILER-DAEMON
SUBJECT DELIVERY REPORTS ABOUT YOUR E-MAIL.
Dear user me@myparticulardomain
We have found that your email account has been used to send a huge amount of junk e-mail during the recent week.
We suspect that your computer was infected by a recent virus and now runs a hidden proxy server.
We recommend that you follow instructions in order to keep your computer safe.
Best wishes,
myparticulardomain.com user support team.
END OF COPY
Notes on above mail;
I changed the email address and domain name, as with the first example. Otherwise, it is as delivered (some format change, of course).
It forgot to mention that it had an attachment.
The attachment was a “letter.zip (1.32KB)”.
I didn’t especially want this “help” either.
Conclusion. While there is no need to get paranoid, some care should be taken. As anyone can make mistakes, proper administrators don’t make many, as their professional credibility is on the line. For example, they rarely assume that everyone will spot the attachment, rarely miss spell, and almost never, miss spell often. Generally, they don’t send executables or attachments and will direct you to an U.R.L. or web address, if something is needed. They are also aware of this sort of thing and always have webspace with instructions, or similar facilities.
So, while there are a million ways to infect unprotected machines, potential infections as above can be avoided and avoided simply. IGNORE THEM. It is the frenzied call to action that can cloud the judgement, so TAKE YOUR TIME. As with a desert induced mirage, a cup of water and the time to drink it, can steady the nerves and dissolve the illusion.
Unlike the dragons of legend, they come with help, or so it would seem.
Worms, mail worms or viruses, their names are less important than their action.
Cutting to the chase, see for yourself the reality, and reason to yourself your reaction, to such helpful mail;
START OF COPY
FROM Administration@myparticulardomain.com
SUBJECT Notify about using the e-mail account.
Dear user of myparticulardomain.com gateway e-mail server,
Our main mailing server will be temporary unavaible for next two days, to continue receiving mail in these days you have to configure our free auto-forwarding service.
Advanced details can be found in attached file.
For security purposes the attached file is password protected. Password is "77200".
Best wishes,
The myparticulardomain.com team
http://www.myparticulardomain.com
END OF COPY
Things to note about above mail;
I replaced the name of my domain with “myparticualdomain”
It also had an attachment “Attach.zip(12.4KB)”.
Double spacing between “Advanced” and “details”, and a similar deal with “For” and “security”.
Unavailable was miss spelt.
MOST IMPORTANT THING. I didn’t or don’t need this type of “help”.
Following is another example;
START OF COPY
FROM MAILER-DAEMON
SUBJECT DELIVERY REPORTS ABOUT YOUR E-MAIL.
Dear user me@myparticulardomain
We have found that your email account has been used to send a huge amount of junk e-mail during the recent week.
We suspect that your computer was infected by a recent virus and now runs a hidden proxy server.
We recommend that you follow instructions in order to keep your computer safe.
Best wishes,
myparticulardomain.com user support team.
END OF COPY
Notes on above mail;
I changed the email address and domain name, as with the first example. Otherwise, it is as delivered (some format change, of course).
It forgot to mention that it had an attachment.
The attachment was a “letter.zip (1.32KB)”.
I didn’t especially want this “help” either.
Conclusion. While there is no need to get paranoid, some care should be taken. As anyone can make mistakes, proper administrators don’t make many, as their professional credibility is on the line. For example, they rarely assume that everyone will spot the attachment, rarely miss spell, and almost never, miss spell often. Generally, they don’t send executables or attachments and will direct you to an U.R.L. or web address, if something is needed. They are also aware of this sort of thing and always have webspace with instructions, or similar facilities.
So, while there are a million ways to infect unprotected machines, potential infections as above can be avoided and avoided simply. IGNORE THEM. It is the frenzied call to action that can cloud the judgement, so TAKE YOUR TIME. As with a desert induced mirage, a cup of water and the time to drink it, can steady the nerves and dissolve the illusion.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Attention: You could loose your ru-domain
Attention: You could loose your ru-domain
As RIPN, the Russian registry reports, RIPN stops to perform the duties of .RU Second Level Domain Names Registrar from 2005 January 01. But RIPN remains the operator of the ru-registry and continues to provide technical support of Domain Name Registration System and name servers of ru-domains. It will stay also registrar concerning org.ru-domains , net.ru-domains , .pp.ru-domains and com.ru-domains Therefore all Second Level Domain NameRegistration Agreements between RIPN and persons or entities will be terminated from January 01, 2005.
It will be impossible to extend registration terms of ru-domains sponsored by RIPN after the termination of the Second Level Domain Name Registration Agreements. All ru-domains registered before January 01, 2005 will be supported by RIPN till expiration date. To maintain and renew the domain name registrations of existing ru-domains it is necessary to transfer domains sponsorship to another active registrar.
If you do not want to loose your ru-domain, you should transfer it before January 2005 to ICANN Registrar Secura.(https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html).
Hans-Peter Oswald
https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html
About The Author
Hans-Peter Oswald
https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html
CEO
ICANN accredited registrar Secura
secura@domainregistry.de
This article was posted on July 28, 2004
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As RIPN, the Russian registry reports, RIPN stops to perform the duties of .RU Second Level Domain Names Registrar from 2005 January 01. But RIPN remains the operator of the ru-registry and continues to provide technical support of Domain Name Registration System and name servers of ru-domains. It will stay also registrar concerning org.ru-domains , net.ru-domains , .pp.ru-domains and com.ru-domains Therefore all Second Level Domain NameRegistration Agreements between RIPN and persons or entities will be terminated from January 01, 2005.
It will be impossible to extend registration terms of ru-domains sponsored by RIPN after the termination of the Second Level Domain Name Registration Agreements. All ru-domains registered before January 01, 2005 will be supported by RIPN till expiration date. To maintain and renew the domain name registrations of existing ru-domains it is necessary to transfer domains sponsorship to another active registrar.
If you do not want to loose your ru-domain, you should transfer it before January 2005 to ICANN Registrar Secura.(https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html).
Hans-Peter Oswald
https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html
About The Author
Hans-Peter Oswald
https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html
CEO
ICANN accredited registrar Secura
secura@domainregistry.de
This article was posted on July 28, 2004
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by Ray Geide
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by Sharon Housley
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by Mark Furber
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by Barbara Jackson
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by Sibylla Nash
Friday, February 15, 2008
Microsoft Great Plains Upgrade – things to consider and FAQ
If you have Microsoft Great Plains and support it for your company then you need to know some technical details about Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind the scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customization, additional complexity comes with migration from ctree/Pervasive to MS SQL/MSDE.
What is upgrade in the language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides.
Server side - upgrade converts tables from old format to the new one. In general words - Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies the table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all the data from temp table to the newly created one.
Workstation side - workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe - engine and DYNAMICS.DIC - dictionary. These two plus all the additional files will be replaced with the new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in the new version.
What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports
Dexterity Customization - being very short - Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms - these do not need upgrade - they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (so-called Alternate Great Plains forms) - in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc.
VBA/Modifier customization - Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows - it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA scripts (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA scripts may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually the old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with the new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on the modified form.
SQL - you may have some stored procs for data integration, EDI or the like - if the addressed tables will be changed in the new version then you need to analyze your SQL code. The good news is - Microsoft Business Solution doesn't make a lot of changes since version 7.0, because Microsoft is now trying to merge the products it owns: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta - and so has different priorities
ReportWriter - MBS doesn't change tables, but it keeps changing Dexterity formulas used in ReportWriter original reports - this is the problem in so-called Modified Reports upgrade - usually you have these reports modified: SOP Blank Invoice form, SOP Blank Picking ticket, etc. If report can not be upgraded - it should be redone in the new version with some exceptions.
Crystal Reports - the nice thing about Crystal Report - id doesn't need to be upgraded (if the fields in the tables exist in the new version - which is usually true statement)
What is upgrade for third-party modules? Your Great Plains may have so-called third party modules: Mekorma, Kampdata, Horyzon, Wennsoft, Avalara, Truepay, Trinity, Intellisol to name a few
Third party modules may have their own utility for upgrade. You just need to know that your third-party is ready for the new Great Plains version - if not - you just wait and stay on the old version.
What is migration from Ctree/Pervasive.SQL 2000 to MS SQL/MSDE? MBS has migration tool. You need first to install Great Plains on SQL Server with exactly the same account/segments structure and then install migration tool (it is Dexterity chunk) on your ctree/Pervasive workstation - then, when you integrate the chunk - you will map it to target SQL-based Great Plains Company, select all system and company tables, click the button and it will move all your tables one-by-one. In the case when your Great Plains ctree/Pervasive has third parties - you need to check if the vendor has migration tool - otherwise you have to do manual move, use SQL Linked server to your legacy data
Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases
You have Dexterity customization
You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools
You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports
You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnteroprise 6.0 or prior - in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued
Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend - if it fails - you have business problems
You don't have support - in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan - you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade
What is upgrade in the language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides.
Server side - upgrade converts tables from old format to the new one. In general words - Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies the table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all the data from temp table to the newly created one.
Workstation side - workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe - engine and DYNAMICS.DIC - dictionary. These two plus all the additional files will be replaced with the new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in the new version.
What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports
Dexterity Customization - being very short - Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms - these do not need upgrade - they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (so-called Alternate Great Plains forms) - in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc.
VBA/Modifier customization - Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows - it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA scripts (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA scripts may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually the old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with the new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on the modified form.
SQL - you may have some stored procs for data integration, EDI or the like - if the addressed tables will be changed in the new version then you need to analyze your SQL code. The good news is - Microsoft Business Solution doesn't make a lot of changes since version 7.0, because Microsoft is now trying to merge the products it owns: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta - and so has different priorities
ReportWriter - MBS doesn't change tables, but it keeps changing Dexterity formulas used in ReportWriter original reports - this is the problem in so-called Modified Reports upgrade - usually you have these reports modified: SOP Blank Invoice form, SOP Blank Picking ticket, etc. If report can not be upgraded - it should be redone in the new version with some exceptions.
Crystal Reports - the nice thing about Crystal Report - id doesn't need to be upgraded (if the fields in the tables exist in the new version - which is usually true statement)
What is upgrade for third-party modules? Your Great Plains may have so-called third party modules: Mekorma, Kampdata, Horyzon, Wennsoft, Avalara, Truepay, Trinity, Intellisol to name a few
Third party modules may have their own utility for upgrade. You just need to know that your third-party is ready for the new Great Plains version - if not - you just wait and stay on the old version.
What is migration from Ctree/Pervasive.SQL 2000 to MS SQL/MSDE? MBS has migration tool. You need first to install Great Plains on SQL Server with exactly the same account/segments structure and then install migration tool (it is Dexterity chunk) on your ctree/Pervasive workstation - then, when you integrate the chunk - you will map it to target SQL-based Great Plains Company, select all system and company tables, click the button and it will move all your tables one-by-one. In the case when your Great Plains ctree/Pervasive has third parties - you need to check if the vendor has migration tool - otherwise you have to do manual move, use SQL Linked server to your legacy data
Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases
You have Dexterity customization
You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have third-parties without migration tools
You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports
You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnteroprise 6.0 or prior - in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support - it is discontinued
Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend - if it fails - you have business problems
You don't have support - in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan - you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Reporting Tools for Microsoft Great Plains – overview for developers
Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology – Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations. There are several reporting tools available and you definitely need to know which one to use for different types of reports.
If you are developer who is asked: how do we create report for Microsoft Great Plains – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
1. Great Plains Report Writer (ReportWriter) – this is built-in reporting tool. All the original report in Great Plains are written in ReportWriter. ReportWriter itself is Dexterity module. You should use this tool if you would like to modify existing Great Plains reports, such as Blank Invoice Form - here you can place your company logo, change the positioning, fonts, colors, etc. ReportWriter will allow you also do new reports - simple option if you want to export all the records from one Great Plains table - use it. New report, however doesn't have interface where you would enter parameters - so it is not useful for real custom reports. Another limitation of ReportWriter - you can not do cross-modules report - when you need sales and purchasing info on the same report for example.
2. FRx. This is excellent tool when deal with financial reporting - it works on the General Ledger level (Balance sheet, P&L, Cash Flow Statement, etc.). It also allows you to do multiple companies consolidation - when you do consolidated Balance Sheet (with inter-companies transactions elimination).
3. Smart List - Export to Excel – this is nice feature in Great Plains - you could create a list with simple criteria and then export it to Excel.
4. Crystal Reports. It gives you unlimited functionality. Obviously flexibility requires you to know Great Plains table structure: Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers – it should be RM00101 – customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents – they are in SOP30200 – Sales History Header file, etc. Create ODBC connection to GP Company database. Use the same technique as when you create standard ODBC connection for GP workstation – but change default database to targeted company database. Create SQL Query to probe the data – we always recommend tuning your query and see that you are getting adequate results – in any case – Crystal Report is just a nice tool to show the results of your query.
5. Direct Web Publishing off Great Plains databases – yes - it is easy now with Visual Studio.Net and you can hire good programmers. This is good - Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta will be integrated into so called Microsoft Business Portal - which will have web interface - you can get the idea if you look at Microsoft CRM web client - so derecti web publishing is good taste.
6. SQL Queries. If you have SQL background - this is great field for you. You know - with properly formatted SQL query you can realize simple EDI export/import for the integration with legacy systems.
Happy designing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
If you are developer who is asked: how do we create report for Microsoft Great Plains – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
1. Great Plains Report Writer (ReportWriter) – this is built-in reporting tool. All the original report in Great Plains are written in ReportWriter. ReportWriter itself is Dexterity module. You should use this tool if you would like to modify existing Great Plains reports, such as Blank Invoice Form - here you can place your company logo, change the positioning, fonts, colors, etc. ReportWriter will allow you also do new reports - simple option if you want to export all the records from one Great Plains table - use it. New report, however doesn't have interface where you would enter parameters - so it is not useful for real custom reports. Another limitation of ReportWriter - you can not do cross-modules report - when you need sales and purchasing info on the same report for example.
2. FRx. This is excellent tool when deal with financial reporting - it works on the General Ledger level (Balance sheet, P&L, Cash Flow Statement, etc.). It also allows you to do multiple companies consolidation - when you do consolidated Balance Sheet (with inter-companies transactions elimination).
3. Smart List - Export to Excel – this is nice feature in Great Plains - you could create a list with simple criteria and then export it to Excel.
4. Crystal Reports. It gives you unlimited functionality. Obviously flexibility requires you to know Great Plains table structure: Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers – it should be RM00101 – customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents – they are in SOP30200 – Sales History Header file, etc. Create ODBC connection to GP Company database. Use the same technique as when you create standard ODBC connection for GP workstation – but change default database to targeted company database. Create SQL Query to probe the data – we always recommend tuning your query and see that you are getting adequate results – in any case – Crystal Report is just a nice tool to show the results of your query.
5. Direct Web Publishing off Great Plains databases – yes - it is easy now with Visual Studio.Net and you can hire good programmers. This is good - Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta will be integrated into so called Microsoft Business Portal - which will have web interface - you can get the idea if you look at Microsoft CRM web client - so derecti web publishing is good taste.
6. SQL Queries. If you have SQL background - this is great field for you. You know - with properly formatted SQL query you can realize simple EDI export/import for the integration with legacy systems.
Happy designing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Crystal Reports for Microsoft Great Plains – overview for developers
Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology – Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations. Crystal Reports on the other hand is the leader in the reporting software industry.
If you are developer who is asked: how do we extend Great Plains ReportWriter with somewhat more sophisticated – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
Great Plains Tables Structure – first of all you need to know the tables to link. Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers – it should be RM00101 – customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents – they are in SOP30200 – Sales History Header file, etc.
Create ODBC connection to GP Company database. Use the same technique as when you create standard ODBC connection for GP workstation – but change default database to targeted company database.
Consider SQL Views – if you don’t want complex links in Crystal Report itself or if you need unionization from several companies – SQL view is the answer.
Consider SQL Stored Procedures. Sometimes you can not pull the data in one view – you need temporary tables to be created and the final query should be based on these temp tables – this is when you need stored procedure.
Call Crystal Report from GP Screens via VBA/Modifier – if the user wants to call Crystal report for example - printing Invoices in GP and do it from SOP Entry window – you can use Modifier and VBA to call Crystal Reports engine.
Create SQL Query to probe the data – we always recommend tuning your query and see that you are getting adequate results – in any case – Crystal Report is just a nice tool to show the results of your query.
If you are developer who is asked: how do we extend Great Plains ReportWriter with somewhat more sophisticated – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
Great Plains Tables Structure – first of all you need to know the tables to link. Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers – it should be RM00101 – customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents – they are in SOP30200 – Sales History Header file, etc.
Create ODBC connection to GP Company database. Use the same technique as when you create standard ODBC connection for GP workstation – but change default database to targeted company database.
Consider SQL Views – if you don’t want complex links in Crystal Report itself or if you need unionization from several companies – SQL view is the answer.
Consider SQL Stored Procedures. Sometimes you can not pull the data in one view – you need temporary tables to be created and the final query should be based on these temp tables – this is when you need stored procedure.
Call Crystal Report from GP Screens via VBA/Modifier – if the user wants to call Crystal report for example - printing Invoices in GP and do it from SOP Entry window – you can use Modifier and VBA to call Crystal Reports engine.
Create SQL Query to probe the data – we always recommend tuning your query and see that you are getting adequate results – in any case – Crystal Report is just a nice tool to show the results of your query.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Microsoft CRM Modification – overview for IT specialist
Microsoft CRM is now on the scene and it is increasing its market share, due to the Microsoft Business Solutions muscles and marketing strategy. It is tightly integrated with other Microsoft Business Solutions products such as Microsoft Great Plains, Solomon, Navision.
If you are programmer or database administrator who is asked: how do we modify Microsoft CRM – read this article and you will have the clues for further research.
1. Microsoft CRM SDK – this is software development kit with C# and partly VB.net code samples – it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is based on web service calls, if you are C# .NET developer – you are excellently positioned to do this type of customizations. This is the preferred modification scenario and this should be easily upgradeable customization. VB.Net examples will be available soon.
2. Legacy SQL Data integration. This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or linked SQL Server – you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config – please refer to MS CRM SDK
3. Legacy ASP integration – this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The trick is – you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service.
4. Microsoft Exchange Programming. Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector – which moves CRM incoming email to MS if it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move email to CRM if it doesn’t have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling. Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming - you need some COM+ objects creation and VB programming experience.
5. Direct SQL touch – in #4 above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers – this would be ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But – in real world this is not always true – you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, etc). This is not supported by MBS technical support – but you can rescue to this technique if you have to get job done.
6. MS CRM Customization tool – this is rather end-user tool and we don’t describe it here – read the manual. We’ve described above the options to use when this tool doesn’t do the job
7. Crystal Reports - feel free to create Crystal report - tables and views structure is self explanatory. Try to avoid the temptation to create your own SQL view or stored procedure in MS CRM database, instead - create custom database and place your view and stored proc in it.
Happy modifying! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
If you are programmer or database administrator who is asked: how do we modify Microsoft CRM – read this article and you will have the clues for further research.
1. Microsoft CRM SDK – this is software development kit with C# and partly VB.net code samples – it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is based on web service calls, if you are C# .NET developer – you are excellently positioned to do this type of customizations. This is the preferred modification scenario and this should be easily upgradeable customization. VB.Net examples will be available soon.
2. Legacy SQL Data integration. This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or linked SQL Server – you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config – please refer to MS CRM SDK
3. Legacy ASP integration – this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The trick is – you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service.
4. Microsoft Exchange Programming. Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector – which moves CRM incoming email to MS if it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move email to CRM if it doesn’t have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling. Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming - you need some COM+ objects creation and VB programming experience.
5. Direct SQL touch – in #4 above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers – this would be ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But – in real world this is not always true – you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, etc). This is not supported by MBS technical support – but you can rescue to this technique if you have to get job done.
6. MS CRM Customization tool – this is rather end-user tool and we don’t describe it here – read the manual. We’ve described above the options to use when this tool doesn’t do the job
7. Crystal Reports - feel free to create Crystal report - tables and views structure is self explanatory. Try to avoid the temptation to create your own SQL view or stored procedure in MS CRM database, instead - create custom database and place your view and stored proc in it.
Happy modifying! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
DVD ROMs
DVD CD ROMs have become predominantly the most used CD drive for desktop and notebook computers. They are very reliable and now come as a standard in most computers. If you are looking for a laptop then make sure it has a DVD ROM, this will give you extra speed for normal Cds, and you will be able to watch your favourite DVDs while you travel.
I often sit up late watching DVDs on my laptop after a hard working day.
If you are interested in Desktop computers, then the DVD drive will enable you to watch your favourite DVDs on your monitor. I currently have a 21-inch monitor and a 5.1 computer surround kit. This brings DVDs to life and acts just like a home cinema system, however the quality is even better.
Most DVD ROMs will come in speeds ranging from 4 to 10 speed. This is more than adequate to watch the latest DVDs, play the latest games, and use and install the latest software. Normal CDs can only perform at a certain speed, and it is a lot lower than what the DVD ROM offers. I hope you have a better understanding of why DVD ROMs are now used more than a normal CD nowadays. It is basically all part of bringing a home entertainment system at the best quality closer to everyone.
I often sit up late watching DVDs on my laptop after a hard working day.
If you are interested in Desktop computers, then the DVD drive will enable you to watch your favourite DVDs on your monitor. I currently have a 21-inch monitor and a 5.1 computer surround kit. This brings DVDs to life and acts just like a home cinema system, however the quality is even better.
Most DVD ROMs will come in speeds ranging from 4 to 10 speed. This is more than adequate to watch the latest DVDs, play the latest games, and use and install the latest software. Normal CDs can only perform at a certain speed, and it is a lot lower than what the DVD ROM offers. I hope you have a better understanding of why DVD ROMs are now used more than a normal CD nowadays. It is basically all part of bringing a home entertainment system at the best quality closer to everyone.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange?
IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange?
The severe competition continues for many years between two main leaders in collaboration solutions - IBM and Microsoft. Whether the choice of a platform influences the ordinary user? The both of software giants put efforts to improve working conveniences for end Internet users. Taking into account that the products value is approximately the same worldwide, new ideas of the platforms integration have appeared. Interesting projects have being realized in the both companies.
Free add-on for Outlook: Notes Connector
Microsoft supports free add-on for Microsoft Outlook client, which allows connection to message/collaboration server Lotus Domino. Office Outlook Connector for IBM Lotus Domino enables using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2002 to access e-mail messages, calendar, address book, and To Do (task) items on an IBM Lotus Domino Release 5.x or Release 6.x server.
Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook 6.5.1
The new IBM Lotus Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook 6.5.1 provides the solution for businesses looking to migrate away from Microsoft Exchange, but don't want to retrain their users. Now company employees can continue using their existing Outlook client for messaging, calendar and scheduling, and personal information management (PIM) services, with replacing Microsoft Exchange server infrastructure to Lotus Domino servers, running on the hardware and operation system of their choice, including Linux.
Platforms support
For Lotus Domino 6.5: Microsoft Windows family (95 SE, 98, NT SP6a, 2000 SP3, XP, 2003); Sun Solaris; Linux, United Linux.
For Lotus Notes 6.5: Microsoft Windows family; Macintosh OS X (10.1 and 10.2).
For Lotus Domino Web Access 6.5: Microsoft Windows family; Red Hat Linux, v. 7.2 or 8.0, SuSE Linux, v. 8.0, United Linux, v. 1.0. It supports the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer v. 5.5 and 6.0; Mozilla, v. 1.3.1 Linux-client.
The severe competition continues for many years between two main leaders in collaboration solutions - IBM and Microsoft. Whether the choice of a platform influences the ordinary user? The both of software giants put efforts to improve working conveniences for end Internet users. Taking into account that the products value is approximately the same worldwide, new ideas of the platforms integration have appeared. Interesting projects have being realized in the both companies.
Free add-on for Outlook: Notes Connector
Microsoft supports free add-on for Microsoft Outlook client, which allows connection to message/collaboration server Lotus Domino. Office Outlook Connector for IBM Lotus Domino enables using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2002 to access e-mail messages, calendar, address book, and To Do (task) items on an IBM Lotus Domino Release 5.x or Release 6.x server.
Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook 6.5.1
The new IBM Lotus Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook 6.5.1 provides the solution for businesses looking to migrate away from Microsoft Exchange, but don't want to retrain their users. Now company employees can continue using their existing Outlook client for messaging, calendar and scheduling, and personal information management (PIM) services, with replacing Microsoft Exchange server infrastructure to Lotus Domino servers, running on the hardware and operation system of their choice, including Linux.
Platforms support
For Lotus Domino 6.5: Microsoft Windows family (95 SE, 98, NT SP6a, 2000 SP3, XP, 2003); Sun Solaris; Linux, United Linux.
For Lotus Notes 6.5: Microsoft Windows family; Macintosh OS X (10.1 and 10.2).
For Lotus Domino Web Access 6.5: Microsoft Windows family; Red Hat Linux, v. 7.2 or 8.0, SuSE Linux, v. 8.0, United Linux, v. 1.0. It supports the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer v. 5.5 and 6.0; Mozilla, v. 1.3.1 Linux-client.
Friday, February 1, 2008
ICANN Registrar: Great promotion by is-domains!
ICANN accredited registar Secura is announcing today, that the company offers is-domains to persons and companies outside from Iceland.
The is-domains, which are the domains from Iceland, belong to the domains, which become more and more attractive.
The is-domains are specially interesting, because in English, "is" has a meaning. You could make a combination with files, which form sentences like http://www.tommy.is/at/home or http://www.tommy.is/superman.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura can register an is-domain at once, if the domain name is available.
Only companies from Iceland can register is-domains. A company from Iceland acts as trustee and is registering the domain for the customer. The company from Iceland confirms, that you have all rights at these is-domains.
The is-domains, which are the domains from Iceland, belong to the domains, which become more and more attractive.
The is-domains are specially interesting, because in English, "is" has a meaning. You could make a combination with files, which form sentences like http://www.tommy.is/at/home or http://www.tommy.is/superman.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura can register an is-domain at once, if the domain name is available.
Only companies from Iceland can register is-domains. A company from Iceland acts as trustee and is registering the domain for the customer. The company from Iceland confirms, that you have all rights at these is-domains.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Great Plains Dexterity Customization Options – overview for developers
Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. Small companies use Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology – Great Plains Dexterity dictionary and runtime), Great Plains Standard on MSDE is for small to midsize clients, and then Great Plains serves the rest of the market up to big corporations.
If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains with its native programming language – Great Plains Dexterity – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
The history of the Dexterity. Great Plains Dexterity – this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope – that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.
1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases – you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records
2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server – so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.
3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects – you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.
4. Dexterity Forms – if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA – you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK – but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.
Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary – DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization – consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary..
Happy customizing!
If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains with its native programming language – Great Plains Dexterity – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.
The history of the Dexterity. Great Plains Dexterity – this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope – that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.
1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases – you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records
2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server – so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.
3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects – you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.
4. Dexterity Forms – if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA – you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK – but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.
Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary – DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization – consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary..
Happy customizing!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How to REALLY Profit from SEO
I want to give you a few more things to think about as you excel and grow in the craft of search engine marketing. If you are anything like me, you were hooked the first time you really made a difference to someone else's success. I soon realized that being able to help business owners to get results from these optimization methods and strategies could also be amazingly profitable. I found out that customers are your greatest resources and many of them are quite generous when you make an impact on their business. So the topic here is for those who want to profit from their skills (if you are not already doing very well and having an awesome time already).
It may seem like a strange thing to talk about but before I begin, I'll say this. There are many folks out there offering various SEO services and they are still not getting the profits that they would like to make. They are not REALLY profiting the way they might if they took a little different approach. The solutions that business owners need to really make a difference in the bottom line, require more than just bringing volumes of traffic to a site. You need targeted traffic mixed with a web strategy to compel response.
Then another group that seems to be doing well at first but the truth is they are making lots of promises and sales but they are not able to hang on to clients very long because they are not delivering long term results.
Many of my SEO clients have been with me 5 years plus. (I am still taking on new ones too.)
Let's talk about the benefits of SEO to you as a search engine marketer, then we'll give you 5 ways to profit:
Here are just a few legitimate benefits of offering SEO services to your clients.
--Increase your sales There's no telling how many sales you can make when you not only can talk the talk but you can walk the walk and REALLY deliver results. Prospects can sense there is something different about you and your services. You are known as the one who fixes up Web sites that don't work.
--Increase your repeat business I learned that just because someone buys a web site, it does not mean that they are happy with it. But if you can turn that Web site around and make it work, then that same client may even BUY a second or a third Web site, not to mention, buy various promotional services. All they need to see is, that what you do… really does work!
--Increase your referral business What can I say, but word gets around quick! Business owners talk to other business owners and every time you help someone out and make them successful on the net, it's like they tell everyone else they know. Referral business is wonderful!
--Increase your credibility With the right training and talent, your client comes to think of you as simply brilliant. This is not because you are REALLY brilliant, but you just look after your client's business as if it were your own. If your client insists that they have the best web marketer and SEO on the planet, why burst their bubble? You make them prosper and they make you prosper.
--Increase your confidence There is a difference your client notices in you...right down to your body language and that inner knowing that if I've gotten other folks awesome results last week, I can do it again no problem this week.
--Increase your authority I can not say enough about solid communication and managing client's expectations honestly.
--Build Client loyalty Let the competitor just try and steal your clients with false promises or tricky claims. You've done a great job of educating your client and making them web wise. Now these things are quite profitable sounding but honestly, they are really just fringe benefits. Lets move on to talk about real profit options.
5 Ways to Profit from SEO: Here's how it starts~
1. Stop focusing on sales and start focusing on your clients success!
There are so many "webmasters", web designers, graphic artists in this business. Does it not just scare you a little bit? Don't we have to enter into competition with other web developers and does it not become a rat race?
Start focusing on your client's success.
Do all that you can do to make them successful. Pour all of your talents into making their projects work. So many folks I talk to can never stop thinking about where they will make their next sale instead of delivering results to the clients they ALREADY have and in so doing, you establish lifetime residuals.
Make your client successful and they will literally become part of YOUR sales team.
2. If you're not up to speed, you better catch up fast. A difference in your performance is a difference in your profits!
If you are not up to speed on solid SEO marketing techniques and methods, start learning now. Take a course or study at a live workshop, but however you do it, get your SEO skills up to speed so you can really help people. If you can show them a strategy that really puts dollars in their pocket, they'll put dollars in YOUR pocket!
3. How's your batting average? How about profit sharing?
If your skills are medium to above average, why not share in the profits yourself. I am referring to offering someone a vertical contract. This would be a deal where you own part of the company in return for making it successful with your SEO skills. Don't brush this off. There are some exceptional deals to be had if you start thinking laterally.
4. Don't forget your community and charitable work.
When's the last time you helped promoting a charitable work at NO cost. Build a site and promote it for the Literacy counsel or the Easter Seals Society or your Local Rotary Group or your Chamber of Commerce. Don't forget that this work will often open unusual and even surprising doors. Help make others successful and you will not fail. Many important leaders within your local community will be serving on these committees right next to you! A great way to network and meet new people and help the cause.
5. Watch the latest SEO trends and position yourself to take advantage.
The study and practice of SEO has been very good to me. Five years ago, I never dreamed that my study of Optimization would lead to the Internet lifestyle. I look after my clients well and sometimes go a little beyond what some might do in the call of duty. I have clients that pay me well for my services and demonstrate that they care about my business. As a result of the work I have done, I have enjoyed wonderful repeat business and client loyalty. Referral business is the best type of business going because it does not really involve a lot of preparation or hard work. You know that when you arrive, that they really want YOU to do the job because of your track record. It's wonderful business.
I could write a lot more but I hope you get the picture. If you have not been enjoying good profits, a rewarding lifestyle and being appreciated by your clients your need a plan of action.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. You MUST be able to "deliver" and really make a difference. Do whatever it takes to get your SEO skills and lateral thinking skills up to speed.
2. Run a balanced business. Are you charging for what your services are worth?
There are some folks who charge steeply and don't know how to get the results. For gosh sakes, if you're good at what you do, make sure you are charging well for your services. You DESERVE fair reward if your considerable skills are helping other business owners to prosper. (some people are afraid to charge for their work)
Note: The ones that charge steeply but DON'T deliver may make a few dollars initially, but they won't enjoy the customer loyalty, the referral business, repeat business that you do and they won't have a "customer for life" like you will.
3. Don't forget to recognize and be thankful for the progress you've already made. Be sure to benchmark your victories but even more important, celebrate your CLIENT'S VICTORIES too! After all, you helped bring them about.
4. Give something back to your community (with gladness). Look for opportunities to help others who genuinely need help and avoid those who are only after your talents to exploit them. (Trust me, when your SEO talents and success stories increase, you'll have strangers coming out of the woodwork to take you to dinner and pick your brain). Proceed with wisdom.
5. You must be willing to change and take action! Performing the way you perform now has delivered a certain result. So if your happy with that result, carry on exactly the same way and you should get very similar results. If you are not happy with your results now, then you must change the way you do things.
Same action = same result
Different action = new results
Are you looking for new results?
Is it a time for a change of action?
Here’s wishing you the ultimate success.
It may seem like a strange thing to talk about but before I begin, I'll say this. There are many folks out there offering various SEO services and they are still not getting the profits that they would like to make. They are not REALLY profiting the way they might if they took a little different approach. The solutions that business owners need to really make a difference in the bottom line, require more than just bringing volumes of traffic to a site. You need targeted traffic mixed with a web strategy to compel response.
Then another group that seems to be doing well at first but the truth is they are making lots of promises and sales but they are not able to hang on to clients very long because they are not delivering long term results.
Many of my SEO clients have been with me 5 years plus. (I am still taking on new ones too.)
Let's talk about the benefits of SEO to you as a search engine marketer, then we'll give you 5 ways to profit:
Here are just a few legitimate benefits of offering SEO services to your clients.
--Increase your sales There's no telling how many sales you can make when you not only can talk the talk but you can walk the walk and REALLY deliver results. Prospects can sense there is something different about you and your services. You are known as the one who fixes up Web sites that don't work.
--Increase your repeat business I learned that just because someone buys a web site, it does not mean that they are happy with it. But if you can turn that Web site around and make it work, then that same client may even BUY a second or a third Web site, not to mention, buy various promotional services. All they need to see is, that what you do… really does work!
--Increase your referral business What can I say, but word gets around quick! Business owners talk to other business owners and every time you help someone out and make them successful on the net, it's like they tell everyone else they know. Referral business is wonderful!
--Increase your credibility With the right training and talent, your client comes to think of you as simply brilliant. This is not because you are REALLY brilliant, but you just look after your client's business as if it were your own. If your client insists that they have the best web marketer and SEO on the planet, why burst their bubble? You make them prosper and they make you prosper.
--Increase your confidence There is a difference your client notices in you...right down to your body language and that inner knowing that if I've gotten other folks awesome results last week, I can do it again no problem this week.
--Increase your authority I can not say enough about solid communication and managing client's expectations honestly.
--Build Client loyalty Let the competitor just try and steal your clients with false promises or tricky claims. You've done a great job of educating your client and making them web wise. Now these things are quite profitable sounding but honestly, they are really just fringe benefits. Lets move on to talk about real profit options.
5 Ways to Profit from SEO: Here's how it starts~
1. Stop focusing on sales and start focusing on your clients success!
There are so many "webmasters", web designers, graphic artists in this business. Does it not just scare you a little bit? Don't we have to enter into competition with other web developers and does it not become a rat race?
Start focusing on your client's success.
Do all that you can do to make them successful. Pour all of your talents into making their projects work. So many folks I talk to can never stop thinking about where they will make their next sale instead of delivering results to the clients they ALREADY have and in so doing, you establish lifetime residuals.
Make your client successful and they will literally become part of YOUR sales team.
2. If you're not up to speed, you better catch up fast. A difference in your performance is a difference in your profits!
If you are not up to speed on solid SEO marketing techniques and methods, start learning now. Take a course or study at a live workshop, but however you do it, get your SEO skills up to speed so you can really help people. If you can show them a strategy that really puts dollars in their pocket, they'll put dollars in YOUR pocket!
3. How's your batting average? How about profit sharing?
If your skills are medium to above average, why not share in the profits yourself. I am referring to offering someone a vertical contract. This would be a deal where you own part of the company in return for making it successful with your SEO skills. Don't brush this off. There are some exceptional deals to be had if you start thinking laterally.
4. Don't forget your community and charitable work.
When's the last time you helped promoting a charitable work at NO cost. Build a site and promote it for the Literacy counsel or the Easter Seals Society or your Local Rotary Group or your Chamber of Commerce. Don't forget that this work will often open unusual and even surprising doors. Help make others successful and you will not fail. Many important leaders within your local community will be serving on these committees right next to you! A great way to network and meet new people and help the cause.
5. Watch the latest SEO trends and position yourself to take advantage.
The study and practice of SEO has been very good to me. Five years ago, I never dreamed that my study of Optimization would lead to the Internet lifestyle. I look after my clients well and sometimes go a little beyond what some might do in the call of duty. I have clients that pay me well for my services and demonstrate that they care about my business. As a result of the work I have done, I have enjoyed wonderful repeat business and client loyalty. Referral business is the best type of business going because it does not really involve a lot of preparation or hard work. You know that when you arrive, that they really want YOU to do the job because of your track record. It's wonderful business.
I could write a lot more but I hope you get the picture. If you have not been enjoying good profits, a rewarding lifestyle and being appreciated by your clients your need a plan of action.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. You MUST be able to "deliver" and really make a difference. Do whatever it takes to get your SEO skills and lateral thinking skills up to speed.
2. Run a balanced business. Are you charging for what your services are worth?
There are some folks who charge steeply and don't know how to get the results. For gosh sakes, if you're good at what you do, make sure you are charging well for your services. You DESERVE fair reward if your considerable skills are helping other business owners to prosper. (some people are afraid to charge for their work)
Note: The ones that charge steeply but DON'T deliver may make a few dollars initially, but they won't enjoy the customer loyalty, the referral business, repeat business that you do and they won't have a "customer for life" like you will.
3. Don't forget to recognize and be thankful for the progress you've already made. Be sure to benchmark your victories but even more important, celebrate your CLIENT'S VICTORIES too! After all, you helped bring them about.
4. Give something back to your community (with gladness). Look for opportunities to help others who genuinely need help and avoid those who are only after your talents to exploit them. (Trust me, when your SEO talents and success stories increase, you'll have strangers coming out of the woodwork to take you to dinner and pick your brain). Proceed with wisdom.
5. You must be willing to change and take action! Performing the way you perform now has delivered a certain result. So if your happy with that result, carry on exactly the same way and you should get very similar results. If you are not happy with your results now, then you must change the way you do things.
Same action = same result
Different action = new results
Are you looking for new results?
Is it a time for a change of action?
Here’s wishing you the ultimate success.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The growth of ru-domains
The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain names registered in Russia's national domain, the ru-domains, has increased 19.82% in the first half of 2004 to 256.356 ru-domains.
Ru-Center compares this to the growth of 2003, which was 16.02% for the first half of 2003.
The increase among ru-domains in Russia is coincident with the rising numbers of Russian Internet users. Ru-Center explains, that the weekly users numbered 5.9 million June 2004 , 1.4 million more than one year earlier. The number of Russian Internet users is expanding 30% a year.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura is accepting registrations of ru-domains by non-russian enterprises and private people. According to the experience of this registrar, the ru-domains owned by foreign registrants is growing rapidly
Ru-Center compares this to the growth of 2003, which was 16.02% for the first half of 2003.
The increase among ru-domains in Russia is coincident with the rising numbers of Russian Internet users. Ru-Center explains, that the weekly users numbered 5.9 million June 2004 , 1.4 million more than one year earlier. The number of Russian Internet users is expanding 30% a year.
ICANN accredited registrar Secura is accepting registrations of ru-domains by non-russian enterprises and private people. According to the experience of this registrar, the ru-domains owned by foreign registrants is growing rapidly
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
6 Essential Steps to Protect Your Computer On the Internet For Free
Recently one of my friends asked me to check out if his computer was infected by virus. He suspected because occasionally the computer was shut down automatically when connected to internet. My first thought was the Sasser worm 60 seconds auto count-down. As he uses Windows 98 second edition with IE5, the virus must be a Sasser variant.
I'm not network security expert but I know some basic things he must do to protect his home PC. It was a shock when he told me that his 4 years old PC had no protection except McAfee anti-virus.
* Bought in 2000 and no Windows service packs had been applied since then.
* McAfee anti-virus software came with the PC when bought and no updates since then.
* No firewall installed.
* No anti spyware installed.
This is what I did to beef up his PC to the best of my knowledge.
Step #1: Patch the operating system.
The first thing I did was update his Windows 98 to the latest available Windows updates for Windows 98.
* Open Microsoft Windows Update page at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
* Scan the PC to find out what critical updates and security fixes are missing.
* Select, download, and install a selection of updates, especially any Critical Updates.
* Restart the PC after finished.
When you open the Microsoft Windows Update page, click the "Scan for updates" link. The page will suggest what updates are needed based on your Windows version. You should install all Critical Updates suggested by Microsoft.
It took me about one and half hour to complete the above steps.
Step #2: Download, install, and run Spybot to get rid of all spyware.
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Spybot-S&D is a free anti-spyware software to detect any spyware installed on your PC.
Spyware is any software that is installed on your PC and tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent. Spyware generally can
* Track what web pages you are visiting and send these information to advertising companies. This kind of spyware is commonly called adware.
* Track and record your computer activities such as what keys you hit. This is generally called Trojans.
* Change your web browser's home page.
* And more...
After installed Spybot, I immediately scanned my friend's computer and found 166 problems. The first run killed nearly all of them except some memory residents that had to be killed after a reboot.
Step #3: Download and install Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF).
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html
Kerio Personal Firewall limited free edition is for home users. After installation, KPF works as the full edition for 30 days, after which it becomes the limited free edition.
You may also try the free ZoneAlarm firewall. Be aware that ZoneAlarm free edition uses a lot of computer memory.
The following is the free ZoneAlarm firewall download link. You hardly can find this download link on ZoneAlarm site because they want you to buy the Pro version which is a much better choice.
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp
Step #4: Download AVG anti-virus software
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Because my friend has McAfee antivirus installed but has not been updated for about 4 years. I downloaded AVG Free Edition antivirus software and let him to consider if he wanted to pay and update his McAfee or use the freebie. Running two antivirus software on the same computer can cause conflicts.
Step #5: Install password management software - RoboForm free edition.
http://www.roboform.com/?affid=siter
RoboForm is a password management software with Artificial Intelligence built in that can automatically fill online forms for you. It has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Financial Times, PC Magazine, etc.
Nowadays we all have many usernames and passwords to use on the internet. Some spywares record your keystrokes and send them to the hackers. It has been reported many times that people lost all their money in online bank account or internet payment system account.
One of RoboForm key features is designed to combat this kind of key logger hacking. RoboForm can
* AutoSave passwords in browser.
* AutoFill passwords to login form.
* Click Login button for you.
* Fill personal info into online forms.
* Save offline passwords & notes.
* Generate Secure Random Passwords.
* Encrypt passwords and personal info using 3-DES.
* All personal info is stored on your computer only.
* Put passwords on USB KeyChain for extra security.
* Sync your passwords and safenotes to a Palm.
* Backup & Restore, Print your passwords.
* More features: drill down for more.
RoboForm works best with IE 5.0 and above. IE6 is the recommended browser to use with Artificial Intelligence RoboForm.
Note: free eidition comes with some limitations.
Step #6: Apply additional security measures.
More security measures and resources:
* Read Web Security tutorial from W3Schools, especially the paragraphs for home users.
http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_security.asp
* Use Audit My PC to do three Penetration Testing.
http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/prefcan.asp
* Use Gibson Research's ShiedsUP to do port scan and get useful advice.
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
* Download Gibson Research's LeakTest and check if personal firewall can be fooled. If the firewall is good, the LeadTest will not be able to reach the internet.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
* Browse Microsoft security home page to learn more about Windows security.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
Mission completed. It took me nearly 4 hours that night and the result is so far so good.
I'm not network security expert but I know some basic things he must do to protect his home PC. It was a shock when he told me that his 4 years old PC had no protection except McAfee anti-virus.
* Bought in 2000 and no Windows service packs had been applied since then.
* McAfee anti-virus software came with the PC when bought and no updates since then.
* No firewall installed.
* No anti spyware installed.
This is what I did to beef up his PC to the best of my knowledge.
Step #1: Patch the operating system.
The first thing I did was update his Windows 98 to the latest available Windows updates for Windows 98.
* Open Microsoft Windows Update page at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
* Scan the PC to find out what critical updates and security fixes are missing.
* Select, download, and install a selection of updates, especially any Critical Updates.
* Restart the PC after finished.
When you open the Microsoft Windows Update page, click the "Scan for updates" link. The page will suggest what updates are needed based on your Windows version. You should install all Critical Updates suggested by Microsoft.
It took me about one and half hour to complete the above steps.
Step #2: Download, install, and run Spybot to get rid of all spyware.
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download
Spybot-S&D is a free anti-spyware software to detect any spyware installed on your PC.
Spyware is any software that is installed on your PC and tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent. Spyware generally can
* Track what web pages you are visiting and send these information to advertising companies. This kind of spyware is commonly called adware.
* Track and record your computer activities such as what keys you hit. This is generally called Trojans.
* Change your web browser's home page.
* And more...
After installed Spybot, I immediately scanned my friend's computer and found 166 problems. The first run killed nearly all of them except some memory residents that had to be killed after a reboot.
Step #3: Download and install Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF).
http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html
Kerio Personal Firewall limited free edition is for home users. After installation, KPF works as the full edition for 30 days, after which it becomes the limited free edition.
You may also try the free ZoneAlarm firewall. Be aware that ZoneAlarm free edition uses a lot of computer memory.
The following is the free ZoneAlarm firewall download link. You hardly can find this download link on ZoneAlarm site because they want you to buy the Pro version which is a much better choice.
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp
Step #4: Download AVG anti-virus software
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php
Because my friend has McAfee antivirus installed but has not been updated for about 4 years. I downloaded AVG Free Edition antivirus software and let him to consider if he wanted to pay and update his McAfee or use the freebie. Running two antivirus software on the same computer can cause conflicts.
Step #5: Install password management software - RoboForm free edition.
http://www.roboform.com/?affid=siter
RoboForm is a password management software with Artificial Intelligence built in that can automatically fill online forms for you. It has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Financial Times, PC Magazine, etc.
Nowadays we all have many usernames and passwords to use on the internet. Some spywares record your keystrokes and send them to the hackers. It has been reported many times that people lost all their money in online bank account or internet payment system account.
One of RoboForm key features is designed to combat this kind of key logger hacking. RoboForm can
* AutoSave passwords in browser.
* AutoFill passwords to login form.
* Click Login button for you.
* Fill personal info into online forms.
* Save offline passwords & notes.
* Generate Secure Random Passwords.
* Encrypt passwords and personal info using 3-DES.
* All personal info is stored on your computer only.
* Put passwords on USB KeyChain for extra security.
* Sync your passwords and safenotes to a Palm.
* Backup & Restore, Print your passwords.
* More features: drill down for more.
RoboForm works best with IE 5.0 and above. IE6 is the recommended browser to use with Artificial Intelligence RoboForm.
Note: free eidition comes with some limitations.
Step #6: Apply additional security measures.
More security measures and resources:
* Read Web Security tutorial from W3Schools, especially the paragraphs for home users.
http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_security.asp
* Use Audit My PC to do three Penetration Testing.
http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/prefcan.asp
* Use Gibson Research's ShiedsUP to do port scan and get useful advice.
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
* Download Gibson Research's LeakTest and check if personal firewall can be fooled. If the firewall is good, the LeadTest will not be able to reach the internet.
http://grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
* Browse Microsoft security home page to learn more about Windows security.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx
Mission completed. It took me nearly 4 hours that night and the result is so far so good.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Effective Email Communication
Email, when used properly, can generate additional direct sales and leads; can be used as a tool to communicate with your existing client base to let them know of upcoming events which may affect them; and as a means of ongoing promotion for your business.
The following is a list of simple guidelines and tips that will help you become an effective email communicator. Please bear in mind that many of these guidelines assume that you have never established any prior dialogue and, as you become more familiar with your customers, can often be altered to meet your client's needs.
Send your emails in plain text. While HTML/rich-text-formatted emails do look much more attractive, they will often be accidentally blocked by anti-spam filters and either show up incorrectly or not at all in various email programs. Plain text, on the other hand, will show up exactly as intended in all email programs.
Include a signature of no more than four lines. Your signature should provide the recipient with a means to contact you other than email, and should mention your company name. A good email signature format will look something like this:
Mike Leblanc
Any Vacuum Cheap
Website: http://www.anyvacuumcheap.ca
Telephone: (905) 509-1661
This signature provides not one, but two ways for a customer to reach you.
Note: Many people will put their email into their signature files. This is, however, unnecessary as the email itself can be replied to directly and the email address may be extracted from it.
Use common file formats for email attachments. There are a wide variety of formats for attachments; however, these formats are not universal and as such, many people cannot open various types of attachments.
The following is a list, in approximate order of universal acceptance (based on my own experiences), of attachments which are commonly accepted:
TXT (plain-text)
JPG/GIF (pictures)
PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
DOC (Microsoft Word/WordPad document)
XLS (Excel spreadsheet)
Use short paragraphs. Try to keep your paragraphs to 50 words or less to ensure maximum readability.
Don't send unsolicited sales information/commercial emails. Unsolicited commercial emails, or spam, are becoming an increasing problem and many organizations are blocking, deleting, and in many cases reporting the senders of these emails to various anti-spam services and search engines in an effort to curtail the sender's efforts.
Use second person terms as much as possible. Words such as "you", "your", and "yours" personalize your emails, letting your customer know that you're thinking of him/her specifically.
Check your emails for spilling n' grammer...er...spelling and grammar. A minor typographical error in a lengthy email will generally go unnoticed, but a series of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors will indicate a lack of professionalism and has the potential to cost you business.
Many email programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, include spelling and grammar tools to ensure that mistakes are kept to a minimum. If you do not have an email program with these tools activated, then alternatively you can open up your favourite word processor; type your email; check it for mistakes; and then copy and paste it into your email program.
Respond to all emails within 24-48 hours. If you cannot answer your customer's question in this time period, at least send him/her an email letting them know the status of his/her inquiry and that it is being taken care of. Some things do take longer than one day to resolve, and the vast majority of customers are very understanding of this, as long as they're kept apprised of the situation.
Depending on your level of familiarity with your customers, some of these rules can be relaxed and altered to meet their specific needs. However, adhering to these general guidelines will ensure that, more often than not, you will become an effective email communicator.
The following is a list of simple guidelines and tips that will help you become an effective email communicator. Please bear in mind that many of these guidelines assume that you have never established any prior dialogue and, as you become more familiar with your customers, can often be altered to meet your client's needs.
Send your emails in plain text. While HTML/rich-text-formatted emails do look much more attractive, they will often be accidentally blocked by anti-spam filters and either show up incorrectly or not at all in various email programs. Plain text, on the other hand, will show up exactly as intended in all email programs.
Include a signature of no more than four lines. Your signature should provide the recipient with a means to contact you other than email, and should mention your company name. A good email signature format will look something like this:
Mike Leblanc
Any Vacuum Cheap
Website: http://www.anyvacuumcheap.ca
Telephone: (905) 509-1661
This signature provides not one, but two ways for a customer to reach you.
Note: Many people will put their email into their signature files. This is, however, unnecessary as the email itself can be replied to directly and the email address may be extracted from it.
Use common file formats for email attachments. There are a wide variety of formats for attachments; however, these formats are not universal and as such, many people cannot open various types of attachments.
The following is a list, in approximate order of universal acceptance (based on my own experiences), of attachments which are commonly accepted:
TXT (plain-text)
JPG/GIF (pictures)
PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
DOC (Microsoft Word/WordPad document)
XLS (Excel spreadsheet)
Use short paragraphs. Try to keep your paragraphs to 50 words or less to ensure maximum readability.
Don't send unsolicited sales information/commercial emails. Unsolicited commercial emails, or spam, are becoming an increasing problem and many organizations are blocking, deleting, and in many cases reporting the senders of these emails to various anti-spam services and search engines in an effort to curtail the sender's efforts.
Use second person terms as much as possible. Words such as "you", "your", and "yours" personalize your emails, letting your customer know that you're thinking of him/her specifically.
Check your emails for spilling n' grammer...er...spelling and grammar. A minor typographical error in a lengthy email will generally go unnoticed, but a series of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors will indicate a lack of professionalism and has the potential to cost you business.
Many email programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, include spelling and grammar tools to ensure that mistakes are kept to a minimum. If you do not have an email program with these tools activated, then alternatively you can open up your favourite word processor; type your email; check it for mistakes; and then copy and paste it into your email program.
Respond to all emails within 24-48 hours. If you cannot answer your customer's question in this time period, at least send him/her an email letting them know the status of his/her inquiry and that it is being taken care of. Some things do take longer than one day to resolve, and the vast majority of customers are very understanding of this, as long as they're kept apprised of the situation.
Depending on your level of familiarity with your customers, some of these rules can be relaxed and altered to meet their specific needs. However, adhering to these general guidelines will ensure that, more often than not, you will become an effective email communicator.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Eu-Domains For Everybody
Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html).
Sunrise Period
You should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the introduction of com-domains.
There will be a Sunrise Period (Phased registration for those holding prior rights to a name) at the eu-domains.
The Sunrise Period of eu-domains will have two phases:
The EU Regulation stipulates that the registry must make a sunrise provision at eu-domains to allow those with 'prior rights' to a name to apply for registration of eu-domains in advance of beginning general registrations. The PPR states that the sunrise period (phased registration) of eu-domains will take place in two phases each lasting two months.
During phase one, public bodies and holders of registered Community or national trademarks will be able to register their names.
During phase 2 those who may register in phase 1 may register their eu-domains as well holders of other rights recognised under Community law or the national law of an EU member state. Eu-domains registered during the sunrise period must be an exact match for the prior right claimed and documentary evidence must be supplied to proof the right.
Live Registration: First comes-first serves
Some weeks after the Sunrise Period eu-domains goes live and general registrations of eu-domains will begin and registration of eu-domains will be done on a first come first served basis for any eu-domain not taken during the sunrise period.
Sunrise Period
You should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the introduction of com-domains.
There will be a Sunrise Period (Phased registration for those holding prior rights to a name) at the eu-domains.
The Sunrise Period of eu-domains will have two phases:
The EU Regulation stipulates that the registry must make a sunrise provision at eu-domains to allow those with 'prior rights' to a name to apply for registration of eu-domains in advance of beginning general registrations. The PPR states that the sunrise period (phased registration) of eu-domains will take place in two phases each lasting two months.
During phase one, public bodies and holders of registered Community or national trademarks will be able to register their names.
During phase 2 those who may register in phase 1 may register their eu-domains as well holders of other rights recognised under Community law or the national law of an EU member state. Eu-domains registered during the sunrise period must be an exact match for the prior right claimed and documentary evidence must be supplied to proof the right.
Live Registration: First comes-first serves
Some weeks after the Sunrise Period eu-domains goes live and general registrations of eu-domains will begin and registration of eu-domains will be done on a first come first served basis for any eu-domain not taken during the sunrise period.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Online Classifieds
Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.
The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Becoming self-employed and obtaining a national or global audience has never been easier. Many of these quality Classified Websites will provide Entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is no or little programming knowledge required for a Website, as the administrator of the Classifieds Website will ensure modern and enhanced features, for consumers to find and purchase products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with, prior to deciding where you want to advertise.
Free Classified Ads
If you scout the Internet, you will find a variety of Websites that are promoting, "Free Classified Ads". Many advertisers will rush in and take advantage of these offers, without investigation. However, you should use caution when dealing with these types of Websites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, avoid them all together.
Always remember, maintaining a Website has a price. If they are not selling their advertisement space, another method is being used to generate income.
A common practice is the sale of E-mail addresses. In an online report by Tim Williams (Technical Services Specialist University of Arizona's Steward Observatory [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/]), describing how spammers obtain Email addresses, he found, "Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of email address was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn't care if you only opted in one site they had your address used it and probably sold it off again". There is a big market for Email addresses. The value of an E-mail address rose significantly with the new legislation that enforced the, "Can-Spam Act". By opting in to a Website, and providing your E-mail address, you are opening the doors for E-mail Advertisers to safely market your address.
There are some Free Classified Websites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, "Free Classifieds," but charge for extended time-frames of the advertisements run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free classified Websites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include Featured Advertisements, Bold Text, Placing your advertisement above all others within a category.
In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that Website clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.
Features to look for in a Classified Website
When choosing a Classified Website to utilize, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should focus on consumer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the consumer. They should offer features that help consumers shop and compare. This is what will make consumers comeback to the resource for their shopping needs.
Here are some basic features to look for:
Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy shopping through the variety of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are not of interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows consumers to sort ads by item specific information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the Manufacture, model, location, price range, Mileage, and other details related to the car they want.
Classified Watch List's: Watch Lists are a newer feature that will automatically notify a consumer when an item is advertised on the Website. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to consumers that are interested in the offering you have. In addition, it informs the consumer without the need to continually browse the internet.
Simple Navigation: The consumer side of the Website should have clear and central navigation. If a consumer needs to pass through several pages before seeing items for sale, avoid the site. Consumers will not enjoy having to click on a variety of links to find offerings. Classification of the items listed on the Website should be easy and direct.
Target Audience: The Website you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in England, it would not be practical to place the advertisement on a Classified Website for the United States. This will hold true for other countries that speak similar languages.
Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, Websites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the Website. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws people to a Website.
Writing your Classified Ad
What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor if it is successful or a, "bomb".
Create a variety of advertisements that utilize various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content on occasion. This ensures that you are demonstrating different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your offering from different angles, to see what will achieve the best results.
Choosing the angle of your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, with the exception of a literary work. There are three general angles that you should consider using to promote your offering. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always implement a call to action regardless of the angle you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three angles. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be concise.
Here are definitions and examples for the different types of advertising:
Writing an Expressive Classified Ad
An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small scale business, wanting to utilize a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the offerings. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, "I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was". This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.
Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad
A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to evoke a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising, that uses a Persuasive approach, is the Governments, "Register to Vote," Campaigns. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a concise reason why you should register to vote, "Make your voice heard". By pointing out a simple benefit, they are achieving the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.
Writing an Informative Classified Ad
Informative advertising provides information to the readers and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is becoming very common on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice, if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an Auto Manufactures advertisement for their vehicles (Not Dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the Vehicles Engine Horsepower, Torque, Maintenance Schedule, Improvements from prior models, available colors, Wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc... All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar Auto Models, without taking a test drive.
Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements
Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are very important in catching the readers’ eye. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and Town the property is located.
Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.
Don't overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is simply not needed, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.
Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and Straight forward, inform the readers what the Classified Ad is promoting. They never mention the words that already are in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).
The context or body of your classified is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a Classified advertisement with, "Typo's," gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline; you already grabbed the consumers’ attention, as they are reading your advertisement.
The goal should be to make it pleasant at this point. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take? Use power phrases similar to, "Call Now for Further Details".
Consider the season of your target audience (Dependent on the Offering). In the winter, people may have different motives than in the hot summer. In addition, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a, "Merry Christmas," will evoke warm emotions when people are reading your advertisements. This may help take away the Hard-sell frame of mind the consumer has, while reading your advertisements.
The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Becoming self-employed and obtaining a national or global audience has never been easier. Many of these quality Classified Websites will provide Entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is no or little programming knowledge required for a Website, as the administrator of the Classifieds Website will ensure modern and enhanced features, for consumers to find and purchase products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with, prior to deciding where you want to advertise.
Free Classified Ads
If you scout the Internet, you will find a variety of Websites that are promoting, "Free Classified Ads". Many advertisers will rush in and take advantage of these offers, without investigation. However, you should use caution when dealing with these types of Websites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, avoid them all together.
Always remember, maintaining a Website has a price. If they are not selling their advertisement space, another method is being used to generate income.
A common practice is the sale of E-mail addresses. In an online report by Tim Williams (Technical Services Specialist University of Arizona's Steward Observatory [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/]), describing how spammers obtain Email addresses, he found, "Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of email address was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn't care if you only opted in one site they had your address used it and probably sold it off again". There is a big market for Email addresses. The value of an E-mail address rose significantly with the new legislation that enforced the, "Can-Spam Act". By opting in to a Website, and providing your E-mail address, you are opening the doors for E-mail Advertisers to safely market your address.
There are some Free Classified Websites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, "Free Classifieds," but charge for extended time-frames of the advertisements run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free classified Websites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include Featured Advertisements, Bold Text, Placing your advertisement above all others within a category.
In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that Website clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.
Features to look for in a Classified Website
When choosing a Classified Website to utilize, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should focus on consumer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the consumer. They should offer features that help consumers shop and compare. This is what will make consumers comeback to the resource for their shopping needs.
Here are some basic features to look for:
Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy shopping through the variety of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are not of interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows consumers to sort ads by item specific information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the Manufacture, model, location, price range, Mileage, and other details related to the car they want.
Classified Watch List's: Watch Lists are a newer feature that will automatically notify a consumer when an item is advertised on the Website. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to consumers that are interested in the offering you have. In addition, it informs the consumer without the need to continually browse the internet.
Simple Navigation: The consumer side of the Website should have clear and central navigation. If a consumer needs to pass through several pages before seeing items for sale, avoid the site. Consumers will not enjoy having to click on a variety of links to find offerings. Classification of the items listed on the Website should be easy and direct.
Target Audience: The Website you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in England, it would not be practical to place the advertisement on a Classified Website for the United States. This will hold true for other countries that speak similar languages.
Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, Websites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the Website. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws people to a Website.
Writing your Classified Ad
What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor if it is successful or a, "bomb".
Create a variety of advertisements that utilize various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content on occasion. This ensures that you are demonstrating different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your offering from different angles, to see what will achieve the best results.
Choosing the angle of your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, with the exception of a literary work. There are three general angles that you should consider using to promote your offering. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always implement a call to action regardless of the angle you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three angles. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be concise.
Here are definitions and examples for the different types of advertising:
Writing an Expressive Classified Ad
An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small scale business, wanting to utilize a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the offerings. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, "I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was". This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.
Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad
A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to evoke a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising, that uses a Persuasive approach, is the Governments, "Register to Vote," Campaigns. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a concise reason why you should register to vote, "Make your voice heard". By pointing out a simple benefit, they are achieving the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.
Writing an Informative Classified Ad
Informative advertising provides information to the readers and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is becoming very common on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice, if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an Auto Manufactures advertisement for their vehicles (Not Dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the Vehicles Engine Horsepower, Torque, Maintenance Schedule, Improvements from prior models, available colors, Wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc... All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar Auto Models, without taking a test drive.
Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements
Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are very important in catching the readers’ eye. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and Town the property is located.
Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.
Don't overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is simply not needed, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.
Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and Straight forward, inform the readers what the Classified Ad is promoting. They never mention the words that already are in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).
The context or body of your classified is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a Classified advertisement with, "Typo's," gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline; you already grabbed the consumers’ attention, as they are reading your advertisement.
The goal should be to make it pleasant at this point. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take? Use power phrases similar to, "Call Now for Further Details".
Consider the season of your target audience (Dependent on the Offering). In the winter, people may have different motives than in the hot summer. In addition, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a, "Merry Christmas," will evoke warm emotions when people are reading your advertisements. This may help take away the Hard-sell frame of mind the consumer has, while reading your advertisements.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Search Engine Marketing - John Alexander Interviews SEO author Susan O'Neil about the early days
Search Engine Marketing - John Alexander Interviews SEO author Susan O'Neil about the early days.
Robin Nobles was the very first person to develop a structured series of comprehensive courses and lessons which are recognized and approved by the US educational system for training people in search engine marketing skills. Robin Nobles celebrates her 6th year in the online Web training business with her ever popular SEO certification courses at http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.
Hattiesburg, MS (PRWEB) July 15, 2004 -- Today we bring you the 4th in a series of interviews conducted by Robin's business partner John Alexander, who is looking up some of Robin's very earliest online students and asking them about their recollections of what it was like building SEO skills way back in 1998 and how far they've come in the SEO industry since then.
John Alexander: "Welcome Susan O'Neil, I'd really like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Susan, you had some background in marketing before you started into the search engine marketing industry. Could you tell us a little about your background and how you first got thinking about search engine marketing?"
Susan O'Neil: "I began my career in marketing in 1975 as Director of Public Relations with a symphony orchestra. From there I went to Wall Street where I was National Advertising Manager for Paine Webber. When I moved to New Hampshire, I opened a public relations agency, which is where I first got involved with the Internet when a client company launched an e-mail service."
John Alexander: "Could you take us back and share some memories of the early days? How did you first find Robin Nobles online courses in the beginning?"
Susan O'Neil: "I was helping a few of my PR clients with text for their websites and began experimenting with Meta tags and content alterations. The more I learned about the power of optimization, the more I realized that I didn't know it all. That's when I searched for an online SEO course and found Robin Nobles. Her expertise and her passion for her work inspired me then and it still inspires me now."
John Alexander: "That's very nice and I know exactly what you mean. Could you tell us how long after your initial training was it, before you began realizing your true SEO skills and begin helping people with their Web visibility challenges?"
Susan O'Neil: "I had a good deal of early success back them by just applying the basics that I'd picked up through trial and error. This was easy to do in the mid to late 90's. However, once I finished Robin's course in 1998, I was able to implement a more aggressive program that could better serve the most competitive types of e-commerce sites. Also, through Robin and her students, I found a forum that allowed me to share and learn from peers -- so important in the then-emerging industry. Previous to that, doing SEO was a pretty lonely job since few realized this field of marketing even existed."
John Alexander: "That is very interesting to see how far this goes back. Robin's vision for a forum has always been to create an ideal place where people can share information safely together and she has always been so good at bringing the very best talents out in people. I should mention just for our readers sake, that her newest efforts in this regard just recently has been to fashion an excellent networking community called the World Resource Center at http://www.sew-wrc.com."
John Alexander: "Susan, I was reading a copy of your book which you co-authored with Robin Nobles and noted that in the preface, it says that you two actually wrote "Maximize Web site Traffic" without ever actually meeting in person. Can you tell us how this came about?"
Susan O'Neil: "As I helped more and more of my PR clients move onto the Web through optimized websites, I realized that there was a need for a corporate, comprehensive approach to providing professional SEO services to America's companies. I decided to create such a company and, in 1998, closed my PR agency and launched @Web Site Publicity. In order to give my new company quick credibility and exposure, I decided to write a book on SEO - a "how to" book. Knowing how time-consuming the writing would be, I asked Robin to share the endeavor with me."
John Alexander: "And this was the beginning of this new book?"
Susan O'Neil: "Yes, she agreed to the idea, so we divvied up the chapters and started writing. We didn't meet until it was time to do the final edit. Robin flew up from Mississippi to a ski chalet in Vermont where we typed and talked non-stop for a week. Robin brought a great depth of specific SEO experience which mixed beautifully with my years of marketing experience and the result was a book that, outdated as it is, still brings us fan mail!"
John Alexander: "That is very cool! Now as you know, last month just as of June 29, 2004 Robin Nobles has been celebrating her sixth year in the SEO Training industry with her online (www.onlinewebtraining.com) instructional courses in search engine optimization. Looking back to the early days when you first decided to study search engine marketing, can you describe what your SEO skillset has meant to you personally? How much have these skills meant to you?
Susan O'Neil: "Because of my SEO skills and my marketing expertise, I and my staff have been able to help hundreds of small to large businesses succeed on the Internet. This remains exciting and gratifying. Our clients were also better able to ride out the dot.com bust because our approach to providing SEO services has been to focus on the long term "health" of a website, which means building quality content continuously. Robin in her teaching and, together, in our book - we've never strayed from the truism that "content is king" and that continues to serve my clients well."
John Alexander: "Can you tell our readers about one of your earliest SEO success stories and what it felt like the first time you made a real difference to someone's business online?"
Susan O'Neil: "A longtime PR client of mine is a publisher of fine nonfiction for children. This company was early in recognizing the power of the Internet and so invested in a delightful, informative website that also offered subscriptions to their magazines. However, after spending the money to build the website, they didn't get any visitors. I liken it to giving birth after a long labor to a beautiful new baby that no one comes to admire. Aware of their concerns, I starting tweaking tags, cleaning up code, and adding content and their site began to take off. That early first client has remained with my company all these years and has been generous in their recommending of us to others as they continue to grow their online business."
John Alexander: "What word of wisdom or advice do you have for any of our readers that might be considering building a new career in search engine marketing these days?"
Susan O'Neil: "I don't think you can be in marketing today without at least an understanding of search marketing concepts, even if you don't build the code and write the content. As this "new" science of SEO has become not only universally accepted but consistently praised for its cost-effective strategies, there will continue to be opportunities for people who can apply consistent, aggressive, yet ethical strategies for growing online success, both in-house for e-commerce companies and with SEO/SEM agencies like mine. In fact, my agency is growing still and when I hire someone who may have a great marketing background but be new to SEO, I have them start their learning curve with one of Robin's courses because no one can lay out the ground work better."
John Alexander: "How nicely spoken, Susan."
Susan O'Neil: "The other word of advice I have is an old one: don't believe everything you read. SEO newsletters and forums are great starting points and can be entertaining, but the people with the best information don't go giving it away. Whatever you hear or read, never apply a strategy to a client's site without thoroughly testing it first extensively. We developed our own E- Commerce Lab for just this purpose."
John Alexander: "Finally in closing, I'll ask if you have any other favourite online resources you would care to mention for the benefit of our readers?
Susan O'Neil: "As my company has grown, my responsibilities have shifted from trying to discern the optimum number of words on a Google-friendly page or the best marketing spin in a title tag, to focusing on the bigger picture, so I'm not a good one to recommend the best SEO reading today. Instead, as I lead my team into our 7th year of business, I'm reading the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the UK's Financial Times, always trying to look beyond the bend - to try to see where business in general is going and the Internet specifically. To keep our clients ahead of their competition, we need to keep ahead of ours.
John Alexander: "That is so very true. Well, I want to thank you again so much Susan O'Neil, for taking time today to share some of your rememberances of the early days of search engine marketing and telling us how you first got in to the business. It has been fascinating to speaking to you and I'll just take this opportunity wish you the very greatest of ongoing success in the future."
Robin Nobles was the very first person to develop a structured series of comprehensive courses and lessons which are recognized and approved by the US educational system for training people in search engine marketing skills. Robin Nobles celebrates her 6th year in the online Web training business with her ever popular SEO certification courses at http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.
Hattiesburg, MS (PRWEB) July 15, 2004 -- Today we bring you the 4th in a series of interviews conducted by Robin's business partner John Alexander, who is looking up some of Robin's very earliest online students and asking them about their recollections of what it was like building SEO skills way back in 1998 and how far they've come in the SEO industry since then.
John Alexander: "Welcome Susan O'Neil, I'd really like to thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Susan, you had some background in marketing before you started into the search engine marketing industry. Could you tell us a little about your background and how you first got thinking about search engine marketing?"
Susan O'Neil: "I began my career in marketing in 1975 as Director of Public Relations with a symphony orchestra. From there I went to Wall Street where I was National Advertising Manager for Paine Webber. When I moved to New Hampshire, I opened a public relations agency, which is where I first got involved with the Internet when a client company launched an e-mail service."
John Alexander: "Could you take us back and share some memories of the early days? How did you first find Robin Nobles online courses in the beginning?"
Susan O'Neil: "I was helping a few of my PR clients with text for their websites and began experimenting with Meta tags and content alterations. The more I learned about the power of optimization, the more I realized that I didn't know it all. That's when I searched for an online SEO course and found Robin Nobles. Her expertise and her passion for her work inspired me then and it still inspires me now."
John Alexander: "That's very nice and I know exactly what you mean. Could you tell us how long after your initial training was it, before you began realizing your true SEO skills and begin helping people with their Web visibility challenges?"
Susan O'Neil: "I had a good deal of early success back them by just applying the basics that I'd picked up through trial and error. This was easy to do in the mid to late 90's. However, once I finished Robin's course in 1998, I was able to implement a more aggressive program that could better serve the most competitive types of e-commerce sites. Also, through Robin and her students, I found a forum that allowed me to share and learn from peers -- so important in the then-emerging industry. Previous to that, doing SEO was a pretty lonely job since few realized this field of marketing even existed."
John Alexander: "That is very interesting to see how far this goes back. Robin's vision for a forum has always been to create an ideal place where people can share information safely together and she has always been so good at bringing the very best talents out in people. I should mention just for our readers sake, that her newest efforts in this regard just recently has been to fashion an excellent networking community called the World Resource Center at http://www.sew-wrc.com."
John Alexander: "Susan, I was reading a copy of your book which you co-authored with Robin Nobles and noted that in the preface, it says that you two actually wrote "Maximize Web site Traffic" without ever actually meeting in person. Can you tell us how this came about?"
Susan O'Neil: "As I helped more and more of my PR clients move onto the Web through optimized websites, I realized that there was a need for a corporate, comprehensive approach to providing professional SEO services to America's companies. I decided to create such a company and, in 1998, closed my PR agency and launched @Web Site Publicity. In order to give my new company quick credibility and exposure, I decided to write a book on SEO - a "how to" book. Knowing how time-consuming the writing would be, I asked Robin to share the endeavor with me."
John Alexander: "And this was the beginning of this new book?"
Susan O'Neil: "Yes, she agreed to the idea, so we divvied up the chapters and started writing. We didn't meet until it was time to do the final edit. Robin flew up from Mississippi to a ski chalet in Vermont where we typed and talked non-stop for a week. Robin brought a great depth of specific SEO experience which mixed beautifully with my years of marketing experience and the result was a book that, outdated as it is, still brings us fan mail!"
John Alexander: "That is very cool! Now as you know, last month just as of June 29, 2004 Robin Nobles has been celebrating her sixth year in the SEO Training industry with her online (www.onlinewebtraining.com) instructional courses in search engine optimization. Looking back to the early days when you first decided to study search engine marketing, can you describe what your SEO skillset has meant to you personally? How much have these skills meant to you?
Susan O'Neil: "Because of my SEO skills and my marketing expertise, I and my staff have been able to help hundreds of small to large businesses succeed on the Internet. This remains exciting and gratifying. Our clients were also better able to ride out the dot.com bust because our approach to providing SEO services has been to focus on the long term "health" of a website, which means building quality content continuously. Robin in her teaching and, together, in our book - we've never strayed from the truism that "content is king" and that continues to serve my clients well."
John Alexander: "Can you tell our readers about one of your earliest SEO success stories and what it felt like the first time you made a real difference to someone's business online?"
Susan O'Neil: "A longtime PR client of mine is a publisher of fine nonfiction for children. This company was early in recognizing the power of the Internet and so invested in a delightful, informative website that also offered subscriptions to their magazines. However, after spending the money to build the website, they didn't get any visitors. I liken it to giving birth after a long labor to a beautiful new baby that no one comes to admire. Aware of their concerns, I starting tweaking tags, cleaning up code, and adding content and their site began to take off. That early first client has remained with my company all these years and has been generous in their recommending of us to others as they continue to grow their online business."
John Alexander: "What word of wisdom or advice do you have for any of our readers that might be considering building a new career in search engine marketing these days?"
Susan O'Neil: "I don't think you can be in marketing today without at least an understanding of search marketing concepts, even if you don't build the code and write the content. As this "new" science of SEO has become not only universally accepted but consistently praised for its cost-effective strategies, there will continue to be opportunities for people who can apply consistent, aggressive, yet ethical strategies for growing online success, both in-house for e-commerce companies and with SEO/SEM agencies like mine. In fact, my agency is growing still and when I hire someone who may have a great marketing background but be new to SEO, I have them start their learning curve with one of Robin's courses because no one can lay out the ground work better."
John Alexander: "How nicely spoken, Susan."
Susan O'Neil: "The other word of advice I have is an old one: don't believe everything you read. SEO newsletters and forums are great starting points and can be entertaining, but the people with the best information don't go giving it away. Whatever you hear or read, never apply a strategy to a client's site without thoroughly testing it first extensively. We developed our own E- Commerce Lab for just this purpose."
John Alexander: "Finally in closing, I'll ask if you have any other favourite online resources you would care to mention for the benefit of our readers?
Susan O'Neil: "As my company has grown, my responsibilities have shifted from trying to discern the optimum number of words on a Google-friendly page or the best marketing spin in a title tag, to focusing on the bigger picture, so I'm not a good one to recommend the best SEO reading today. Instead, as I lead my team into our 7th year of business, I'm reading the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the UK's Financial Times, always trying to look beyond the bend - to try to see where business in general is going and the Internet specifically. To keep our clients ahead of their competition, we need to keep ahead of ours.
John Alexander: "That is so very true. Well, I want to thank you again so much Susan O'Neil, for taking time today to share some of your rememberances of the early days of search engine marketing and telling us how you first got in to the business. It has been fascinating to speaking to you and I'll just take this opportunity wish you the very greatest of ongoing success in the future."
Friday, January 11, 2008
Different Models For Making Money On The Internet
There are several strategies for making money on the net. Here are some possible options:
Strategy 1: Affiliate marketing
This is probably the quickest and easiest. You don't need to get your own products - you simply sell other people's products and services. You don't even need a merchant account, and it's possible to start out without even having your own website (but if you are serious about affiliate marketing you will have to build websites). For a list of top affiliate programs go to: http://www.profitpuppy.com/top-affiliates.htm. If you don't know what affiliate programs are you can get a free course which explains what they are by sending a blank email to: tamsaffiliatemarketing@sitesell.net
Strategy 2: Writing an ebook or other type of information product, recording an information CD set or shooting a DVD/video series.
This is a great strategy because there are infinite possibilities for the type of product that you can create. There are so many niche markets that you can write about: It could be a course on Japanese gardens, How to start your own babysitting business, How to sell your paintings or artwork … there are thousands of possibilities and many that have not yet been touched by online marketers. Of course you don't have to write the information yourself, you can get a ghost writer or hire someone to produce the DVD. It is easy to find these people, for example you can go to http://www.profitpuppy.com/elance. By the way if you are intending to go down this track then you should definitely check out the Bill Myers membership site (http://www.profitpuppy.com/bmyers) which has the best information on this area.
Strategy 3: Search Engine Optimization.
Learn how to get a site to the top of the search engines and make money on the site by promoting affiliate programs or by Google Adsense. I have included this as a business method because there are some people who focus just on Search Engine Optimization and do nothing else.
Strategy 4: Drop-shipping.
You can develop a relationship with a manufacturer so that you can get orders for their product on the Internet; you process their credit card and then just send their details to the manufacturer who sends the product directly to the customer's door.
Strategy 5: Joint Ventures.
Similar to affiliate marketing, but with this strategy you set up relationships with people who have products that they sell online.
Strategy 6: Lead Generation.
You create sites that generate leads for companies online. For example, you create leads for mortgage brokers; you give them the details of the people who are interested in getting a new mortgage and you get paid for each person. The mortgage broker will then call the lead and try to sell them on their particular mortgage offer.
Strategy 7: Email marketing.
Of course you need to stay away from spam, and new legislation makes it more difficult for legitimate opt in email marketers, but this is still a highly effective way to make money on the Internet. Don't try email marketing if you don't know what you are doing - don't even think about buying a list of emails and sending out a promotional message unless you know exactly what you are doing. You have to know that any emails you have are legit and ‘opt in'.
Strategy 8: Selling software or software services.
…Another great way to make money online.
Strategy 9: Selling services online.
For example you could start a site providing niche legal services or doing web design. This is ok, but it is not as highly leveraged and automated as other Internet businesses.
Strategy 10: Selling your own products online.
This is the option that 90% of businesses pursue online. It also has less leverage and is more difficult to automate than other Internet businesses.
Strategy 11: Domain name strategies.
You can make money buying and selling domain names (although this strategy is quite difficult nowadays). You can also buy expired domains with existing traffic, you can buy domains with misspellings in order to get free drive-by traffic.
Strategy 12: Buying websites.
You can buy websites that have good positions in the search engines but are not utilizing their positions very effectively, and you can improve the marketing and utilization of their site and make money. This is a very powerful strategy if you do it correctly.
Other strategies:
There are many other possibilities that you might not have thought of such starting an affiliate network. There are several other possibilities but most of them are a bit more towards the more difficult end of the spectrum.
Have a think about which strategy you want to look at. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages and each strategy has a lot of stuff that you need to learn to be able to apply it effectively.
Strategy 1: Affiliate marketing
This is probably the quickest and easiest. You don't need to get your own products - you simply sell other people's products and services. You don't even need a merchant account, and it's possible to start out without even having your own website (but if you are serious about affiliate marketing you will have to build websites). For a list of top affiliate programs go to: http://www.profitpuppy.com/top-affiliates.htm. If you don't know what affiliate programs are you can get a free course which explains what they are by sending a blank email to: tamsaffiliatemarketing@sitesell.net
Strategy 2: Writing an ebook or other type of information product, recording an information CD set or shooting a DVD/video series.
This is a great strategy because there are infinite possibilities for the type of product that you can create. There are so many niche markets that you can write about: It could be a course on Japanese gardens, How to start your own babysitting business, How to sell your paintings or artwork … there are thousands of possibilities and many that have not yet been touched by online marketers. Of course you don't have to write the information yourself, you can get a ghost writer or hire someone to produce the DVD. It is easy to find these people, for example you can go to http://www.profitpuppy.com/elance. By the way if you are intending to go down this track then you should definitely check out the Bill Myers membership site (http://www.profitpuppy.com/bmyers) which has the best information on this area.
Strategy 3: Search Engine Optimization.
Learn how to get a site to the top of the search engines and make money on the site by promoting affiliate programs or by Google Adsense. I have included this as a business method because there are some people who focus just on Search Engine Optimization and do nothing else.
Strategy 4: Drop-shipping.
You can develop a relationship with a manufacturer so that you can get orders for their product on the Internet; you process their credit card and then just send their details to the manufacturer who sends the product directly to the customer's door.
Strategy 5: Joint Ventures.
Similar to affiliate marketing, but with this strategy you set up relationships with people who have products that they sell online.
Strategy 6: Lead Generation.
You create sites that generate leads for companies online. For example, you create leads for mortgage brokers; you give them the details of the people who are interested in getting a new mortgage and you get paid for each person. The mortgage broker will then call the lead and try to sell them on their particular mortgage offer.
Strategy 7: Email marketing.
Of course you need to stay away from spam, and new legislation makes it more difficult for legitimate opt in email marketers, but this is still a highly effective way to make money on the Internet. Don't try email marketing if you don't know what you are doing - don't even think about buying a list of emails and sending out a promotional message unless you know exactly what you are doing. You have to know that any emails you have are legit and ‘opt in'.
Strategy 8: Selling software or software services.
…Another great way to make money online.
Strategy 9: Selling services online.
For example you could start a site providing niche legal services or doing web design. This is ok, but it is not as highly leveraged and automated as other Internet businesses.
Strategy 10: Selling your own products online.
This is the option that 90% of businesses pursue online. It also has less leverage and is more difficult to automate than other Internet businesses.
Strategy 11: Domain name strategies.
You can make money buying and selling domain names (although this strategy is quite difficult nowadays). You can also buy expired domains with existing traffic, you can buy domains with misspellings in order to get free drive-by traffic.
Strategy 12: Buying websites.
You can buy websites that have good positions in the search engines but are not utilizing their positions very effectively, and you can improve the marketing and utilization of their site and make money. This is a very powerful strategy if you do it correctly.
Other strategies:
There are many other possibilities that you might not have thought of such starting an affiliate network. There are several other possibilities but most of them are a bit more towards the more difficult end of the spectrum.
Have a think about which strategy you want to look at. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages and each strategy has a lot of stuff that you need to learn to be able to apply it effectively.
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