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Contact MeGraphic Design & Why Use A Logo Design Company
| John Cowper | Thursday, May 17th, 2012 | 17:34 pm | 0 |
So many people have asked us what can graphic design do effect their bottom line. We have been approached by businesses who seem to think that graphic design has no role to play within their business. We have seen so many businesses not using their image to its full extent and as a result they are leaving money on the table.
As a graphic designer I have designed many logos and corporate identities over the years and the one thing that I do know it that business increased for my clients after we designed or revamped a new or old corporate identity design.
What is a logo? What does the word mean? Well the dictionary says the following:
Dictionary
logo |ˈlōgō|
noun ( pl. -gos)
a symbol or other small design adopted by an organization to identify its products, uniform, vehicles, etc. : the Olympic logo was emblazoned across the tracksuits.
ORIGIN 1930s: abbreviation of logogram or logotype .
Thesaurus
logo
noun
a sweatshirt with the company logo emblem, trademark, brand, device, figure, symbol, design, sign, mark; insignia, crest, seal.
Transform Your Brand.
Transforming your brand is a great way to increase business and subsequently your bottom line. Do you remember the 1970′s and if so the Datson car brand, it was Japanese and they had problems with their image and brand perception. So what did they do? They re-branded, creating Nissan and we all know who they are, a very successful car manufacture with an unmistakable global brand.
The lesson here is they changed their fortunes by changing their brand when things looked bad for them. Just because the market is slow or not moving and we are in a recession, doesn’t mean you can’t change your brand and see what’s out there. A fresh start with a new logo, corporate colours, new fonts, a complete new image can do wonders to your business. Remember if you change things in recession times, people tend to notice, as the perception is that this business is doing well and warrants a visit or browse.
Get people to notice your business, get your logo and image out there, get a design company to have a fresh look at your company image and look into whether a facelift will help your business.
A logotype is another type of logo and the dictionary says the following about the meaning of this:
logotype |ˈlôgəˌtīp; ˈlägə-|
noun Printing
a single piece of type that prints a word or group of separate letters.
• a single piece of type that prints a logo or emblem.
• a logo.
ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from Greek logos ‘word’ + type .
I have mentioned this because there is somethings confusion between what a Logo is and what a Logotype is, so I hope that this clarifies this for you. Here at Logo design Direct we can design both forms for you so just ask. Have a look at our logos as displayed here on our site, go to the portfolio section http://logodesigndirect.net/portfolio
Jump into the driving seat and do more than seek your client’s attention. We’ll help you GET your client’s attention, for all the right reasons!!! So go ahead and enhance your Corporate Image!
Reinforce or change your audience’s perception of your Brand! Grow your Business; Increase your Profit & Build your Customer Base!
How Can I Help You With Your Designs
| John Cowper | Thursday, May 10th, 2012 | 17:35 pm | 0 |
For all of those out there looking for a way to create websites, this site will help you find away to get a website up and running easily with a way to get good content and traffic to your site.
As a website designer I can teach you how to create a great website/blog without you needing to have any technical skills at all. Not only do you not have to know how websites work you don’t even need to know HTML or coding of any sort.
I have designed and created a quite a few websites over the years and this is by far the best way to create great looking websites that give you super control with any technical knowledge.
So you wondering what this might be well have you ever heard of WordPress a very simple but great content management system that is so easy to use, to create, develop and manage websites including blogs.
I have been using WordPress now to create a whole load of websites and it is the simplest system that I have found yet, with great themes to choose from along with some fantastic plugins to boost your users experience.
Many of the WordPress themes are free and and you can install them in a few clicks and these can completely alter your website design and how your visitors see your site. Plugins add extra control to your websites/blogs and they allow you to add greater functionality to your blog, according to what your requirements are.
Getting traffic is the next thing and this is relatively easy as Google loves blogs and gives a lot of traffic to them just for being blogs or WordPress sites. Article marketing is one of the traffic strategies that I can teach you to use to bring in even more traffic to your sites. Social media is the next best thing to add to your blogs and I can teach you how to do that and what social media sites to sign up to.
So I hear you ask how can I learn how to do this? Well I have written a great e-book with images to illustrate exactly how to do this and it’s very simple to follow in 7 simple and easy steps, simply visit http://www.blogcreationformula.com
Graphic Design Blueprint Secrets e-Book COMING SOON!
| John Cowper | Thursday, April 19th, 2012 | 20:38 pm | 0 |
As a graphic designer I have always been asked how do you do the things you do with the tools you have to create such lovely, logos, brochures, websites and images. I always reply with a barrage of graphic design talk and technical information with the skill set needed laid out and the usual dialogue about needing to know how to draw and having a creative flair.
Having a creative streak is obviously important and I have always thought that the need to be talented in this are is a prerequisite and a given. I mean I went to art and design school and went through many an interview with my portfolio before getting into art college or getting a job as a designer.
I started out doing things the old way, the old school way of cut and paste and drawing designs and ideas out in Magic markers on layout paper to present to clients. The artwork was done by an Artworker skilled at preparing the design work for printing. The printing was done in the old way and I entered this industry just of the edge of change when computers started to move into the design studios.
The first Apple computers come on the scene in 1984 and by 1990 they were beginning to take over from the old school of cut and paste. All of the secrets were transferred into the usage of computers and the application of design layouts, terms, fonts, kerning, leading, tracking and so on into computer software. Most of this was on a program and we all as designers had to learn how to use them to do graphic design as the industry changed and revolutionised the design and printing world.
I have been using this knowledge and terms now for over 20 years and currently writing an e-Book on the secrets of graphic design. I have called this e-Book “Graphic Design Blueprint Secrets – The Top Design Secrets For Producing Graphic & Graphic Design For Internet Marketers”.
It’s coming out soon as I am still working on it, so please do visit my blog again soon to see up dates or you could subscribe to my RSS Feed to get update from this blog as I will be posting an article when the E-Book goes live with it’s url location.
The Blog Creation Formula http://blogcreationformula.com
| John Cowper | Monday, April 9th, 2012 | 20:11 pm | 0 |
Internet marketing or affiliate marketing as some people refer to it, is getting more popular as technology improves with the increase of broadband speeds. If you are new to the internet or indeed affiliate marketing then the only way to start is to follow simple steps like building blocks to build your success.
Here are 7 ways that you can turn your internet business into a something successful.
1. BLOGGING:
Set up a stunning blog to make your visitors return again and again not just for the content but for the way it looks and how easy it is to use. A great blog gives you a platform, a shop window if you will in which to display your services or products. Make money directly from your blog by monetizing it with ads from Clickbank and Google Adsense. Place these ads in prominent positions on your blog where your users will click them, this especially applies to Adsense advertisements.
2. WORDPRESS:
WordPress is the best blogging platform to use and this is what I use to create my blogs. It is a very easy to use platform that allows you to add posts, pages, themes, plugins, advertisements and other content at will. Use the self hosted WordPress platform as opposed to the free version as this version doesn’t allow any advertisements or any monetisation. The free version doesn’t give you any control as your blog will still belong to them and not you. This is why a self hosted i.e. (paid) version is required to give you the leverage that you will need to do what you wish with your WordPress blog.
3. THEMES:
WordPress have a load of themes that you can choose from within WordPress itself. There are loads of other themes that you can choose from that are either free or paid from outside WordPress. You have to do your research and find the right theme design for your blog. I would recommend the paid themes as these offer support and updates, however there are some really great free themes and you have to get out there and look to find the one that suits your online business.
4. PLUGINS:
These are extremely effective little programs that you literally plug into your WordPress blog. They are available online and you can download them at any time from a number of sources. They will give you and your blog more power to make money and add a professional look and feel if you use the right ones. It is important to find the right plugins to use and this can make the difference in your blog making a ton of money as opposed to some.
5. MONETISATION:
If you wish to make money with your blog you really have to monetise your website. This simply means placing advertisements on your blog, but be careful not to place the wrong type or size of ads on your blog. Your advertisements can range from affiliate banner ads to Google Adsense ads which need to be place strategically to allow for user conversion. In any case you will have to sign up/register to be an affiliate or to display Adsense advertisements.
6. GETTING VISITORS:
Having a blog is one thing but if you don’t get visitors to your blog or website means making no money. So getting visitors to your blog is your next best step, submit your blog to search engines and other related sites will help your site get ranked in all the major search engines and well as the minors ones. The next best thing that you can do is write articles and submit them to article directories. There are a whole load of directories out there and these will allow you to submit an article with a backlink to your blog. This article will then in-turn get ranked, be read and users will click on your link to access your site to see what else you have to say.
7. SOCIAL MEDIA:
Using social media is a great way to get visitors to your site and make money from your blog. What is Social Media? Well Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, You Tube and Linkedin are the main sites that we bundle as Social Media. There are however a whole load of social media sites out there, these are just the main ones. Doing some research on the subject will bring up a variety of sites that you can sign up to. Get yourself your own URL link and then promote your blog to these sites. The more you sign up to the better, this is a great strategy to get visitors to your site and therefore make more money.
Interested?
If you are interested in following up on the strategies listed above with much more detailed resources, links and plenty of advice! If you are serious about turning your new online business into a something successful then this GUIDE that I have written is a must for you!
At ONLY $37.00, it’s a steal! As it will tell you all you need to know about how to create stunning blogs, quickly get tons of free traffic to convert your prospects into buyers.
I have also created this NEW DIGITAL PDF to guide you in 7 SIMPLE STEPS so that you can’t go wrong. This DIGITAL PDF is your research all done for you.
If you avail of this offer NOW ! you will get a FREE BONUS!
You can get this e-book by visiting http://www.blogcreationformula.com
Design Ideas And The Creative Process – Is It In Danger
| John Cowper | Thursday, March 29th, 2012 | 14:52 pm | 0 |
As a graphic designer I have worked for a number of design companies as well as teaching and lecturing in third level colleges. I have done this full time and part time over the years. Once I left teaching and returned to full time design work I decided to keep a hand in the teaching arena and became an external examiner for one of the qualification awarding bodies here in Ireland.
I have been doing this now for over 10 years and I have been to many colleges in and around Ireland. I really enjoy doing this and I have looked at a whole range of subjects relating to design. The one thing though that has struck me over the years but particularly in recent years is the virtual copying of what is happening in the media, on television, on the internet and what is being seen on video games. There is a pattern here of copying and emulating what others are doing and not generating new and different ideas or concepts.
I mean I have been to several colleges and the content is the same, violent video game design, TV and video production that is about violent rape, suicide, war, depression, homelessness and general misery. There seems to be a mental shift in what students are creating and it all seems to be leaning toward an American violent genre of film and video making. It’s all coming out on the internet as well. I have wondered why they are not experimenting with new ideas and techniques and perhaps return to basics and away from technology.
Some of the European films and videos that have come out recently are excellent and really examine life, living, relationships, work, money and problems and things that are real in most of our lives. I feel that there is a duty on the part of the educators in this area to try and make students venture further and away from the easy copy copy and copy again genre of violence, explosions, and mock violent video games portraying rape, war, death, suicide, drinking and drug taking. I don’t mean stop this completely, I mean that almost every student is doing this type of work and all of the projects that I have see, examine and mark are all the same in terms of ideas, creativity and content, it’s like they are all clones of each other, producing the same stuff just because it’s fashionable and cool to do so in the English speaking western world.
Graphic Design Today And Where Is It Going?
| John Cowper | Friday, March 23rd, 2012 | 02:47 am | 0 |
As a graphic designer I always look back to when I started out and I remember that what I had was a passion for the craft. Then it was all about doing the job by hand, I trained under the old school of cut and paste, magic marker rendering and artwork done by hand. In those days it was much much harder to become a graphic designer as it was a real physical skill, you had to know how to draw and think about how the whole job was going to be done.
In today’s’ design world I find that the software has taken over and lessened the skill base somewhat. I also find that some graphic designers today can’t even draw a line straight or do any traditional artwork. If we were to roll back the clock they would probably never have become graphic designers and the selection to get into art and design school was completely different.
As a result of this I am becoming quite worried as a lot of people are calling themselves graphic designers. Really they are just Mac or computer operators generally working for a print house, shop or something like that. Generally anyone with a computer could effectively call themselves a graphic designer. Of course I am bias as I come from an old school design education based on ideas and not what computer software can do for you.
To a certain extent a lot of the work is not ideas based, it seems to me that only the top agencies are out putting work that is based around ideas. I mean if you ask a young designer now to do a design based on a brief they immediately go to Google instead of doing what we did, researching a library of books. I love graphic design books and would very much love to create a large design library in my house. I miss this part of the design process, we are now relying on Google too much to find the same old stuff and re hashing it to appear as something else.
I enjoy the creative process of looking through design books old and new, foreign and domestic and finding ideas by thinking out of the box. This is one of my sayings “Think out of the box” it always leads to a better design. As the Creative Director of a design business I do enjoy finding business and getting into the the design process. I always always draw and sketch out my designs and concepts on paper and on a pad to run the process and ideas creation through my head before even thinking about going anywhere near an Apple Mac. Unfortunately a lot of the younger designers seem not to do this and hit the computer far too soon which I think stunts the creative process and limits you to the constraints of the software you are using.
Graphic design is a great profession and I love doing it I really do, however I think that a lot of the skills have been lost as technology takes over. It worries me that this profession might eventually disappear and become something else in terms of the skill set. Think of it in this way the printing industry has changed completely in the last 20 years, hot metal press and copy (type)setting has gone the way of the Dodo and I feel that soon enough of the average computer user will be able to do their own graphic design in very much the same way we all use a computer to write a letter or an email.
In some ways everyone is a graphic designer or will be one in the near future.
Website design is also going the same way with the advance of hosting companies creating their own web builders online with one click website creators and downloadable programs that can set up a website for you in minutes. I feel that the design process has now gone from the creative and been placed in the hands of non designers which in turn churns out the same old and similar designs and ideas.
Lets all go back to basics and buy a layout pad and a black marker and draw out ideas and get back control and let the creative process do its thing.
See below an example of just some of my sketches that I always do before I going anywhere near a Mac (computer).
So I am trying to go back to basics and see where this leads me.
Design Technology: – What To Get For Your Business- PC v Apple
| John Cowper | Thursday, February 16th, 2012 | 13:42 pm | 0 |
I have come across many people of late who are increasingly agreeing with me on the merits of using Apple equipment to all sorts of design work. I have been using Apple Macintosh machines now for 20 years. I start out in 1991 using an LC 2 and I was trained on a Classic the first small integrated Apple Macs with the 6 inch screens. (Collectors items now!) I learned all my stuff on one of those in a London Design Studio way back in August 1991.
Since then things have come on and the Macintosh as we call them or (Macs) are really the best that you can use to help you with any design work, particularly graphic design and visual communications.
This extends to not just the desktop machines but to the laptops call Macbooks, the iPads and particularly the iPhone. The Apple iPhone is a super machine and as a designer I believe that this is one of the best internet marketing and design aids you could ever have. A smart, smart phone and so easy to use, it’s converting people over to using Apple products.
As a graphic designer I have always use Apple products and stand by them hands down. They are the fastest, easiest, coolest, slickest, machines to use, around. They last longer than PC’s as I have my desktop G5 now since 2007 and it’s still just as fast as any PC.
It’s easy to use an iPhone to access your Twitter, Facebook and other accounts, upload videos to You Tube, it’s a super machine. I am using Apple machines to write and design all of my logos, blogs and websites, once you go Mac you wont go back.
Internet Marketing: Logo Design For Continued Success
| John Cowper | Friday, February 3rd, 2012 | 17:51 pm | 0 |
There are a lot of people from all backgrounds looking to figure out Internet marketing. It’s important to understand that without a good overall plan, you can not move forward with any sort of money making program found online. There is a lot of money to be made on the Internet, and only those that can figure out how to market effectively can attain it.
There are a lot of different routes to go on in regards to Internet marketing. Some of the key aspects of it revolve around social networking websites. Social networking sites have millions upon millions of target users that will readily help you earn a living from Internet sources. However, getting a handle of their attention can be tricky if you aren’t careful.
There are some key points to remember to make marketing successful. You need to come across sincere, and not come across as a spam artist. This is going to be a tough notion to ignore, especially when you’re trying to earn a living online. However, if you can evoke a sense of belonging, and friendship through the Internet, you will win over friends and customers easily.
Online sources of income abound, but before you can get good at the marketing portion of any business idea, you’ll need to determine what routes you’ll choose to move forward effectively. Do some preliminary computation and you’ll be better off than jumping in head first with whatever trend is hot at any given time. No one can be successful without a plan, so make sure your plan is solid, before engaging in the online world.
I would recommend you invest in getting your brand sorted out, your logo so that you can be seen and remembered online when your visitor return again and again to your website. As they say a picture (LOGO IMAGE) speaks a thousand words!
Wednesday 18th January, 2012 – Platinum Group Meeting, Premier Inn, Heathrow, London
| John Cowper | Thursday, January 19th, 2012 | 10:57 am | 0 |
Wow what another great day in London at the 4th Platinum Group meeting. A great deal of information about Internet marketing and your personal brand and what and how to implement it.
This is an on going course for self development and also a business improvement and alteration strategy course design to make you change or reinvent yourself and/or your business.
Regards
John Cowper
Graphic Designer, Internet Marketer and Entrepreneur
The Design Of This Blog – Who Designed It
| John Cowper | Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 | 15:20 pm | 0 |
I have had a large number of comments asking me who designed this blog? What theme did I use? Or Who did I out source it to? Well I designed this blog myself, if you all read the home page on this blog it will tell you that I am a Logo/Graphic Designer. I design all of my work in Illustrator and Photoshop, I love Adobe software and this is all I use. I also only use Apple Macs to do this work which I find greatly increases my productivity due to the great speed of Macs and the user friendliness of the operating system.
I have a number of articles on how to create a great blog without having to spend a penny and to use free themes that will make your blogs look great. You really don’t have to be a designer to create a good looking blog that doesn’t look like an amateur just created it. It can really free you up to concentrate on the content of the blog once you have something you like and looks the part. So I would recommend you have a look at this blog theme to get you up and running in no time at all, I have used the back-end of this blog theme on this blog and I fitted my design to the theme’s back-end WordPress Dashboard. Remember I am a web designer so this is easy for me, you don’t have to do this at all, just look and see what this theme offers here and follow the video instructions and you’ll have an awesome blog to be proud of!. So as they say stay tuned in and come back for some great articles and content.
Your Website – Design Or Not To Design Your Own Blog
| John Cowper | Monday, December 12th, 2011 | 12:45 pm | 0 |
I am still in the process of looking around the internet to see what people are doing with their blogs to make money online. The one thing that strikes me about the blogs out there is how the design lets these blogs down. Most of the designs are appalling but the content is great and sound however the design is very lacking and I can see that many people haven’t really thought about the design and layout of their blog.
As a designer I am always looking at the design of websites and blogs, I look at how they are laid out in terms of images, advertisement placement, side bar widgets and how the text flows throughout the pages. Many bloggers make the mistake of creating a dark blog with a dark background and white text. This simply doesn’t work and makes for difficult reading. You have to keep your readers onto your site and give them an experience they will remember and therefore return to read more.
In WordPress, Blogger and Typepad choose templates that are clean and present a spacious design for easy placement of text and images. If you do choose a theme in any of these platforms try out the themes, install them test the colours and if you don’t like it then simply uninstall the theme and start again. The next best thing to do is find and install one of the many free themes available out there. These themes wouldn’t necessary be within the platforms themselves but within other websites which design and offer blog themes for free. These themes can be great, however not all of them are well designed and they limit what you can do. If you want to make an impression the best thing to do is get a paid theme and these give you great control and allow you to change things through theme forums and even other blogs.
If you have a lot of money you can always hire a website designer to design you a premium blog theme which will be a bespoke design especially for you so no one else will have one however the down side of this is that it’s expensive and you might have to call on the designer to help you with minor changes here and there and can cost.
Overall I would suggest what I have used to create this blog that you are looking at. I used the Socrates theme to product this blog and I have to say it is one of the best I have come across. I have looked at many blog themes out there and this is the best for usability, navigation, monetisation, analytics, layout, footer and header notes with loads of header and backgrounds to choose from. I would suggest looking at this, look at a short video I made about this theme.
WagnerWatson Inner Circle, London, Nov 16th 2011
| John Cowper | Monday, November 21st, 2011 | 16:13 pm | 0 |
Just back from the WagnerWatson Inner Circle day in London and it was just great with such a positive atmosphere and with great people who I can really learn from. I am hoping that I can learn loads from the monthly meeting that I have in London Heathrow at the Premier Inn on Bath Road. The Platinum group meets once a month on a Wednesday. If you check the top right hand side of my blog you will be the Badge to check out the WagnerWatson Inner Circle.
Create by Daniel Wagner and James Watson the WagnerWatson Inner Circle is a super way to really supercharge your existing business or new business online. The coaching is superb and opens up a new way of thinking about your business and how to move forward. I have a whole load of ideas about how I am going to improve my business and how I am going to get clients to seek me out for my professional expertise.
As a graphic designer I have created a new design package deal for each of the sections that I do design for. Please check these out, I have a link on this site to my design package deals which you can easily purchase using Paypal. This site is my personal site and I also have a business site which I am launching soon, I have redesigned the business site and this will show my design along with some videos with I have uploaded to my You Tube channel.
Daniel and James have some really sound and brilliant marketing ideas to really move you forward with your business and this is why I have joined their inner circle. I first came across them by undertaking their Blueprint Coaching Program which I really learn such a lot from. It opened up a whole load of ideas and new ways of doing things, setting up an online presence with blogs, blogging and the whole social media thing along with getting targeted traffic.
Since doing this course I have written a number of e-books on what I have learned and experienced over the last while and I will have a load more coming. I have a set of packages deals also coming soon so please look out on the side bar of this blog for links to my new products and e-books.
Regards
John Cowper
Graphic Designer, Internet Marketer and Entrepreneur
WagnerWatson Inner Circle, London, October 19th 2011
| John Cowper | Thursday, October 20th, 2011 | 12:29 pm | 0 |
This was the first of the WagnerWatson Inner Circle day’s in London and I was up at 5am to catch a plane from Dublin to London Heathrow and then a bus to the Premier Inn on Bath Road. So you can see from this that there is a certain commitment to this group.
I am a member of the WagnerWatson Inner Circle, Platinum Group which meets once a month in London. It is here where the group focuses on how to improve our businesses through working on our marketing. As you can now see I am a graphic design and an INTERNET MARKETER, this is important and I think that most people really done understand what this actually means.
The day was was great and starts at 1pm through to 6pm and beyond, you meet some great people who are also looking to improve their marketing skills online.
Daniel and James are superb as ever and they are really very organised and have everything well planned. It’s a great place to network as well and get contacts to solve any problems that you may have. I am hoping to meet a varied number of different and interesting people to try and see how I can improve, provide value and contribute to each day and the webinars and the special forum network community we also have.
Regards
John Cowper
Graphic Designer, Internet Marketer and Entrepreneur
UK InfoMillionaire Summit in London Heathrow
| John Cowper | Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 | 14:09 pm | 0 |
Just to let everyone know that I went to the UK InfoMillionaire Summit in London Heathrow which was held on the 24 – 25 September 2012 at the Park Inn. The summit was excellent with no product pitching which I found great and was one of the reasons why I went to this event.
Most of these types of events can be difficult to get anything from as they are only there to pitch and sell products and courses to you. I have been to quite a number of them and I have always left rather disappointed and deflated.
Well I can certainly say that this event of Daniel’s and James’s went very very well and I gained a lot of info and training from this although I had to pay to come to the event with the flight over to London on top of this price and a hotel room.
So in saying all of that it was very very worth while and as a result of the 2 day event which was very intense I decided to join the Wagnerwatson Inner Circle Platinum Group which meets a day each month for 12 months.
Throughout my blog I will be referring to my exploits and showing you the details of what I will be doing and what I will achieve.
John Cowper
Graphic Designer, Internet Marketer and Entrepreneur
Without Spending a Cent – Setting Up A Blog Is Easier Than You Think
| John Cowper | Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 | 08:31 am | 0 |
I hear that people think setting up a blog website is expensive and too difficult and hard to do and you have to be a designer or programmer to produce a worthwhile blog.
NOT TRUE!!
Here are 2 examples of how easy it is to set up a blog and be up and running with it in no time at all.
1. Blogger.com
Log on to http://www.blogger.com and sign up to an account you can do this is 5 minutes.
This is totally free with a domain name and hosting provided, of course you will have to stick to their terms and conditions of use. I created one for myself in five minutes and I have a blog up and running at http://johncowper.blogspot.com/
Notice how I have used my name in the domain but the .blogspot.com will always be there no matter what name you choose. This tells everyone that this is a blogger.com blog which belongs to Google. This is an easy and effective way to get started if you have little and no budget.
2. WordPress.com
This is my favourite http://www.wordpress.com this again is free to set up, the domain and hosting is provided but you must stick to their terms and conditions or they will suspend you and remove your blog in an instant. This has already happened to me for trying to place a banner ad onto a wordpress.com site.
Remember you have this blog under license and they own it not you, that why it’s free. If you have money then WordPress.org is where you can set up a blog but you have to pay for your hosting and domain name just as I have done to create http://www.moneyfortoday.wordpress.com
Internet Marketing – How to Monetise Your Blog Or Website To Make Money Online
| John Cowper | Sunday, July 10th, 2011 | 10:22 am | 0 |
To make money online you need one thing, a constant shop front, an environment, a window to sell your goods to the wider world. On the Internet this window is a website, whether it be a conventional website or a blog you need to showcase all you are and what you do on or in this window. Normally people who want to purchase something go into a shop and buy products on display in cities, towns and villages. Now on the internet this process is exactly the same, your website is the shop and the people visiting it are your traffic and potential customers.
Build a Website:
So set up a website or blog, choose a good theme if it is a blog an Adsense ready theme would be a good start, however it doesn’t really matter so long as you have a good theme to display advertisements. Those of you who can design a website then all the better, design it to maximise the placement of advertisements.
Monetise Your Site With Adsense:
Monetising your website or blog is simple enough really, set up a Google Adsense account, select your ad from the setup menu and get your code. Everything on the internet involves code, HTML, Javascript and CSS. You should copy and paste this code into a Notepad or TextEdit document and save it for future use.
The next thing to do is paste your selected code into an area on your website or blog that is going to get maximum exposure to make money, preferable above the fold. The fold is the area that is seen by any user when they first arrive on your site without having to scroll down the page, below the fold is the area of your site that isn’t seen first.
Monetise Your Site With Banner Advertisements:
The next best way to monetise your website or blog is to place banner advertisements on to your site. The best place to place banner ads is to the top and to the right on your sites. This is because we are trained to read from the left to the right and from top to bottom. So by placing your ads at the top you get maximum exposure and to the right because people’s eyes will automatically move to the right when reading so they will be either distracted by your ads or be curious as what your ads maybe about.
Now of course placing ads on your website or blog isn’t going to make money in itself, there has to be a reason for people to come to your site and then click onto your Adsense or banner advertisements. So get some good and interesting content onto your websites, articles, reports, reviews, advice anything that maybe of interest to your readers. Make sure it is good and original stuff and belongs to you and if it doesn’t make sure you have permission to use it.
You can make money with a blog or website, Adsense ads will automatically pay you if a user clicks on the ads however the banner ads wont pay out until your user actually buys from the site that your banner takes them to.
Please also be aware that you can only place 3 Google Adsense ads on any one page on your site, if you place any more the ads will not display and you will be left with a blank space. You will have to do some research to find the best banner ads to place on your site, becoming an affiliate to sell other people’s products is probably the best option to find these ads.
So happy hunting and maybe by placing some carefully chosen advertisements on your site you will make some good money.
5 Steps On How Blogging Can Help You Master Internet Marketing
| John Cowper | Thursday, June 16th, 2011 | 18:43 pm | 0 |
Blogging is not as new as you may think, it has been around since the late 1990’s. Only now is it becoming really main stream and coming to the fore. It started out as being a means to post simple one line comments on a webpage, where surfers could give feedback on products or services. Since then, these basic sentences have now blossomed into pages of dialogue about diverse subjects ranging from personal interest to corporate issues.
But the really interesting thing is that advertisers have cottoned on to the power of blogging. As blogging evolves in its importance, it is becoming clear to anyone serious about establishing and maintaining a strong internet presence that blogging is the must have new internet marketing tool.
To help you exploit blogging as an online marketing tool, follow these five tips:
1. Blogging Is Simple, Easy and Fun.
It is one of the most straight forward ways of getting your views about hot topics, products or services aired online. You don’t need fancy qualifications to set- up a half decent blog. As long as you have an average command of English and can use a pc, you are half way there. All you need are ideas and the commitment to get writing, typing fast always helps but that improves with time.
Blogging allows you to publish your own take on life, health, wealth and relationships amongst others. It’s like having your own magazine and you’re your own editor. You can review anything from TV shows, music, fashion, food, developments in current affairs along with a multitude of products and services. The more genuine and informed you are the better your articles will be.
2. Blogging Is Believable.
Advertising is inundating people from every angle with “buy this and buy that”, so much so it makes people immune to publicity or at the very least less suggestible. The difference with blogging is that, it is about ordinary folk talking about what interests and matters to them.
Blogging is like listening to your friend and there is nothing more powerful than word of mouth which has huge power to persuade. If you get a recommendation with a balanced argument from someone you trust, you are more likely to try that product. You feel that you have insider information, a heads up if you will!
3. Blogging Is Cheap.
Most people blog for free because blogging is still a novel medium, there hasn’t been wide spread charging for it. It is still evolving organically, and it would appear that advertising is where providers are covering their costs.
The majority blog on dedicated free sites specifically designed to cater for bloggers. Other generic websites offer blogging sections for visitors to chat and share feedback, or they have an informal section where their own staff or personalities blog in a chatty style to attract fans. More serious bloggers especially businesses should consider paid blogs as you have so much more control over your content. You can advertise and can generate revenue from advertising on a paid blog.
4. Blogging Builds Reputation.
The more you educate your readers about your area of interest and the more you demonstrate you know what you are talking about, the more authority you develop. Readers become to trust you and your word. As your credibility increases you start to attract more hits, firstly because of word of mouth but also because your blog gets linked to by other blogs and websites.
If you have managed to become a real authority in an area, you could find interest from the commercial sector who want to associate their business with you. Success breeds success because you have established a good reputation, you will find that industry may want to advertise with you or you could get paid for referrals from your blog as an affiliate.
5. Blogging Grows Market Share.
You can build market share by following these steps:
- Maximise the use of email.
Use your email contacts to let them know about your blog. Send short emails or headlines to your list directing recipients to your updated blog. This way you drive more traffic to your site, or if you’re lucky you’ll get forwarded on to their friends and family.
People like to keep a good newsletter to read time and time again. The good thing about blogs are that they are in cyber space indefinitely and easy to find. So when your readers have gotten your email notification, they know they can go to your blog site and that the content is there at anytime for a browse. This allows them to delete the earlier notification and keep their inbox clutter free.
- Encourage subscriptions.
By requesting a subscription from a reader for full access to your blog site, you get the reader’s name and email address in return. Email addresses are a valuable commodity, they help you communicate directly with qualified prospects so you can promote to a targeted and responsive audience and get conversions or in lay man’s terms sales.
You should ask permission by asking your reader to opt in before signing them up to your blog subscription. Don’t pimp your list, and by that we mean, don’t sell it on, or spam your list with irrelevant information that they didn’t sign up for. You don’t want to get a name as sending junk mail or risk a post on your blog about unwanted subscriptions.
- Know Your Audience.
Ask questions! When readers subscribe to your blog, ask them to fill out a short questionnaire so you can better meet their needs in terms of how you communicate and advertise to them. Once you have their profile details and preferences, you can be sure you are not wasting your time on irrelevant topics and advertising. Don’t be frightened of conducting surveys, or asking for comments on a recent blog post or advertisement.
- Join blog-Groups.
What blog networks have is something in common. They’re generally in the same sector, field, demographic or gender. By grouping your blog with similar bloggers in a network blog, you reassure the reader that you are a credible trustworthy source because a community of bloggers have accredited you simply by being in the same network.
It is also easier for readers to find resources in a single location rather than having to search endlessly online. It adds value to them by saving them time. Remember the bigger the group the better.
- Add RSS Feeds.
This technology is growing in prevalence daily on the net. RSS feeds have the ability to make your site look professional. They also keep your site fresh looking. RSS feeds also generate interest in your blog which is the end game for any blogger.
So to conclude, don’t get left behind in the online space. Blogging is creating a new internet culture for individuals, it is also the next must have marketing tool for businesses. Embrace it or be left behind.
Blogging is as easy as I have said above and you can set yourself up with a blog in no time at all.
Affiliate Marketing – Five Proven Ways to Earn Money From Your Website
| John Cowper | Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 | 15:15 pm | 2 |
For people who want to start a business online, building a website is usually one of the first things they do. You can really easily make money from your website especially when you have chosen the right profitable business for you and you are ready to commit your time and efforts.
Here are five (5) proven ways you may want to explore in making money from your website, as follows:
1. Provide solution to your readers. You can earn easy money online by providing relevant content to your readers. Information is perhaps the biggest selling commodity in the internet up to this very moment. If you wish to earn money from the internet, you can sell information such as blogging for money.
2. Use your website as part of your affiliate marketing business. The website is one of the best venues to promote your affiliated products and services. It gives your business credibility and prestige while serving as focal point where your subscribers can readily see how they can benefit from these products or services and how they can avail them.
3. Turn your website into your own virtual store where you can sell your own products or services as well as others who may wish to sell their stuff, too. For instance, you may want to upload photos and sell them to interested buyers. You can also sell your own eBooks, or that of others. You can sell brand new items of interests to your target audience or used stuff that you want to dispose right away to earn easy money online.
4. Sell your skills through your website. You can also monetize your website by offering your skills for a fee to make money online. For example, you can provide tutorial lessons or offer e-courses to internet users who may be interested to benefit and learn from your skills. You can allow them to download from your website videos or eBooks that contain easy step by step instructions on how to do a particular things or how to learn a specific skill.
5. You can convert your website as a center for accessing product reviews. Writing reviews is also one of the more profitable means of blogging for money. You see most internet users these days are searching for product reviews before they actually purchase the products or avail the services. Writing reviews is one profitable business where you can earn decent money online.
With these proven online money-making opportunities, you can easily earn money from your website. You just have to continually expand your learning and hone your skills as you drive the necessary traffic to your website to make money online. The internet is generous in giving you all the resources you need to earn from it.
