Every website needs traffic in order to generate business. Without traffic, your product will never be seen by the general public and your Internet Business is doomed for failure.
I generate traffic to my website through traditional channels such as writing articles, submitting to directories, link exchanges, Search Engines, etc. I also have supplemented this traffic through paid advertising methods such as Pay per Clicks (PPC), paid inclusion, and banner rotations to name a few.
I remember a few years ago when I could target a high traffic keyword through the Pay per Click search engines for .01 cents a click. Wow! Those were the days. Now, you’re lucky to get that same keyword for less than a $1.00 a click.
While some of these advertising methods bring decent traffic, most are becoming oversaturated with advertisers, which automatically brings the price up and the effectiveness down.
Recently, I stumbled across another advertising method that is affordable (and sometimes free) that is highly effective. In fact, I’m seeing these sites Alexa rankings shooting from 800,000 to the 1,000’s in less than a months time. The upward trends on the Alexa charts are without a doubt astonishing.
This new type of advertising is called Pixel Advertising. Go to any of these pixel websites and you will see a multitude of small boxes. Each box is usually equal to a 10 x 10 pixel in size. The costs of renting these boxes are ranging from $5.00 a box to $25.00 a box, and some of them are actually free. Simply select the quantity of boxes you want and upload your image.
The “BEST” part of this is that your image will stay on that site for up to 10 YEARS!
The demand for this type of advertising exposure is in high demand and these sites are popping up all over the Internet. My suggestion is to find one of these sites that are just getting started and offering the free or low cost pixel boxes.
Get your image on these sites and sit back and wait approximately a month for the traffic to get going good. As the traffic surges, the free spots will not be available any longer and the cost of the pixel boxes will rise.
You have nothing to loose and absolutely everything to gain. This type of advertising is sure to get oversaturated and less effective over time, but at the moment, it’s the cheapest most effective advertising method on the Internet today.
Nice Website Download:- Greeting Card Free Website Template / Travel Free Website Template / Education Free Website Template /
Please visit: ImtiazTips- Webmaster Articles & Website Design, Development Tutorial for more information about web design.
[The Money making of a Niche ::Free Data Entry Work :: Imtiaztips Weblog :: Free Webmaster Articles :: More iPod Articles :: Download Freeware Software :: Updated Contents about Google AdSense for NEWBIES.]
Friday, June 25, 2010
How to win new graphic design clients and keep old ones coming back
Everybody likes to see big fat pay cheques coming in, hell some of us even deserve them from time to time but what makes a client keep handing over the readies over and over again and how can you as a lowly graphic designer among a sea of equally unidentifiable no-marks hope to secure new graphic design or website design contracts? Best read on my friends as we give you the insider knowledge to equip you in this never ending rat race to swindle your fellow man
A winning smile costs nothing
Think back over the last week or so and see if you can remember anyone giving you the time of day in the street, a simple 'good morning' or a cheery smile from a beautiful stranger as you go about your daily routine. It didn't happen did it? Why? Because you've got a face like a bag of spanners, you're walking around as miserable as sin and you're giving off bad vibes. In short your whole lousy operation stinks. So how do we turn this around? Next time you have a new client down to the office for a meeting, go up to them and plant a big sloppy kiss on their forehead. You never know they might turn around and sign that big 5 figure sum graphic design contract.
It's not all about the money
Sometimes, the old adage 'a dog is for life - not just for christmas' rings chillingly true. If you've ever considered or contemplated suicide based on the fact your clients have been leaving in droves and the only regular graphic design job you've secured in the last 3 months is a flyer design for 'disco Stu's' 70's night down at the church hall - on a wednesday night, then it's high time you looked at yourself square in the mirror and worked out why. Bad breath? Crooked teeth? Inability to stop yourself scratching your privates in public? No, the real reason your clients are leaving you high and dry is because you're too mean. Throw in a few freebies, offer to cook your client a lovely lasagna dinner for two, buy them a kinder surprise. Anything to curry favour that isn't going to break the bank is worth its weight in gold. And that's a fact, fact fans!
Dress to impress
Anyone who was anyone in the eighties will remember 'power dressing'. 6 inch stiletto heels, shoulder pads set to stun and low cut tops with peep hole bras. By and large businessmen today are reluctant to go back to cross dressing in order to win that all important contract and prefer to go along the tried and tested route of wearing dull grey slacks and loafers. Remember Elton John didn't get where he is today by dressing like the boy next door.
Brainstorm until you haemorrage
If you can't work out why you're losing money hand over fist and your client base has dried up to a thin wafer like crust, get your team involved and crack some skulls! Sometimes the best people to tell you where you're going wrong are your terrified and hate filled staff. Jim over in scanning has been sat there feeding off his resentment for not fulfilling his life for the last 10 years. Use him - he's got a brain up there hasn't he? Margaret the lady who comes by the office to sell sandwiches - again, could she be put to better use sat in the spare room paid to think up a marketing strategy to win over your rivals clients? If not think and think again until it hurts. Remember its your ass on the line here. Above all remember 'skull cracking' is fun and if a few eggs get broken in the process, hey that's life in the fast lane buddy.
Delegate, don't vegetate
We've all done it at some stage. Tried to cope when our world is falling apart, attempting to juggle the accounts, the graphic design work you have in and trying to bone up on web design for beginners in order to make ends meat. Here's a tip. Don't bother. That's right you heard. Research has shown that the best way to overcome a problem or situation is to sleep on it. If you've just about had a basin full its time to hit the sack and forget about it. Take it easy, kick back and have a beer. Feels good doesn't it. Don't forget to always have someone on hand who can cut the slack when you've lost the plot. A right hand man is someone to offload problems onto at a moments notice and then slink back to your chair safe in the knowledge he probably isn't going to quit his job any time soon what with a new baby at home and a mortgage hanging over his shoulders. Too many graphic design managers just do't know when to distribute the work. Remember the immortal words of Homer Simpson 'If a jobs worth doing well, don't bother"
Right, you're now armed with some invaluable insider information to get things back on track. Don't screw up and you'll do just fine. Now get out there and nail that son of a gun.
Please visit: ImtiazTips- Webmaster Articles & Website Design, Development Tutorial for more information about web design. [The Money making of a Niche ::Free Data Entry Work :: Imtiaztips Weblog :: Free Webmaster Articles :: More iPod Articles :: Download Freeware Software :: Updated Contents about Google AdSense for NEWBIES.]
A winning smile costs nothing
Think back over the last week or so and see if you can remember anyone giving you the time of day in the street, a simple 'good morning' or a cheery smile from a beautiful stranger as you go about your daily routine. It didn't happen did it? Why? Because you've got a face like a bag of spanners, you're walking around as miserable as sin and you're giving off bad vibes. In short your whole lousy operation stinks. So how do we turn this around? Next time you have a new client down to the office for a meeting, go up to them and plant a big sloppy kiss on their forehead. You never know they might turn around and sign that big 5 figure sum graphic design contract.
It's not all about the money
Sometimes, the old adage 'a dog is for life - not just for christmas' rings chillingly true. If you've ever considered or contemplated suicide based on the fact your clients have been leaving in droves and the only regular graphic design job you've secured in the last 3 months is a flyer design for 'disco Stu's' 70's night down at the church hall - on a wednesday night, then it's high time you looked at yourself square in the mirror and worked out why. Bad breath? Crooked teeth? Inability to stop yourself scratching your privates in public? No, the real reason your clients are leaving you high and dry is because you're too mean. Throw in a few freebies, offer to cook your client a lovely lasagna dinner for two, buy them a kinder surprise. Anything to curry favour that isn't going to break the bank is worth its weight in gold. And that's a fact, fact fans!
Dress to impress
Anyone who was anyone in the eighties will remember 'power dressing'. 6 inch stiletto heels, shoulder pads set to stun and low cut tops with peep hole bras. By and large businessmen today are reluctant to go back to cross dressing in order to win that all important contract and prefer to go along the tried and tested route of wearing dull grey slacks and loafers. Remember Elton John didn't get where he is today by dressing like the boy next door.
Brainstorm until you haemorrage
If you can't work out why you're losing money hand over fist and your client base has dried up to a thin wafer like crust, get your team involved and crack some skulls! Sometimes the best people to tell you where you're going wrong are your terrified and hate filled staff. Jim over in scanning has been sat there feeding off his resentment for not fulfilling his life for the last 10 years. Use him - he's got a brain up there hasn't he? Margaret the lady who comes by the office to sell sandwiches - again, could she be put to better use sat in the spare room paid to think up a marketing strategy to win over your rivals clients? If not think and think again until it hurts. Remember its your ass on the line here. Above all remember 'skull cracking' is fun and if a few eggs get broken in the process, hey that's life in the fast lane buddy.
Delegate, don't vegetate
We've all done it at some stage. Tried to cope when our world is falling apart, attempting to juggle the accounts, the graphic design work you have in and trying to bone up on web design for beginners in order to make ends meat. Here's a tip. Don't bother. That's right you heard. Research has shown that the best way to overcome a problem or situation is to sleep on it. If you've just about had a basin full its time to hit the sack and forget about it. Take it easy, kick back and have a beer. Feels good doesn't it. Don't forget to always have someone on hand who can cut the slack when you've lost the plot. A right hand man is someone to offload problems onto at a moments notice and then slink back to your chair safe in the knowledge he probably isn't going to quit his job any time soon what with a new baby at home and a mortgage hanging over his shoulders. Too many graphic design managers just do't know when to distribute the work. Remember the immortal words of Homer Simpson 'If a jobs worth doing well, don't bother"
Right, you're now armed with some invaluable insider information to get things back on track. Don't screw up and you'll do just fine. Now get out there and nail that son of a gun.
Please visit: ImtiazTips- Webmaster Articles & Website Design, Development Tutorial for more information about web design. [The Money making of a Niche ::Free Data Entry Work :: Imtiaztips Weblog :: Free Webmaster Articles :: More iPod Articles :: Download Freeware Software :: Updated Contents about Google AdSense for NEWBIES.]
How to choose a graphic designer without loosing your mind
Some of the horror stories about trying to find or work with a graphic designer. It can be difficult, time consuming and frustrating to say the least, but in all fairness it's no different than any other profession. Think about how some people must feel when they have to work with some of your competitors.
You'll want to evaluate some basic things first - things that are vital in any industry. Is your potential designer on time to meet with you? Do they treat your staff with respect or do they treat them they like they don't matter? Did they do their homework before coming? Once you've nailed down the basics, your list of potential designers will probably be a lot smaller. Now you can start to look at some of the things that are more specific to our industry.
Presentation - Everything from how a designer dresses to how they package their sample work will tell you something about them. Take a look at their clothing but avoid basing your opinion on your personal fashion preferences. Instead, look at details that will tell you how much effort they put into their own appearance. Clean shoes are a great indication of someone that pays attention to details. Trimmed fingernails are another. You'll also want to pay attention to whether the work presented in their portfolio is straight. Though these may seem like little details they will mean a lot in determining the attention to detail that your designer will take in your project.
Preparation - Did your designer run up to your office door chasing his wind blown papers across the parking lot or did he stride confidently to your door, materials in hand? Did he show up with a pen and notebook? This is important unless you want to spend a lot of time later reminding them many of the things that you've already told them. A designer that isn't prepared for the initial meeting is not going to conduct day-to-day business any differently.
Point of view - Everyone has a different view of the world and it's a given that those with a similar point of view will work better together. With that in mind, it's important to find a designer that shares your beliefs. The advertising for your multi-million dollar SUV dealership will never achieve spectacular results as long as you are using a designer that believes that all corporations are big evil things bent on destroying society for a buck. If your designer doesn't understand where you're coming from they will never be able to tell your prospects.
Portfolio - This is really a classic case of "size doesn't matter - it's how you use it!" When considering designers you may be loosing out if you dismiss a designer because of a small portfolio. The designer that came by in a 3-piece suit with a three inch thick portfolio isn't necessarily the one for the job. Maybe the girl that has no college degree and a portfolio with nine pages of work that she did at home is a better fit for you. The most important thing really is quality. The designer that brings everything may not be able to decide what to present and what not to present which could mean that they will have the same problem in delivering a clear message to your audience.
There is one more thing to consider when you choose a graphic designer - they know what you don't when it comes to design. When you say "let's add more colors" or "make the text bolder" there is usually a good reason that they're rolling their eyes. We recommend that after you've done your homework and choosen a competent graphic designer you let them do their job. Graphic design is a lot more than just making something look nice. There are a lot of technical details that have scientific backing that you may not know about. In most cases it's in your best interest to focus on what you are an expert in and let them focus on what they are an expert in. You will see far better results that way.
Please visit: ImtiazTips- Webmaster Articles & Website Design, Development Tutorial for more information about web design.
You'll want to evaluate some basic things first - things that are vital in any industry. Is your potential designer on time to meet with you? Do they treat your staff with respect or do they treat them they like they don't matter? Did they do their homework before coming? Once you've nailed down the basics, your list of potential designers will probably be a lot smaller. Now you can start to look at some of the things that are more specific to our industry.
Presentation - Everything from how a designer dresses to how they package their sample work will tell you something about them. Take a look at their clothing but avoid basing your opinion on your personal fashion preferences. Instead, look at details that will tell you how much effort they put into their own appearance. Clean shoes are a great indication of someone that pays attention to details. Trimmed fingernails are another. You'll also want to pay attention to whether the work presented in their portfolio is straight. Though these may seem like little details they will mean a lot in determining the attention to detail that your designer will take in your project.
Preparation - Did your designer run up to your office door chasing his wind blown papers across the parking lot or did he stride confidently to your door, materials in hand? Did he show up with a pen and notebook? This is important unless you want to spend a lot of time later reminding them many of the things that you've already told them. A designer that isn't prepared for the initial meeting is not going to conduct day-to-day business any differently.
Point of view - Everyone has a different view of the world and it's a given that those with a similar point of view will work better together. With that in mind, it's important to find a designer that shares your beliefs. The advertising for your multi-million dollar SUV dealership will never achieve spectacular results as long as you are using a designer that believes that all corporations are big evil things bent on destroying society for a buck. If your designer doesn't understand where you're coming from they will never be able to tell your prospects.
Portfolio - This is really a classic case of "size doesn't matter - it's how you use it!" When considering designers you may be loosing out if you dismiss a designer because of a small portfolio. The designer that came by in a 3-piece suit with a three inch thick portfolio isn't necessarily the one for the job. Maybe the girl that has no college degree and a portfolio with nine pages of work that she did at home is a better fit for you. The most important thing really is quality. The designer that brings everything may not be able to decide what to present and what not to present which could mean that they will have the same problem in delivering a clear message to your audience.
There is one more thing to consider when you choose a graphic designer - they know what you don't when it comes to design. When you say "let's add more colors" or "make the text bolder" there is usually a good reason that they're rolling their eyes. We recommend that after you've done your homework and choosen a competent graphic designer you let them do their job. Graphic design is a lot more than just making something look nice. There are a lot of technical details that have scientific backing that you may not know about. In most cases it's in your best interest to focus on what you are an expert in and let them focus on what they are an expert in. You will see far better results that way.
Please visit: ImtiazTips- Webmaster Articles & Website Design, Development Tutorial for more information about web design.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)