Do you actively use Myspace, Yahoo personals or any other service, such as friendster or something of the sort? These have been taking over the Internet, and many people visit these websites daily to add comments to their friends’ pages or to meet new people.

Are these people-search websites helping us, our deteriorating our values? Has it come to the point where we are so lazy, isolated and non-outgoing that we have to sit at home to meet others?

Recently, a group of aboriginals came to my local area and talked with me a little. Their first remark about my city was that people were grumpy and that we are not very talkative.

Yes, all these things that happen around us – shootings, theft, kidnapping – they isolate us since we get scared of talking with new people – but is using people search websites any better?

People who want you to come and meet them, or people who start stocking you, or people whom you don’t want to see anymore. This happens online too, so please don’t think just because you’re using a computer that everything is safe.

Yes, many times, a marriage resulted from people search websites, and there are many happy stories.

Going to clubs to find people to go out with isn’t always the best thing to do, and today, many people find the only way to meet people is online. It’s an easy way, but it’s also lazy and isolated.

In the olden days, we used to be so much happier with social meetings and our social values. It has come to meeting people through a screen, not in person. It could be great over long distances, but often that’s not what people search is used for.

A lot of us have lost our connection with the environment by staying inside and being at home all day.

The moral here is that we should go out, do things, meet people, be outgoing and have fun. Meeting online is fun, but try not to over do it by staying on the computer for hours.

If you want to meet fun people, SearchMTL has developed a database of thousands of people living in your area. Go and see for yourself how fun this free service is (look in author bio box).

Using online people search can be profitable, but please watch out.

Chris Tremblay is a staff writer at SearchMTL, a Montreal based search engine, SearchMTL. SearchMTL has also developed a SearchMTL people search, great for
finding people in your area.

Have you ever been invited to a business networking meeting or luncheon, or thought about going to your chamber of commerce’s networking events, but decided not to because you never know what to say to get the conversation started?

I’ve been there – and here’s the simple trick I learned to help me feel comfortable with the cocktail party small talk. Most people who know me wouldn’t think of me as “shy” – and I’m not – most of the time. When it comes to “networking” though, I used to struggle with making small talk.

That is, until I learned the F.O.R.M. trick.

F.O.R.M. works great because it works as a memory tool for when you are in social situations and you want to get to know the person you are talking with, and you want that person to remember you – and your business. Instead of talking about the weather, use FORM to make your conversation count.

F.O.R.M. stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation and Message – four areas you can use as conversation helpers in just about any social situation.

Family – asking whether they live around the area, if they are originally from the area or have moved there recently, if they have a family – all of these are great conversation starters. This gets the person talking about themselves and gives you a chance to learn about them.

Occupation – what do you do for a living? When they tell you what they do, you have a great opportunity to ask them about their job – if it’s in an industry you are familiar with you can comment about how competitive it is, or how challenging. If you are unfamiliar with their industry, here’s your chance to learn about it.

When they ask what you do, have your ‘30 second elevator speech” ready. This is a description of your business that you can say in just a couple of sentences that articulates what it is that you do.

For instance, for my business I would say that “I help small to medium sized business owners market their brick-and-mortar businesses on the Internet, finding new local customers, increasing their sales and growing their businesses.”

Recreation – this one’s easy! What do you do for fun? If they participate in a sport or hobby that you enjoy as well, you can swap stories and really build a memorable relationship with the person.

For instance, if I meet someone and they tell me that they love to travel – then I can talk to them for hours, learning about the places they’ve visited. I can also share with them my passion for photography and how my camera has gotten me into some interesting adventures while we’ve been on the road.

Message – when you feel the conversation winding down, or you want to move on to meet other people in the group, have your “message” that you want this person to remember about you ready to go. It’s something like your elevator speech, but much more personal to the individual you are talking to.

For me, my message is simple. “It was great to meet you, Bob. If you ever need help marketing your business online – or you run into someone who does – you know who to call.”

If your business is selling plumbing supplies, just change it up a bit: “It was great to meet you, Bob. If you ever need a new faucet, I’m your guy!”

Of course, it’s implied that when they give you their card, you will refer business to them as well – and you definitely should. Rising tides raise all ships, and the more referrals you can send to others, the more they are likely to send to you as well.

You can skip some of the first 3 steps, or cover them in a different order – but your message is key. First and foremost, you want to build a relationship with the person you are talking with, and you start to do that with the first 3 questions. Your message that you give them as you get ready to leave helps them remember who you are and what you do – which is an incredibly powerful way to use networking to grow your referrals and your customer base.

Give F.O.R.M. a try the next time you are stuck for a conversation starter, and watch your network – and your customer base – grow as a result.

Entrepreneur and outdoor photography adventurer Caroline Melberg is President and CEO of Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing. She has over 20 years of experience creating marketing communications materials and writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. Her small business columns are syndicated online, and she publishes the popular eZine, “Small Business Maverick Secrets.” Learn insider Maverick Marketing secrets you can use immediately to find new customers and increase your sales. When you subscribe, you’ll also get a FREE copy of her e-Book, “Local Small Business Internet Marketing Secrets” - learn insider secrets to marketing your local small business on the Web today! Get your FREE subscription at http://www.SmallBusinessMavericks.com

In this beating cancer through nutrition article about soya, you will discover-

• What is soya?
• Why is soya an important part in beating cancer through nutrition?
• How much soya do you need to eat to help prevent cancer?

What Is Soya?

Soya bean or soybean is a legume which is native to Eastern Asian.

Today, it is largely grown in United States of America.

Soya beans contain high amounts of soy protein.

Soya beans can be made into tofu and many other soya products such as soya milk.

Soya beans are rich in:

• Phytic Acid
• Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids
• Calcium
• Iron
• Phosphorus
• Beta-Carotene
• Amino Acids
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin C
• Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
• Lecithin

Why Is Soya An Important Part In Beating Cancer Through Nutrition?

Soya is an important part in beating cancer through nutrition because it contains isoflavones which are a type of phytoestrogen.

Isoflavones are believed to protect your body from:

• Breast Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Prostate Cancer

How Much Soya Do You Need To Eat To Help Prevent Cancer?

Consuming one soya product, such as soya milk or tofu per day, will help to protect you against cancer later in life.

So, to some…

Soya is packed full of many beneficial health properties, which can not only help to protect against different forms of cancer, but can also help against other degenerative health conditions.

These beneficial health properties makes soya a vital part in beating cancer through nutrition, this is mainly due to the isoflavones within soya.

By including one soya products within your diet per day. You can reduce the risk of cancer later on in life.

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Download ‘How To Protect Against Cancer Naturally’ Free
E-book

Website: NewBeingNutrition.com

E-books can be very effective for your small business, and very profitable as well. Here are six tips to follow when you create your own e-book.

The biggest mistake that “wannabe” e-book publishers make is to first write a book on the subject that they themselves would probably be interested in, and then try to hustle up a market from a related niche and persuade them, without much success, that they too should have the same interests in buying the book. Needless to say, this is not the best introduction into the world of e-book publishing.

As a small business owner, you will most likely be publishing an e-book about your products or services, which is excellent as starting with a subject you are familiar with is the first key to success.

Step 1 - What Subject Are You Familiar With?

Make a list of all the areas within your business you could confidently write about. It’s much easier, and less like work, to write about a subject in which you already have knowledge and an interest. Please don’t make the mistake of assuming that because you are knowledgeable about a particular subject, others are sure to know the same. You would be amazed at what some people don’t know.

Step 2 - Find Their Itch And Scratch It!

You need to know what your customer’s and future customer’s problems are and find out what is missing in their life. The answer to these questions, and others, should be your main line of attack as it relates to your small business or products.

You need to focus on what they don’t have, sometimes you even have to tell them what it is that is missing and why they need it, and when you give it to them. They will reward you financially.

Step 3 - Do Your Research.

Be prepared when you intend to start writing. Don’t sit at your desk one day and then decide that today, here and now, is the time to write your first e-book, IT WON’T WORK - or maybe it will, but one thing is for sure, it will be disjointed, facts will be missing and the general flow will not be right!

You must first research your subject; collect all the information you possibly can, put it into a specified folder on your computer. And when you feel you have everything together, then you can proceed to bring it all together in an organized manner that is fluent and easy to read.

Step 4 - Create Your Masterpiece.

Get down to it and start writing. Refer to your folder (the one where you stored all of your researched material), choose from your organized lists and start writing.

A tip that helps me when it comes to writing, is to start and don’t stop. Write down everything that comes into your head. If you try to think at the same time, e.g. “yeah that’s a great line bit it doesn’t fit just now, I’ll save it and use it later” - WRONG! You’ll forget it and then get angry because it was exactly what you wanted to say! Get it down in print that you will be editing and correcting at a later date.

Do it in bite sized chunks! Or suffer the indigestion of writers block. Most importantly, keep it simple. Keep in mind the average reading age of adults is twelve! So don’t write as if you’ve just devoured two dictionaries and a thesaurus for breakfast.

Conversational, everyday language is the key.

Step 5 - Check Your Work.

Now is the time to re-read and edit your work, check spellings and grammar, read it through several times. If it’s hard for you to read, it will be twice as hard for others to read; hopefully you knew what you were trying to say!

Pass it on to a member of the family or a good friend, ask them to read it through and give you an unbiased opinion as to weather they understood it, and if not, why not? If necessary, re-write it. After all is said and done, it will be your name hung on to the end of the content for the entire world to see.

Step 6 - Bring It To An End.

Somewhere along the line you have to decide that your book is finished. There will always be something that crops up later, that little snippet that you regret not having used. Don’t worry about it; the main thing is that you have passed on some form of information, no matter how small, to someone who was in search of that information.

Once your e-book is complete, you are ready to offer it as a premium on your website for new customers who sign up for your e-zine or to learn more about your products, or simply as a free offer for customers visiting your store.

Entrepreneur and outdoor photography adventurer Caroline Melberg is President and CEO of Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing. She has over 20 years of experience creating marketing communications materials and writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. Her small business columns are syndicated online, and she publishes the popular eZine, “Small Business Maverick Secrets.” Learn insider Maverick Marketing secrets you can use immediately to find new customers and increase your sales. When you subscribe, you’ll also get a FREE copy of her e-Book, “Local Small Business Internet Marketing Secrets” - learn insider secrets to marketing your local small business on the Web today! Get your FREE subscription at http://www.SmallBusinessMavericks.com

Our earthly existence demands that we plan for our future in the best way that we can. We must conduct our affairs in this life in a prudent manner regarding investments, education, insurance and such to guide us towards the goal of safety and contentment. But what about a strategy regarding the afterlife when our brief stay on this planet is over?

Bill Wiese and Don Piper are two authors who describe in vivid detail the ultimate outcomes of our worldly lives in books respectively entitled “23 Minutes in Hell: One Man’s Story About What He Saw, Heard, and Felt in that Place of Torment” and “90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life”. The aptly named books describe firsthand the reality of two extreme destinations one of which lies ahead of each of us according to our own freewill choices.

Wiese’s “23 Minutes in Hell” began at 3:00 a.m. on Monday, November 23, 1998 when he found himself being hurled through the air completely out of control before landing in what appeared to be a prison cell. He was “fully awake and cognizant” throughout the entire event during which he was led to experience a peril well beyond what can be imagined in this life.

“There is never any peace of mind. No rest from the torments, the screams, the fear, the thirst, the lack of breath, no sleep, the stench, the heat, the hopelessness, and the isolation from people.” Bill adds that “this place was so terrifying, so intense, and so hostile that it would be impossible for me to exaggerate the horror.” The hideous, seething creatures together with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness made one trapped in a “sea of tormented souls”.

The other end of the spectrum is explained by Don Piper’s “90 Minutes in Heaven” which describes his experience while declared dead after his car was struck by an eighteen-wheeler at about 11:45 a.m. on January 18, 1989. He was greeted in the heavenly realm by what he called a “celestial welcoming committee” of incredibly joyous people whom he had known previously that had passed on from earthly life.

Piper described the sensational level of bliss by stating that “everything I experienced was like a first-class buffet for the senses. I had never felt such powerful embraces or feasted my eyes on such beauty. Heaven’s light and texture defy earthly eyes or explanation. Warm, radiant light engulfed me. As I looked around, I could hardly grasp the vivid, dazzling colors. Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen.” Don was in another dimension and felt “fully alive” in a state of awe that human words are not capable of expressing.

The hell and heaven experiences of both authors are precisely in line with another source that has displayed irrefutable accuracy over time. This book is a compilation of 66 works written by about 40 authors over the course of approximately 1,500 years in three different languages on three different continents. The book that calls one’s attention to what awaits all in the afterlife is called the Bible.

The evidence is clear that the Bible gives harsh descriptions in regards to the reality of the “damnation of hell” ( Matthew 23:33 ). It warns of “everlasting destruction” ( II Thessalonians 1:9 ), “place of torment” ( Luke 16:28 ), “fire that never shall be quenched” ( Mark 9:43 ), ), “weeping and gnashing of teeth” ( Luke 13:28 ), “where their worm dieth not” ( Mark 9:44 ), “everlasting fire” ( Matthew 18:8 ), “outer darkness” ( Matthew 8:12 }, and “lake of fire burning with brimstone” ( Revelation 19:20 ) to name but a few of the wake-up calls regarding the “danger of hell fire” ( Matthew 5:22 ).

Heaven, on the other hand, is a place where “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more” ( Revelation 7:16 ) and “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” ( Revelation 21: 4 ). It will be an indescribable “eternal weight of glory” ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 ) for those who cherish and abide by the Bible’s teachings. It will be a place of pure love beyond our finite comprehension.

Bill Wiese gives his support and states that “the Bible is far more unique than any other book written. It has been scrutinized by an endless array of scholars, historians, archaeologists, scientists, mathematicians, and the like for thousands of years. There have not been any discrepancies or errors that could not be cleared up with good scholarship.”

Bill supports this claim by listing quotes from both acclaimed scholars and respected historical figures who support the absolute reliability of the Bible. Don Piper is also one who conveys his full conviction with respect to the truth of the Scriptures without question.

So what guidelines are to be followed to enter the gates of heaven and avoid the described torments of hell after reading “23 Minutes in Hell” and “90 Minutes in Heaven” and the most popular book in the history of the world? The answer is clearly to pay close attention to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as the only “mediator between God and men” ( 1 Timothy 2:5 ) to gain our heavenly triumph.

Both Bill Wiese who suffered the anguish of hell and Don Piper who had to leave the indescribable bliss of heaven to an agonizing recovery believe that their lives are meant to tell the world of the consequences that await us all. They are using their experiences to warn anyone and everyone about the realities of what they lived through. They also wish to share the truth that the only way to escape the eternal and hopeless trappings of hell is a commitment to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

My own unfortunate life events are what led me to find this truth. I have suffered the effects of having been comatose for 11 days, walked away from a burning car wreck, been struck by a Mack truck and have escaped a handful of other potentially deadly or crippling circumstances. Failure has certainly not been a stranger in my life in other ways as well. I share a belief with the authors that my experiences in this life are meant for salvation on a personal level as well as for readers who simply need to get right with God through Jesus Christ.

My advice? Find and join, if you haven’t already, a true Christian church that bases its teachings strictly on the verses contained in the Bible. Avoid at all costs any “feel good” or watered down alternatives that compromise the truth for the sake of profit or political correctness. Finally, believe the words of Jesus in John 14: 6 of “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Your eternity depends on it.

( Bill Wiese’s “23 Minutes in Hell: One Man’s Story About What He Saw, Heard, and Felt in that Place of Torment” and Don Piper’s “90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life” and the Bible can be purchased at http://www.christianbook.com )

Brian is self-employed and attends Christian worship services in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He can be contacted at brian_connors@comcast.net regarding any questions or comments.

You can quickly and easily get cash for structured settlement payment from a qualified note buyer. It is much less of a hassle than getting a loan from a bank or other lending institution and also removes the risk of carrying a long term annuity.

Structured settlements are arranged for injury victims as a resolution to a court case. It is a financial arrangement, set up as an annuity, whereby the victim receives a set amount of money each and every month for a set amount of years to cover damages, loss, expenses, etc. It usually works out favorably for both parties, as the victim is receiving steady compensation and the defendant can make smaller monthly payments rather than have to go out of pocket up front.

However, many victims would rather receive cash for structured settlement payments rather than wait for a smaller check each month. They might find themselves in need of immediate money for a new investment, a large purchase or even retirement. Maybe they don’t want to carry the risk that somewhere down the road the payer defaults for one reason or another.

Whatever the case may be, cash for structured settlement payment is a viable option for those needing a pool of money in the short term. And there are many reputable, qualified note buyers out there who can pay you top dollar for your annuity.

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to sell your entire annuity. Rather you can sell just a portion and retain the rest of the monthly income. For example, let’s say you have a $100,000 structured settlement, paying over the course of 10 years. You might need $25,000 right now for investment purposes. Well you can sell $25,000 worth of payments (however many months of payments it works out to) and once those are over, you resume receiving your monthly checks for the balance.

So in essence you are getting cash for structured settlement payments AND keeping the rest of your annuity as it was. There are also various other options you can take advantage of, and an experienced note buyer will go over all of these with you.

If you are considering selling your structured settlement, make sure you consider all of your options and choose the one that works best for your financial situation. Receiving cash for structured settlement payment is a wise choice for immediate income, decreased risk exposure and peace of mind!

Jamie has been working in the finance industry for many years and is a contributing editor to http://www.selling-your-note.com. Learn how to get cash for structured settlement payment from a qualified note buyer on our site.

Hypnosis??? You’re not going to make me cluck like a chicken!

It seems like decades since I felt that way. It was not so long ago though, that I was a single mom raising two young children on an advertising career. In the blink of an eye, I was married to a hypnotist with two children of his own. I was a typical pessimist about hypnosis and hypnotherapy before meeting my now husband, and even for a short while thereafter. It took some convincing to show me that we can really help people to change in ways they may not have been able to before. I honestly had no idea what hypnosis was or how on earth it could be used for good. I had absolutely no idea what I would be able to see and be a part of with hypnosis.

I have seen a cancer patient who is able to eat after using hypnosis to control the burning sensation from her chemo. I have seen people who have tried every imaginable diet and failed, and were absolutely disgusted by their appearance shed several dress sizes and put on a bathing suit for the first time in years. I have seen countless people walk out our office doors, throw away their cigarettes, and start a whole new way of life. I have seen students, parents, business owners, and more, all become the people they wanted to be because of hypnosis. I have seen what I like to call “life miracles” happen right in front of me.

How does it work? Well, the technical part of that answer I will leave to the scientific field, but the general overview is this: Hypnosis is a quicker way to learn things. It is like speed reading for self-help. Hypnosis cannot “make” you do anything; it just allows you to learn what you need to do in a condensed period of time. Your body is in a state of hypnosis naturally about four times an hour. Ever been driving and you can’t remember how you got the last few miles? That is an example of a hypnotic state. If you think about hypnosis as a change in state (which, by the way is the definition), happy to sad, bored to excited, etc, it becomes less of the “unknown” and you realize it is a part of your everyday. I look back and realize that in advertising, I used hypnotic suggestions in everything I did. When you see an ad on TV or hear it on the radio, it evokes an emotional state. Some are happy, some sad, some excited…. You get the idea. When you see the product again, it evokes that same feeling, which prompts you to buy. Yes, you have been under hypnotic suggestions since the day you were born. The irony is that sometimes a hypnotist’s job is to “de-hypnotize” people from the trance they are already in. So, if you want to learn how you can use hypnosis to change, or if you want to escape the hypnosis you’re already in, visit our website at www.bill-nikki.com . You will find a lot of useful tools and resources there.

Best of luck!

Nikki Gladwell
Hypnotist
www.bill-nikki.com

Nikki is an accomplished sales and marketing strategist, life coach, and hypnotist with over fourteen years of experience. Her primary focus is on developing and maximizing communication skills to help you become an effective leader in your field, your community, and your family.

If an ordinary hotel on dry land seems a little dull then Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida U.S.A is the place for you.

Jules is the original undersea hotel. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a gimmick. If you want to get into this hotel then you’re going to have to scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea.

If you can manage that, you will enter through an opening in the bottom of the hotel. However, the difficulty in getting in is more than worth it.

The cottage-sized hotel consists of a kitchen with microwave and refrigerator, a dining room, with entertainment facilities, a “moon pool” (a small swimming pool), shower, bathroom facilities and two bedrooms with windows from which you can watch fish swim by.

And for a wedding with a difference, the lodge offers couple the chance to tie the knot underwater, without the bride getting her dress wet!

A notary public, who dives down for the nuptial service, conducts the ceremony. A toast and the cutting of the cake follow the ceremony. Dinner consists of a caviar appetizer, a choice of lobster or steak, a hearts of palm salad and dessert. The hotel “mer-chef” scuba dives to the hotel to prepare the meal and serve the newlyweds. The chef also prepares breakfast the following morning.

So if you’re not afraid of a bit of hard work and you find just getting the elevator to your hotel room too easy, why not try a hotel with a difference, 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea.

Russ Pooley writes for Drake & Cavendish who provide a luxury hotel research directory featuring over 5,000 luxury hotels in over 700 resort locations around the world. As a content provider we are committed to developing entertaining and informative travel related information. You can read further articles and details at http://www.drakeandcavendish.com/luxury_hotels/usa/florida/florida_keys/

Ever since our team returned from last year’s major SEO conventions our team has been ignited with new, bold and innovative ideas. I don’t think there has been any point in our eight year history that we have had a better team assembled. We’ve got more ideas on the table than we’ll be able to implement within the next twelve months. That’s both good and bad. Many of the ideas are simply spectacular but we lack the resources to implement them while maintaining focus on our core business. The price of innovating minds, I guess!

One of the things that has come up over our conversations and strategy meetings is our mission statement. We battled it around a bit and came up with a mission statement that we like and one which everybody in our office can get behind as our overriding purpose:

To provide accelerated, sustainable business growth for our clients through the development and implementation of innovative marketing strategies.

Each word in that statement was carefully chosen. We didn’t want anything that was simply mumbo-jumbo but really reflected how we feel we want to serve our clients. We don’t consider this a final draft however, as we continue to mull it over.

One thing I wanted the mission to convey is that we are in business to serve our clients, not ourselves. But the more I thought about this the more I realized that this sentiment is not entirely true. While we want our purpose to be client-centric we realized that in order for us to properly server our clients we have to serve ourselves as well.

Do what is in the client’s best interest

While I’d like to think tat business is as simple as doing what’s in the client’s best interest, its not. More accurately, we want to do what’s in the client’s best interest provided it does not go against our own best interest in the process. Think that’s the wrong approach? Then go try running a profitable business giving away all your services or products, and not just as a sales gimmick! Wouldn’t your client and customers be better served by such a move? Wouldn’t that allow them to get a higher profit margin or keep more money in their pocket?

It certainly would, but that also conflicts with what’s in your best interests and believe it or not your best interests are also tied to what is best for the client. Clients want us to help them make money. That’s what they pay us for and that’s what we want to deliver to them. But we also want to make money for ourselves and its in our client’s best interest that we do so. Why? because if we are not making money, then anything we do for our clients will be on a short-term basis. If one company does not remain profitable, this effects many others and their ability to remain profitable.

Balancing the best interests of both

Business is about balance. If you only look after yourself then you’ll find that you’re not doing what you’re paid to do. Sooner or later people stop paying you and you’ll closing your doors. On the other hand you can’t only do what is best for others otherwise you’ll wind up in the same place, just for different reasons.

Over the years we’ve struggled with balancing pricing with service. We have consistently improved our services by adding increased value to them but have always struggled to keep them affordable at the same time.

My philosophy on our services has been to never offer a service that is not wholly complete. I don’t want to sell something and then have to tell the client, “well, if you want to succeed now you’ll have to buy this other service too.” And while everything we offer in our services is not always 100% necessary 100% of the time to make our clients successful, it is absolutely important to the overall goal of improving the performance of our client’s websites. Many come to us wanting top rankings but we want to deliver to them “accelerated, sustainable business growth.”

So the balance is to offer services that serve our clients at a pricing level that is affordable but also profitable for us. We strive to provide services that do more than meets the eye, to achieve more than superficial results and to help the business improve in areas that they had never thought about. It’s to serve our clients best interests without neglecting our own. That’s the most important part. The next time someone tries to get you to do something for them because its in their interest to do so, remember this: if it goes against your interests, it often goes against their own as well.

Stoney deGeyter leads a spectacular team of seasoned marketing experts at Pole Position Marketing. You can read Stoney’s blog posts at the E-Marketing Performance blog and more of his work on several well-known SEO and marketing news sources including Search Engine Guide and Web Pro News. Stoney has authored two website marketing books: E-Marketing Performance: Effective strategies for building, optimizing, and marketing your website online and Keyword Research and Selection: The definitive guide to gathering, sorting and organizing your keywords into a high-performance SEO campaign.

Shopping online is something that is becoming increasingly popular. Every day more people are coming online from around the world to complete purchases. With such an increase in overall online spend, it is important that you know exactly what you should be looking out for when shopping online. Although the costs of online goods can be much less, especially as a result of fewer overheads for retailers, it is important that you are a savvy online shopper if you want to ensure you remain safe and get a good deal.

1. Credit Card v Debit Card

When shopping online it is much safer to use your credit card than your debit card for online purchases. The reason for this is that when you use a credit card you can charge-back the merchant if you are not happy with the goods or service that you purchased. It is also important to use a credit card because of online fraud. If you are subject to fraud with your credit card then the credit card company will give you a refund whilst your bank will not in the case of your debit card.

2. Shop Around

When you are online it is surprising to find that only one company is selling the good or service that you are looking to buy. Because this is very rare it is a good idea to look in many online shops before finally making a purchase. When you are shopping around and looking at the different prices offered it is also important to consider any shipping costs that are associated with a transaction. It is often the case that these are over-looked according to published research.

3. Secure Payment Gateway

When shopping online it is important that you only enter your payment details via a secure payment gateway. In order to identify a secure payment gateway you should look in the address bar on the page where you are going to enter your payment details. If it reads https:// rather than http:// then it means that your data is being encrypted and as such will likely get to where it is supposed to. Please note that this does not apply throughout every page of the site, it only applies on the actual page that is being used to process payments.

4. Read the T and C

This may come as a shock to you, but you should always read the terms and conditions! Failing to read the terms and conditions may not seem too important at the time, but it certainly will retrospectively should anything go wrong. A savvy shopper will always recognize the importance of ensuring they know exactly what they are agreeing to.

5. Check for Contact Details

Should a website not have contact details such as address and telephone number then dealing with them is not a good choice. When you deal with a company and pay them money it is reasonable to assume you should be able to easily contact them when something goes wrong. If you cannot find anything other than an email address then don’t give them your money!

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