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Don't SPAM Your Customers
2008-05-31 19:04:00
I just wrote an article about spam, as it relates to the online business owner, on Primitive Business Junction. It's worth a read so you will know the basic guidelines of the 2003 CAN-SPAM Act. Be sure to do a search on the Web if you want more information.SPAM Info on Primitive Business Junction
More About: Spam , Customers

Wholesalers: Spill the Beans, Please!
2008-05-24 21:33:00
I've been looking around on websites today, searching for new products that I might like to purchase wholesale for resale on my website. And I tell you what, it is amazing to me--and equally as annoying--how often I land on websites that offer wholesale, but that provide absolutely NO info on their wholesale terms. If I am going to apply for wholesale access to a website, I want to know that site's terms UP FRONT. It is a waste of time for me (and for them) to grant me wholesale access and then, after the fact, send me their terms! If you've got a $200 order minimum, then I can't afford to buy your products wholesale. So if you would provide this information up front, before I request access, then I can save us both a lot of time and hassle in terms of requesting access that I may not even need.And while I'm on the topic of wholesale...for you folks that offer wholesale, when you are replying to our email request, would you PLEASE include the URL to your website in the email? I...
More About: Beans

Stop the Music!!!
2008-05-21 07:52:00
Lots of newbie website owners ask this question: should I add music to my website? I have an easy answer, one that never waivers, and one that is reaffirmed every time I land on a website that has music playing: NO! Seriously, folks, it's ANNOYING! Is that the reaction you're trying to get on a website wherein you are trying to sell products?! Let's examine the reasons why you should not have music on your website.1. Amazon doesn't have music playing on their website when you land on it. If it works for Amazon....2. Music is distracting.3. Your emphasis and focus should be on your products and creating a professional website, not on music. Music doesn't equate to a professional website.4. Just because YOU like that music, doesn't mean others will too.5. If I have my speakers up and that music comes on, it SCARES me when it starts blaring out of the speaker!6. Most of the time there is no way to turn the music off on websites, and if I can't turn it off, I leave the website. D...
More About: Stop , The Music , Stop The Music

Copyright Criminals
2008-05-08 21:09:00
Seems more and more website owners are becoming victims of Copyright Criminals --folks who steal our website content to place on their own. It's illegal, plain and simple, but that doesn't seem to stop anyone from doing it. As a result, website owners are seeking answers on how to deal with this criminal behavior. So, I've written an article on PBJ to help recommend a course of action. To see the full article, visit the following link:Copyright Course of Action

A Tool for Generating Tables
2008-04-28 18:51:00
I have found a neat site that will allow you to generate a table that can be used on your website. For folks who aren't the best with HTML, this tool could come in very handy. Tables will allow you to neatly organize lists and images when you have a lot of it to include. But unless you have a WYSIWYG (visual) editor in your site builder, or know HTML really well, you may not know how to create one. So if that applies to you and you think you could use this, be sure to check it out.Generate HTML Code for a Table
More About: Tool

Need Your Images Optimized?
2008-04-22 05:11:00
I've just found some great new software for resizing and optimizing photos for your websites. It's called EasyImage Batch. It is is free to try for 10 days, and about $20 if you decide to keep it after the trial period. I just downloaded it myself! Please check it out!!EasyImage Batch
More About: Images

Drop-Shipping
2008-04-20 06:58:00
If you're interested in drop-shipping but aren't quite sure what it is or how it works, I've created an article on the Primitive Business Junction site that you might find helpful. Just look under Topics for the article on Drop -Shipping .Hope you enjoy what's left of this Spring weekend...it's rainy here and you know what they say about April Showers...

If You JUST Build It, They Won't Come
2008-04-18 06:48:00
The following is a link to a very informative blog post I read earlier this evening that deals with opening up an online store and why and how you need to market it. It's a little lengthy, but well worth the read!Webs 4 Small Business Blog: Selling Products Online ? If You Just Build it They Won?t Come

Stop the Scroll, Please!
2008-04-17 19:59:00
A very common mistake I see on websites is a page (or pages) that require the viewer to scroll horizontally (from left to right) to view the entire page. This is a less then ideal situation for a website, especially on a business site where one wants their customers to see all of their products and information. The necessity to scroll is caused by the website creator's screen resolution, which refers to the viewable area of the screen, measured in pixels per inch, and expressed in length x width. The higher the screen resolution, the more information that can be viewed on the screen at one time. If a pc's monitor has a screen resolution of 1024x768, then statistically, that is the most common screen resolution. So for anyone who views websites that were built by someone with that same screen resolution, they will see what the website builder sees as they're building/editing them. But for anyone with a smaller screen resolution, like 640 x 480, they will have to scroll from left t...
More About: Stop

Widgets, Widgets, Widgets!
2008-04-15 08:31:00
You've probably heard of widgets, but for anyone that may not have, widgets are something (involving a piece of code) you can add to blogs and websites that have controls that can be manipulated by the viewer/user. I have a widget on my blog that tracks my daily and weekly visitors, so I can click on it to view all my visitors for the week or from just today. There are widgets for TONS of things...weather tracking, videos, games, quizzes, chat, clocks, countdowns, etc. Here are some links where you can find some to see:Yahoo Widgets Google WidgetsWidget BoxIf you add any to your blogs, just use them on a limited basis. You don't want your blog, especially if it's tied to your business, filled up with widgets!

Shoppers Online
2008-04-09 03:53:00
I've just added some links to Primitive Business Junction to some sites that can help you track the number of shoppers you have online. Many site builders offer a "shoppers online" feature, but they are not always accurate. On my sites, sometimes it will show over 200 shoppers online, and well, as much as I'd love for that to be true, there's just no way it is. The number can be affected by several factors, including AOL browsers (for some reason, they affect this count), spiders and bots crawling your site, and other things. So I went on the hunt for some way to track the number of shoppers online. I found two sites in particular that I've tried, and I've listed them on the Web Tools page on my site. You can find them here:Links to Sites Offering Shoppers Online CodesOnce you're on the sites just follow their prompts to generate the code you need. Then you just add it to your site and you will then be able to see the number of shoppers currently online on your website when yo...

The True Test of Your Google Results
2008-03-30 21:48:00
Many newbies to eStores falsely believe that they can test their site's results in Google by simply going to Google, typing in their website name, and when they see their website in one of the top spots in the results, they think they've achieved a great spot in Google's index. But this isn't quite how it works. If it were that simple, everybody would have tons of traffic and sales and there would be no need to optimize your site for the search engines at all. Your website should come up in the top spot when you use your site name in the query box--but that doesn't mean your site is placed high in Google's index. So, as a business owner, it's best to erase that notion and educate yourself on how it really does work.To truly test your site's spot in Google's index, you need to do a Google search using your site's primary meta keywords. I have a country primitive marketplace, for example, and my primary meta keywords are "country primitive marketplace." So to test my spot in...
More About: Results , True , Test

What You Need to Know About Hotlinking
2008-03-25 04:20:00
I just wrote on article about Hotlinking on Primitive Business Junction. Hotlinking is a topic every website owner should understand. Please check out this article when you get a chance.Hotlinking Article at Primitive Business Junction

Test Your HTML Code
2008-03-24 03:27:00
If you are trying to improve your HTML skills, one way you can test your code knowledge is to use an HTML tester online. You simply enter your desired code and then the results will appear once it's submitted. It's a great way to test out your code before you add it to your website. Many sites offer this service; just type "HTML Test er" or "HTML Checker" into Google and you will get plenty of results. But here is one link to get you started:http://www.draac.com/htmltester.h tml
More About: Code , Html

Newsletter Services for Your Biz
2008-03-13 04:17:00
A lot of you will want to start offering newsletters to go along with your business. They are a great way to promote your site or store, and to advertise any specials you might have going on each month. So I thought I'd provide you with a list of options for newsletter service providers. I myself have not tried these services, as I always have created my newsletters in Outlook Express. I actually may start a new blog to replace my email newsletters soon, as I just enjoy blogging, and I think it would be effective for site updates and news and such also. But here are some links you may want to look into if you are seeking a newsletter service provider.1. iContact2. Constant Contact3. Sparklit4. Craft eNewsletter s5. Bravenet
More About: Services

Some Things You Can NOT Copyright
2008-03-05 07:06:00
Since the issue of copyright comes up a lot with website owners, I thought I'd offer some information here on things you cannot copyright. This information will be especially helpful for those of you who make any of your own products. Quoted content is courtesy of the US Copyright Office.1. Recipes. The only way recipes can be protected is "where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection."2. Names, Titles, Logos, or Slogans. There are exceptions for artistic authorship of logos, but otherwise these things can't be copyrighted. They may be protected if trademarked.3. Ideas. "Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something." If you express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, then that writing may be copyrighted, but copyright will not ...
More About: Things

Why Use Text Links Instead of Buttons?
2008-03-03 02:03:00
There seems to be a debate between using text links for a website's categories and using button image links. Text links tend to be the preferred option where search engine optimization is concerned, as the spiders and bots that crawl websites cannot "see" images, which is what button links are. But I thought this would be a good opportunity to share the reasons why one type of link may work better than the other.1. With image links, any surfer who is browsing the web with a text only browser, or with images disabled, and there are many who do this, they will not be able to see your links if you use buttons. This is why Alt image attributes should be used with images, but since many people don't realize they need to use alt tags, then this presents a problem for those surfing the Web without being able to view images. 2. Even if you use image links with alt image attributes, these carry less weight and relevance with the search engines than simple text links do.3. Images require ti...
More About: Links , Buttons

Things You Should Know Before You Open an Online Biz
2008-02-27 05:42:00
Sometimes I am really amazed at what people do not know when they start an online business. I think that as an online business owner, if you are serious about your business and your success online, then there are just some basic things you should know at the get-go. I'm talking mostly about things related to the Internet and computers--not necessarily about online business. So the following is a list of some of those things. I may add to this list from time to time. As you read it, see how many of these things you know--or don't know, as the case may be. They're not listed in any particular order.1. What "file extension" means2. What a page rank is3. What "ISP" means4. What a browser is5. What SEO is6. How to name or name or rename a file on your computer7. How to view the properties of an image8. What "backing up your files" means and why it's important9. What a Zip file is10. What your desktop isBelieve it or not, some folks who open an online business do NOT know these very b...
More About: Open , Online , Things

Transfer Files Online
2008-02-19 06:45:00
Those of you needing to send large files online may find this website extremely useful! It allows you to upload a file, up to 1GB in size, and then lets you send an email with a link to that file to a recipient who can then go and retreive it via the website. No worries about sending email attachments, etc. The service is FREE, and uploaded files can remain online for anywhere from 5-30 days. This could be really helpful if you sell primitive patterns or recipes or other downloadable files that you just can't/don't want to store on your website.Transfer Big Files
More About: Online

Online Tech Support
2008-02-18 07:23:00
When you have an online business, your computer needs to be running as smoothly as possible. But we all know things don't always run as smoothly as we'd like, and occasional problems with our computers do arise. And what do we do when that's at 2am? Well, I have just come across a neat site that provides online technical support. They offer forums, FAQ's, Tutorials, Tips & Tricks, and other information you will likely find useful if you're having a bit of computer trouble and need some assistance. It's definitely a great resource site to keep bookmarked.5 Star Support
More About: Tech , Online , Tech Support

Copyrights and Your Blog
2008-02-18 07:11:00
If you're interested in your copyrights as a blogger, especially if your blog is related to your business, you may be interested in the FAQ's on the following website:Electronic Frontier FoundationThey have some great basic information on copyright issues as they pertain to blogs. It's always important to be aware of your rights, and the rights of others, where intellectual property is concerned...so stay informed.
More About: Blog , Copyrights

Link-Building for Your Blog
2008-02-13 04:50:00
I just added some more info to the Blog s page of Primitive Business Junction. If you are looking for some information on how to promote your blog and build backlinks to it, you may find some helpful information on that page.I will share one new link with you here that is on the Blogs page of my website. It is a link to a very helpful site that has a ton of resources for blog directories and blog search engines to which you can submit your blog.Ari Papapro Dot Com
More About: Building , Link Building , Link

Newsletter Cautions
2008-02-05 20:54:00
I really felt the need to make a post about the issue of receiving newsletters from websites and online businesses, as this particular issue seems to be affecting me more and more of late. I urge you, please, do NOT add someone to your mailing list for newsletters, etc unless they specifically asked you to do so! I get about 7 or 8 newsletters per month, and I have only subscribed to 2 of them. This is so annoying to me! I may get an advertising customer at my marketplace, and they decide to add me to their mailing list. Or if I join someone's topsite, they sometimes add me to their mailing list. Sometimes all I do is ask a question of a business owner via their website, and I get added to their mailing list! Adding someone to your mailing list without their express permission is simply an unacceptable business practice. And there's a name for it too: SPAMMING! Sending someone an occasional email is one thing, but to add a person to your mailing list, which you use to send out any...
More About: Newsletter

Newsletter Cautions
2008-02-05 20:54:00
I really felt the need to make a post about the issue of receiving newsletters from websites and online businesses, as this particular issue seems to be affecting me more and more of late. I urge you, please, do NOT add someone to your mailing list for newsletters, etc unless they specifically asked you to do so! I get about 7 or 8 newsletters per month, and I have only subscribed to 2 of them. This is so annoying to me! I may get an advertising customer at my marketplace, and they decide to add me to their mailing list. Or if I join someone's topsite, they sometimes add me to their mailing list. Sometimes all I do is ask a question of a business owner via their website, and I get added to their mailing list! Adding someone to your mailing list without their express permission is simply an unacceptable business practice. And there's a name for it too: SPAMMING! Sending someone an occasional email is one thing, but to add a person to your mailing list, which you use to send out any...
More About: Newsletter

Online PDF Converter
2008-01-30 07:25:00
I just stumbled upon an online PDF converter. For those of you prim business owners who offer recipes and patterns through your business, this might be a beneficial tool for you. But it can be helpful to anyone needing to convert a document to PDF file.PDF24-Online Converter You can even add this tool to your website or blog, should you so desire. The conversion does not take place instantly, but it's still quite handy if you need this capability. So be sure to check out this site.

Online PDF Converter
2008-01-30 07:25:00
I just stumbled upon an online PDF converter. For those of you prim business owners who offer recipes and patterns through your business, this might be a beneficial tool for you. But it can be helpful to anyone needing to convert a document to PDF file.PDF24-Online Converter You can even add this tool to your website or blog, should you so desire. The conversion does not take place instantly, but it's still quite handy if you need this capability. So be sure to check out this site.

Update on Accepting Pay Pal for Credit Card Payments
2008-01-30 03:39:00
Someone asked me to explain further regarding the effect of accepting only Pay Pal as the means for processing credit card payments with your online store. I have edited my post "Top Reasons Online Businesses Fail" to help explain my remarks about Pay Pal payments. So please check that post if you have interest as well.I will say that I like Pay Pal and I feel very secure with their services when I use them, or when my customers use them. But in my experience, people want to use a direct credit card payment to to pay for their purchases. So while I do offer Pay Pal, I have a separate merchant account for credit card payments, and that is how over 90% of my sales are paid for.
More About: Card , Credit , Update , Credit Card

Update on Accepting Pay Pal for Credit Card Payments
2008-01-30 03:39:00
Someone asked me to explain further regarding the effect of accepting only Pay Pal as the means for processing credit card payments with your online store. I have edited my post "Top Reasons Online Businesses Fail" to help explain my remarks about Pay Pal payments. So please check that post if you have interest as well.I will say that I like Pay Pal and I feel very secure with their services when I use them, or when my customers use them. But in my experience, people want to use a direct credit card payment to to pay for their purchases. So while I do offer Pay Pal, I have a separate merchant account for credit card payments, and that is how over 90% of my sales are paid for.
More About: Card , Credit , Update , Credit Card

Great New Primitive Blog I've Found!
2008-01-26 06:17:00
Just stumbled upon a great blog site and wanted to share it. Not only is it a great primitive blog, but it has TONS of links to other wonderful prim blogs! So be sure to check the link out when you get a chance. I'm sure you'll find something there you like.The blog is called To Dwell in Primitive Thymes. Love it!Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Blog ging can be such fun, whether you're creating one or reading one. And they are full of some wonderful information. Enjoy!
More About: Great

Great New Primitive Blog I've Found!
2008-01-26 06:17:00
Just stumbled upon a great blog site and wanted to share it. Not only is it a great primitive blog, but it has TONS of links to other wonderful prim blogs! So be sure to check the link out when you get a chance. I'm sure you'll find something there you like. The blog is called To Dwell in Primitive Thymes. Love it!Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Blog ging can be such fun, whether you're creating one or reading one. And they are full of some wonderful information. Enjoy!
More About: Great