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What's Your Website Worth?
2008-10-06 08:35:00
Would you like to know the value of your website? The following website can tell you. http://www.websiteoutlook.com/Their values are based on visitor data combined with information about the number of backlinks pointing to your website, Alexa rank, and other info that is available online. It does not include your website's net profits, which would also be a factor if you were to sell your website. But this website can at least give you a good starting point...something to go on should you decide to sell your site.
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Wholesaling
2008-10-04 05:03:00
I get asked a lot of questions about the how-to's of wholesaling. And I've seen the topic come up a lot on several online communities to which I belong. So I thought it was a good time to write an article on the topic! To read the article, simply follow this link to the Primitive Business Junction Wholesaling page. If you have questions, or have some other information you'd like me to include, just drop me a line!Hope you all enjoy the start of Fall as much as I will. It's my favorite season!

Create PDF's
2008-09-27 05:42:00
If you're looking for an affordable alternative to Adobe Acrobat for creating PDF files, then this may be for you. It's called PDF Create ! 5.0, and it's available on many websites. Its features, as listed on Amazon.com:* Make PDF files from practically any electronic document * Batch create PDF files, combine files into a single PDF document, or create PDF packages that are compact, easy to email and universally viewable* Multiple page PDF files or PDF packages can be made from a variety of file types such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, JPEG, TIFF or other PDF files * Share private content securely--add passwords and permission controls to limit what other users can see For those of you offering patterns and graphics or other digital goods on your websites, this software may come in very handy.

What's a Google Page Rank and Why Should You Care?
2008-09-16 05:17:00
Many people do not understand much about Google , the Search Engines in general, or Search Engine Optimization. One particular area of confusion tends to be with Google's Page Rank system. So I thought I'd give you the in-a-nutshell explanation of what Google's Page Rank is.Basically, a Google Page Rank is the numeric value assigned to a web page (1-10), based in large part on the quality and number of backlinks pointing to particular page. In other words, when another person puts a link to your website on their website, they're creating a backlink (a link back) to your website, and that, in essence, counts as a "vote" for your site on Google.However, it's important to note that it's not the quantity of backlinks that is most important to Google. Rather, it's the quality and relevance of the backlink that really matters. In order for a backlink to help your site earn a "vote," it must be coming from a website that has content that is relevant to your own. So say for example th...
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Blog Contest Winners
2008-09-02 06:28:00
We have two winners for our August Blog Contest : Jacki of Hearthside Collection won $10 worth of free products from my country prim site, Pip Berry Place. And Shari of Homespun and Primitives won a 6 Month Spotlight Shoppe ad on my marketplace, Crows Creek Crossing. Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to all of you who submitted questions!
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Who's Linking to You?
2008-08-28 08:24:00
Want to know who's linking to your website or blog? Just go to this site, enter your URL, and submit. You can add their code to your site if you'd like too.See Who's Linking to YouThere are other sites like that one out there on the Web. If you find some others you like, post a comment with the link!

Pay Pal Fee Calculator
2008-08-19 08:17:00
For those of you who accept Pay Pal payments on your site, you might find this website very helpful. It provides a fee calculator for your Pay Pal payments, so you can determine the fee you will be charged for any given sale. It will also do a reverse calculation, allowing you to see how much you would need to charge to receive a specific amount for something. And there's a currency converter there as well! A very handy site, indeed.Pay Pal Fee Calculator And as a bonus, the site also provides links to fee calculators for Ebay, Half.com, Amazon, BidPay, Etsy, and other sites you might be selling through.Subscribe to the Junction Journal via Email!

More Reader Questions
2008-08-19 01:03:00
Received more questions from readers today, so thought I'd answer those here for the benefit of all our readers. Jacki of Hearthside Collection wanted to know how important internal site links are, and whether button links or text links are better on a website.It is VERY important to have internal links on your site; these are the most important kind to have. And they should be text links whenever possible. The search engine spiders that crawl your site cannot "read" the text on images, and even though they can read image file names, they are not as good for your site with regard to search engine optimization as text links are. Text links provide you with an excellent opportunity to repeat your meta keywords, which are very important to repeat throughout the content of your site's pages. So if, for example, you are using button links instead of text links for your categories, you are eliminating the use of those keywords by doing so, because your category links should always conta...
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Reader Question on SEO and Blogger Vs. WordPress
2008-08-18 07:42:00
Cathy of Cathy's Creations wrote to ask me two questions. She wanted to know how a person who is not a "techie" goes about doing SEO on their site. She also wanted to know if Blogger or WordPress is the better blog host, and if one gets crawled by the SE's better? Here are my responses to her.The best thing you can if you're trying to do SEO yourself and you aren't very "techie" is to read and learn as much as you can about it. If you're trying to build and grow your website, this is just a must to help you reach your goals of success. I have lots of information about SEO on Primitive Business Junction. And I have posted many links there to other sites that offer even more info, for all skill levels, to help people understand SEO. You really owe it to yourself and your website to learn as much as you can, so that's really the best advice I can give on this topic. Here's a link to the page on the site for more info on SEO:SEO Info on Primitive Business JunctionAs for WordPress...
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Questions, Questions, Questions
2008-08-17 06:27:00
As I was sitting here trying to decide what to write about today, I thought it would be a great idea to put in a request to all of my blog readers to submit any questions you might have. I would love to answer any questions you might have related to starting or running an online business, marketing, SEO, graphics, general business questions, etc. Or perhaps you would just like to submit a topic for me to write about here, and/or on Primitive Business Junction? If you would like to submit a question or topic for consideration, please just add a comment to this post. Or you can email me at primchick at defnet dot com. If I don't know the answer, I will find it! To help motivate you, if I use your question, I will enter your name into a drawing for a chance to win one of two prizes: a 6 Month Spotlight Shoppe ad on my marketplace, Crows Creek Crossing; or, a $10 Gift Certificate good toward a purchase on my retail site, Pip Berry Place. All questions must be submitted by August 31st. ...
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Summer Daze at PBJ
2008-08-14 06:20:00
If you haven't been to the Primitive Business Junction website lately, I'm encouraging you all to go in and take a gander. I have so much info there. People email me and ask me questions all the time...questions that are answered right there on my website. I love helping people, but answering the same questions over and over again can be time-consuming at the very least. That was the reason I created the website in the first place: to help people, and to put a whole lot of information all in one place about running an online business. I have so much info there, so many links to helpful websites, so many resources, and even a variety of website services that you can purchase if you need some help with your website. So please go and take a look when you have a minute.Primitive Business JunctionSubscribe to The Junction Journal by Email
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New Look at PBJ
2008-07-29 06:05:00
Check out our new look at Primitive Business Junction and see if you can see what's new! I was in the mood to give the graphics a bit of a face lift. I really like how they turned out. The changes are not drastic...just enough to look fresh and new! Hope you like them.

Books About Running Your Biz
2008-07-23 07:32:00
I've created a page on Primitive Business Junction dedicated to resource books I've come across on Amazon. Most of the books I've listed so far are targeting craft business owners, but there are also one or two related to Internet marketing. I hope to keep adding more books to really grow this list and make it a valuable resource for anyone starting an online business, whether it's a country/prim business, shabby chic, crafty, or any other kind of business for that matter. If you know of any books you think I should add to the list, feel free to just comment to this post or drop me an email. In the meantime, you can check out the books on the Primitive Business Junction Books resource page.
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A Great Site to Share
2008-07-17 07:39:00
Just wanted to share a link to a great site with you, in case you don't know about it. The site is called Back to the Willow Tree, which is an online newsletter sponsored by Prim Mart. It's a wonderful site, updated bi-monthly, that provides news, information, resources, freebies, and so much more. Their new issue is on the verge of being published right now! So bookmark this site and be sure to check out their latest edition. This is their BIG FREEBIES edition--so you won't want to miss it. And be sure to check out the graphics I created and donated for Primitive Business Junction!Back to the Willow Tree News
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Free Photo Software
2008-07-05 22:46:00
My mother recently came across a link to some free image editing and manipluation software called gimp. It is free to download and to use. For folks wanting to edit photos for their websites, who are also on a tight budget, this software may be worth a try. So thought I'd share the link with you here.GIMP Image Software Site
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Scratch Off Tickets
2008-06-28 17:48:00
I found a great site that may be of interest. http://easyscratchoffs.com/ It lets you create your own scratch off tickets. You print off your own discounts/coupon codes using your own printer and graphics program. Then you use these scratch off labels--they just stick on right over your printed info, and your customers just scratch them off ot reveal the discount or coupon code underneath! What a great idea--you can put these in with your customer orders, pass them out at craft shows, etc. This could be a fun way to offer your customers and potential customers discounts.
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Back Up Your OE Message Files
2008-06-17 02:28:00
Most of us know how to back up our Outlook Express address book. But I was equally concerned with finding the best way to back up and locate all my saved messages in OE as well. So I found a site that provides the step-by-step directions for doing just that. Thought this would be a link worth sharing.Back Up Your Outlook Express Message s
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Track Your Traffic
2008-06-16 04:34:00
One thing you MUST do as a website owner who depends on traffic for potential sales is to closely monitor where your traffic is coming from. I use Google Analytics for all of my websites. It is absolutely, without a doubt, the most comprehensive stat and traffic monitor available, in my opinion.To use GA, you just need sign up on their website and then add some code to your site's template. The code will not be visible on the site, as it works behind the scenes. But within a day or two, GA will start tracking tons of information about your website traffic. Here are some examples:How many actual visits your site gets per day, with stats on actual number of visits per day in the last month.How many pageviews per day in the last month.How many pages per visit.Average time spent on site per visitor.What percentage of visitors are new visitors.What browser the visitors use.What connection speed they have for the Internet.What languages the visitors speak.What countries/states/provinces/...
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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
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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...
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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...
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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
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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
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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...
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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...
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