Below you will find some sources of blog inspiration:

Industry News

Whether your field is car parts, SEO optimization or Making Money Online, the reason you might not have nothing new to say is because you’re not reading enough industry news. Of course most people read the top bloggers in their field, but so are all the other thousands of blog writers. Search for new angles, for instance how a specific car part is manufactured and why this manufacturing make it a great product. You also look for inspiration in the real world, for instance you can visit trade shows or other events, to find subjects to write about.

Helpful Information

Readers want to come away from your blog feeling entertained or feeling that they learned something. They want to get something out of it! Again search for that different angle than all the other bloggers. For instance something funny to write about, but also informative at the end of the post. (For instance a funny video of something that goes wrong. Below the video you give 10 useful tips to avoid that it will go wrong.)

Going Off-topic

It can be very refreshing for your regular readers if you write an off-topic post once in a while. Of course you should not go complete overboard. For example a good off-topic subject is to write something you personally have experienced. (Even if it has nothing to do with your main subject.)

Feedback

Feedback from readers can be a great way to find inspiration for a new article. Find out what kind of comments do you get? What are readers asking and saying in response to a certain article? Maybe you can find a topic that you could address in more depth (because people are asking for it.)

Guest Posts

You can ask a fellow blogger in your field if you can interview him or her. You get free material and in most cases the interviewee will link to your post. Of course you can also ask if they like to write a guest post for your blog, maybe their post can give you inspiration for a new post (sort of spin-off posts.)

Original post by MoneyAside.com

What to Do if You Have a Blogger’s Block

But Google wouldn’t be Google if they not where trying to make things easier for the average webmaster. From of now it is possible to tell Google that you are moving a domain. Of course you still have to take care of the necessary redirects, but being able to tell the largest search engine that the domain is moving is definitely great step forward!

Google Webmaster Tools

Google is offering this new feature in their special program for webmasters name Google webmaster tools. Of course you need an account with your websites already added before you can change an address of a website. You can find the move feature under site configuration-> change of address (see image below).

Another great new feature is a list of common keywords found on your website. This can be found under Your site on the web -> Keywords.

Address Change

After you’ve clicked the link change of address you’ll see the following screen:

Change address in google webmaster tools

Conclusion

The new features that Google added to their webmaster tools are great and it shows that they really are trying to make things easier for customers. They understand the frustration that come with moving a domain and they have tried to do something about it.

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Moving a Domain? Google is Helping!

1. Nine and Zero Effect

The numbers that you use in a price are very important, because people associate specific number with certain values. For instance people associated the number zero with quality and number nine with value. So if you say the product cost $9.99 then people will think in the back of their mind that it is of value. This is just human behaviour. The psychology of pricing is very important as you can see; you say something different with a $9.99 price or $10 price on the same product. Think about what you are trying to communicate (value or quality) when you are pricing your next product.

2. Prestige Pricing

High prices suggest that the product is of higher quality. Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case, but in people minds this works that way. The coffee of for example Starbucks has a higher perceived value than a cup from a coffee stand on the corner. Only because they have improved the packaging and delivery of the product you can justify a higher price than a normal coffee.

3. Multi-payments to Promote Satisfaction

Everyone knows this one; you pay in full for a one year membership on a service or product (like a gym membership or on a magazine.) The first month you will make frequently use of your membership, because you’ve payed for it (it’s satisfying to make use of something you already have payed for.) But after one or two months you slowly make less use of the product or service, because you’ll perceive the item as free (although you paid already for a whole year!)  So if you want people to make frequently use of your product or service you’re better off charging monthly payments rather than a one time fee.

4. Anchor Pricing

People that look for something — in a supermarket for instance — often use known brands or labels to find a specific product. These often high priced products are used as an anchor to find a specific product. Supermarkets know this. This is why they place private label brands close to the branded product.

5. Quantity Pricing

Consumers are receptive to purchasing items in suggested quantities, such offers typically reads something like the following “Get 2 for the price of 1!” or “3 for only $9.99!” Give people a good or attractive price and they will eat out of your hand!

6. Payment Steps

A good pricing strategy is to offer your customers multiple payment steps for a product. For instance the price of one product is $50. You could say for example that they can pay in 5 payments of $10 or in two steps of $25. The customer will perceive a lower price to no loss for you.

7. Bundling Products

A good way to convey value is to bundle multiple products and sell it as one product. For instance you have a new product. You bundle it with an older product or a product that could be used with your new product (but is of less value than the main product.) Many TV infomercials use this in their strategy (Buy this product. But wait there’s more!! You also get product X for free!)

8. People Love a Bargain

Most people look for a bargain if they want to buy a certain product. This is why most shops use large banners or billboards to announce large discounts on certain products. People love to feel like they have made a great deal! So selling below the common price will make them feel good and makes you money!

Conclusion

If you want to make money — online or not — by selling you own products or service then it is vital that you choose the right pricing strategy or strategies (you can for instance use multiple strategies described above in your web-shop.)

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Top 8 Small Business Pricing Strategies

There are things that can be done on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If you don’t schedule for maintenance on a regular basis your business website could have a lot of problems in the long turn.

Weekly Business Website Maintenance
To keep the traffic flowing to you business website then you need to add unique and fresh content almost every day. But you also need to update the content of the “old” pages.

Go through a couple of the older pages each week to check if there is a problem or to add things that can help with SEO. (Things to check for are: spelling errors, W3C valid code and html optimization such as the proper use of Alt, Title and H tags.) Also make sure that the links to other websites are still working.

Monthly Business Website Maintenance
You need to do a monthly sitemap check, to ensure that each and every page you’ve added weekly is submitted to the search engines. (Remember that Google is not the only search engine out there!).

You also take a closer look at your navigation and layout of your site. Maybe you can add a link in an “old” page to a newer page that is complementary to that “old” page.

If your business website has a blog then you can maybe add a page with grouped older posts. Make and add lists of posts that are complementary to each other and add a special feature box in the sidebar. (Be creative with the “older” content that you have added, because a lot of traffic will be new traffic and many of them want to read older posts.)

Refresh all the passwords on your business website on a monthly basis, especially admin passwords.

You also need to check all your forms that you use on your website, are they all working properly?

Yearly Business Website Maintenance
A year past and you have probably gained a lot of new knowledge. At least once a year you should take a closer look at the layout and the total feel of the website. Maybe it’s time for a new theme or a different layout. Maybe you can add some new graphics that will make your website look even more professional!

In Conclusion
Doing maintenance on your business or freelance website is really a must. Things can go wrong and things are also changing so fast online, that without a scheduled maintenance your business or freelance website will quickly lose its value!

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Scheduled Maintenance on your Business Website

Many of the “new” senior citizens have used computers before and they have also ordered online before. Also many of them have a lot of money to spend. So if you own an internet business website then you have to make sure it is accessible and usable for senior consumers.

Cherish This Target Group
Many online entrepreneurs have forgotten this target group. Why do many of these “young” business owners think that most of the senior citizens can’t even find the “on-switch” of computer?

It’s a fact that many senior citizens have catch up with the younger generations, they make more use of computers than ever before. More and more of them are also shopping online. This is why online business owners should never forget this wealthy target group!

Tips for User-Friendly Websites
Of course many of the senior citizens have trouble with the always fast changing internet terminology. And entrepreneurs that have forgotten this target group are making it even worse, because many of their websites are not very user-friendly, especially for senior citizens.

Of course it is not that strange that the websites are not “senior-friendly”, because many of the websites are made by the younger generation who are used to the fast changing internet. Many of the actions we take for granted are for the beginning senior computer user not easy to comprehend, especially the websites that are stuffed full of moving and blinking information.

Below you will find some tips to make a website more accessible for not only the older generation, but for everyone:

1. Use a simple and easy recognisable website name and domain.

2. The ability to change font sizes.

3. Limit the options in the payment process. Too many options can confuse someone. The payment process should be plain and simple.

4. Give easy to understand error messages and solutions.

5. Don’t use technical jargon and terminology. Keep things easy to understand.

6. Keep flashy ads and parts to a minimum.

7. Some seniors have trouble with the mouse, so bear this in mind. For instance the link sizes.

8. Add a clear visible breadcrumb trail so that people can easily find there way back to previous pages.

9. Write short and to the point posts.

If senior citizens belong to your target audience then it is wise to make use of the described tips. A good starting point when you build a business website is: “Don’t make it harder then it is and don’t make it easier then it is.” Keep things simple!

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Senior Consumers and Internet Business Websites

1. Easy to read
The number one rule of online content is that it must be easy readable. Every time someone is reading something online, they don’t like to scan through huge paragraphs of information. Try to cut your paragraphs into smaller sections.

You should also make use of paragraph titles. It makes it a little easier for people to skip to a section of interest.

2. Fluff Posts
Make sure that you have something to tell, whether it is general information, a lesson or just a funny story. People will only read the article because they expect substance, so don’t fill your pages with fluff pieces.

3. Spell Checker
Every writer things that they are great masters of the human language, it may be so, but as everyone else, also writers can make erors….huh I mean errors. Especially if you are writing in another language than your own, you will make errors. So do everyone a favour and run your article through a spell checker before posting.

In Conclusion
Without good content people won’t visit your web site and without traffic you won’t make money online. It’s as easy as that! So try to write with passion and give the people something valuable then people will return for another visit. Also practice make perfect, so keep working on your writing skills.

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Focus on Content to Make Money Online

Almost every small business has a website these days. Why? Many of the business website owners will answer; “because every other business has one” or “everyone is telling me that we have to have a website.”

But this is no reasons for a website. Without a certain GOAL the website will never be a success!

The mere fact that everyone else has a business website is no reason why you should build one. As with every other business venture you should determine why you do something and what you want to achieve. So in short: the WHY and the GOAL are vital!

Of course we can’t tell you why you should do something or what you want to achieve with it, you should try to determine it yourself. But we can help with an example.

The Why
As said before, we can’t answer the questions why you should create a business website, but we can give you an example of a business and show you that almost EVERY business can benefit from an online presence. Take a look at the example below:

1. Let’s say you own a printing service. You want to expand your business and go online. Then you could open a:
   • Business Card Website – Online creating and selling of business cards. The customer can design their business cards online. Once the design is finished they can order a number of business cards online. The design is send to the back-office where it’s printed and shipped to the customer.
   • Calendar Service Website – Online creating and selling of calendars. For example the customer can add his or hers own photographs onto a calendar template. Once the design is finished they can upload the photographs that are used on the design. They can place an order for a number of calendars. The design is send to the back-office where it’s printed and shipped to the customer.
   • Business Printing – Customers can order a number of copies of a paper or rapport they have uploaded. Again the paper or rapport is send to the back-office where it’s printed and shipped to the customer.
   • Formatting and Design – Besides offering only standard templates that the customers can use, you can also offer formatting and design help for those customers that are not so creative. For instance they can send in a draft of a rapport and your business redesigns the layout of the rapport (adding charts, changing fonts, spelling check, etc.) Once the redesign is finished the rapport is send back to the customer for approval. If the customer approves the redesign they can order a number of copies that get printed by your company. This way you can make money from the redesign and the printing.

We know that this is not spectacular new ideas but you can get the idea WHY a business can benefit from an online service. You just have to look for ideas and reasons why your business should go online. Just making a website with contact information makes no business sense. Your business website should generate income for your business!

The Goals
Once you have figured out why your business should go online and with what products and/or services you are offering then you should set GOALS. Without certain goals for your website it won’t work. Some examples of goals you can set:

• 2% traffic growth per month
• 5% less bounce rate per month (visitors who immediately leave)
• 1% increase per week of newsletter sign-ups
• $500 a month increase of online orders
• X numbers of a specific product
• Etc

Once you have set your goals you should constantly measure these goals for instance with Google Analytics or some other measuring tool. If you aren’t achieving your website goals then you need to change things.

Original post by MoneyAside.com

What are the Goals of YOUR Business Website?

What can you do to make your business website looking more professional?

1. Design
The design of your website should look new and fresh. For instance an “old 90′s look” will not look professional these days. You need to change the feel and look of a website at least once every two years.

2. Navigation
The site should be easy to navigate. A potential customer should find what he/she is looking for in matter of second’s or they will look elsewhere.

Tip: let someone else test it, for instance a family member. Always ask for direct things, like “Find me the contact information on the site” or “Find X product information.” If they can’t find it, then correct the problems.

3. Content
As said before in the introduction; your content should be up to date. But also your business website needs new content regularly.

4. Domain name
The domain name you use for your business should be a premium domain name. Use a countries domain name if you only do business in that country, but a .com name is even better.

5. Company Logo
Make sure you use a clean and professional logo for your company and also place it on your business website.

6. Contact Information
Make sure you place contact information in a visible place and that it is current. If you use e-mail forms on your site then check if they are (still) working regularly.

7. Not professional
Loud midi music or flashy graphics don’t look very professional, at least if your business isn’t music or a games site. So try to avoid them. A clean website will always look better and more professional.

8. Portfolio
Make sure you have pictures or other example of your previous work on your website. Also previews that people can try are also good to get those potential customers across the line.

9. Spelling
The spelling of your content should be correct. Use a spellings checker before you place new content!

10. Response time
The server where you host your website should have a good response time. If a client has to wait, they will probably move on. The same goes for responding at questions they have mailed you.

In conclusion
The bottom line is, if your website is anything but current and visually appealing, you may be making a negative first impression. So keep your website current and up to date!

Original post by MoneyAside.com

What is Your Website Saying about Your Business?

It’s not the end of the world, if the previous two paragraphs describes you business website, it is easily fixable (even on a budget.) The only thing you have to do is to create some content a few times a week or if you don’t have the time, then hire someone to do it for you. You can find a lot of talented freelance writers on the net, that will write pages full of detailed content for only a couple of bucks per page. So, money shouldn’t be an issue!

For those business owners who are willing to write the content themselves, below you will find some tips where you can write about:

• How to articles about your products.
• Practical tips about your products.
• Product details (general info, such as length, weight, etc.)
• Ask some customers for reviews about your products.
• Information about the manufacturing process.
• Add a blog; write about your day to day business life.
• History of your business
• Etc, etc.

And these are just a few subjects where you can write about. So give it a go and you will see that your business website will get much more traffic, thus potential customers.

Original post by MoneyAside.com

Your Business Website Needs More Content

1. Competition
Owning variations of your domain name will prevent loss of traffic. For example if you own hello.com then some variations could be helo.com, hi.com, goodday.com, etc. You could point these domains to your main domain. Also it helps cutting your competition if you have several domains that are related to your main business domain name.

2. Branding
Owning related domain names helps with branding. For instance if you are a photographer you could own domains related to cameras, portrait photography or wedding photography.

This way people can see your website as a leader in a specific field.

3. Cuts Marketing Costs
Having several top domain names that are related to each other helps cutting the marketing costs. For instance you can have advertisement on one site for one of the other site.

4. Valuable assets
Every webmaster knows that a domain name becomes more valuable over time. Why you may ask? Because you add more and more content. The domain is also getting more and more incoming links, thus the domain will rise in the search engine results.

5. Global Reach
To get a global reach you should also get your main domain name in country-specific domains like .co.uk, .de, .nl and so on. These domains will help you establish your brand and name in those regions and help you increase your global reach.

Original post by MoneyAside.com

5 reasons for Owning a Premium Domain Name