| LED Digest 2559: Vital Business Tools |
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The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom www.WillMaster.com/Master : the LED's Key Sponsor Master Series Software - Get Connected with Your WebSite www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ : the LED's Premier Sponsor Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. December 20, 2007 Issue no. 2559 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ====================== --== Fax Programs ==-- ~ Mary Findley "Up until now I have been using a wonderful fax program called Fax Pal..." --== Vital Business Tools ==-- ~ Michael Linehan "Here's the start of a list. Everyone is welcome to contribute." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== International SEO ==-- ~ Nicole Bishop "It's difficult to see how I could address this problem...without setting up two separate sites..." --== Marketing Training & Development ==-- ~ Adam Audette "...would you be interested in some soft of in-person training or seminar?" ========= NEW ===================================== From: Mary Moppins Subject: Internal Fax Machines Hi LEDers, I have recently updated my 5 year old Dell. Up until now I have been using a wonderful fax program called Fax Pal that receives my faxes. It was designed for Windows 95 but converted just fine to Windows 2000 professional. However it stubbornly refuses to convert to Windows XP. I found a connector cable so I can make the connection from the machine to my new hard drive but the new XP does not recognize the system. Yes I admit to being a bit computer challenged in these areas. Do any of you know a system similar to Fax Pal that would work with XP? Fax Pal connects into my phone line, receives in a fax and then alerts me on my computer screen that I have a message. I open the message box and simply delete the message if it's unsolicited. I called the phone number on the box and that no longer is their number and their website is no longer theirs. The regular fax machines I've seen receive and print all messages. Having 8 to 10 pages a day of sp^m printing does not appeal to me. Thank you for any help you can offer. I hope your day is more wonderful than you expect, Mary Findley, owner Mary Moppins www.goclean.com ========= Begin Sponsor Message ========= Two more tips- # - What can robots find out about your server? http://bontragercgi.com/snoopLED # - Bontrager software case studies. http://willmaster.com/csLED Keep watching this space for more tips! ========== End Sponsor Message ========== -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Michael Linehan Subject: Critical Business Tools VITAL BUSINESS TOOLS to increase your profitability Here's the start of a list. Everyone is welcome to contribute. If the length gets too cumbersome, we may have to edit, or put to the LED website. Ideally, in each category, we'd like to have the top few tools - not an exhaustive list of twenty. Add your programs and add categories. With each program suggestion you send in, add a single digit number of words explaining what it is. What we want: 1. Excellent, critically important business tools that can be used by anyone who owns a website - either immediately or with just a little training. 2. The tool must make a marked difference to profitability. E.g. no email or ftp program recommendations. The subtleties of email or ftp clients will make no difference to the profitability of most readers. 3. Web tools, yes - but also complementary business tools - e.g. CRM for follow-up, one of the most critical business activities. What we don't want: 1. Tools that require a large amount of specific, technical expertise. Sorry, we don't want to hear about editing a modern site with a text editor such as BBEdit, because the vast majority of business owners will never be able to do that. 2. Any bombastic "my tool is obviously superior to your stupid tool" posts. 3. Tools that may be good, but they have been around for ten years and almost no-one uses them. E.g. there are good reasons why DHE Editor for Cold Fusion is not used by the vast majority of web developers. So the idea is *not* just "my personal favourites" or "it's really good", but tools that will be dramatically useful to the average business-owner readers of LED. 1) WEB TOOLS - Keyword Research Free Keyword Discovery http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html Free Word Tracker http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ And their paid versions. - Pay-per-click Management? - Link tracking? - Site gadgets, scripts, etc. Forms, surveys, secure email and more: http://www.willmaster.com - Web Editor Adobe GoLive CS2: Don't upgrade to v9. Super-junk code. Interface usually regarded as easier to use (than Dreamweaver) for designers and general purpose. Adobe Dreamweaver. Took over as the industry standard when it came out, and has retained that position. - SEO Tools? - Other Categories? 2) BUSINESS TOOLS - CRM Follow-up is a critical business activity. Systematizing it is better. Systematizing with software is best. Mac - DayLite by http://www.marketcircle.com Windows - Maximizer at http://www.maximizer.com/ - Time tracking / invoicing Mac - Billings by Marketcircle http://www.marketcircle.com Integrates with Address Book and Daylite. - Project Management Mac - Merlin http://www.merlin2.net/ - Other Categories? Michael Linehan http://www.marketing-alchemy.com ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Nicole Bishop Subject: International SEO I run a site for professional writers and editors, where correct English is the "be-all and end-all". So I always give those who list on the site the option of writing up their listings in either UK English or US English. However, the overall site (apart from the writers' listings) is written in UK English (which we use in New Zealand). Perhaps -- apart from the SEO issue -- this is "handicapping" the site somewhat, as I do not get anywhere near as many US listings as I should do based on the proportion of visitors who come from the US, according to the site stats. It's difficult to see how I could address this problem, though, without setting up two separate sites - one written entirely in UK English and one in US English. Nicole Bishop http://www.writerfind.com -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Adam Audette Subject: Training > ... maybe we could establish a network to > facilitate some secondments or short visits > where we work with similar companies in > different parts of the world. I couldn't do > this with another agency on my doorstep, > but an exchange visit with someone in the > US might be very interesting. - Barry S Mills, LED Digest - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1973/190/ I replied to Barry already, but wanted to post it here as well. I think this is a great idea, and I'm wondering if there are other ways to put it into practice as well. Speaking for my own company, we're just too small to be able to do a "study abroad" type of gig (we need all hands on deck at the moment), but sometime down the road that model would most definitely work. What it makes me wonder, is if there's a place for advanced internet marketing seminars / micro conferences / support groups / training programs for agencies, consultants, and freelancers. There are already several large conferences covering this area, and some smaller ones as well. And there are great SEO/M training programs - SEOToolSet.com from Bruce Clay (an LED sponsor) - and the HighRankings.com series. So the model is already working for at least two prominent search marketing agencies. That probably means there's room for more. LEDer, would you be interested in some soft of in-person training or seminar? Or are you more interested in traditional conferences? Let me know your thoughts and I'll keep mulling this over. Best wishes, Adam Audette (c) Copyright 1995-2007 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "...the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story." - Anthony de Mello |
