May 27, 2007
Back in the late nineties, the phrase ‘Content is King’ was repeated and repeated and repeated by site owners and marketers alike. The belief was that the more content you had, the greater the number of visitors you would attract. Of course, the content had to be well written, relevant and easy to find. Many sites built very successful businesses as a result.
And then something happened.
Big money from venture capitalists burst onto the scene. Suddenly nobody was talking about content. (Where’s the big investment return on ‘content’?) Instead the attention went to businesses that came up with some kind of unique ‘technology solution’.
Then the dotcom bubble burst.
And here we are.
Is content still important? I think so. People don’t talk about it as earnestly as they once did, but I think that original thinking was very sound.
Here are three reasons why you should be creating more content on your site:
1. Content increases conversion rates by keeping prospects on your site.
When prospective customers arrive at your site, they like to ‘dig deep’. They look for all the information they can find before they feel confident enough to commit to that purchase. Whether you are selling banking, subscriptions, noodles or digitals cameras, people want to know what they are buying.
If you don’t give them all the information they need, they’ll find someone else who does. Perhaps they’ll try epinions.com, consumerguide.com or mouthshut.com. Or maybe they’ll just do a search on Google.
The point is, if they can’t find the information they want on your site, they’ll try somewhere else. And as soon as they leave your site, the chances of their returning is fairly slim.
And that’s very bad news for your conversion rates.
2. Content differentiates you from your competitors
What differentiates your noodle site from every other noodle site? Most businesses have a number of direct competitors and all too often there is very little to truly differentiate your products or services from theirs. You may have some marginal distinctions, new offers or price deals. But at the end of the day, a noodle is a noodle.
So how do you differentiate your site? You do it with content. You make your site an absolute magnet for anyone who is serious about cooking pasta. You provide the best recipes, you deliver the best advice, you seek out the most interesting and useful facts about noodles.
When you do that, your products may not be that different from anyone else’s, but your site is. It has become different because it becomes known for being the number one resource for cooking great pasta.
3. Content is great for search engines and inbound links
Here’s something we already know. The search engines love content, especially when it is substantial, updated and relevant.
So do your homework and make sure your content pages have SEO-friendly titles, headlines and body text.
In addition to being attractive to search engines, great content also attracts inbound links. The better the information, the more the number of sites that will want to link to you.
In conclusion…
Creating great content for your site, and newsletters, is still a very smart thing to do. It’s good for your customers, good for your conversion rates, perfect for search engines and does a great job of separating your site from your competition.
Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You’ll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.
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Online Insurance Shopping: Finding Health Insurance on the
Web
With more and more consumers turning to the Internet to locate
goods and services, it’s no wonder that online health insurance
shopping is gaining popularity, too. If you’re thinking about
shopping for health insurance online, you’re not alone. And,
while shopping online can save you time and money, there are a
few factors to consider to ensure a positive shopping experience.
Knowing What You Need
Do you know what kind of health insurance plan you need? Do you
know what features or benefits you’d like to have in your
policy?
Knowing what you need before you begin shopping can save you a
lot of time. If you’re not sure what kind of policy you need,
try contacting your state’s Division of Insurance (DOI).
The DOI exists to protect and educate consumers on insurance
matters; you can contact them by phone or visit them on the Web
to find the information you need about health insurance plans in
your area. Remember, the more you know, the more educated your
health insurance decisions will be!
Choosing a Reputable Company
When you open your Web browser and enter your search terms,
you’ll undoubtedly get multiple options in return. But which of
these companies is right for you?
Weed out the good companies (and Web sites) from the bad and:
Get the Facts. You can investigate online insurance
companies and referral services by visiting the sites of AM
Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB); obtaining
information about the company’s financial standings and customer
service ratings will help you determine if consumers have had
good experiences in the past–and whether the company is doing
well enough to be there future.
Consumer hint: most BBB-approved companies will display the BBB
logo on their Web pages.
Verify Security Measures. With the increased usability of
the Internet also comes an increased risk for fraudulent
activities. While this scares many insurance shoppers from using
the Web, shopping within sites that are technologically secure
drastically reduces those risks.
If a company’s Web site is secure, they’ll most likely include a
clickable logo on their landing page, detailing the site’s
security certification or “seal of approval”. Still not
convinced? The company’s security policy should be located
within the site; reputable companies will use the latest
technology to protect your information and will never give or
sell your email address for spamming or other marketing
purposes.
When it comes to Web site security, the bottom line is this: if
you don’t like what you see, move on to another site!
Read Testimonials. What do other consumers have to say
about their experience with the company? Check out the site’s
customer testimonials to see what other health insurance
shoppers liked about the service. Can’t find any? Might be a
good indication that positive feedback has been scarce–in
general, companies display positive comments with pride!
Understanding the Process
Different companies will operate accordingly. One company might
give you one health insurance quote, while another might give
you five. Generally speaking, companies that provide multiple
quotes are more efficient for the consumer–rather than applying
for quotes on five different Web sites or calling five different
insurers, you can obtain multiple quotes quickly and find the cheapest health insurance.
But, when it comes to obtaining health quotes online, it’s all
about preference. If you’d prefer to obtain one quote at a time,
you will find company sites than can deliver exactly that.
Go with your Gut
When it comes to shopping for health insurance online, educating
yourself on insurance and researching potential insurers will
help you make the best purchasing decision possible. Get started
today by identifying what you need out of a health insurance
policy, and set your sights on finding it. And as always, shop
online with care by verifying the legitimacy and security of any
Web site before submitting your business!
_________________________________________________________________
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About InsureMe
InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents
nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing
in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the
InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every
year. For more information, visit www.InsureMe.com.
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Are you one of those who stuck in the rat race for quality lifelong education but don’t find the hassle of getting stuck in the jam while catching up with the night classes?
If you are one of these people, then perhaps you can benefit from the new age learning environment: E-Learning.
Online learning / e-learning is a type of education which utilizes different form of deliver methods and new multimedia technologies, interaction or facilitation. It doesn’t really matter whether it is utilizing the Internet, local area networks (LAN), or even a corporate Wide Area Network (WAN).
Research has shown that more companies and professionals alike are migrating towards E-learning. The reason being is simple: E-Learning delivers more training to more people for the fewest dollars. It saves your time, money, resources and it will deliver more measurable and tangible results than those in conventional classroom.
Here are some of the key reasons why E-Learning is right for your learning needs.
1) Cost-Effectiveness
With E-Learning, you will simply put away those time spent on the road for good use. That’s because you’ll be getting along with your online classes without travel time and expenses. Basically you are putting more training dollars into training and saving to 40-60 percent.
2) The Just-In-Time Training
This term may sound unfamiliar for you. What E-learning can do for you is that it delivers knowledge on-demand, with the best and latest up-to-date information. You can forget about books and course materials which are outdated even before you start on the course. Since the learning management system can be accessed by the students almost 24 hours a day, you can be assured that your education is available when and where you want it.
3) Greater Flexibility
You will no longer be afraid of getting lost in your classrooms. Most of the e-learning programs in the market are self-paced, meaning that you can take on the course materials as at when you want it. Additionally, most of the e-learning programs are equipped with extensive reference library so you can be assured of a complete and robust set of course materials.
4) Measurement
Every learning management systems in the market will come equipped with a myriad of tools to monitor your own learning progress, and will be able to churn out detailed usable reports for your needs. With the ability to create assessments, you’ll know what you have learned at that point of time, how long it took you to complete the course, how you performed and you levels of improvement.
5) Variety of E-learning Courses
If you think that E-learning courses can be suited for those seeking higher lifelong education, you are wrong. With the advent of modern technology enhancements, hundreds of in-depth e-learning courses are available for you today, covering every major topic you can think of i.e. cooking, gardening, music and etc.
With these essential benefits outlined in E-learning alone, it’s not surprising that many adults and professionals are taking up this new style of learning to complement and improve their existing skill sets. E-learning is poised to become the new wave of education in the near future.
Wrong Elearning Courses can make or break you apart. Find out the essential tips on choosing the best online learning for yourself at http://www.tips.com.my/articles/best-online-education.php . For more information on other E-learning resources, head on to http://www.elearning-avenue.com
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For the connoisseur in your life, a gourmet gift basket is a perfect choice for a special occasion. Whether they prefer fine wines, exotic coffees, or gourmet cheese, you are sure to find something to please.
Gourmet gift baskets often do not have a specific theme, instead including a variety of high quality food items. Commonly they contain crackers, cheeses, chocolate and other sweets, and wines or champagne. It is possible to find more specific gourmet baskets, of course. Godiva and Ghirardelli chocolates both provide an array of gift basket options. There are also gift baskets that use coffee and wine as focal points, too.
Some gourmet gift baskets are location themed, containing a variety of delicacies local to a region. For instance you might find a New York State gourmet gift basket with apples and a hard cider or apple wine, a New York sharp cheddar, and bread from a New York bakery. A Louisiana themed gift basket might include Cajun spices and food items, a Mardis Gras drink set, and plastic beads.
If you are looking for location specific gourmet gift baskets, you are in luck! many online retailers can ship their products almost anywhere. For some highly perishable items, such as seafood, shipping may be expensive or not possible at all. If you have any questions, make sure to contact the retailer.
While your friends or family may have expensive tastes, never fear. Gourmet gift baskets are available in a variety of price ranges, starting at under $20 and exceeding $200 at the other end of the spectrum. Whatever your budget, you can find a gift to please even the most sophisticated expectations.
A gourmet gift basket is the perfect choice for a friend or family member who appreciates the finer things. They will appreciate your refined choice and your attention to detail. A gourmet gift basket is a great choice for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and any other occasion, too.
About the Author
Bob Bassett is the owner of Unique Gift Baskets Online which offers a wide selection of gift baskets for any occasion including baby gift baskets, food gift baskets, wine and corporate gift baskets. http://www.uniquegiftbasketsonline.com
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I’m sure by now you’ve heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It’s no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?
Either way…the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like it’s hurting his game? I don’t think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you know who I’m talking about.
Tiger took golf to another level. A real eye-opener for the veteran players who were hitting the 19th hole after every round…and the last thought on their mind was “exercise”. What a wake-up call to be totally dominated by a player who was only 20 years old at the time.
How about the year Annika Sorenstam shot a 59 and totally dominated the LPGA? Do you know what she attributes it to? Golf workouts! She hired a trainer and got serious about her fitness. And look what happened? She hasn’t looked back since. She just recently came out with an instruction book and devoted a chapter to golf workouts.
To my recollection, that’s the first women’s instruction book to include golf workouts. Working out to playing better golf isn’t just for the guys; Annika has proved that. Now more LPGA players are working out to try and catch her, just like the guys did with Tiger.
How about the senior tour? Now players are realizing they can still make good money, even after they’ve turned 50 and can’t really compete with the young guys anymore. With the money at stake, they too are all working out. This group of players both amateur and pro is the biggest demographic that needs it the most.
With age comes a decline in both flexibility and strength. When the body declines, the swing goes right along with it. The result is a big loss in yardage, more mishits, and ballooning scores. The end result…frustration! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played with and received phone calls from older golfers who are just about ready to quit the game.
They are SO frustrated at this rapid decline, that golf’s not fun anymore. But there is hope. The answer? Get your body moving just a little better. How? By participating in golf workouts that focus on golf-specific strength AND flexibility. It’s amazing to see golfers in this age bracket dramatically improve their driving distance, accuracy and scores.
You don’t have to accept that with age, your body declines. No way! You’ve got to fight it all the way! I’m dead serious. The ones who do, are the ones who are enjoying the game again and taking all the money in their foursome.
What is a golf workout anyways? Is there such a thing? You bet there is. The golf swing is an awkward movement that puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible specific to the swing.
I could spend dozens of pages describing what this entails, but for the sake of this concise article, let’s keep it simple.
The golf swing is a rotational movement, with your body in golf posture. Slight flex of the knees and a bending forward at the hips. Since the golf swing is primarily rotational, wouldn’t it make sense to focus on rotational strength and flexibility? That is improving your turning ability related to range of motion and speed.
So anything involving twisting with resistance such as a medicine ball, a dumbbell, or even a weighted club would work. You need to have a resistance to take your body beyond where it normally goes.
For instance, if you took a club and placed it behind your neck, got in your golf posture and rotated back and forth; do you think that by itself would improve your range of motion or power?
No, you need to add resistance to accomplish this. Take a weighted club and make golf swings. Now you’ll be making a bigger turn AND improving your power. Same thing with a medicine ball. Make turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball and you’ll see a BIG improvement.
In fact, most of your abdominal work should be rotational. Doing straight crunches won’t improve your driving distance. Doing rotational movements with added weight will. This is where I could go on and on, but I won’t overload you.
I hope I’ve convinced you to take a real serious look at what all the other successful professional players are doing to stay at the top of their game. Doing golf workouts can and will dramatically change your game forever. Now get out there and get it started. No procrastinating. Do it right now!
Mike Pedersen is a respected golf fitness expert, and the author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, numerous golf fitness tips and founder of several online golf fitness sites. For more information on his new, cutting-edge golf fitness e-book, go to http://www.ultimategolffitnessguide.com.
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One of the few Bermuda Triangle Facts that can be confirmed is the Bermuda Triangle location. In fact, the location of the Bermuda Triangle is somewhat arbitrary as well. There are no official boundaries. However, the triangle is generally assumed to run from Bermuda to Puerto Rico to Miami and back to Bermuda.
A fact that is unexplained about the Bermuda Triangle is that electro-magnetic compasses that normally point to the magnetic north pole, point to the true north pole when used inside the area of the Bermuda Triangle. This phenomena happens in only one place other than the Bermuda Triangle – the Devil’s Sea off the east coast of Asia.
The term Bermuda Triangle was in fact first used in an Argosy Magazine article written by Vincent H. Gaddis in 1964. Since that time, a number of “nicknames” have immerged for the Bermuda Triangle – Limbo of the Lost, Hoodoo Sea, and even Devil’s Triangle – some coined in literature.
One fact is undeniable about the Bermuda Triangle. There have been a number of strange and sometimes unexplained disappearances in the Triangle. The tale of Flight 19 – a group of five Navy torpedo bombers and one search plane disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle area (perhaps!) – is the most notorious of these.
However, there have been strange occurrences observed in the area of the Bermuda Triangle as well. Even as far back as the 1492 crossing of the Atlantic by Christopher Columbus, these have been recorded. Columbus documented in his logs of strange occurrences with his compass in the area that we now consider the Bermuda Triangle.
Another fact about the Bermuda Triangle that is undeniable is that the area has claimed over 1,000 lives in the past 100 years. Some of these are a result of “human error” in navigating the area. However there are always suspicious or unexplained disappearances happening in the Bermuda Triangle.
There is a vast array of lore surrounding the existence of the Bermuda Triangle. Some of this stems from the idea that with-in the Bermuda Triangle lies the lost city of Atlantis in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Off the coast of Bimini, there is a set of underwater steps believed to be part of that civilization. Little exploration can be done because the Bermuda Triangle includes some of the deepest trenches in the Atlantic Ocean – much too deep to explore.
Today, thousands of passages are made through the Bermuda Triangle every year. Virtually every Caribbean cruise originating from the east coast of North America passes through part of the Bermuda Triangle. Modern planes fly to the Caribbean hotspots and from southern United States to Europe through the Bermuda Triangle. Perhaps the next time you travel through the Bermuda Triangle by air or sea you will think of the lost civilization of Atlantis and her mighty power?
Brian A Schmidt is the author and web publisher of a1-discount-cruises.com your #1 source for cruise information, discounts and great deals! Visit http://www.a1-discount-cruises.com to book your fabulous cruise vacation! For more interesting articles visit our Article Map pages. If you have questions regarding choosing a cruise line contact us at info@a1-discount-cruises.com using the subject line “Questions”.
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