In the quest for the perfect website sometimes we overlook the obvious and forget about aspects of the web that make it enjoyable. We get caught up into what’s cool or what our competitor’s site has that we lose sight of usability and ultimate visitor happiness. Ultimately less is more on the web and by keeping it simple we can retain our visitors and give them the info and services they need without driving them away.

The web is built around information and people want to find what they are searching for fast. They don’t want to wade through page after page to get to what they need. This is still the case though because so much good info is buried under bad design. After all the search engines are not perfect and even they have a hard time sifting through all the excess. Here are a few tips on making both visitors and search engines happy.

All good web design starts with a clear idea and is sketched out into categories. Separating information into a hierarchical structure is key here. Your site should include a few main categories under which all subcategories will follow. This should be built into the navigation so that there are few choices to start then gradually grow into more subcategories as visitors delve into your site. These subcategories should be clearly visible in the main navigation usually under the main header or left column. Using breadcrumb navigation links near the header such as home / category / subcategory is a good choice to let people know where they are on your site.

Using clear tags to show what each page is about is essential. It also plays an important role in search engine optimization. All pages should focus on one subject at a time with interspersed links to pages that are about ulterior topics. The title tag should be the same as the main h1 title of the page. H2 and h3 tags should be used only if they relate to the main h1 tag. An example of this is if your h1 tag headline says “search engine optimization tricks” then your h2 tag subtitle should say something like “search engine trick #1″. This just means your h1, h2, and h3 tags should be closely related.

What you want to create is a clearly definable page that is easy to navigate and read. Text font and size along with background color play a role in how readable a page is too. A white background with dark text is still the best choice because it is easier on the eyes allowing for longer read times. Larger text is also better then 10 point fonts still used by a lot of today’s webmasters. At high screen resolutions these fonts can appear to be tiny so take this into consideration. Ultimately you will have designed a font resizing feature into your pages allowing for users to resize the font to their liking.

Text links or link graphics should be clear and descriptive. Instead of ending article snippets with “read more” make them descriptive such as “article title” which includes the actual article title. Never use “click here” for link text. Use a title that tells people where they will be headed once they click on a link. People know that a blue underlined link must be clicked on to continue. Making text links descriptive will help with search engine optimization as well because text links describe to search engines the pages they link to. If graphics are used as links be sure to include alt text as you would use to describe text links.

Only use graphics or photos if it is absolutely necessary. A good use of imagery is when it helps to have a graphical representation of what you want to get across. Displaying unrelated graphics or photos not only ads to page load times it also distracts visitors from getting the info they want. All graphics should be optimized and where necessary include a link to a larger version.

Adobe’s Flash previously known as Macromedia Flash should only be used in special cases. This would include anywhere complicated user interaction is required. Having your sites header in all flash is really unnecessary. Most Flash headers I have seen also include repetitive music that in no way adds to user friendliness. There is nothing worse then visiting a site where brash music immediately starts playing. It’s a guaranteed way to get your visitors to leave.

Even though a large portion of browsers come with Flash preinstalled it still leads to user frustration when they have to install a new version just to view your site. This goes for all media that requires special plugins. Most users won’t go through the hassle of installing a plugin to view your site, they will just head for the nearest exit. If including media such as Flash or Quicktime is a must be sure to let your visitors know what plugins they need and put the media on a separate page away from textual info you want them to easily access.

Remember when flash intro pages were all the rage? I do and I still see people using them. The music starts playing and the text slowly flies in with some cheesy effect. The “skip intro” button is the first thing I look for just to get a glimpse of what gem could be behind such a well thought out intro. Flash intro pages test visitors’ patience as well as kill search engine interest. They do absolutely no good at all.

A well designed site should be clean and unobtrusive. The best sites have a focused topic that is split up into hierarchical categories. The text is easy to read and broken up into bulleted points along with descriptive titles. Good design doesn’t fight us, it is friendly and it immediately make us feel comfortable. All websites should follow good design principles if we want our visitors as well as search engines to be happy.

The 6124 classic has been a real money maker for Nokia having been quite popular with customers. The Nokia 6124 classic is a good multi purpose mobile handset that would be appealing for a broad range of users.

The 6124 classic supports 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G HSDPA 850 / 2100 . This mobile phone has a 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary videocall camera. For mobile Internet users as WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser is included. In terms of the the display the handset is fitted with a 2 inch screen, which is a bit disappointing for the money. The display is a TFT, 16M colors. The ring-tones on the 6124 classic are Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC plus a vibrating alert . If the colour of your mobile phone is something you are interested in, you should be aware that this mobile phone is only available in BlackWhite. Compared to competitors phones on the market the Nokia 6124 classic is very small. The Nokia 6124 classic is that is shipped with a Standard battery, Li-Ion battery cell. The Nokia 6124 classic comes equipped with bluetooth, for convenient interactivity with the vast majority of devices. This mobile handset is also equipped with:

The 6124 classic is one of the most recent models , in spite of this it remains possible to find yourself some fantastic bargains on this phone.

There are numerous incentives availbe on the web to todays mobile phone users. If you try using a site that compares mobile phones you may see a mobile phone with free line rental for 12 months or a free Snooper Syrius Plus .

As a business coach, December and January are months when I help lots of business people with their stress management. The festive season comes round every year without fail yet many small businesses seem to be surprised by it every year.

Following a particularly bad time when he not only under-stocked his inventory and lost sales but also failed to relax for Christmas Day, one of my clients created this festive checklist to ensure that he could enjoy all his future holiday breaks properly.

Set yourself a goal of planning ahead

• Predict your expected demand levels from what happened during the last festive sales season.
• Hire temps to meet seasonal demand without adding to your long-term costs.
• Plan your cash flow through the holiday period and organise stand-by funding to boost your working capital in case your sales peak.
• Send greetings cards to your best customers, remind them what you offer, and tell them your closure times.
• Ask your suppliers which days they close and their arrangements for late deliveries.
• Check how the late supply deliveries might impacts the service you offer your own customers.
• Find out the arrangements for postal collections and for banking before the holiday and into the New Year.

Ensure that you can deliver your promises

• Check your stock levels, note which is stock seasonal and would have to be sold cheap if you over-stock.
• Don’t over-trade or accept contracts that you cannot meet because this will damage your image.
• Prioritise regular customers because they provide loyal custom throughout the year.
• Pre-book a reliable company to deliver your customers’ goods because holiday gifts that arrive late will damage your reputation.

Schedule how you will close down cleanly

• Clear your paperwork before you break: post your cheques and money transfers for prompt bill payment during the holiday period and send out your own invoices to get prompt payment from your customers.
• Check your security procedures and brief your key holders before you close down.
• Agree a roster to update your answer machine regularly. (How burglars rejoice when automated email or phone responses say “everyone’s away, come round anytime you like”.)

And organise your relaxation

• Organise a staff party to show how you value the hard work of your team.
• Give out awards and presents to boost staff morale, reward loyalty and encourage team spirit.
• Make time to relax with your family and recover before the New Year.

Use your quiet time for forward planning

• Review how this year has treated you, how you did against your business goals, how you exceeded your marketing plan and how your business is growing.
• Reflect on what you want to change in the next 12 months.
• Plan your large tasks in small steps – setting the long term goals and creating milestones and stepping stones to reach the goals in a reasonable timescale.
• Plan your own training and self development to take place when your sales tend to be quiet after the holidays.

If I was coaching you, I would encourage you to re-write this checklist in your own words, to make it reflect your own business issues. Then pin it up in a prominent place so you and your staff are aware of the list. This will help you to tick off each item as your achieve it.

Then you can return refreshed to your small business, you can start the year afresh, ready to serve your customers to the best of your ability.

Adrian Pepper coaches people through business and personal difficulties, helping companies figure out what to do, how to move forward and what to get organised. You can contact him through Help4You Ltd, through his website at http://www.help4you.ltd.uk or by phone +44-7773-380133. At http://feeds.feedburner.com/help4you, you can listen to his podcast for small businesses.

High end home foreclosure listings have spiked in recent months. This is evident of just how bad the real estate crisis is, and that it is not just middle class families who are being affected. Not only are these prime borrowers failing behind on their mortgage payments, but also car loans, credit cards, and property taxes. You would think that this paves the way for more legislature and creatively, legal mortgage products that will help to turn this crisis around. While the government has quickly bailed out large companies who were in a financial pinch, it has been slow to aid homeowners whose tax dollars were probably used to help the corporations.

With the growing number of home foreclosure listings, you begin to wonder what some of the additional fallouts related to this crisis will be. One thing that comes to mind is that the decrease of home sales has got to affect real estate agents. Many of these agents sold homes full-time, and now that there are more stringent loan approval rules, this affects the number of potential buyers who can be approved. Also, banking institutions that granted the loans are reporting huge loses because people are defaulting on loans. Potential buyers who can qualify under the new rules are required to put more money down before purchasing. This may delay their purchase if they do not have the full amount.

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A recent study reveals that dainty nighties are doubtlessly the leading hope assured to lead both young and elder females to reassure them that they are sexy. Being the front-runner in the deluxe lady’s nightwear market place, Myla is a notable English business located in London, UK subscribed to enabling both young and elder females to feel glamorous and positive in dainty lady’s nightwear. This palette features suggestive stockings, silk and lace garters in combination with triangle bras, lovable sleeping dresses added to aesthetically unique bedroom hold & secure tapes.

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Achievers say that you must have positive self-esteem in order to succeed in your world. I have interviewed successful people in Silicon Valley and they say that the number one trait you must have is to “believe in yourself.”

Years ago I thought, What does that really mean? How strong does your self-esteem have to be? How do I know? After many years of attending workshops, reading and practicing I came to this conclusion: “once you have a strong sense of self-esteem it is the most powerful force in my world.” It is like standing still and no one can push you down no matter how hard they try. If someone says you are no good it doesn’t register because you have past experiences that tell you otherwise. You KNOW you are good at what you do. You are PROUD of yourself and no one has to give you a trophy or award to prove it to you. You do just fine because you believe in yourself.

The Silicon Valley role models I interviewed were assertive and confident in their decisions and activities–they believed they could do what they aimed to do. They had no doubt even though at the time they were starting something new. They didn’t know how to do it but they had confidence in themselves that they would accomplish their goals.

Eight year old Nancy learned definitively that practice builds self-confidence. She loved to draw and wanted to be a Disney animator someday. With revelation, she recognized that she must do the things she loved to be happy. She knew what she wanted and went after it with a fierce conviction of her ability to do it. No one could discourage her. She just wouldn’t listen. She insisted on going to an art college instead of a business college as her mom suggested. Nancy stayed focused, got a job working on a new animated series years ago and today she is one of the directors on the long-running, successful sit-com series, The Simpson’s. It’s a good thing she didn’t listen to me or today she could be a miserable administrator. Well…that would never have happened because she knew what she wanted and she went after it.

Self-esteem is fleeting. We must continue to work on it at all times. Why do some people fall apart when they lose their jobs, and others move forward and look for the next opportunity? It is all in how they feel about themselves. If you had a bad childhood and your parents were always telling you that you were no good and wouldn’t amount to anything, then I’ll tell you the same thing someone said to me, “Get over it!” You are an adult now. You can make choices. Take workshops, read success-oriented books, hang around positive thinking people, and practice.

Once your self-esteem is on solid ground the world is yours.

About the author

Joan Clout-Kruse is the author of “Top 10 Traits of Silicon Valley Dynamos,” and the e-books “How to Write Your Great Book in 90 Days or less” and “The ABCs of Success.” All these books can help you plan and set tasks to achieve your goals and enhance your self-esteem. Contact her at http://powerhousewriting.com or 650 759-2042. She can help you write a “how to” book or booklet to attract clients and get recognized as an expert in your field. She offers 90-Day book writing programs through personal coaching, e-mail and teleseminars. She also gives presentations on “How To Write Your Book In 90-days” and “The ABCs of Success.”

Attention e-zine editors/site owners: You are welcome to reprint this article in its entirety in your e-zine or on your Web site so long as you leave the links in place. Please do not modify the content and include the author’s name and Web site address.

The other day while watching a local Mexican TV show to improve my Spanish (yeah, right), this unsettling TV commercial was shown. Several teenagers, carrying their bottles of pop (the advertised product), wanted to go swimming at a public pool. Unfortunately, it was closed. They decided to break into the place.

They were clever in committing their criminal act. One girl took an instamatic picture of the undisturbed pool and taped it to the video security camera so the napping doofus security guard would see only the before-the-breaking-and-entering-scene on his monitors. Then over the wall they all went–chortling, frolicking and having all sorts of fun after they had just broken the law.

Soon the photo of the undisturbed pool scene blows off the security camera and the jig is up. The guard comes unglued and rushes into the pool area only to be overcome by a scene of fun-filled excitement. The next thing you know, he is drinking the advertised pop with the little law-breaking hooligans and starts having a gay old time.

I wonder what is going on here? Now, before you jump to any conclusions, let me tell you this. A well-known American soft drink company manufactures the soft drink advertised in this Mexican TV commercialone you would immediately recognize if I had the guts to tell you the brand.

You know this commercial had to be produced in the United States (there wasn’t a Mexican among any of the actors) and approved by an American advertising executive who probably would say he or she thought the commercial was “cute”.

What is the message this TV commercial is sending to its ever-so-obvious target audience–teenagers?

1. If the object you are seeking is denied you then you should use whatever means necessary to get it.

2. Adults are stupid idiots that can be easily hoodwinked. But, if they catch you doing something wrong, you can still win them over with your youthful exuberance.

3. You can escape the consequences of wrongdoing by tricking or fooling adults.

Will someone tell me what this commercial has to do with the refreshing taste of a soft drink? No one in the ad ever talked about the drink. Remember what ads used to be like? “Yummy…This sure tastes good. It is so much better than that other icky soft drink. Won’t you run out to the store and buy some?”

Whatever happened to TV commercials where someone talks about the product and compares it to the other brand with a sneering grimace on his or her face?

I realize that companies have to push their product somehow to make their stockholders happy campers. I am all for that. However, just how does a bunch of kids breaking into a closed swimming pool and seeking to deceive the security guard have anything to do with drinking the soft drink? And then, to show the adult in the commercial as incapable of thinking, “Oh! Perhaps I should call the cops and then detain these little varmints until the authorities can arrest their little butts and take them away.”

This is, I fear, NAFTA’s contribution to the Americanizing of Mexico. The Mexican airways are now full of senseless American advertising. The TV stations play commercials that show criminal acts or parental disobedience that are supposed to somehow make you want to run out and buy their wonderful products.

This makes me so mad that I think I shall switch to drinking something non-cola. Oops!

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Anabolic steroids provide benefits to athletes, weight trainers and to other people but they have continually raised questions wherein the answers are yet to be found. So what are steroids, anyway? Steroids are considered to be a huge group of chemicals wherein the head group is cholesterol. The structure of steroids is composed of the basic four-ring carbon structure but the difference lies in the attachment in the carbon number 17. Human bodies can store cholesterol and make large amounts of it.

There are various types of anabolic steroids. Corticosteroids are an example of a steroid which are anti-inflammatory agents and they break tissue down. They are drugs based on naturally-occurring hormones and are often a very significant part of lymphoma treatment. However, there are certain types of steroids known as anabolic steroids, which are produced synthetically. These resemble the structure and form of testosterone. Naturally produced testosterone can be found in men, primarily produced by the Leydig cells of the testes. In women, the adrenal glands are the primary source of testosterone.

The production of testosterone in women, however, is relatively less in amount as compared to the male. The steroids have many functions in our body. This is why doctors have prescribed steroids to their patients to help them overcome or manage certain diseases. Anabolic steroids are the ones that athletes and sports men and women are fond of taking because it increases muscle strength as well as enhances the body processes. However, it is known to have side effects. Testosterone has both anabolic and androgenic characteristics. Anabolic signifies tissue build-up and muscle growth. Androgenic depicts masculine emphasis like the deepening of the voice in males as well as the growth of body hair.

Often steroids are taken orally and usually have short-term effects. However, as time goes by, drug companies and scientists have continued to adapt anabolic steroids to fit patients needs. Some steroids are injected by intramuscular injection, commonly in the buttocks, and are said to last longer than those taken orally. Furthermore, these anabolic steroids are also chemically modified and made to inhibit rapid breakdown by the liver which results in enhanced metabolism and improved utilization. Orally ingested steroids were modified by the addition of a side chain for it to withstand inactivation of the first pass in the liver. However, these modifications are said to cause harsh effects in the liver. Injected steroids are gradually absorbed in the blood stream without the first pass in the liver.

In addition, the liver goes through a lower concentration than with oral anabolic steroids. Because of this, doctors prefer injections rather than oral. Most of these injectable steroids undergo esterification to slow down the liver’s breakdown. Anabolic steroids are common to athletes. They use steroids to optimize and improve their muscle strength and performance. Anabolic steroids are also good for the therapy of certain diseases like anemias and a rare form of edema. Testosterone supplementations have been found to be a means of male contraception. Steroids have many good uses, however, there are downsides to them, too so it’s important to seek medical advice prior to taking any course of steroids.

Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Health related topics. To access more articles on anabolic steroids or for additional information and resources visit this anabolic steroids related website.

One of the primary tools still used by PR professionals to garner media coverage is the press release. Now understand the purpose of a press release is to grab the attention of an editor, not to offer a word for word story to a publication. Most professionals as well as small business owners misunderstand this concept and are therefore frustrated when they can’t seem to make it work for them.

If you understand that the purpose of a press release is to grab attention then you might also begin to realize that there is a bit of an art to writing an effective one.

This art actually begins with proper format. It probably shouldn’t matter how you format a good story but editor after editor has told me that if a press release comes to them and is not properly formatted, it often doesn’t get read. Read that again if you are bit of a maverick. You want to read about your company in the news then you might just have to follow the rules.

Ultimately your story will have to stand on its own but follow this accepted format and you stand a better chance of making that all important first impression.

+ For release timing

The very first thing to appear on your release is the release date or time. If your story is for immediate release say so For Immediate Release. If there is a reason to hold some news or a seasonal deadline say so. For Release Before Halloween. Some background type releases can also carry the – Release at Will tag

+ Contact Information

Don’t make it hard for them to get in touch with you. Right under the release info state your name, address, direct phone, and email address under the heading “For more information” Remember the real point is to get them to call you.

+ The Headline

90% of all advertising effectiveness rides on the effectiveness of the headline. It is no different for a press release. Most readers will decide whether or not you have anything to say based solely on the grabbing power of your headline. Pull them in quickly. Write 5-6 attention grabbing headlines and then put your release away for day or so. Come back and see which ones still grab you. It is that important.

+ Dateline

At the start of the body of your release you are expected to provide some useful information. First the date of the release and then the city the release originates from. Put a dash after the city and then start the body of your release. ie: February 18, 2003 – Kansas City, Mo – Today in history…

+ Double space

Double space the body of your release. This probably goes back to the days when reporters made notes by pencil in the space between the lines but I guess some still do that.

+ First Paragraph

Okay, so now your headline grabbed them. Tell them what you’re going to tell them in the first paragraph. Don’t beat around the bush or try to be cute here. Hit them with your best shot.

+ Quotes and Credentials

Quotes make for interesting reading. Try to find a newspaper story without a quoted source of some sort. Add your own quotes and then add some credentials to the person you attribute the quote to. If it’s you and you’re a master plumber with 25 years of experience, then say so. “The flora and fauna was breathtaking,” said Bill Sphenkle, one of Kansas City’s most experienced plumbers.

+ Call to action

If you want them to interview or visit your website to find out more information, then say so. Bill Sphenkle is available for interviews. Just don’t hype your company or product. Nothing gets your release tossed faster.

+ End

At the end add the symbol # # #

There is a free software program that will allow you to write attention getting, perfectly formatted press releases by simply filling in some blanks and answers guided questions. You can download Instant Press Release

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/Instant-Press-Release.htm

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

About The Author

John Jantsch is a marketing coach, speaker and author. Find out more at http://www.ducttapemarketing.com.