When the reader encounters words strung together in to sentences that can’t easily be read the effort outweighs the information. In other words, they have to reread sentences that are either missing words, using incorrect words, or repeated words that should not be repeated just to try and figure out what the writer is trying to convey. When the reading becomes difficult the reader quits. It’s just not worth the time required to read poor quality.

You no what I meen. Ho difcult would it be fro some one two quit simple simply corret the poorer spelling wiht the correct spelling of the word.

Imagine attaching your name to that as the author. Your credibility is at stake. Do you honestly feel that someone who could have paid for such poor quality would actually want to do business with you? Form my point of view, if the author can’t find the time to proof read their work then why would I want to invest in time in them?

Now maybe the words were curned out by spinner software. That would explain the poor quality but, doesn’t justify the fact that the author still did not proof read it before just slapping their name on it and pushing it out the door.

So in closing, Please proof read your work or at the very least get someone qualified to do it for you. Trust me, you’ll be thankful you did.

Al

Right after the stse2.0 launch (issues there but history now) I went in search of a new SEO friendly theme for up1level. I found it in Semiologic. I really liked it, SEO friendly and offers a variety of options. Great I thought finally a theme I can stick with for a little while and not have to go thru change issues that can occur. One never knows until it happens. Once it happens, your day changes to fix & repair. That is something I decided I didn’t want to do.

Then, came the dreaded news…. Semiologic SOLD to Darrell Ridley. That was in Sept 2008. IMO when something is sold, you never know what the future of the product will be. How many times has something been purchased and run in to the ground. I can remember Yahoo gobbling up and today most of those have been broken down and excreted.

So in order to avoid the potential migraine like the plague I, went in to avoid (negelect) mode only posting and updating at the bare minimum.

Well, today just out of curiosity I decided to check out the Semiologic website. Good (old) news for me, Darrell Ridley backed out and Denis, after a lot of aggravation, is back in control of Semiologic.

So with that said, up1level is back on my radar and I have a lot of catching up to do. More frequent posts are on the way. Just one last task to accomplish… TAXES :(((

I’m getting all that together and once I’ve met with my taxman, up1level will get back on track.

It’s a little ironic that I read Elliot’s post this morning because yesterday morning on the radio the DJ’s were talking about Facebook and it’s birthday. Jackie was telling Scott the good of using Facebook. You know reconnecting with old friends, current friends, classmates, etc.

Scott’s reply was something like: I don’t like Facebook because it has become just a bunch of
“I can show you how to a million dollars….” Scott isn’t alone, either.

Knowing what I know it started me thinking. How and Why???

Google is the Ruling Family of Internet Search. The King and Queen so to say. Google sets the rules that all others must play by. For the non-monetized / minimal monetized website there is little impact on alogarithm changes. But, the same is not true for the SEO optimized players.

SEO optimized players (bishop, knight & rook) are the monetized sites. The monetized sites will engage Google at different aggressive levels to better their search results page rank. Stirving for the coveted “Google Page 1″. Being so difficult to acheive due to the limited amount of results available on page 1, the SEO optimized resort to employing tactics and stratagies.

It is these very tactics and stratagies that creates the clutter. As more and more sites employ tactics and stratagies the amount of extra webpages increases by the millions. Are they all neccessary? Yes for page rank but, no for knowledge / information.

Seriously, how many ways can something be rewritten? When you get right down to it, it is all the same. It relates to math.

The Sum of Numbers

The amount obtained by adding numbers. Or, the answer to an addition equation. On a relatively small scale It looks like this:

1+99 = 100, 2+98 = 100, 3+97 = 100 until it reverses and arrives at 97+3 = 100, 98+2 = 100, 99+1 = 100

The point is that the sum is always 100 while only the equation changes. The information = the numbers and the sum = the total pages. It all boils down to the the lowest sum which would be 1. 1+0 = 1. Everything else is just a different writing of that. As more knowledge is discovered that knowledge would replace or just added to the previous version.

Back in the old ages, pre-internet there were encyclopedias. Lets say the average family would have had a set. As a child we had “World Book” and every year we would get a book that contained updates. There was not a need to have additional encyclopedias, one did the job.

Jump forward to today and do a Google search and look at the total results. I just searched the term “chess” and the coveted page 1 has “Results 1 - 10 of about 45,6000,000 for Chess”.

This is all at a very high level and it is understood that “chess” is a broad keyword term and the results do drill down to long tail keyword phrases but, it does demonstrate the point…

The internet has become cluttered with redundant pages created solely for the purpose of Google juice. That is fine because that is what Google created when they set the rules for how a page will rank. Now Google feels it is time for a change.

A chess move as Google has captured one of the IM pawns. Now it is IM’s move in the ever changing world of internet search.

Operating in the Red - Living On Borrowed Money - Money As Debt

But that raises the thought:
If governments operate on very large deficits (the United States deficit is over $1 Trillion) along with most business operating on borrowed money add in consumer debt (mortgage/auto/credit card/etc) where is all the money? All the “digital” money does not really exist. It is created digitally not physically. Money is loaned out based on money that is owed. This type of system is set to eventually fail from the start.

“Borrowing from Peter to Pay Paul” is what is actually taking place. Think about this… Let’s keep the numbers relatively small so it is easy to follow.
Total amount of money in the entire system  = $1,000,000.00 (one million USD)
Total amount of money loaned out on credit = $1,000,000.00 (one million USD)
10% Interest owed on total amount of credit  + $  100,0000.00 (one hundred thousand USD)
Total amount of money (debt) owed (P+I)       = $1,100,000.00  (one million one hund. thousand USD)

Now, let’s say the total debt = $1,1000,000.00 is called and payable right now. Is it impossible to pay? NO. Why? It’s really very simple there is only $1,000,000.00 Total Money Available, remember.
So, where will the $100,000.00 come from if it doesn’t actually exist. Think about the bigger picture.
Didn’t the Great Depression start from a “run on the banks”?

You be the judge:
A) Ponzi Scheme
B) Poor Management
C) Greed
D) All of the Above

And that is why our monetary system was doomed to fail from the very beginning and the sad fact is that the ones who oversee it - Knew It From the Beginning.

Watch this video as it will open your eyes as it sheds some light on this fragile house of cards that has been built. Something to think about. I think you’ll enjoy it.

A word about those “Banks” taking bailout money and then giving a good percentage of it away as bonuses…read more…

One of them, no names, took $10 Billion USD of bailout money. Then bonused out $10.9 Billion of it at the end of 2008. Pretty ba isn’t it, I mean how responsible is it to “need” and then take bailout money only to turn around and bonus more than that out. How would those same companies feel about you doing something like that? What words would be used to describe what you would have done? They need to practice what they preach but, that will never happen as they control the money. The goal of these same institutions is NOT to help the individual but, rather bury them as fast as possible.

You see the faster they can add fees and charges and keep you behind the faster they can run up the balances. Remember the total they run it up to isn’t what was actually borrowed nor does it take into account payments made previously.

In short the faster they can take $1000.00 and run it up to $1500.00 and then write it off, they get the tax break on the extra $500.00 in fees and charges.

One bank runs advertising on the radio, probably TV also, that states that they will transfer money from your checking acct, when you use your debit card, in to a “High Interest Savings Account”. Now I have to wonder what their definition of “High Interest” is? Well here it is: 5.00% first year, 2.00% after. Wonder what name they call their credit card rates by?

With the bleeding job market
“The US lost more jobs in 2008 than in any year since 1945 as employers fired another 524000 people in December, indicating a free-fall in the economy just days before President-elect Barack Obama takes office…”

It is now that one must start taking some sort of action. Putting in place Plan B. Before you are one of the lost jobs.

Well, I care and I decided to review / share my experience with StarMicro of Fremont California with all the world. First let me just say that none of this had to happen but, of course the key there is “had”. With all the rumblings going on about customer service lately, I thought it only fitting to share.

Run away, exit the page, close your browser, or just pull the plug if you end up at StarMicro.net looking for computer parts.

I’ve been without my PC for the last week and will be for probably another week and who do you think I can thank so very much for that? Did you say StarMicro.net? I thought I heard you say Starmicro.net and if so, you are 100% correct.

What’s that, Why? Oh, why, well let me tell you why…

My cpu fan was making so much noise that it was actually hard to stay in the same room with my PC running. So, I visited my local computer shop and purchased a new fan. Now while there they told me that if I updated, flashed, my BIOS I could jump from an Athlon 900 to an Athlon XP 2100. I know it’s an older system but I did build it from the ground up and it runs like a champ well, when it runs of course.

Anyway, they didn’t have a cpu for my system so I went online to Pricewatch.com (great site by the way) and searched out the exact cpu for my Asus A7M266 mobo. Guess who had it, correct StarMicro.net, Damn your smart.

So I place the order and wait for it to arrive. It shows up a couple of days later. Excited I flash my BIOS and reboot my PC. All well with the A7M266 mobo so, lets power down and wait a few minutes to cool off, just in case.

With the cables disconnected off comes the one side of the case cover. Next I disconnect / remove the heatsink, lift the locking arm and up comes the Athlon 900. All good so far. Carefully, I open the plastic case containing the Athlon XP 2100 from StarMicro.net then I install the Athlon XP 2100 secure the heatsink, plug in the fan, and close the case. Let’s boot up!

Cables are all reconnected and now the moment I have been waiting for, power up without noise. Yes my pc powered up without that fan noise and actually no other noise other than the power supply. Odd, there should have been a little drive access noise at boot. I looked at the monitor and it was black - nothing just blank. Wait, my pc didn’t POST and Windows XP Pro never initiated.

Start over and reseat the cpu. When I took off the heatsink I found the chip attached to it and not to the cpu. I called AMD and spoke to a Technical Specialist who informed me that the chip will not come off like that and that the cpu must have arrived damaged / DOA.

That leads to a phone call to StarMicro in Fremont CA, where I tried to explain it to the guy but he just couldn’t understand it. I even had him go to hise product webpage and I told him the little square in the middle of the top of the cpu. I thought he got it but, he didn’t. He did give me a RMA number and off it went Priority Mail.

Three emails later I finally received the following response:

Dear Customer,

We have received your returned part and the CPU is damaged.

You told us that the lids of the CPU came off but the lids are in good condition.

And the chip is off. At this time we cannot process your RMA.

As per the company’s Return Policy any damage made at the customer’s end cannot be refunded or replaced.

We are sending the package back.

 Thanks,

 RRegards,

StarMicro Inc.

Now, the part that gets me is “… at the customer’s end…” You see this little statement is a blanket for them. Why? Simply that once every product leaves StarMicro.net it will next be opened at the “customer’s end” and you know what that means. You broke it!!!

In my opinion any damage I’m to be responsible for should show as damage I did. Improper installation that would have bent pins or similar. Think about it, why would I pry off the chip? Doing so renders the cpu useless. By the way StarMicro.net puts a yellow sticker on the cpu to identify it as theirs, I guess. Which in my opinion is just fine. That sticker was still on the cpu and was not damaged in any way shape or form.

So what is all of this about, well it’s really quite simple. Had StarMicro Inc. of Fremont California treated me, the customer, properly nobody would have ever heard anything about this. But, because StarMicro Inc of Fremont California treated me sooo badly I want the whole world to know about it.

This relates to all marketing not just brick & mortor. what should StarMicro.net have done? Either replaced the cpu or offered me a refund. Had they done that, this would not be a post.

Oh, I almost forgot, StarMicro.net >>> Just Plain UGLY 

Al

Now everyone is different and how they react to what is presented them is also going to be a different reaction. One way of viewing is to see it as they see it or as you see what someone else’s creation. How do you react? You arrive a webpage, be it a static site a blog or a mini-site, what goes thru your mind first? Be honest with yourself. I know what goes thru my mind.

• First, I read the headline
• Second, I’ll start reading the beginning of the content
• Third, I’m going to check out the verticle scrollbar - How small is it? Why, because a small scrollbar = a long page = lots of text = lots of my valuable time reading the text.
• Forth, I visit the bottom of the page. Let’s cut to the chase, I want the details: cost, comitment and benefit. That is it. Weigh the value and decide. What am I deciding?
• Fifth, Very simply, I’m deciding if my time is worth reading what you have typed and ultimately the consideration of the sale.

How much time has this taken out of my day up to this point? Maybe 30 seconds - Tops! Decision made.

What this tells us is that you have a few precious second to grab my attention and keep it. If you fail, I’m gone. Click, goodbye and no conversion.

Aging of the Prospect

Aging refers to length of time the prospect has been exposed to the trick of the trade, if you will. As newbies, which we all were at one time, we spend more time reading and buying. Why, because we don’t know any better. We are easily sold but, as we become veterans with some experience under our belts we get wiser. We have matured and are not as quick to click the “Buy” button.

Making That 30 Seconds Count

You have 30 seconds to convert from prospect to buyer. With so much to say where do you start? When building a house you start at the bottom most inner part, the foundation and then build up from there. Until the house finally has the exterior finishing touches applied. There it is picture perfect. Therefore it would only go to reason that your sales (money) page should follow the same process. Craft the offer, create the content, write a headline, upload to your server, promote, convert and kick back collect the fruits of your work. Right or wrong? The answer might surprise you… Wrong.

Write your headline first. Your headline is the most important part of your sales page. Headlines are the first words read and those words must compel the reader to continue on reading. It would be difficult to construct a headline after the rest of the content has been created. Headlines intrigue and lead the reader by very quickly conferring the topic and solution that the prospect is looking for.

After you have your headline then craft your content. Basically you want to ask the question first before answering it. That’s simple - write a headline then content and collect the money. Well the content could be simple for a lot of us but, the headline? That is more difficult.

Look at your own offers are they converting well? Probably not. It is true that the Internet has leveled the playing field for the smaller marketer to compete with the big bad corporation. Why? Big business has meetings, conferences, more meetings, approvals and finally implementation. Small business takes action much faster and is usually on the cutting edge. As a small business owner you also have to compete with your peers. So you do have competion. Aggressive competition at that. that is why it is so important to grab the readers attention and keep it as you funnel them thru your sales channel.

You do have choices when it comes to your headlines. You can hire a copywriter, freelancer or agency to write one for you. Or you can write one for yourself. Either way you, as a small buisness person you need to know what you are getting and how valuable it is. If you have zero knowledge of copywriting and headlines how will you know. My point is that you, at the very least, need to have some knowledge of writing copy and headlines. Otherwise, how can you determine good from not so good before you put your money down. A lot of good money get spent on not so good headlines and copy.

Dave Garield, described by many as, “the world’s greatest copywriting coach”, has wriiten a the benchmark book when it comes to writing headlines. “Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich” takes the guess work out of writing headlines. Dave shows you how to modify proven money generating headlines to meet your needs and carry your visitor thru from headline to clicking the Buy button. Even if you will outsource your headline writing, you still need to know what works and what does not work. “Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich“ is one book that every internet marketer and affiliate marketer needs on their desk. That is an understatement. Follow this link and order yours now, you won’t be sorry.

Well, this is long enough, maybe even too long.

Al

Today a quick post, Are you doing all you can do?

 What I’m referring to is related to the marketing of your sites. We all need to set goals and really adhere to them in order to get our business to the next level. If you don’t, who will? You really need to to set your goal small to start with and then expand on it. This way your goals will be attainable and become easier with each expansion. Lets start with articles, write a new article at least 3 times a week and don’t publish all to the same site. The article has 2 purposes ONLY, first to create / expand your expertness and second backlinks / drive traffic to your site. FYI: second is probably more important than first.

Al