02/08/2010
Many webmasters repeat the mistakes made by their predecessors. Take a look at these Top 10 most common web design sins. Have you fallen victim to any of these?

Top 10 Web Design Sins

02/03/2010
A business that makes the decision to be environmentally-conscious will often promote goodwill among potential customers, while making the world a better place for future generations. Many businesses hesitate to adopt green practices because they fear it will hurt their bottom line and negatively impact profits. But many eco-conscious businesses discover that they can actually save money and bring in new customers who specifically patronize companies that actively make an effort to be environmentally friendly. Many customers may even be willing to pay a bit more for a product or service from a company that is green.

Steps to Make Your Business Green

02/02/2010
More small businesses in Northern New York can receive low-interest loans once the U.S. Small Business Administration once again funds a regional microloan program.

The program, through the Adirondack Economic Development Corp., will receive a $750,000 loan from SBA. In turn, the corporation makes loans to small businesses in amounts ranging from $500 to $35,000. Most loans total about $13,000.

01/27/2010
U.S. President Barack Obamas effort to increase retirement savings by requiring all businesses to offer automatic IRA accounts may face opposition from small companies, says a Washington-based trade group.

Obama said the plan, part of a tax package aimed at middle- income Americans proposed today, would let employees automatically enroll in direct-deposit retirement accounts and expand matching tax credits. The administration has not released a cost estimate.

complete article

01/25/2010
Weigh the pros and cons of implementing an RSS feed as a communication channel, and determine whether the benefits outweigh the risks in your own situation.

Pros and Cons of RSS

01/19/2010
Online marketing has evolved tremendously over the last decade. Within a single decade the interest and need for understanding this space has grown to insurmountable lengths. And there are the select few carrying forward...  

Most Influential Online Marketers of 2009

01/18/2010
Here are some other things to pay attention to when selecting domain names...

1. Domain Extensions
Many webmasters wrestle not only with choosing the best domain name, but also with the decision of what domain extensions to select for their website. The following is a general guide to what the most popular domain extensions represent...

.com - commercial (by far, the most popular domain extension)
.net - network host (often used by hosting companies)
.edu - educational institution
.org - organization
.info - informational sites

If your primary focus is in a local market, you may find value in a local domain as well.

How to Choose a Domain - Part 2

01/13/2010
How To Choose A Domain Name - Part 1

So, you have an idea or a product.... now you need a domain name for a website. How do you choose a great domain name? Here are a few ideas...

Brainstorm
Create a list of words or phrases that relate to the product, service, information, or brand that will be promoted on the website.

Experiment
Experiment with variations of the words in the above list. Change the order of words in phrases to create unique combinations for possible domain names.

Check Availability
Check the availability of the potential domains, using Network Solutions or a similar domain registrar. If the desired name is already taken, most domain registrars will provide a list of alternative similar domains that are available.

How to Choose a Domain - Part 1

01/07/2010
As they imagine the Internet of 2020, computer scientists across the country are starting from scratch and re-thinking everything: from IP addresses to DNS to routing tables to Internet security in general.

They are envisioning how the Internet might work without some of the most fundamental features of todays ISP and enterprise networks.

Their goal is audacious: To create an Internet without so many security breaches, with better trust and built-in identity management.

Internet in 2020

01/05/2010
In Illinois, small businesses number more than 1 million, touching every sector from manufacturing and professional services to retail and health care. According to 2006 Census data, they include 258,000 companies that employ more than 4 million people and contribute $192 million in annual payroll to the economy, Markowitz said. They represent 98 percent of state employers and 49 percent of employment.

Small Business Omens for 2010

01/04/2010
Top 10 Winners Predicted for 2010
1. Healthy Living
2. The Cloud
3. Savings
4. Simplicity in Design
5. Web Applications
6. Instant and Virtual
7. Portability
8. Energy
9. Green Shopping
10. Security

Top 10 Losers Predicted for 2010
1. Capitalism
2. Health Care
3. Credit Card Companies
4. The Left
5. Acorn
6. Big Government
7. Privacy
8. Super Star Atheletes
9. Facebook
10. Reality...

More on 2010 Predictions

01/01/2010
Another year has rolled by marked by miracles, political milestones and tragedies alike. 2009 was the year of financial uproar with bailouts and ponzi schemes dominating the news on a regular basis. Chrysler and GM stalwart car giants struggled to survive. Bernie Madoff's financial pyramid came tumbling down, taking average citizen's retirement plans with it, emptying the coffers of trusting non-profits and celebrities alike.

The United States democratically dominated political landscape juggled health care reform, accusations of death boards, raucous town hall meetings and tea parties from coast to coast. The Swine Flu was quickly renamed H1N1 so that the pork industry would not suffer, and the politicized name change did little to calm pandemic worries.

2009 Reflections, 2010 Predictions

12/22/2009
Have a look at last years list of predictions of what would be hot for 2009. How did we do?

Top 10 Winners for 2009

1. Personal Responsibility
2. Financial Diversification
3. Mobile Malware
4. Weight Loss
5. Going Green
6. Social
7. Cloud Computing
8. Virtual Collaboration
9. Video
10. RSS

Top 10 Losers for 2009

1. Global Economy
2. Republicans and Conservatives
3. Hollywood
4. China
5. Somali Pirates
6. Financial Services Industry
7. Corrupted Politicians
8. Security or Securities
9. Outsourcing
10. Gasoline

What is Hot and What Is Not For 2009

12/16/2009
Professional PowerPoint Templates for easy, professional presentations.

12/15/2009
Separate proposals introduced late last week would increase the maximum loan amounts for Small Business Administration-backed loans and extend fee eliminations and government loan guarantees.

Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine and Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced one proposal that would extend some of the provisions of the stimulus package.

12/14/2009
Blogging has quickly become very common place, and while blogs may be plentiful, many bloggers still make a number of mistakes when it comes to managing their blogs.  Presented here are the most common blog mistakes, in hopes that you can avoid making them yourself... Blog Mistakes

12/09/2009
I think I am about 5 for 500 when it comes to successful ideas vs flops. I just watched a documentary about my neighbor Warren Buffett and he talked about how you should brag about your failures and be humble about your successes. I think my new years resolution in 2007 is to be way more humble. Do not think I have some golden touch or something that everything works out great… its just the law of averages.. try enough stuff and something will stick.

Anyway I came up in about 10 minutes my top 10 worst ideas to make money that totally were a waste of time and effort (and money in some cases).

12/02/2009
Add Christmas Elements to your website! The Christmas Web Design Elements CD ROM contains high quality web HTML web layouts, graphics, and high quality stock photographs all available for use royalty free. Purchase the CD and use the images for building your corporate identity or brand. Perfect web and graphic collection for Christmas celebrations or Christmas related businesses.

12/01/2009
Search Engine Optimization has become a fine science. Tweaking, changing, and measuring is all part of the ongoing optimization process. SEO truly is a process that requires constant monitoring and attention. In order for a website to perform well, its managers and webmasters must adapt their SEO techniques as the search engine algorithms change.

On Page Search Engine Optimization Tips

11/30/2009
This year, there are more online bargains than ever on Cyber Monday-- with nearly nine out of ten retailers offering special online promotions for Monday, November 30th, according to the National Retail Federation. The day marks the traditional kick off to the online holiday shopping season. And to give you an idea of sales figures, keep this in mind: last year, more than eight hundred million dollars worth of merchandise was sold on Cyber Monday alone.

Tips for CyberMonday

11/23/2009
Businesses can use Twitter as a marketing tool in a variety of ways. Many business owners struggle with social media as a marketing medium. At the heart of the most effective social media marketing campaigns is personal communication. Many businesses that try to manage social media may attempt to shout their message, rather than simply engaging with potential customers. Potential customers who are active in social networks will not be receptive to marketing in this fashion. The trick with social media like Twitter is to interact and engage, rather than shouting your message.

Use Twitter for the following...

11/19/2009
Optimizing your video for search engines will increase the exposure that the video receives, and optimization will also help spread the videos message. Follow these steps to enhance your videos and improve their rankings... Video Optimization Tips - Part II

11/16/2009
Greeting cards can be a great way to recognize special people in our lives, they can also be used by businesses to personalize the customer relationship. Have a look at this new site, gives instant access to hundreds of Greeting Card designs that can be printed and personalized.

11/12/2009
According to Matt Cutts of Google fame - Caffeine will go live at one data center so that we can continue to collect data and improve the technology, but I do not expect Caffeine to go live at additional data centers until after the holidays are over. Most searchers would not immediately notice any changes with Caffeine, but going slowly not only gives us time to collect feedback and improve, but will also minimize the stress on webmasters during the holidays.

11/10/2009
Millionaires down on their luck now have a place to sell their mega-yachts, super-cars and family jewels without having to resort to the pawn shop.

An Internet auction site devoted to millionaires launches officially on Monday and is likely to profit from the worst recession in decades, which has extended its reach to the rich and famous in the United States, BillionaireXchange said.

complete article

11/11/2009
The architects of the most powerful search engine in the world have included some really handy algorithms in their service, which allow searchers to quickly locate particular and specific types of information...Google Is More Than Just a Search Engine

11/03/2009
A myth is a traditional story, idea, or explanation which is widely accepted, but actually untrue or unproven. Misconceptions can also be described as modern-day myths. When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the myths and misconceptions are abundant. We will try to dispel some of the more common Search Engine Optimization myths here... SEO Myths

11/03/2009
The first message was sent across Arpanet 40 years ago, on 29 October 1969.  Arpanet, the defence computer network that grew accidentally into the all-encompassing, era-defining, economy-changing, amusing-pictures-of-cats-facilitating behemoth that is today’s internet, seems as good a place to start as any.

complete article on Internet History

10/27/2009
Learn the ins and outs of RSS feeds using RSS Video Tutorials.

10/26/2009
A companys reputation is often critical to that company's success. The anonymity and vastness of the Internet makes managing a reputation much more difficult than it once was. Businesses must be proactive about protecting their brands and reputations.

Managing Your Reputation Online

10/26/2009
U.S. communications regulators voted unanimously to support an open Internet rule that would prevent telecom network operators from barring or blocking content based on the revenue it generated.

The proposed rule now goes to the public for comment until January 14, after which the Federal Communications Commissions will review the feedback and possibly seek more comment. A final rule is not expected until the spring of next year.

10/21/2009
Google has recently made a big push into the business software market with its Google Apps service, but has yet to gain any significant market share in small companies.

Google states that it has over 2 million small businesses using their business applications, but the reality is of those, only several hundred thousand of those are using the paid service, and many of those are sole-proprietors and individuals.

10/20/2009
Cyber criminals are finding new ways to steal information, including infecting legitimate Web sites with Trojans and creating rogue software packages that look legitimate but contain malware, cybersecurity experts warned.

Recent months have seen a rise in sophisticated attacks, also including so-called spear phishing, an e-mail scam targeted at a small group of people, a group of cybersecurity professionals said Tuesday at a TechAmerica cybersecurity forum in Washington, D.C. Spear phishing is a form of the common phishing scam, but instead of a fake e-mail that looks like it comes from a bank or e-commerce site, it instead looks like it comes from someone you know, such as an executive at your company.

10/19/2009
In an effort to promote the general health of the Web, Google will send Webmasters snippets of malicious code in the hopes infected Web sites can be cleaned up faster.

The new information will appear as part of Googles Webmaster Tools, a suite of tools that provide data about a Web site, such as site visits.

Google already e-mails administrators if its automated scanners detect malicious content on a site. Those pages are then marked in Googles search results with a warning.

10/16/2009
Survey reveals a new class of small business owners, 45 percent of whom use social media to promote their businesses online.

A new online survey of more than 2,000 US small business by Internet2Go, an Opus Research advisory service, and MerchantCircle, the largest social network for small businesses has uncovered a new, growing segment of small business owners who aggressively use social media to promote their businesses. The survey,conducted September 8-18, 2009, found tha t roughly 45 percent of respondents have a presence or profiles on Facebook and Twitter to promote their businesses.