Contents Of This Issue:
We have a cool issue today. It's a very large mixture of everything, we cover topics ranging from promoting your Ezine, information about banner advertising, how to loose your online customers, to the new top level domain names. It's a pretty full issue, I hope you like it!
For those of you that don't know how you got onto this list, there is only one way. You asked to be subscribed! You probably signed up on my site, found at http://www.islandnet.com/~jreimer. That's all there is to it! If you don't want to receive this newsletter anymore, then just follow the simple unsubscribe instructions at the end of this newsletter.
Announcing Web Cards
Web Cards are low-cost, full-color postcards with an image of a home page on one side and a custom message on the other.
To receive your FREE sample, visit http://www.printing.com/promo.asp?site=prowor
Okay, so I have finally run out of good "Cool Facts". I'll have to switch to "Cool One liners" for a while, until someone sends me some more cool facts!
Eight Ways to Publicize Your E-Zine
By Christopher Pirillo
1. Advertise the URL (or subscription e-mail address) in other e-zines
This will work best for zines distributed only by e-mail. In my
experience, it kicks the heck out of banner advertisement. You
can be more descriptive with a text ad. Plus, I believe that the
people who subscribe to one e-mail pub are more than likely to
subscribe to another one. It's easier to read than a Webzine;
subscribers read an e-mail publication at their leisure. And once it
is in their Inbox, they don't have to mess with being connected to
the Internet anymore. Not everyone uses the Web, but just about
everyone has an e-mail address.
2. Friends and Family
If subscribers like what they see, they'll tell a friend. Heck, I
know Lockergnome reaches more than 70k people just because
many of my subscribers print it out and pass it around the office.
There's no better advertisement than word of mouth. If you had
to choose between 10 products, and your friend recommended
just one of them, you'd probably go with that one--if you trust
your friend's judgment. :) Also, be personal. It is a pain in the
CPU to answer all the e-mail I get, but I do answer it. People
enjoy knowing that I'm not a computer. They remember that they
received personal e-mail from me.
3. Quality Control
I can't stress this part enough. People won't take you seriously
unless you take yourself seriously first. If you want to run with the
'big boys', get a good virtual host with a fast connection, purchase
a web domain, and hire a designer if you can't design your way
out of a wet paper bag. At the very least, go through your zine
with a fine-toothed comb. If you're a good writer, people'll love
you. I've always been one to bend the grammatical rules, but then
again, I've got a degree in English Education, so I can do that. :)
How does this relate to publicizing? It crafts your image.
4. Do It Differently
Do something new. People are more apt to pick up on something
that hasn't been done before. Do it first, and people will
remember you. As an example, if you say e-zine, I say John
Labovitz, only because his E-Zine-List database is widely known
in e-zine circles. But don't copy someone else's idea. Yes, you
can take and build upon what you see, but if it doesn't scream
"original", you might as well not even bother. How much crud do
you have to wade through on the 'Net before you finally get to
quality content? Remember that before you even start typing.
5. Design a Linking Logo
Make an 88x31 logo (they've become standard on Web pages).
People love linking from their personal pages, and sometimes
from their professional pages. When I review a product or Web
site, I contact the person in charge on the chance they'll want to
announce that they appeared in Lockergnome. A graphic catches
surfers' eyes. If possible, try to get a small description or personal
accolade to accompany that link. It gives it more credibility. Visit
a site that I've reviewed and you may find a Lockergnome
graphic; if people see enough of 'em, they'll probably visit. Surfers
become familiar with a certain name, and they trust it. If a person
has a hobby (like cars) then you'd want your car e-zine listed on
every car page possible. I review a lot of Windows shareware,
and right now the online shareware market is flooded. That puts
me at an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Pro: there are tons
of surfers. Con: there tons of other sites trying to get those surfers'
attention. That's where "being different" comes into play.
6. Subscribers Are Important
Find out where they're coming from. If you're noticing
subscriptions coming from a certain site or e-zine, pursue a
partnership with them. And don't be afraid to receive feedback.
Yes, you'll get negative comments about 10 percent of the time,
but that's human nature. Are you doing your e-zine for yourself or
for them? The subscriber isn't always right, but they do have valid
points and ideas which could only help your readership grow.
Give them credit if they offer some content to your publication.
Nothing makes you happier than seeing your name in lights, right?
7. Don't Spam
You're going to get blamed for it anyway, but don't do it. There
are enough people out there who are giving our legitimate
publications a very bad name. If they can't remember subscribing
to something they receive in their Inbox, it's Spam. Their best
friend (or enemy) could have signed them up without asking
permission first, and you'll take the blame every time. Don't let it
get you down, but don't play their game, either. Along this thread,
don't ever purchase those "1 Billion E-mail Addresses"
CD-ROMs. The key is, "If you build it, they will come."
8. Choose Your Allies Smartly
Guilt by association; the same rule applies online. If you feel that
you're in a different league than another site, don't be afraid to say
"no" to a 'partnership' or link exchange. If you feel that site's
content isn't as good as it could possibly be, offer suggestions and
wait until improvements are made. Of course, you can't be afraid
to ask other people out there if they'd like to do something with
you (e.g., a joint promotion). Don't compromise quality for
quantity--ever. Of course, if you can get both quality AND
quantity, you're good to go. But be careful about what you say
and do, and what the sites you associate with say or do.
Christopher told me that he has a more extensive, 40 point article (!!) on this subject that he will make available for a small fee. If interested, you may contact him at chris@lockergnome.com
Hi!
I realize that this message is a little late, and I apologize. I just wanted to thank you for including my URL in your 19th newsletter! I had an incredible amount of hits coming in around that time (Monday-Wednesday)! It was totally unexpected and very much appreciated.
Take care, and keep up the great work...
Fran
_______________________________________________________
MIKETOWN - Unofficially dedicated to fans of Mike Myers
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/2377/
Editors note: This is a great reason why you should consider
advertising in the Informer!
Hi Josh:
I found out about your site from a NETrageous recommendation
http://www.netrageous.com/. That's why I was suprised that you hadn't
included Safe in your review of banner exchanges. I'm on the verge of
advertising with them and wondered if you had any information on them.
If you want to check them out you can do so from the NETrageous site.
===============================================================
Editors note: Technically, Safe-Audit isn't a banner
exchange. They don't exchange users banners, instead they
pay webmasters to host them for them. Advertisers pay
Safe-Audit to have their banners hosted. It is a great deal
for both parties. If you have a lot of unsold ad inventory
sitting around your site, give them a try. Also, since they
only charge for results, advertisers really like it. I have
heard many good things about it, and as a past host of their
banners, I can highly recommend it. http://www.safe-audit.com
Since you said you wanted email---here it is.
Just thought I'd tell you that I find your eletter
entertaining and informative. I clipped more than a half
dozen URLs mentioned therein that I want to check out.
Keep up the good work.
P.S. I love getting messages like this one; I hope you do.
your response not necessary but welcome
Lynn Hickman
________________________
In the 20 Jan issue, you said only one country had a name starting with
"A" and not ending in "A".
There is at least one more besides Afganistan (sp).
One of the former Soviet Republics: Azarbyjan (I am not sure of the
spelling).
I am full of little useless bits of information.
Other than this, you have a very good product. Keep up the great work.
Jack Strickling
Top 10 Ways to Lose An Online Prospect or Customer.
1) Charge shipping and handling for orders shipped via email.
This has happened to me not once but twice. Both companies are
on my "never buy from again list." If your margins are so thin
you have to squeeze out an extra 2 or 3 dollars for something
that costs you nothing, you are in the wrong business.
2) Exaggerate the benefits of owning your product.
I would be the first to tell you to sell your customers on the
benefits of owning your product. But, the flip side of the coin
is, don't make promises in your advertising that your product
can't live up to.
3) Don't respond promptly to customer replies for more
information.
Three days from now the prospect will have forgotten everything
about your product. Strike while the iron is HOT.
4) After you receive a credit card order through email, don't
acknowledge it with a reply.
The biggest myth about the internet is that crooks are lurking
everywhere just waiting to rip off your credit card number. You
and I know better. But Mr. or Ms. average internet user believes
all the hype they hear on the news magazine shows. Reassure
them. Give them some warm fuzzies. Let them know via email that
you received the order and it is on the way.
5) After receiving an order by email, send the customer a reply
that you are out of town and will ship his order after you return
-- sometime in a week or two.
When someone places an order by email you should put this
customers name at the TOP of your customer list. Cherish him.
For he will return many times more over the next few years. BUT,
DON'T MAKE HIM WAIT. My policy is to ship the product the SAME
day the order is received.
6) Ignore customer complaints or requests for refunds.
Some of the best customers I have are people who initially
complained about my product or service. When I get a complaint,
I immediately contact the customer and assure her that I will
have an answer for her within 24 hours. If the mistake was mine
or my fulfillment company, I let the customer know and bend over
backwards to correct the problem. I have gone as far as shipping
the product and telling the customer to send me a check after she
receives the order.
7) Ignore customer's requests that information be sent by snail
mail.
When a prospect replies with his mailing address instead of his
email address, there is probably a good reason. Maybe he is
using a friends computer and doesn't have an email address.
8) Send attached files through the internet.
The internet cannot yet transmit binary information. Attached
files are converted to ASCII format and are SOMETIMES converted
back to binary format when they arrive at their destination.
But, unless the customer is using an online service, such as AOL,
you can't be sure the file will be converted. If you are sending
orders by email always ask the customer if his email software can
handle attached files. If not, ask for a postal address so you
can ship the order.
9) Save your sales letter or electronic publication in native
format.
I have downloaded documents from file libraries on AOL and
CompuServe that are completely unreadable. These documents were
created with an application that I don't have on my computer.
Always save your documents in text file format and pull them up
in Word Pad or Note Pad to see if they are readable.
10) Don't test your electronic publication on a variety of
computers.
If you create electronic publications using any of the electronic
book writing applications (such as Cshow, TutorWriter, SuperShow,
NeoBook, etc,) be sure to test your product on a variety of
computers and video resolutions. Some of these products will lock
up some computers. Also, a publication created with a resolution
of, for example, 800 x 600, will not fully display on a monitor
with a resolution of 640 x 480.
To be on the safe side, always create your publications using a
resolution of 640 x 480. That is the lowest resolution that most
computers will display.
######### Golden Nuggets is Copyright 1997 by James J. Jones.
It isn't long till the new top level domains will be
introduced. It's only another four weeks or so, isn't it?
This will mean a lot of changes on the 'Net... and you
should be ready for them. I have a writer scheduled to write
an article on the subject of domain names (should be done in
about a month or two), but the new TLDs (Top Level Domains)
will be around before then. So in the mean time, I have
compiled a bunch of links on the subject.
The "NewDom" list
AlterNic
We can't forget this place. Alternic has made it it's goal
to overthrow the Internic and promote freedom of choice and
low prices (or something like that) on the Internet.
Whatever the case, they are offering *a lot* of good information on the subject.
Internet Goldrush
A large domain name information site... unfortunately, their
information on the new TLDs is a little outdated, however
you may find something of value.
Life In Cyberspace
Email me if you have any suggestions for future
"Bookmarkable Bookmarks". I will, of course, give you full
credit for any links I might publish. My email address is
jreimer@islandnet.com.
Many Infoseek http://www.infoseek.com users might have already noticed
Infoseek's selective directory. You may ask yourself, "Why isn't my site
in there?" The answer lies in how Infoseek determines which sites are
worthy of review.
On the Infoseek guidelines site
http://www.infoseek.com/Help?pg=meta_tag.html&sv=N5, they say:
"Infoseek Select sites are chosen by our editors from the
index based on their editorial value, traffic and the number
of links to the sites."
The more links to your site, the better chance of being in their directory.
Of course your site needs to be almost perfect... but that's for the reviewers
to decide. Many surfers depend on selective directories to pick out what is
best on the web, so they don't have to.
It is that same reason to try your best to get voted as a Starting Point
http://www.stpt.com/ Hot Site. Of course these are not the only selective
directories out on the net.
Select Surf http://www.selectsurf.com/ is a similar directory where your
site must be judged after submission.
Fido! http://www.clark.net/pub/soh/fido.htm is a family safe directory.
LookSmart http://looksmart.com/ is the same as Select Surf, where you
submit to be judged.
Britannica Internet Guide http://www.ebig.com/index.html rates and reviews
web sites for their directory.
Before you go off and submit to these directories remember that your site
will be judged so check your site and make sure its ready.
If you have any information about promotion, please tell us via e-mail.
--Eat Mor
This newsletter is now accepting advertising! If your site
or product targets webmasters, online merchants or small
business owners, this could be a great place to advertise
your website cheaply. More information can be found at
http://www.islandnet.com/~jreimer/cool/sponsor.html
I hope you have found this issue of the Informer helpful
and enjoyable. If you really want to unsubscribe from this
newsletter, (shame on you!), send email to
informer@oaknetpub.com with REMOVE in the BODY of the message.
If you want to get your friends to subscribe, tell them to email
informer@oaknetpub.com with SUBSCRIBE in the BODY of the message. Thanks!
Newsletter Credits:
Joshua Reimer, Editor (Big Boss)
Eat Mor, Official Tip Finder
I am hanging out for your emails! Email is what every
webmaster looks forward to. Send me your comments and
suggestions! They will be much appreciated.
And now for the manditory legal stuff:
This newsletter is copyright 1997 Joshua Reimer. No part may be reproduced
without permission. Joshua Reimer and Promotion World are
not responsible in any way for any loss or damage that may
befall you if you use the tips and tricks contained in this
newsletter. Hopefully none will, but we just have to cover all our bases!
This newsletter is "Made In Canada"!
________________________
Trudy A. Shore
MohSho Interactive Multimedia
6313 Duncan Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada B3L 1K4
(902) 492-0009
trudy@or.psychology.dal.ca
===============================================================
________________________
2800@polbox.com
Feature Article
By James J. Jones.
######### For a FREE subscription Email James88499@earthlink.net
######### with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Bookmarkable Bookmarks
There is a whole mailing list on the subject of the new
TLDs. If you have questions about the new TLDs, this is the
best place to ask them! It's a great resource.
http://www.ar.com/lists/newdom/
http://www.alternic.net
http://www.igoldrush.com
An article about buying and selling domain names (mainly
about the existing domains)
http://www.bestdomains.com/faq/newsday.html
Promotion With Eat Mor
spycow@voy.net
http://earth.vol.com/~spycow/advertise/
Web Page Advertising: Get noticed the right way.
Misc. Information
jreimer@islandnet.com
http://www.islandnet.com/~jreimer/
spycow@voy.net
http://www.vol.com/~spycow/advertise/
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