Amazon S3 and Google Friend Connect - 2 Online Titans Help Small Businesses Grow

- by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.thenetreporter.com
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I find it very interesting how the constant battle between "paid" and "free" plays out on the Internet. On the one hand, businesses know they must make money to stay in business, while on the other hand, consumers expect and demand more and more free "stuff" online.

Two business models practiced by two of the Web’s largest players seem to have found the right balance, either supporting themselves through direct advertising sales or through a "pay as you use" model. Amazon and Google must know what they’re doing, because they both generate billions of dollars in online sales.

So if you want to grow your own small business, why not ride on the backs of giants!

Amazon S3
Log on to http://aws.amazon.com/s3  to find out more about Amazon’s increasingly popular Simple Storage Service (S3) which provides access to extremely high-end, beefy media and file servers for pennies on the dollar. The S3 service allows you to easily upload and store huge files right through your web browser and then access them through a variety of applications. What this means for small business is that you don’t need to operate with a dedicated web server to compete with larger companies.

Amazon’s S3 gives you ultimate scalability to meet demand as it comes at a rate on par with mid-level hosting companies. But instead of charging you hundreds each month (whether you use the storage and bandwidth or not), Amazon only charges 15-cents per GB of storage and 10-cents per GB of data transfer. This means you don’t pay unless you use it (as opposed to a fixed server cost each month). We’re just now seeing the tip of the iceberg of what open access to Amazon’s powerful and scalable storage capacity will bring to the marketplace.

Amazon Fulfillment Web Service
http://tinyurl.com/58lzb9
Amazon allows you to use their infrastructure to ship your products for you. Instead of maintaining a fulfillment staff, you pay Amazon only when you sell product and they ship it to your customer. This service costs much less than a full-time employee for most small to medium sized businesses. Scalable cost tied to sales, not an employee punching a clock, holds the key benefit for anyone who sells online. Plus, Amazon stores your products for you (for a small fee) so you don’t even need to maintain inventory at your location.

The service works with virtually any other type of product and you can also integrate directly with your shopping cart to automatically put orders into the Amazon system.

Google Friend Connect
http://www.google.com/friendconnect/
Here’s how Google explains this new service (currently in pre-release "Beta" at press time).
"Websites that are not social networks may still want to be social. But the barriers to offering social applications on the site have been considerable. Google Friend Connect changes this by enabling any site to offer dozens of social gadgets created by Google and OpenSocial developers to their visitors. This means more visitors spending more time on a more engaging website — with absolutely no programming required to make it happen."

So if you want to create a social aspect to your site or blog, Google will make it very easy and free for you to add this functionality. Literally you will just copy and paste some code and your site gets socially enabled. You can then modify the various widgets and options of the social aspects of your site right through your web browser.

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…

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Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving
Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate
links… without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
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I just published a "cartoon" video (yep, me as a cartoon) in my hot tub explaining the #1 traffic MISTAKE people make and how it can destroy your business!

http://IGottaTellYou.com/cartoon-jim/traffic-mistake.html

In this cartoon video I reveal:

- The #1 traffic mistake people make (and why you should avoid this mistake like the plague)

- The 3 areas you need to diversify your traffic across for long-term success

- How to discover the traffic tips, tricks and resources used by the world’s TOP online marketers

This is a fun, informative, ORIGINAL cartoon video you don’t want to miss

Check it out right now:

http://IGottaTellYou.com/cartoon-jim/traffic-mistake.html

See you soon,

Jim

PS - By the way… this may just be a first!

Have you ever seen another Internet marketer publish a cartoon of themselves wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a smile?

Me neither!

So check it out… if you’re brave enough

http://IGottaTellYou.com/cartoon-jim/traffic-mistake.html

My good friend, Armand Morin, and I are doing a 3-part, LIVE webinar series next week on May 6th, 7th & 8th.

http://MoreTrafficWebinar.com/live-signup/

It’s all about dozens of different tools, techniques and resources you can use to get a boatload MORE traffic to your websites and blogs.

You can get free information about all 3 webinars right here, right now:

http://MoreTrafficWebinar.com/live-signup/

See you soon,

Jim

PS. - These webinars go WAY beyond just Google AdWords… so if you need traffic, you need to check this out now:

http://MoreTrafficWebinar.com/live-signup/

Improve Search Engine Results: 5 Specific Tips

- by Jim Edwards

http://www.thenetreporter.com

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The search engines supposedly make our online lives easier by helping us find what we need, right? Well, if that’s true, why do as many as half of all queries made in the major search engines come back with results users rate as “unhelpful” at best?

In the end, search engines are simply software.

Whatever you put in determines what comes out. The better you get at telling the search engines what to give you, the more often you won’t get disappointed. When it comes to the great “info-vending machines” in the sky like Google and Yahoo!, how you enter your search terms counts as much or more than the terms themselves.

Avoid Single Keywords

Searching for a single keyword rates about as productive as trying to pick out a single grain of sand on a mile-long stretch of beach. Need a copy of Lincoln’s most famous speech? Searching for Abraham on Google will give you over 44 million pages to comb through (grab your coffee) on everyone from the prophet, to the president, to a pool guy in Toledo.

Searching for Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address speech on Google and you’ll find exactly what you need. When you want to find something, the more specific you get, the better your chances of finding it with least hassle.

Use “Quotes”

When your search results absolutely must contain a certain phrase, put quotes (“”) around it to tell the search engines to only return pages containing that exact phrase. A search for Firefox extensions will return all the pages that contain everything from the software you want to information about hair extensions.

In Google, simply by searching “Firefox extensions” in quotes, you eliminate half of results you might otherwise have to sort. Simply putting your search phrases in quotes will cut down massively on wasted time.

Use -, AND, OR

If you want the search engines to return results without a specific term, use the “-” sign to exclude the word or phrase. For example, a search for Revolutionary War generals -George would finally allow the other military leaders from 1776 to get some press.

If you want to give a logical choice for a search, then inputting “OR” between two words will find both iterations. For example, a search for Firefox extensions OR add-ons will net you both extensions and add-ons for the popular web browser. Finally, use “AND” to make sure the search engine returns results that contain all of the terms you enter.

For example, Firefox extensions free yields much less targeted results than Firefox extensions AND free. If you want even more targeted results, try combining techniques. A search for “Firefox extensions” AND free yields even more targeted results.

Proper Grammar Please

Capitalizing proper names and nouns will yield different results on almost any search. For example, searches for George Washington vs george washington will give you different results to sort.

Alternate Spellings

Like it or not, different people and cultures spell differently. On a recent trip to England I realized that a good portion of the English-speaking world buys “tyres” for their cars instead of “tires.” Online searches containing these two terms yield very different sites, but take you to the exact same types of products and services.

Overall, search engines like Google represent some of the most powerful research tools available online – and they’re all free! When searching for something, don’t get locked into just one search term, but try to approach it from various angles to find what you need. The better you get at telling search engines what you want, the better results you’ll receive in return.

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving
Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate
links… without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
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Tue, April 15th, I’m doing a free training call with Armand Morin about

      "Ugly Little Websites That Make You Rich"

The fireworks always fly when I do a call with Armand, and
this call will be no different. I’m expecting an action-
packed interview with Armand grilling me about mini-sites
and how to use them to build your online business.

To *register* for the call, go to this website, fill in
your primary email address, and they’ll send you the call
details in a return email message.

REGISTER => http://www.BigSeminarTickets.com

See you on the call,

Jim

PS - If you haven’t already, reserve your seat NOW for the
best and hottest Internet Marketing seminar –
"The BIG Seminar" — next week in Atlanta!

I’ll be speaking live at the Big Seminar next Friday,
April 25th at 2:30 in the afternoon…

BONUS: When you buy your tickets through this link right
now, I’ll give you a FREE ticket to the
"More Traffic Webinar" Series I’m holding in May.

You’ll get VIP access to this breakthrough webinar series
on how to get more traffic to your websites, faster than
you ever dreamed possible!

Grab your seat now through this link…

http://www.BigSeminarTickets.com

Please take 2 minutes to complete this survey:
=> http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/traffic-survey.html

I’ve been carefully going over potential topics for my blog and newsletter for the next 3 months.

Based on recent input from my The Net Reporter subscribers, my help desk, and "Mini-Site Creator v2.0" eclass students, it seems that the #1 (or #2) topic on virtually everyone’s mind right now comes down to the question:

"How do I get more traffic?"

So, I’m conducting a quick survey to see WHICH traffic generation method(s) you want to know more about the soonest.

So rather than guess, would you please take 2 minutes to complete this survey so I know for sure what you want:

http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/traffic-survey.html

Thanks

Jim

PS - By completing this survey, you’ll make the content you get from me a whole lot better (so it’s in your interest to take 2 minutes to share your thoughts!)

Please do it now while it’s fresh on your mind…

http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/traffic-survey.html

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4 Cool FireFox Add-Ons You Need

      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser still rates as the most popular and widely used browser for one simple reason: it rides along with every Windows installation.

But in response to security scares over the last few years, another browser took a bite out of Microsoft’s monopoly.

FireFox often represents the browser of choice for those who either dislike Microsoft (for whatever reason), or want more flexibility and functionality in their browser, specifically in the area of add-ons (also know as "plugins").

Add-ons (little programs that enhance a web browser’s functionality) can trick out your browser to help you do everything from upload website files to speed dialing your favorite websites.

The overwhelming majority of add-ons for FireFox come free of charge (though donations are appreciated). Just log on to http://addons.mozilla.org and check out the free add-ons you can snag.

Note that once you get to the page, the little programs you can run with FireFox are under the "extensions" link. Here are a few of our favorites here in my office - just search for them by name once you log on to the Mozilla site (or use the links below).

** Forecastfox **
"Get international weather forecasts from AccuWeather.com, and display it in any toolbar or statusbar with this highly customizable and unobtrusive extension." That’s a fancy way of saying you can always know what the weather reports say just by glancing down at your browser’s lower right corner.

This makes very handy tool to keep an eye out for thunderstorms or remind yourself that a sunny day awaits when you finish up a marathon session on your computer.
http://tinyurl.com/yqv54y

** SpeedDial **
Everyone uses bookmarks or "favorites" at one point or another. But those who use them frequently create a problem for themselves. Every time you want to log on to your favorite sites, you must wade through dozens, hundreds, even thousands of links to find what you want.

Enter the "SpeedDial" add-on that helps you organize your most frequently used websites into a "dashboard" you can customize. You can even organize multiple speed dial directories around groups of web pages (business resources, shopping sites, etc.).
http://tinyurl.com/2hhn7a

** FireFTP **
Anyone who owns a website needs the ability to upload files to their hosting account. You can either install a standalone FTP program, or you can use this nifty little browser add-on that turns FireFox into a neat little FTP utility.

"FireFTP is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers." I really found this add-on helpful in my own business when it comes to fast access to the files on my websites.
http://tinyurl.com/yv56ru

** Download Statusbar **
One annoying feature of Firefox involves the download window that opens up every time you download a file from the web. This can get in the way and actually disrupt your activity.

Enter the "Download Statusbar" add-on, which promises "View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar - without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing."

Even though this add-on does make downloading more convenient, make sure to read the instructions before using it just to make sure you don’t get frustrated.
http://tinyurl.com/29a456

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving
Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate
links… without spending a dime on advertising!
Click Here> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
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