Tweeting and POH

Thanks for all the entries!
Wow! We will have a gorgeous May full of beautiful works for the Pursuit of Handmade! I have been tweeting and posting your links! I hope you will all help with this, too! just do a search for #POH and you can retweet the posts of your fellow artisans! Or grab the URL's from the comments and share share share!

Hop over to Mommys Review and see our first Participant! Wow! Gorgeous! http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

A few opportunities you might find interesting....

All Marketing Content



PLR Running Article Bundle

Try this one, then let me know what you think...

Check this great opportunity out....

http://www.traffic-splash.com/splashiala.html?referer=Mommytyme


Do you have a raging torrent of targeted traffic flooding
your site?

Or are your visitors trickling in?

I've just discovered a site that's owned and run by Paul Kinder
who is apparently one of the top traffic specialists in the
world today.

Traffic-Splash is a very high-profile program and it is well
worth getting in.

Now, you can either upgrade straight away at half price,
earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals
that Paul generates for you, or you can join for free.

Whichever way you go Traffic-Splash, brings in a river of
referrals so it will be great exposure for your business,
helping you to:

* advertise your web business
* grow your opt-in list
* build your affiliate program
* provide resources to improve your advertising

Traffic-Splash is one of the best quality traffic exchanges
on the net and I think it's a must have advertising resource.

Turn your Splashes into Floods of Traffic
=> http://www.traffic-splash.com?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Splashing!



=> http://www.traffic-splash.com?referer=Mommytyme

Fishing for traffic? Try this one...

If you were fishing for Barracuda you wouldn�t go to the Arctic, would you?

And you wouldn�t try to find many Killer Whales on the Equator either, would you?

So, if you�re marketing your site to other Marketers and Opportunity Seekers where do you think you should advertise?

Where is the place you�re likely to get best response?

Yep, you�re right! You�d go wherever other marketers are advertising and viewing websites. Wouldn�t you?

So, I�ve found this new site that delivers a torrent of targeted traffic for online marketers. It�s called Traffic-Splash and they also provide promotional tools to help you build your business.

You can join for free and this gives you the ability to generate up to 250 hits an hour to your sites or you can upgrade and generate up to 750 hits an hour.

They have a special half-price offer for now, where you can upgrade at half-price ($4.98 a month), earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals that the owners generate for you too.

The traffic is all well targeted, I�ve not found any cold barracuda yet, so I�m very pleased with the results so far!

I think you�ll be pleased too. Check it out.
http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Fishing!

Warm Regards
Valerie

PS What�s warm and wet and puts floods of eyeballs on your site? Only way you�re gonna find out is by checking out the promotional tools at http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

5 Keys to Selling Success...

5 Keys to Creating Websites that Sell

Your business website is essentially your storefront, business card and most significant marketing piece all rolled into one. How it affects your visitors and customers is then essential to your success. Provide a memorable experience and customers are sure to return time and time again. Let’s take a look at five keys to creating a website that sells.

Key #1 Make your website interactive.

As the internet continues to grow and evolve it’s becoming more important to create a community around your business. To accomplish this you want to engage your visitors and customers. This can be accomplished a number of ways. You can:

* Provide a forum
* Post surveys or polls
* Enable visitors and customers to review or rank items. For example a “How valuable was this article?” question and a scale of 1 to 5 stars or a ranking from 1-10.
* Offer a blog and inspire comments and feedback
* Host contests and sweepstakes
* Publish video and audio content as well as written content. This gives users another way to access you and your personality.

Key #2 Make sure your website provides value.

People go online for a number of reasons. They go online to research a potential purchase, to seek solutions for a problem they’re having and to be entertained. If your website provides all three; products, information, and entertainment then you’re in tip top shape. The good news is your content can provide both the information and the entertainment and when written well, can also inspire purchases. Here are a few ideas to provide value for your customers and prospects:

* How to articles, videos, and audio
* Tips articles, videos, and audio
* Case studies
* Workbooks and reports
* Interviews with experts
* Product reviews


Key #3 Make sure your website is easy to navigate.

It takes a visitor about 20 seconds to make a decision about whether they’re going to stay on your website or click away. If your site is laid out nicely, with products and services, information, prices, FAQs, and content easy to find then people are more likely to hang out – the longer they stay on your site the more likely they are to make a purchase or to return again.

To make your site easy to navigate consider:
* Keeping your site simple.
* Keep your pages uniform with the same options and appearance.
* If you have a lot of content, great! Use drop down menus and organize your content by topic for easier access.
* Offer a search function where users can search for products, services, or content topics quickly and easily.
* Provide a way for users to easily go back to previous pages. A back key is an option however if every page has the same options and drop down menus, including the ability to quickly return to the home page, a visitor will always be able to find what they need.
* Test your website’s appearance on different browsers to make sure every visitor has a good experience.
Key #4 Make your website easy on the eyes.

Ever visit a website and the text was so small or the colors so incompatible that you couldn’t read a word? Readability is critical to a selling website. Make sure:

* Your colors are easy on the eyes,
* Your graphics aren’t distracting
* And keep formatting like underlining, bold and italics to a minimum.
* Spacing between sentences and paragraphs is adequate
* Font size is large enough for people to read and font is easy to read


Key #5 Give them a soft sell.

People expect to be sold to and they’re looking for it – they’re wary. Instead of hitting website visitors with a hard sell, provide information, solve their problems and show them the benefits of your products or services. They’ll be much more receptive and appreciative.

Creating a website that sells requires a structured approach and a desire to create the best experience possible for your visitors. Once you’ve created your website, consider testing it and asking associates, friends and family for their opinion.



Now that you have read this... What do you think? Do you agree? What are some tips you can offer your fellow handmade vendors? Feel free to share! Do you have a blog that promotes and helps other Etsy, Zibbet, Winkelf, Artfire, etc. Sellers? Well, post it here! The more information we all have, the better equipped we are to take on the challenge of making it in our own biz...

Free advertising? Email marketing? Leads to your shop?

One of the reasons I created this blog was to review and discuss all the many advertising, promotional and marketing services available.  As you know, there are thousands- and the process of trying to find the right fit for you can be overwhelming!  I have learned by trial and error which ones work, and which ones are a con!

One that I have been pretty pleased with is Advertyze!  You receive 50 free email marketing ads each week- as a free member.  You can increase these with upgrade to your membership, but for a small biz... 50 may be just the right amount for you!  I had signed up several months ago, but did not have time to really explore Advertyze until now.  It is really easy to use, no tricky sign ups, no forced affiliate marketing, and no email inbox overload!  In fact, the same day I signed up I had access to my first week's advertisement.  So, it is quick, easy, no strings, and really worth a moment of your time!

Have you tried Advertyze?  If so, love to hear your thoughts.  I will give you an update in a week or two of how it has helped, if it helps, my website and sales!  For now, if you would like to give it a try... here is the link

http://www.advertyze.com/members/go.php?r=12736

Create Banners for Free! Peel Away ads, buttons, all that jazz...

I found an awesome program the other day!  Yes, its free!  Yes, I tried it!  And yes, it really works.  A little tricky at first, but you need to just mess around with it until you get a feel for it!  This cool program lets you create Peel Away Ads, banners, flash banners, ... all that cool stuff you are probably paying someone else to do for you!  Now, I am no expert, but it really was not too much- just add your text, choose your colors, and there you go....

Here's a link if you want to give it a go... Now, I think the catch is you have to muddle through some advertisements.  But, it only takes 30 seconds to get through that, then you are ready to create!  also, it saves your graphics, so if you upload pictures to the program- you won't have to continue to do that; they will be accessible the next time you create!  Come back and let me know what you think...

http://instantbannercreator.com/?rid=45575

Exploring the Claims of Traffic services, Referral Packages, Profit Machines, Etc.

I signed up for this new program to help me with traffic to my website and web stores.  You never really know if the claims are true or not, until you try it.  Since it is free, what the heck?  right?  Well, here is the promo for the service... Scroll down and I will tell you a little more about what I learned!

http://www.50000FreeVisitors.com/?id=5144247

You get EVERYTHING you need for success...

tools, training, traffic and the complete worldwide Monitor network.

We have created a powerful LIVE video system that will
build ANY business in a matter of days.

After you join and ATTEND our LIVE webcast YOU will get access to our report that shows
you how to get 50,000 Home Based Visits To Your Site.

Details Click Here --> http://worldprofitassociates.com/t20.cfm?id=5144247

Sounds great, right?  Well, I signed up, logged in and boom... There is a live chat type window open.  You are asked to write a message to announce your presence, then watch a live stream video.  The video takes about 20 minutes- and basically, it focuses on you PURCHASING an upgrade and from that you can SELL the products that they are offering- books, programs, etc to help build your traffic.
I scoured all the pages and unfortunately, I never did see an opportunity for the FREE visitors or the FREE traffic to my site.  It was really confusing, and when I left the site I actually felt I had better check my pay pal account to ensure I had not been charged for anything (I wasn't).

Just an FYI and MY opinion of the program.  Is there something I am missing?  Maybe.  Is there really a way to receive all the free traffic?  Probably- but, I could not find it!  So, if you are looking for a simple program to boost your web site, this is not the one.  If you are a guru on the web and have plenty of time to check it all out... This could have some potential!


I had posted a few weeks ago that I was going to begin a review and exploration of all the traffic services, link exchange programs, etc out there that make big promises!  I am going to share with you which ones successfully improve my stats, and which ones fall flat (in my opinion!)  So, keep coming back and lets muddle through this together.

Do you have a service you really like?  SErvice that you want to share?  Post your link and we will check it out!

At this point, I would still recommend Traffic Swarm as one of my favorites!  It is easy to use, there is no catch.  You browse ads, then they post yours for others.  Simple concept!  And free!  Here is my link if you want to check it out:


http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

Affiliate, Traffic, shopping, earn money from home... All in one? Really?

Ok, here we are reviewing another affiliate/traffic rotation program.  This one I will give a thumbs up, though!  It actually works.  Super easy, you view sites, you earn credits or money (your choice), then you can cash that money in for your site being posted.  Does it work?  yes.  Can you really cash the money in for CASH?  Yes.  There is a minimum withdrawl amount you have to reach before you can actually have the money transferred, though.  It is about a penny a click, so it will take a while.  But, you can do like I do, view a few sites, take those credits and convert them into your own advertisements.

There are a ton of other services on there, too.  There are shopping sites and discounts, contests, and more... Check it out!  Then come back and tell me what you think...

http://www.clixsense.com/?2762243

Continue to find storage space and Organize! Not just in the craft room, but everywhere...

Since I have been focusing on de-clutter, organize, systemize, etc. etc. in my craft/workspace, I decided to scout some tips from the experts.... Here is a fantastic article that seems to be in step with my thoughts on getting your items into their correct place:



Home Organization 101: Easy Steps to a Clutter Free Home

When you first move into your home it seems like you have so much space.  As the years pass, you might find yourself becoming a pack rat.  What are you going to do with all the stuff you have accumulated?  Perhaps it’s time to weed out the unnecessary items and organize your home.

Home organization is a step-by-step process.  It will take more than a day or even a week to get everything to a manageable level, but once you do staying organized is an easier task.  If you have a family, enlist their help.  They can pitch in and learn a thing or two about controlling clutter in their life. 

1. Start with the high traffic areas.  The living room and kitchen are usually the two most used rooms in the house.  Everything gets dropped on a counter or the couch in these two places.  Concentrate on getting everything set up the way that you like it before moving on to another room.

2. Use storage containers.  Over the years, the style of storage containers has upgraded to be pretty as well as functional.  Instead of storing containers in stacks in the garage, purchase ones that match your décor in each room and integrate them so that no one would even notice they were being used for storage.

3. Divide items into categories.  You can use heavy duty trash bags for this part.  Everything that you find can go into a pile: KEEP, THROW AWAY, GIVE AWAY, and RELOCATE.  Items that will stay in that room are to keep.  Things that you don’t need or are broken can be thrown away.  Clothes or furniture still in great condition can be donated and scheduled for pickup by the Veteran’s association or Goodwill.  Anything that definitely belongs in another room can be labeled for relocation when you get to that room.

4. Remove everything from drawers and cabinets.  This is a time-consuming process but it is easier to start with an empty space and fill it instead of simply pushing things around.  If you line things up on the counter, someone else can help by putting the items in some type of order.

5. Make use of all of your available space.  In the kitchen, for example, appliances or extra containers can be stored on top of the cabinets provided they don’t extend all the way to the ceiling.  That’s extra storage space without benefit of a storage container.  Also use the top of the refrigerator for cereal boxes and breakfast food like boxes of instant oatmeal or grits.  In the bedroom, shoes and winter clothes can go into flat storage bins that slide easily under the bed or the dresser.

6. Label your containers.  Use tape and a permanent marker to identify the contents of your storage containers.  Avoid writing on the actual container in case they are reused and the contents are changed.  Labeling also makes for easy identification if you decide to sell or give away a container of books or something.  You won’t have to open each container to locate them.

Organizing your entire house takes time.  But, once it is done, returning everything you use to its proper place will maintain that same level of organization.




Finance & Credit Article Bundle

Home Decor Article Bundle

Downline builders can be a great way to start
generating traffic and promoting your programs.
The problem comes when your programs don't match
the owners agenda.

Everyone needs traffic and to bring people into
their sphere of influence but you hate to have the
owner decide the agenda for building your business.

Well that has now changed. Jon Olson and Paul Kinder
have put together a new downline builder and you
decide what to promote.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748

They help you to bring people into YOUR sphere of
influence and deliver traffic to YOUR programs not
theirs. YOU decide what to promote to YOUR downlines.

They have also included tips and tricks for building
your traffic but let you build YOUR business.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748

Check them out today and start filling YOUR funnel.



P.S. Stop letting others control YOUR business and
take control today.

http://affiliatefunnel.com/?rid=46748



Make sure to check back this week.... I am going to list the best of the best, easiest to use- FREE- traffic building, rotating, and banner/site exposure services I can find... I am diligently scouring and surfing to determine what are the best services for people like you and me to use! Those of us with small businesses, home businesses, WAHMS, bloggers, and more... We cant afford those big rotators, nor can we spend hours on the web surfing for credits! So keep up with the programs I have tried for you- then share your experiences with them.

Do you have a program or service you would like me to try? Are you an affiliate with a traffic program? Link services? Swap? Just comment and list your affiliate link/splash page! I would be happy to try it out and pass it on to my readers!

Grow your followers by blogging | twitterfriends.org

Grow your followers by blogging | twitterfriends.org

Are you using twitter to promote your handmade? Are you making new friends, finding followers, sharing your links? If so, then you know Twitter can be a powerful tool to promote and advertise your items! But, it can also be a lot of work. You have to scour and search for the right kind of followers, make posts that use the keywords your potential customers can find, and you have to search for the right type of people to follow. I personally have done a broad search on a keyword like "women" or "fashion" attempting to find tweeters who have an interest in women's fashion. What did I get? PORN! So, it is a little more tricky than you might think... It took me two days to delete all the followers and DM's I had from "adult themed tweeters"! However Twitter Friends does a lot of the work for you... and you can sign up for the free service to check it out. If you really want to grow your Twitter Base, you can, for only pennies a day.... What could be easier? Check it out and see what they can offer you and your business, then come back here and share it with us!



http://twitterfriends.org/Follow.aspx

More visitors? Few more ways to reel them in....

I found this great blog today that listed several traffic exchange services that have the highest rankings, best traffic exchange, ease of use, and are FREE. I joined a few and wanted to share them with you... Let's see how they go! Please come back here and share with everyone your experiences if you join any of these!

Increase Website Traffic

http://www.clickthru.net/ref/695023

Keyword Research

Keyword Research

Posted using ShareThis

Do you have a raging torrent of targeted traffic flooding your site?

Or are your visitors trickling in?

I’ve just discovered a site that’s owned and run by Paul Kinder and apparently, Jon Olson took Paul under his wing and helped him develop the business.

You may not have not have heard of Paul yet, but I expect you’ve heard of Jon. Have you? Jon is known as The Traffic Exchange Guy, and if he thinks Paul is worth helping then I know that his program is a winner!

Traffic-Splash is going to be a high-profile program and it is well worth getting in early.

Now, you can either upgrade straight away at half price, earning 50% on all your referrals and any random referrals that Paul generates for you, or you can join for free.

Whichever way you go Traffic-Splash, is aiming to bring in a river of referrals so it will be great exposure for your business, helping you to:

• advertise your web business
• grow your opt-in list
• build your affiliate program
• provide resources to improve your advertising

I am certain that Traffic-Splash will quickly become one of the best quality traffic exchanges on the net and I think it‘s a must have advertising resource.

Turn your Splashes into Floods of Traffic
http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

Happy Splashing!



PS Don’t forget that Paul is offering a half-price upgrade right now. 500 targeted hits and a river of random referrals for just $4.98 a month. http://traffic-splash.com/index.php?referer=Mommytyme

When you are looking for ways to increase your traffic flow, the first thing you may try is paid services or paid exchanges. Those are fine, but if you are not getting the results you want, you may want to scour some of the free services first! If you like them, you can always upgrade to a paid program later that actually can double your traffic in a matter of days. A few I have tried lately are:

http://www.startxchange.com/?referer=mommytyme

http://www.startxchange.com/newuser.php?referer=mommytyme



http://www.traffic-splash.com/splashial.html?referer=Mommytyme

How to Start a Blog for Profit

An online presence is important these days for whatever enterprise you engage in. to connect with a wide variety of people there is no bigger forum than the Internet. If you are looking for a way to show off your expertise and also make a little money while doing it, consider starting a blog.

What is a Blog?

A blog is actually an online journal of sorts. With a blog you can upload daily posts about anything that you want. Some people create personal blogs as a way to keep in touch with family members. Pictures, videos and other information are uploaded so your loved ones are current with what is going on with you.

Here we are going to talk about business blogs. This is a blog that you begin to attract traffic in order to sell products or services. To be interesting to others, your blog will need to:

• Have updated content for visitors
• Be marketed to draw traffic
• Register with search engines so it can be found in the rankings

How to Start

If you are new to blogging, use a free blogging platform to get your feet wet. Sites like Blogger.com, Wordpress.org, Blogspot.com and others offer free blogs to users. Depending on the site you choose, the themes and plug-ins (added features) will vary. Most will walk you through the process step by step so that you can be up and running in no time.

Before you start posting, decide what will be the theme, or niche of your blog. A jack-of-all-trades type of blog doesn’t do as well as one that is geared towards a certain niche. If you like crafts, that can be your niche. Create posts that talk about how to craft, what to craft, how to make crafting profitable and so on. Once you have decided on a path, it is time to create that great content.

How to Make Money

In order to make money with your blog, you need to have people visiting it. That is where marketing comes in. to draw traffic you have to get the word out about your blog. Tell all of your friends and family members that you are online with your blog for a start.

Any money-making venture will take place once you have built your readership with interesting posts. Then you can put into play a number of profitable additions:

• Google AdSense
• Selling Advertising
• Affiliate Marketing
• EBook Marketing

The simplest one to pursue is Google AdSense. You are using targeted advertisements to create revenue for your blog. You are paid per clicks on the ads.

There are other options where you can get paid when someone makes a sale on that website. That is more likely to happen when you join an affiliate program. Join affiliate program that work well with your website niche.

EBooks are short downloadable electronic books that you can create yourself and sell on your website. They can be on a variety of subjects but in order for them to sell, you must be able to offer new information to your customers.

Blogs can be used to build revenue. Start with your chosen niche and market your blog to find the traffic you need. Then, utilize these ideas to turn a profit.



Remember, you have to get the readers TO the Blog to use it effectively...

Try some of these resources:









http://tweetspinner.com/70912307

Search the Web: Need more targeted traffic? Join TrafficSwarm for FREE!

Free Promotional materials....marketing materials and more!

As you know, I always keep my eyes peeled for PLR deals for
you. I know it’s not always easy to get quality and value in
one place, so I consider it my job to filter the good from
the not so good.

Well, when notice of this came across my computer screen, I
was really surprised. And very PLEASANTLY surprised. Alice
Seba, a long-time favorite online business teacher of mine
and quality PLR provider since 2006, has put together a
great package that you absolutely cannot pass up.

And no, it’s not a bunch of ghostwritten stuff...it’s the
REAL deal.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with ghostwritten work, but
when you can get your hands on content written by a well-
known teacher and expert -you’ve got to get on board.

Alice Seba, with the help of her business partner, Mila
Sidman, have made it possible for you to get private label
rights to her highly-acclaimed Press Release Profits course.
It’s a proven course...it sells AND it produces results for
its buyers.

But FAIR WARNING: Only 150 PLR licenses will be sold.

This is not simply an ebook. It’s a complete course with
software, that allows your buyers to start their next
publicity or link building campaign with press releases.
You get:

- A study guide with accompanying audio recording: Edit, add
your affiliate links...whatever you’d like.

- Press release template and samples.

- Press release formatting software that you can brand with
your logo and company name.

- Bonus guides on affiliate marketing, niche marketing and
search engine optimization...all with press releases.

- Product graphics, including the .psd files, so you can
make any edits you’d like.

- Complete sales page and download page.

- Opt-in page and thank you page.

- 15 autoresponder emails to promote your product.

...all from a proven product that was on the market and
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All the details are right here:
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Get yourself a license while they’re still available.

To your success

WAHM Article Bundle

Traffic! Traffic! Traffic!

Getting people to your site is the key, right? Once there, your product is great, so if they are truly interested, a sale is no problem! But getting them there is a problem! Take a minute and type in something like "jewelry" to the search box. What happens? Pages and pages and pages (and thena few more) of sites related to Jewelry are listed. Where is yours? Lost somewhere in that crowd? What are the chances someone is going to choose to click on yours? It's a tough system out there!

One of the best ways to get people to your site is through traffic building and exchange systems. These are typically free, but some do cost! One of the best that i have found is Traffic Swarm- Not only is it free, you can refer traffic to more than one link or URL. You have a lot of options as far as earning the credits it "costs" to post your site, too. You can browse other sites (and there are tons of great sites associated with this program, not just business and marketing sites- there are blogs, family sites, children, health, and so much more. There is even Handmade!) You can also refer others to the program to earn credits or add search box's, links, or pop up windows to your sites. All of these earn you credits which you then cash in for traffic. Sounds easy, right?

It is easy! Check out my link below and you will be referred to the sign up and information page about Traffic Swarm. It is free. You can upgrade to Pro for a small fee, but that is up to you. I have ONLY discussed the free services here today.
http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

So, if you try it, let me know... Talk about it here and share your experience.