With both Wall St. and Main St. in turmoil over the seeming U.S. financial meltdown, the big guns in the world of Internet marketing and advertising are feeling the impact. Perhaps it’s deja vu from the burst of the dot-com bubble, but perhaps it’s more than that. After the U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass a bailout package on Monday, Microsoft’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Brad Smith, issued the following statement:

Microsoft strongly urges members of the U.S. House of Representatives to reconsider and to support legislation that will re-instill confidence and stability in the financial markets. This legislation is vitally important to the health and preservation of jobs in all sectors of the economy of Washington State and the nation, and we urge Congress to act swiftly.

Both Microsoft and Yahoo! are among the top 15 or so most actively traded stocks on Nasdaq, with Microsoft regaining ground after the Nasdaq plunged 9 percent on Monday. Yahoo! hit its 52-week low on Monday, finishing at $16.88 (compared to its high - 11 months ago - of $34.08). The markets’ volatility probably won’t abate anytime soon, but the heavyweights are hanging in there. Microsoft’s recent stock buyback announcement likely accounts for its relative stability.

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Yesterday, we touched upon the need for every online business to implement an Internet marketing plan, and to allocate funds to a marketing budget. But, how do you know how much you should budget for marketing? And, no, the answer is not, “Whatever’s left over.” Marketing needs to be proactive, not an afterthought.

If you’re a start-up, a good rule of thumb is that at least 20 percent of your capital investment should be spent on marketing. If you’re past the initial start-up phase, your budgeted amount can be a percentage of your gross sales (usually five to seven percent). But it’s important to note that a flat percentage may not achieve the results you desire. A more complicated approach - but one that is more effective in the long run - is to determine your customer acquisition cost. In other words, how much does it cost you (in terms of time and hard costs) to get one new customer? Next, figure out how many new customers you have to acquire each month in order for your business to succeed.

Having this information will help you determine your marketing budget, as well as give you insight into whether or not your markups are reasonable and how much profit you can expect to achieve during a given quarter or fiscal year. You can also use this information to set benchmarks for streamlining your marketing budget and lowering your customer acquisition costs. Plus, it will provide you with metrics against which to measure the effectiveness of new marketing strategies you may try.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the ways you can use your marketing budget.

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Press release services are ideal for people who need an impressive press release but who do not have the skills or time to create one. Press release services provide professional assistance to ensure the right message is getting out to the public. The people who work on the press release should be courteous, willing to work with the customer until they are happy, and work diligently to create the ideal solution.

Although each press release service is slightly different, most will take at least five days for completion. Typically, the company providing the service gathers all the pertinent information and conducts additional research. From there, they take all the information in creating a press release that is newsworthy and attention grabbing.

Press release services vary in their pricing. However, on average, you would expect to pay between $200 and $250 for writing services, and up to several hundred dollars more for distribution. In some cases, you can find a package price that includes both the creation of the press release and the distribution. In this case, the company providing the press release services has a list of media outlets that accept the release. This way, you get the publicity needed for your new company, product, and/or service.

The goal in choosing any press release service is to make sure the company has years of solid experience, a good reputation, and a team of highly skilled members. For instance, many professionals providing press release services actually have experience in both writing and public relations. This, coupled with Internet marketing experience, results in a powerful statement.

To find professional press release services, you might consider the wealth of information available online. There are some outstanding options that make the process a breeze. For this, you provide basic information in an online form, and based on what you send, a professional writer interviews you to gather more detailed data.

From there, the writer composes a draft, which is then provided you for review. This first draft gives you the chance to find errors, change information, or add things that might have initially been overlooked. This new information is incorporated into a second draft, which you review. Once approved, the writer formats the document for distribution.

The press release service generally needs a few days to finalize the document. From there, an exact date and time the release needs to be submitted. Once the press release has gone out, you simply sit back and enjoy the benefits of getting information out to the media about what you have to offer.

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Internet marketing and advertising experts always look to Google for cutting edge advances in marketing strategies. Recently, the search giant announced that Bloomberg Television will be added to the Google TV Ads platform, which also includes the DISH Network and NBC Universal.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but Google’s pay-for-performance model has worked so well for search and content advertising that it will most likely work for TV as well. In addition, of course, anything that potentially opens up the television market to more advertisers by making it more affordable is absolutely welcome.

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For new or relatively new online businesses, one of the hardest decisions to make is to allocate money for Internet marketing. The decision is difficult for a number of reasons. First, cash is probably tight. There are so many expenses and so little income that it’s hard to part with the money you have. Second, Internet marketing can seem mysterious, and you may not understand how some strategies will pay off in the long term. Third, because you will likely be engaging the services of an Internet marketing company, you’ll have to take a leap of faith - something that’s not easy when you have so much to lose.

Nevertheless, it’s unreasonable to think that any business can succeed without a well thought-out marketing plan - and without the money it takes to implement it. This doesn’t mean that a small home business needs to pour tens of thousands of dollars into marketing, but it does mean that you need to take that leap of faith - both in your business plan and your marketing plan - and put your money where your hopes and dreams are.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the ways you can determine an annual marketing budget.

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If you have always wanted to own an online business but without design and development experience never took action, now you can. With the simple solution of a web builder, you can have a professional website up and running in no time, after which you can launch your Internet marketing efforts.

Keep in mind that web builders vary. For instance, some programs will have hundreds of templates and easy text input systems, while others are more limited and use HTML code. Additionally, one web builder might also provide hosting services while another does not. Therefore, in addition to considering some of the choices we have listed, we also recommend you do your homework to find the best web builder for your specific needs.

* Homestead (www.homestead.com) - This particular web builder comes with your choice of 2,000 website templates, each professional and comprehensive. Adding your own text, graphics, and logo is a quick and easy process. This comes with a 30-day trial period, after which the price is only $4.99 per month.

* Ewisoft (www.ewisoft.com) - Of all web builder software programs, this is definitely one of the easiest and most powerful choices. Whether a novice or expert, the process allows you to add images, add and edit text, and much more. There is a free download trial and affordable pricing.

* Webjam (www.webjam.com) - With this web builder option, you will be able to create a great looking and easy to navigate site with customizable options. The program is extremely flexible, making it a great choice for people with or without technical skills.

* Bluevoda (www.bluevoda.com) - More than 1.4 million people have downloaded this web builder, and it is easy to understand the reasons why. For one thing, the program runs on all Windows operating systems, it is easy to download, and the building is simple. This web builder needs no HTML experience, there are lots of predesigned templates from which to choose, no restrictions on the number of sites you can create, and with the click of a button you can have the site up and running.

* Tripod (www.tripod.com) - Our final web builder recommendation does require a little bit of learning but everything is easy to follow. One of the most remarkable aspects of this web builder is that the outcome is incredible.

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Internet marketing has many advantages over traditional marketing venues. For example, Internet marketing (or web marketing) is far less expensive than traditional marketing. Many people invest in Internet marketing because they know they will reap the benefits of a high return on investment. This is especially true when businesses take advantage of email marketing campaigns.

Email marketing and email advertising are comprehensive web promotion tools that are essential elements of any effective Internet marketing strategy. Companies can use email marketing and email advertising to reach a wider audience than traditional advertising in print or in mass media.

Here are some other key advantages of Internet marketing:

* Savvy marketers can take advantage of web linking to advertise free.

* Search engine marketing tactics can help boost a website’s ranking and consumers’ awareness of products and services almost instantaneously.

* Internet marketing is a tool small business owners and large corporations alike can take advantage of freely.

* Internet marketing allows businesses to tap into a global marketplace and a diverse workforce.

* Internet marketing allows for a paperless marketing system so it is more eco-friendly than traditional forms of marketing.

* The ROI is much higher than in traditional marketing, where profits may be marginal at best.

* Statistics suggest web marketing will continue to grow faster than all other forms of media because of its efficiency.

* You can easily track statistical information on the web in real time without spending a fortune.

* You can use multiple channels of marketing on the Net.

* You can take advantage of the latest technology, including easy-to-use tutorials, so you work at your own pace on your own time.

Are you tired of leaving a paper trail every time you attempt to drum up business? Maybe it’s time you switched tactics. Internet marketing is the wave of the future; why not try it on for size?

If you are not sure where to start, begin with your very own website. Start with your own list of customers and forge a stronger relationships with your trusted clients. Once you start doing this, word-of-mouth marketing starts to take shape. You can then take advantage of web promotions. From there, you start to learn about other forms of Internet marketing and watch your business grow.

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Squeeze pages are effective methods of gaining a prospect’s personal information for future web site promotion efforts. Most website visitors do not buy products and services on their initial visit to a new site, giving website owners’ incentive to capture their information so that they can initiate additional opportunities to convert the lead to a paying prospect. Follow these easy steps to launch your business’ squeeze page.

Step 1: Design Your Squeeze Page Concept (Long or Short?)

Your squeeze page could be complex or very simple in its structure and design.
The simplest form of a squeeze page could be:

“Welcome to ‘Your Business’s Name’- Click Here for more information”

And that is it! These forms of squeeze pages are often used as pop-ups in an attempt to grab some more leads when visitors are on your website.

Squeeze pages by definition should be short, to the point, and have a clear call to action for the reader. While they may annoy people, they are extremely effective as a marketing technique for businesses.

Squeeze pages can also be sales pages, long or short form, designed to sell a product such as an e-book. These pages are often designed to be a sales funnel, starting off by grabbing the attention of the reader with a powerful title or headline.

The most important pieces of information to collect on a squeeze page are the visitor’s name and a valid email address.

We have all experienced a squeeze page at some point on someone’s webpage, and we may have even chosen to opt in, giving the site our name and email address. The best choices for an effective opt in would be a free newsletter, free ezine, free e-book, or a free research report.

Step 2: Design Your Squeeze Page Layout

There are several effective software solutions that you can use to set up a Squeeze page. Squeeze pages will help you to reap the benefits of all of your Internet marketing efforts. Be sure to include the proper URL link in any of your marketing efforts, so that the traffic is directed to your specified squeeze page.

Step 3: Post Your Squeeze Page and Track Results

Most marketers will leverage a variety of techniques to capture leads over time in an effort to determine which methods are the most effective for their business models. Your goal is to drive people to your website, but then to have them take action once they have arrived. Your goal will be for them to opt-in, and give you their information, to click on any of your ads for either pay-per-click income or affiliate income, or to buy any one of your products and services. Try several techniques and track the results to determine which are best for you and your business model over the long term.

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In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Google is launching Project 10^100 and inviting anyone and everyone to submit ideas to change the world. They’re going to pony up $10 million to fund the best idea or ideas. Ideas don’t have to be related to technology. And, best of all, you don’t have to know how to actually implement your idea - they can find the people to do it. How cool is that?

The Google team will narrow down the submissions to 100, and then ask the public to vote on the 20 finalists. After that, a panel of judges will select up to five ideas for funding.

Here’s what Google said in their press release:

We want to extend to the world the idea that great ideas come from all angles. Google Chrome emerged when engineers realized they needed an entirely new browser to sufficiently engage with rich web applications. Google News began when on 9/11 an engineer became frustrated that he couldn’t aggregate news sources from around the world in one place.

Whether you’re an Internet marketer, or simply someone who wants to make the world a better place, you can visit www.project10tothe100.com to find out the details. The submission deadline is October 20.

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When you are researching press release services, there are warning signs that should raise red flags and make you select another company. Here are some of the signs:

1. Refuse to give out references

Every service should be willing to provide you with references so that you know that people have used them in the past and were satisfied with a job. If a press release service doesn’t want to give you references, it’s a bad sign and you should thank them for their time and contact someone else.

2. All they talk about is advertising

Reputable press release services know that press releases are meant to highlight your company’s news or achievements - not to advertise products. If the representative is focusing only on your products, you should choose another service.

3. They are sketchy about details

Good press release services will outline exactly how they are going to deliver. If you ask them questions and they don’t give you straight answers, it’s time to move on.

Once you hire a press release service, expect to be kept informed through every step of the writing and distribution process. The company should respond to your emails or calls in a timely manner, and address any concerns you may have.

There are many reputable press release services online; you simply have to watch for the warning signs and select a company that can meet your objectives.

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