Successful HTML Email Marketing Campaigns and Lotus Notes Issues

As the online world changed in the nineties from informational to commercial and highly competitive, marketers embraced the new technology and the need has arisen to send graphically appealing newsletters and marketing messages. You have only seconds to capture attention, and the right picture will grab quicker than the right copy, as they say, "a picture can be worth a thousand words". Just ask your clients if they would use plain white paper, rather than letterhead, to send an offline message to prospects and customers.
Today, the vast majority of all email clients can render (that is, display) HTML emails fairly well. Notable exceptions are older versions of Lotus Notes and pre AOL pre version 6.0. So whereas a few years ago the answer to the question was rather complex, today it really comes down to message purpose, subscriber preference and multipart messaging. Studies show that roughly 95 percent of commercial messages sent today are sent as Multi-Part MIME.
Multi-part MIME is an older protocol that allows you to send both text and HTML versions of an e-mail in a single package, kind of like a sandwich. The recipient's e-mail program then displays the HTML version, if it is capable of reading that, or the text version, if it is not.
MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions and is an internet standard for the format of e-mail. Virtually all human written Internet e-mail and a fairly large proportion of automated e-mail is transmitted via SMTP MIME format. SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and if nothing else, you'll learn a few more acronyms if you stick around. Internet e-mail is so closely associated with the SMTP and MIME standards that it is sometimes called SMTP/MIME e-mail.
Folks, while nobody can really agree on numbers and stats, we all agree on this: HTML Email Doesn't Work Properly for Millions of Recipients.
HTML email breaks in a wide variety of email inboxes. This isn't due to your creative abilities or lack of HTML knowledge - it's due to the fact that the email client your recipient views your email in routinely breaks your message.
I feel like this is worth defining, as I know a lot of people get very scared when we talk about clients and servers, but will not admit it. An email client (some "big picture" folks also call it Mail User Agent) is nothing but a computer program that is used to read and send e-mail, such as Outlook, Lotus Notes, Thunderbird, etc. A mail server (also called a Mail Transfer Agent or MTA, or a mail exchange server) is a computer program that transfers electronic mail messages from one computer to another. Most of the time, since nobody has time to learn all the acronyms and terminology coined by those "big picture" people, we are used to know a mail server as the entire contraption (wires and all) that runs the program.
Depending on the email system, your HTML images may be blocked so recipients see a blank white box and/or your live hotlinks may not work properly. AOL 9.0, Outlook 2003, and Gmail are most infamous for blocking and/or breaking HTML, "for security reasons".
Another big offender for not letting HTML through is Mel, the guy that works in the corporate IT department. Many corporations have IT departments who can't wait for the day when all attachments and all HTML emails are eradicated. That is because in their world, anything that is not pure text is spam, virii, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, pure evil(ware) that makes mailboxes grow and users growl. As a consequence, most of those cubicle inhabitants - the end users - who have to sign a hundred page policy before they start getting busy on those corporate e-memos, are unable to view and/or send HTML messages, whether the feature is turned off at a server level, or on their computers.
Everything else aside, there is no bigger offender here on Earth than Lotus Notes. Lotus Notes is notorious for its refusal to handle Multi-Part MIME the same way the rest of the civilized world does.
For your amusement, here is a definition of Lotus Notes that was created by one of those "big picture" executives: "Lotus Notes is a commercial workflow and groupware software package that also provides application developers an environment for quickly creating cross- platform client/server applications". Still with me? Don't be scared. For the purposes of this article, Lotus Notes is an email client. Ok?
If you work for a company that uses Lotus Notes as the email system, don't even think about sending newsletters other than in text form from it. Besides the fact that as a general rule, I always recommend to marketers the use of a professional permission based email marketing service, in the Lotus Notes case you just have to.

Web Site Submission - Site Distribution to Promote Business

The first step to attract customers to your website is to distribute your site to the top search engine (SE) indexes. SE submission should be managed properly. To make sure correct promotion of your web business you must publish your site to search engines which allows for better optimization. Web site submission is the process of giving a particular websites URL and title to search engines. The submission process varies in how long it takes and which search engine was utilized, and how much the customer would like to shell out. Ranging from free to very high costs, web site submission is an essential part in getting web site traffic on any web site. Free submission of website to search engines is tedious. It can take hours to publish to perhaps a basic bunch of search engines. Some websites condense this procedure for you, by getting your information once, and submitting it to numerous search engines.
Web sites, portals, SE's, communities, trade clubs, and broker based web sites, among others, are the kinds that provide directory submission capabilities. Many website submissions and other marketing based platforms give detailed information and statistics regarding their website visitors. This information is normally summarized into site profile, which may include the following: web site overview, audience demographics and psychographics, category listing and marketing opportunities as well as specifications and pricing info.
The potential advantages of getting indexed in popular search sites are known to everyone in the web development industry. Web folks do understand what opportunities they are missing out if they do not happen to be in key SE's and website directories. In that circumstance, it won't be an overstatement to add that webmasters are pretty concerned with search listings to redefine their companies and companies of their customers. Hence the importance of web site submissions and more specifically, the significance of web site submissions in the right manner. A perfectly created web site aimed at securing a good rank in key SE's and directories first must be published to the right forums, and the right way before it could gain a place of prominence in the listing.
Based on research, in the study of the behavior of search marketing people, it has proven that the top three listings in organic website submissions generate the most targeted traffic. This is a result of the following reasons. The eye naturally reads left to right, top of page to bottom of page. This reaction isn't any different for somebody reading top web site submissions to somebody reading a newspaper or book. Leading website submissions are the most visible to the internet user. The SE user considers the top website submissions to be the most relevant to their search, then the second search result to be the second most relevant, the third to be the next most relevant, and so forth. The possibility of a search engine user trusting on result lowers dramatically with website submissions listed below.
The top three website submissions in results created by Google are the most convenient and the simplest for the user gain access to. Top website submissions mean minimum effort for the end user. It is also highly unlikely that the user will proceed beyond the initial page website submissions in the results. For this reason it is so vital you have high site

Becoming a Successful Internet Marketing Company Affiliate

Participating in affiliate programs as an internet marketing
company affiliate is a viable way to make money on the internet
without having your own products and services for sale. In
essence, as an internet marketing company affiliate, you market
other companies' products and services for a fee.
Generally affiliate programs are either one-tier or two-tier
programs which means if you participate in a one-tier program,
you get paid for referrals that you send to the company for which
you are an internet marketing company affiliate. If you
participate in a two-tier program, you also get paid for
referring other affiliates to the program.
In most affiliate programs, an internet marketing company
affiliate gets paid either a percentage of sales that result from
their referrals, or a flat fee per lead or click-through that
result from their internet marketing efforts.
The defective line of thinking that leads an internet marketing
company affiliate to failure and disappointment is the thought
that being an internet marketing company affiliate is an easy,
get-rich-quick business opportunity. Unsuccessful internet
marketing company affiliates are those who don't realize that in
order to make money with affiliate programs you have to actively
market them.
The error that is common to a new internet marketing company
affiliate is that they launch a website to display links, or even
pages, for the purpose of promoting various affiliate programs
for which they are an internet marketing company affiliate for,
but they don't actively market their website or their affiliate
products. As a result, their website doesn't generate any revenue
or generates very little revenue.
To be a successful internet marketing company affiliate you
absolutely have to market your affiliate products and services.
You can actually make loads of money as an internet marketing
company affiliate, but affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-
quick scheme. It is a business opportunity that must be taken
seriously and it does require work, some internet marketing
knowledge, and some funding for launching an aggressive internet
marketing campaign.

How A Clickbank Affiliate Became a Clickbank Seller

Back in September 2006, I knew little or nothing about affiliate marketing of Clickbank products. Sure, I'd bought some products from Clickbank, but even though I've been making a fulltime living online for the last 3 years, I only ever saw Clickbank as a place to buy digital products, not as a potential revenue stream. Funny how you can miss the obvious, isn't it?
Anyway, that all changed when Affiliate Project X was launched in early October. This isn't my review of Affiliate Project X (if you want to read it, follow the link in my bio below), but Affiliate Project X did open my eyes to different marketing methods and to the revenue potential that Clickbank offered.
One piece of advice given by Affiliate Project X is to create a bonus that's relevant to the product you're promoting. Yes, it's a bit of work. But it makes your particular offer unique. And if the bonuses you offer are good, that means more sales.
So off I went, looking for good products to market and then to build bonuses around. If you've ever tried to identify quality Clickbank products, you'll know how time consuming it is.
It was after a few weeks of trawling through Clickbank that the idea for a bonus, for products that promote Clickbank itself one way or another, came to mind.
This bonus would make it easier for people to find hot products to promote, saving them time and money (time is money after all!) I thought it would be a good bonus to give away with Affiliate Project X, to anyone who bought through my link.
Finally, the bonus was ready but I wanted some independent assessments of it before I made it public, so I contact some marketers whose opinions I trust.
They all said: "Don't give it away..." Huh?
"Sell it!"
So Clickbank Elite was born.
Selling Clickbank Elite was a whole different proposition. I picked up a copy of Dominating Clickbank which provides great advice on how to go about selling products on Clickbank and motivating affiliates to sell on your behalf.
Armed with that knowledge, I launched Clickbank Elite in late November. It's proved popular with Clickbank affiliates and the number of sales is actually increasing. It's great knowing I've created something that useful to people.
Just this month I added a whole new module to the software that allows owners to promote popular Clickbank products through what I've called "CB Ads".
These are Adsense-style ad blocks that promote the most popular Clickbank products. There are 9 sizes of ad to choose from. The colors of the ad border, background, links, text

Making Money As a Clickbank Affiliate

Even if you are new to the world of internet and affiliate marketing you have probably heard of Clickbank.
Clickbank have long been the leading online retailer of digital information products and software and have a huge affiliate network. Sales of ebooks and software through Clickbank total hundreds of thousands of dollars and, the program has helped many people make a very good online income.
As a potential new affiliate it is very easy to convince yourself that by signing up as a an affiliate with Clickbank you will soon be raking in huge commission checks, but the reality is that most hopeful Clickbank affiliates earn very modest amounts and there will be many who will struggle to make a single sale.
Due to the size of the network and the sheer number of products on offer, a whole industry has sprung up around Clickbank that has produced all kinds of aids claiming to help aspiring affiliates to make big bucks.
These range from Clickbank storefronts, portals, viral ebooks, contextual Clickbank advertising and a slew of products claiming to reveal the secrets to Clickbank riches using Pay Per Click advertising with Google AdWords or their rivals.
It is indisputable that some Clickbank affiliates have made some really good money using PPC ads, but, for many struggling entrepreneurs, the cost and non-exact science involved in PPC campaigns makes them unwilling to venture into the crowded waters.
The Clickbank marketplace may be huge, but the web is also saturated with affiliates and Clickbank can be a very tough introduction to affiliate marketing. Many people will lose heart quickly when the anticipated commissions do not start coming in. However, this is not to say that beginners should be put off, particularly if you have a website or blog catering to a specific niche. Clickbank products encompass a wide range of subjects so finding something relevant to your visitor's interests should not be too difficult.
When it comes to promoting products from the Clickbank Marketplace, there are a wide variety of tools and resources to help you. Some of these are free and some require investment, and you should consider each on their merits and how you can use them alongside your online business ventures. There are free storefronts available that will present Clickbank products in neat and easy to find pages, (useful if you do not have a website of your own) and also plugins that enable you to place search portals and search boxes on your webpages - some look better than others.
Placing Clickbank ads on your webpages can be a profitable course of action, but, as with any advertising, a lot will depend on your website's content and traffic. At least with Clickbank ads, one sale can pull in a very decent commission so if you are struggling to make money with Adsense, perhaps incorporating some relevant ads for Clickbank products could earn you more.

Article Writing - Why Do It? Making It easier with Article Rewriter (Article Buzz)

What sets experienced people apart from others with article writing is that they are prepared with methods and procedures in place for writing their articles. Throughout our website there are many pointers and products that will help satisfy different needs in the article writing process. Generally, article writing is an art, but a serious business as well. The idea of article writing is for informational communication; a great tool for expressing your ideas to readers and easy once you know how.
Remember that article writing is part science, part technical and part literature and is not done with the sole intent to sell a product or service, but to "inform". The benefit article writing then provides is link building, back links or one way links, site traffic, visitors and buyers and a simple but great way to make money online.
Promote With Articles
Because you are here, you may already know that article writing is vital to your business. Article writing is a very common practice on the Internet for so many reasons, not the least of which is to make money either directly or indirectly. Article writing is one of the best marketing strategies to obtain free, natural or organic search engine listings within Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. Article writing is one of the most popular ways to promote your website and it is considered by many to be a sound form of Internet advertising, if not the best. Currently, article writing is the most economical source of web promotion and advertising exposure. We have found through experience and much research that article writing is the most effective way to gain votes (in the form of unsolicited links) from other sites. If a Webmaster places, or cites your article on their website, this is considered a vote. Overall, article writing is one of the best ways to increase your traffic and get more sales.
Article writing is now perhaps the most important thing you can do to promote your web site. Writing Articles is a profitable method of marketing and getting free publicity. It has been accepted as one of the best tools used for online businesses. Online article writing is meant to get readers to leave the "ezines" or websites where they are reading your article, by way of the links to your website. If they have done that, then you have completed half your job, as the article written has then branded you as knowledgeable person. This, as a form of viral marketing, is a proven method to gain visibility for your business and increase traffic and sales. Article writing is for you if you want great benefits that don't cost much more than time. Moreover, article writing is, if done correctly, the one significant form of marketing and promotion that guarantees your credibility and improved search engine rankings.
Article Construct
For most people quality article writing is not learned overnight. One of the toughest obstacles in article writing is actually starting the article writing process. Then, article writing is a doable task, but this is not to say that it is easy for everyone. Yes, there are a few that are naturals, but this is the exception not the rule. The process is fun and straightforward, once you know how to do it. In general, the writing of an article is not like writing an essay, it is more a composite of "information and marketing". Writing articles gives you not only a sense of creative satisfaction but is also very much like teaching. These points are important, as they will guide you in the construct, approach, style and intent of your article. Moreover, article writing is not something that you have to pay for on an ongoing basis and it brings results, week in, week out.
In short an article is composed of 5 important components: the title, introduction, body, conclusion and resource box. The Title needs to be catchy and have keyword weight and placement. The Introduction gives the reader a highlight on what your article will address and contain a hint to your conclusion. The Body is the main part of your article and a helpful guide to Article Body Writing is that about three to five supporting topical items are addressed. Now, several article sites or ezines will allow you to place anchor text links within the article body, but only include them when appropriate.
Generally, a link to an appropriate site that supports or cites a particular point you are making is always acceptable. We however recommend avoiding the practice of placing any links in the body of your articles. You can lose your reader to the Internet ether. Next, it is poor form to label your conclusion as such in an article. Think of the conclusion as the warm up to your resource box and only summarize the points that were discussed. It is vital to not let the article fizzle out in a weak conclusion, so tell your reader why the article is important and how they should take action on the issue. The conclusion need only be one or two paragraphs to sum up and round off the information you presented. Your resource box or author bio is your next call to action. People appreciate modesty, so don't toot your horn to loud, but do make sure it's clear as to why and where they are going if they click your link.
Keyword For Article Content
Keyword article writing is when you make sure to have popular or content specific keywords in your articles. This is an important part of article writing and requires good keyword research skills. Niche Article writing is a way to enter into a greater untapped marketplace and is accomplished through the use of keyphrases or long-tail keywords. Semantic keyword

Back Links

When we think of Internet marketing, the word "backlink" doesn't automatically come to mind. In fact, most people who aren't involved with a website would not even know what a backlink means. To put it simply, a backlink is any URL link from another website that will take web surfers directly to your website.
So, a backlink is like a business card (in the form of an Internet address) that you gave to someone who then refers other people back to you. Using this metaphor, one can see that the more backlinks you get the more business you get too. However, that's not the sole reason why backlinks are important in Internet marketing.
While a backlink is a type of referral, it also can be a measure of your website's reputation. This is why major search engines use backlinks in their search algorithms. They catalogue the number of backlinks and the strength of the people who are backlinking to your site and use this in their algorithm to determine how well you rank amongst other sites that deal with your website niche.
Using backlinks you can raise the visibility of your site by getting your site highly ranked in the search engine. This, in turn, will lead to more people visiting your site and thus more business.
As if that weren't enough, the backlinks are also used to determine the worth of the website should you decide to sell the domain later. So, backlinks can turn into dollar signs, even if your site happens to be a blog, instead of a full website. That's how powerful backlinks are!
NOT ALL BACKLINKS ARE THE SAME
Being the Internet, of course, nothing is as straightforward as it seems. It's simplistic to suggest that anything that is a backlink will enhance your site's value or search engine ranking. Tech wizards invented the Internet, and many of those geek geniuses ended up in search engine companies.
So, even though a standard HTML URL is easy enough to understand (once you get the hang of it), search engine optimization is quite intricate and often a very secretive business. After all, if we knew exactly the algorithms that major companies use to rank the sites in their listings, than anyone could fool a search engine and the entire industry would collapse overnight.
So, while you can learn as much as you want about how to code a backlink, you probably won't get the finer points of which backlinks are worth more than others to your website, unless you read this eBook.
You will find out what specific aspects of a backlink are important in Chapter 2 of "Backlinks: Marketing Gold". There I discuss the importance of the anchor text that is linking back to your site and the types of sites that link to you. This is just one of the elements that can affect your search ranking, but it appears to be a strong criterion in how you rank, at least in the Google search engine.
In "Backlinks: Marketing Gold" you can also learn how the context and positioning of a backlink has a great effect on how useful it is to improve your page rank in search engines. Of course, you will want to get backlinks from sites with good page rank, as they will be weighted more or considered more relevant by the search engines.
The higher up you are in the page listing (home page not necessarily being the best page), the more the backlink is weighted. You will learn why link referral pages are no longer as good a strategy as getting your link on relevant pages with few other backlinks. Also, it may surprise you to learn that where the link appears on the page (top, middle, and bottom) can also influence how strong a backlink it is perceived to be by the search engine-ranking algorithm.
There is of course more to why you need back links. Specifically "One Way" back links, but from this article, hopefully you have learned that you do need to use them. How to get back links and how to use them most effectively you can find in the eCourse, "Backlinks: Marketing Gold" you'll find linked at the top of this page.