Niche Marketing Article: Niche Marketing Strategies

---

                          Wed 5th Jan.'00


Vote to keep Biz Bits free: http://www.NowSell.com/BBvote.html


In this issue:

1. INTRODUCTION
==>Mistake, Those Long Domains, Special Request, Exciting New
   Program, Getting Ezine Subs and more.

2. VOTING BOOTH
==>This week's quick poll and last week's results.

3. FEATURE ARTICLE
==>"DOING WHAT YOUR HEART DESIRES - EVERY DAY!"
    by Donna Watkins

4. TOOLS AT NOW SELL!
==>Useful tools to make your life easier on the Now Sell! site.

5. This Week's Posts
==>[None]

6. TIDBITS
==>Business news and other snippets to keep you informed.

7. TIP
==>"Creating Your Niche In The World"
    by William R. Montgomery.

8. SITES TO CHECK OUT
==>10 places for you to visit.

9. INFO SECTION
==>Subscription and posting details. Join Biz Bits FFA!


If you missed the last issue, you can get it by sending a blank
email to mailto:BBLast+nowsell.com

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=====================
+   INTRODUCTION    +
=====================

Hi,

Welcome to 2000! Hope you are now well and truly over all the Y2K
hype and ready to get down to some serious work! Let's make this
year, *your* year.

In predictable style, I managed to end '99 with a gaff. Last week
I told you that MAXregistrar offered domain registration for only
$30.

HA! $30 per *year* more like!

Thanks goes to Anne Keckler http://fruitfulacres.hypermart.net
for pointing out my mistake. For more comparisons you might like
to visit http://www.domain-price-wars.com/ where they also
indicate which registrars are capable of registering the new
longer domain names.

Talking about long domain names reminds me of some thoughts of my
own on the issue, which I didn't have the space (nor time!) to
share with you last week. You have no doubt been bombarded with
emails from all manner of marketing 'gurus', including most of
the big names, telling you to hurry up and get in on this "once
in a lifetime" marketing opportunity.

Apparently the main attraction is that you can now stuff your
domain name with relevant keywords for your site, and by doing
so, increase your site's ranking in the search engines. The way
most are talking, you'd be forgiven for thinking that owning a
long keyword rich domain is the key to bringing heavy traffic to
your site.

Here is one such example:

"Register domain names that are rich in keywords and
drastically increase your search engine rankings! Search
engines just eat up the domain names that describe the
website and are loaded with keywords!"

However, none are offering any proof of this, just a helpful link
to their 'preferred' registrar (almost without exception, one
that pays a commission). I personally think the value of such
domain names highly questionable, especially for the average
webmaster/mistress. I'm the first to admit that I'm no expert
when it comes to getting high rankings in search engines, but I
have spent quite a lot of time studying them. This is what I
think:

* There is no proof that search engines place significant weight
on keywords occurring in domain names. It's only speculation that
they look at the URL at all. Some SE specialists feel that they
do, others think not (perhaps some SEs do and some don't?). I
know that if I search for "nowsell" at Alta Vista for example,
"www.nowsell.com" doesn't come top in the results.


* If the search engine does actually check the URL for keywords,
then it is probably not very important exactly where in the URL
they occur. Taking that to be so, almost the same effect can be
obtained just by using keywords in your directory and file names.
For example: http://www.nowsell.com/site_promotion/submit.html


* A long domain name stuffed with keywords as SE 'fodder' is not
very attractive as your main domain. This means it will only be
useful used in conjunction with a doorway page. However, the
majority of the major SEs are placing increasing emphasis on link
popularity in one form or another. As a result, doorway pages are
becoming less and less effective as a marketing tool (you can't
create good link popularity for 20 doorway pages on different
domains).

In addition, many SE's are very unhappy with the tremendous
amount of spam they have been receiving through the misuse of
doorways. What is to say they won't decide that all doorway pages
are spam in the near future? So much for the $$$$ you just spent
on ugly keyword dense domain names!


* If using keywords in the URL had a major effect on rankings (as
opposed to a possible minor effect), it would already be a very
popular technique even with short domains (just fewer keywords).
This is not so. In addition, in a single keyword search, the site
returned at the top of the search results would usually contain
your search term in it's domain name. As it is, this only happens
occasionally.

* There is no single 'trick', 'secret' or whatever to gaining
good SE ranking. It's a complex process, taking many factors into
consideration. In addition, search engines are modifying their
algorithms so often at present, that what works today may no
longer do so tomorrow.


In my opinion, keyword rich domains *may* improve your rankings
in *some* search engines, but not by much. The cost of buying a
load of domain names may be money better spent on the services of
a quality SE specialist that charges based on results.

This is not to say the availability of longer domain names is of
no importance. Previously you may not have been able to use your
desired name because it was over 23 characters. Or you may wish
to dedicate a domain to a particular product the name of which
exceeds the old limit. You may even be able to think up some good
ones for possible resale in the future at a substantial profit.

However, short catchy domain names are better. They are far more
memorable. They are also easy to type directly into the browser,
and there is less possibility of the user making a mistake when
doing so. Just compare amazon.com, or even amazonbooks.com, with
amazonbooksandmusicstore.com!

Although it doesn't hold up in the Amazon case (you don't want to
spend millions to be remembered!), you should also try and find a
name that relates to the business you're in, or your company
name.

Oh, and don't believe anyone that tells you there are no good
short domains left. You just need to be more creative these days!

                               <>

** Important Special request ** As you know, this is the first
issue of Biz Bits in the new millennium. In keeping with the
spirit of the occasion, it seems an appropriate time to ask you
for a little help. I'm sure you must know at least one person
that would find Biz Bits useful (probably many more). Please help
us all by asking them if they would like to subscribe. Your
assistance in this would be truly appreciated.

Ask them to email: BizBits@NowSell.com

If everyone does their bit and refers just one person, within a
week we will *double* the number of subscribers! Now that *would*
be a good start to the new millennium!

                               <>

If you are interested in 'paid to surf' and other similar
referral programs I have news of a site that you *MUST* visit. I
don't want to take up a lot of space here by going into great
details, so here are the basics:

* Allows you to promote all the programs you are a member of
through a single URL.

* Includes some great new programs to join that you haven't seen
(how about getting $1 per referral down 3 levels and $0.50
thereafter, plus 20% of downline earnings!).

* Free to join.

* Your links for all programs on your downline pages

* Can email your downline.

* Not just paid to surf (e.g. $ for adding sites to an index)


The program: Maxref

My ID: MX167894 (Please fill in my ID code if it doesn't appear)

URL: http://www.maxref.com/mrp/top.cgi/earn/MX167894

The program is very new. So new in fact that when I told Ted
Holmes of CEBN about it yesterday he hadn't yet heard of it.
And Ted is specializing in this type of program these days!
In Ted's own words "Great lead, I'm going through it now."

You will regret it if you miss this before Ted tells everyone!

                               <>

We have decided to end our weekly competition with our co-op
partners. Special thanks to Teresa Williams of Top Biz News
http://www.topbiznews.com for all her help. Teresa has a great
site with loads of information. Sign up for her ezine when you
visit and get more free e-books than I have ever seen!.

Watch this space for details of a new competition coming soon!

                               <>

Following on from last week's bit on ezines, I want to tell you
about a subscription service I've been trying out. I've been
using them for the last couple of weeks and found it works well
for me. Basically, you list your ezine and pay them $0.10 per
subscriber they send you.

WAIT! Don't stop reading yet!

They also have an affiliate program, which means you never need
to actually pay them in cash if you don't want. You can top up
your account by referring subscribers or list owners, running ads
in your ezine, or by paying. The best part is that they have a
no-obligation 'break-even' program where they will stop referring
subscribers once your account has a negative balance of $100
(that's 1000 subscribers).

Here is the URL: http://www.nowsell.com/imaginations.html

Please let me know if you join, so that I can confirm my credits
with them (I will get credit towards new subscribers if you sign
up through me. However, they have said they've been having
occasional errors logging referrals of list owners).

                               <>

Join the Biz Bits Affiliate program and earn advertising space
here in Biz Bits. You have your own online stats, and all you
need to do is advertise your unique referral URL in your
signature file, ezine, on your web site, or anywhere else that's
legal. Click to join now: http://www.nowsell.com/bb-aff.html

                               <>

Tell me what YOU think! Send your feedback, comments, what you
like, what you hate, etc., to me at: mailto:azam+nowsell.com

Happy Eid to those that are celebrating this weekend!


TTFN

Azam

PS - Want MORE Quality E-zines in your mailbox? Free!
     Riddles, Humor, Quotes, Recipes, Crafts & Trivia!
     Look no further!  It's all here!  In one location!
     http://www.nowsell.com/imaginations.html

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=================================================================
"Make Your Site Sell" is about joining the one in a hundred who
know how to sell on the Net... It's about getting the order!
No matter what you want your Web site to sell, "Make Your Site
Sell" (MYSS!) shows you how, like no other book or program ever
has.  Don't waste another minute, FREE download available today!
Click here: http://www.sitesell.com/info.html
=================================================================

=====================
+    VOTING BOOTH   +
=====================

This is the place where we take a quick poll for a snapshot of
the Biz Bits family's position on a given topic.

This week:

Did you experience any Y2K problems?


YES! >>>>   mailto:yes+nowsell.com

I had a problem!


NO!  >>>>   mailto:no+nowsell.com

I didn't have any trouble whatsoever!


ERR? >>>>   mailto:err+nowsell.com

I'm not sure... depends...?


*** Add any additional comments in the body of your vote mail ***

*****************************************************************
                   Do you find Biz Bits useful?
    Then share the wealth and forward a copy to your friends!
*****************************************************************

Last week:

Do you already have, or are you planning to start your own ezine?


YES! >>>>   100%

I have my own ezine/I will be starting one soon!


NO!  >>>>   00%

I don't know how to do it/I can't write/I have no time/I don't
feel it will be of use to me!


ERR? >>>>   0%

I'm not sure... depends...?


Keep those votes coming!

[Azam: Nice to see so many doing the sensible thing!]

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Get FREE excerpts from Michael Campbell's new book "Nothing But
'Net", based on Michael's experience of generating $750,000 in
internet revenues with *virtually no advertising costs* Send an
email to: mailto:nothingbutnet@autobots.net for your excerpts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=====================

Voter Feedback:

YES!

I am starting a new one. The first issue will go out on Jan.15
2000 if all goes well.

Penny
PennysWorth Newsletter. Tips and tricks to internet marketing.
Subscribe by email to mailto:pennysworth-subscribe@topica.com


Hi, Azam!  I just started one and hope to have my first issue out
next week!  Thanks for your great ezine and all the quality
information you pack into each issue.  You have been a real help
to me, not just someone trying to sell me something.  I
unsubscribe to those real quick.   ;-)

---
Anne Keckler
Missing calls while online?  Click for the solution. Free trial!
http://www.pagoo.com/asp/referral/linkto.asp?B=102&RefID=5081

[Azam: Best of luck to you both. Check out the service I
mentioned in the introduction. Thanks for your kind remarks Anne
- I'm pleased you find Biz Bits useful.]

=================================================================
DISCOVER INSIDER INTERNET MARKETING SECRETS!
Learn the Insider Internet marketing secrets that can explode
your online profits. One of the hottest selling Internet
marketing courses on the Net today.
Secrets To Making Money On The Information Super-Highway:
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=================================================================

=====================
+  FEATURE ARTICLE  +
=====================

------------------------------------------
DOING WHAT YOUR HEART DESIRES - EVERY DAY!
------------------------------------------
by Donna Watkins

Are you thinking about beginning a home business to get away
from the rat race in the corporate world --- or to provide
for your own job security?

What's the first question that comes to mind?

"What kind of business would I do at home?"

Our pastor preached a message over a year ago entitled,
"What is Your Destiny?"

This message has had me thinking many times on its list of
questions to ponder when wanting to find your 'walk' through
life.  I believe our pastor's message would help people to
find what kind of home-business they would like to do. What
they would want to get out of bed for in the morning even
when they weren't punching a time clock.

So, here are the questions that have helped others determine
what they want to do in their life:

1 - What is the deepest desire of my heart?

2 - What stirs my passions?

3 - What flows naturally out of me?

4 - Where do I bring forth fruit or produce good results?

5 - What do other mature people see in me?

6 - What thoughts, visions, and dreams are impossible to put
out of my mind?

7 - To what can I give 100% of myself for my whole life?

8 - What do people want to gather around me and help me to
do?

If you will sit down and honestly consider these questions
with somebody that knows you well, you'll come up with some
surprising answers.  You can find a purpose in life that
will allow you to provide an income for yourself and your
family while you are doing what your heart desires - EVERY
DAY!

Spend this week with this "assignment" and next week, there
will be an article that will encourage you to GO FOR YOUR
DREAMS with the answers that you've come up with.

If you have determined what touches the very soul of your
being and have chosen to build an income around that driving
desire, you're already headed for absolute success.  Within
us is a need to share what we have been given from life.  It
may seem impossible to make a living doing it, but let your
creative brain flow and fan that flame of desire, and you
will see it come to pass.

When we began a web site, we already had a business.  Our
business evolved years ago because we were sharing what had
been given to us....hope for seemingly hopeless health
problems.  When all our hopes and prayers for an answer to
our own health problems seemed to end in despair with the
doctors' saying, "You'll just have to learn to live with
this," my husband said, "There is an answer somewhere, for
we serve a God of hope."  We 'stumbled upon' an herb book
and decided to try some things.  When they began working,
others began asking what we were doing, and if there was
something for their health problem.  We just kept sharing
everything we learned and we ended up with an herb business
in our home.  When it became overwhelming, my husband left
the corporate world in 1987 and joined me.

When your desire and focus is to help others, it's a natural
win-win situation.  It's the law of Sowing & Reaping.

We moved to the woods over 9 years ago.  I seemed to begin
losing my 'checklist' approach to life (although I'm still
VERY task-oriented) when we moved to the woods, but still
had a 40 minute drive to our shop.  About a year ago, I
decided I was tired of making the drive on my days down
there and began dreaming of being able to stay at home 7
days a week.  I love working with the windows open, the
birds singing in my ear, and the trees swaying in the
breeze.  I love the woods and wildlife around us and that
desire to stay home led to an internet adventure.  "If you
build it, they will come."  Build that desire you have until
it becomes a reality!  Herbal tea and lunch breaks are now
enjoyed on the porch alone or with my devoted husband.
Those small visits with Nature and my Lord provides an
'office environment' where I can work harder and longer
without stress, and play harder at any hour of the day or
week that I choose to schedule.  My sweet husband, Randal,
is always telling me he wants me to do what I want to do,
and everything else will take care of itself.  When you're
doing what you love to do, you are so fulfilled that all the
routine stuff (like dishes, and cooking, and cleaning), just
seem to get done more quickly and easily.  They are no
longer considered another chore.  So much of life becomes
all you want it to be.

We had no internet experience when we began.  Although
Randal had some computer knowledge, the internet was a new
playing field.  He used the free information available to
Webmasters and Web Designers and learned as he built the web
site.  There are some excellent sites out there and we were
so absorbed in Cyberspeed, that we didn't track the ones we
used.  Do a search on "Free Internet Training" and see what
you get.  There's a lot out there to teach you on how to
begin and how to build it.

We made a decision that we weren't going to pay for anything
when there was a free option.  That desire has allowed us to
build the web site with no other costs but the $40 monthly
fee to be there and the cost of an additional phone line.
That avoids debt on a new venture, which can get you real
discouraged fast!

We became information seekers.  The best sources of info I
found were in newsletters and news groups and at a site
called ProLaunch.  When you sign up, you check your areas of
interest, so when you enter each time they bring up sites
that relate to your interests.  It was amazing how often it
was just what we'd been needing.

Subscribe to newsletters relating to your area of
interest/business.  While you aren't getting traffic/sales,
you can gather a lot of info you'll need to continue
building the site.  Cut and paste the parts of the
newsletters you want to keep.  Delete the rest.  Keep your
info organized or you'll never find anything you need.

Spend time in news groups of your interest/business.  You
will find more URLs than you'll be able to research!  Use a
signature at the bottom of EVERY e-mail you ever send, and
include in it a personal line and your web address (you can
see ours below).

Although I don't like the focus of the title, "Making Money
in Cyberspace," by Paul and Sarah Edwards is an excellent
book for a step-by-step how to do it.  We are not opposed to
making money....every where we go people ask for it, so we
like to have a good supply on hand.  However, that will come
when we do what we're truly created to do in this
world...help our fellow man.  My husband describes this book
as necessary.  He looked around quite a while before
deciding which one to buy, since he'd decided he wanted
something in print to sit down with when he wasn't on the
computer.

You'll need to provide free information at your site on your
topic of interest.   87.8% of the people on the internet are
looking for information.  Yes, there may be a thousand other
places already providing it, but there will be those who are
led right to you instead of the others.  We offer a FREE
newsletter, online classes, how to put together an Herbal
Medicine Chest,  and plenty of health information with a
Search Engine to find it.  We promoted our site through free
banner exchanges, postings on bulletin boards, answering
questions in news groups directly to the person so you don't
look like you're spamming the newsgroups, exchanging
articles with others, and working with the search engines .
It seemed we were working around the clock, but loving every
minute of it.  We began making friends and they began
spreading word of our site for us.  We stand in awe of what
has evolved in nine months.  We are reaping sales to cover
the initial investment of the computer and the monthly
expenses.  When our lease came up for renewal at the retail
shop last month, we decided to go for the dream.  We no
longer have the income from the store, but we've discovered
that our expenses have been cut drastically with no expense
of the commute and the great tax deductions for an in-home
business.  We are now free to travel and teach while
handling the internet business as we go.  We have an iMac,
so we can just grab the handle and go!  We closed the shop
in August and took a trip in September and have one
scheduled for October and November.  Do we work more than 40
hours a week?  Yeah, but our work is now our hobby too.  We
do take time to do fun stuff whenever we want to do it ( we
don't have to wait for Sunday).

Maybe you're still at the stage of unbelief.  You can't
imagine leaving the 'security' of your current job.  Maybe
you don't think you are disciplined enough to make a living
at home.  As many millions have found out in the last
decade, there is no such thing as "job security."  Your best
job security is your own desire and talents.  The lack of
discipline is something that my hubby thought would be a
problem, until he realized that you don't need to be
disciplined to do something you love to do.  You wake up
wanting to get started.

Let me encourage you to pursue your dream.  Share your
dreams with your spouse and/or family and make them happen!
We love to tell people that we have a "20 second commute,
and we can wear pajamas to the office."  If we can help in
any way, or just lend words of encouragement, be sure to
drop us a line at:  SharingSunshine+TheHerbsPlace.com.

You can make it happen!
Donna Watkins
--
FREE Newsletter, Classes, & Herbal Medicine Chest Info
http://www.TheHerbsPlace.com



*****************************************************************
======================
+ TOOLS AT NOW SELL! +
======================

*** Meta Tag Maker ***
This handy little tool will generate meta tags for you to paste
straight into your page:
http://www.nowsell.com/site_promotion/meta.html

*** Free Search Engine Submit ***
Automatically submit your site to the top search engines (and see
the results) free:
http://www.nowsell.com/site_promotion/submit.html

*** Position Analyzer ***
Check the ranking of your site in the search engines:
http://www.nowsell.com/cgi-bin/position.cgi

*** Multi Search ***
Search for anything on all the major search engines and many
other resources:
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*** Assorted HTML Tools ***
Pop-up windows, frames and mouseover image code generators. CSS
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*** Free Business Consulting ***
A professional with over 30 years experience, David Deeson will
tell you how to tackle your business needs and problems head-on:
http://www.nowsell.com/internet_business/ask

*** Get Paid For It! ***
Listings of all the best paid to surf, read email and others.
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*** Rapid Manual Search Engine Submit! ***
You should always submit your most important URLs by hand. Use
this free tool to manually submit to the top 20 search engines
in less than 15 minutes! An incredible time saver!
http://www.nowsell.com/site_promotion/search-engine-submit.html

*****************************************************************

=====================
+ This Week's Posts +
=====================

[None]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Send your information, question or comment to appear here next
week and start advertising yourself. mailto:BizBits+topica.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

=================================================================
Learn the ONE SECRET that Internet Marketing Expert Rick Beneteau
developed as his ONLY METHOD to build his business, his
reputation and his millions of impressions per month. LEARN with
his Powerful New eBook, The Ezine Marketing Machine, and EARN
whopping 50% Commissions!! Highly Recommended by Marlon Sanders,
Allan Gardyne & many others. Become Rick's Partner! Click here to
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=================================================================

=====================
+      TIDBITS      +
=====================

UPS To Sponsor First Television Show And Companion Web Site
Dedicated To E-Commerce And Online Business

ZDTV announced today it will launch "Working the Web," a new
weekly half-hour show and Web page sponsored by UPS, to premiere
January 13 at 10:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. PT.  Using real-life case
studies, the program will show business-to-business and consumer
Web merchants the best way to do business online.  Hosted by
veteran e-commerce journalist Gary Bolles, "Working the Web" will
be the only program on television that speaks directly to the
online businessperson.

The show's programming will educate the viewer on the basics of
creating and running an e-business.  Topics will include
selecting an effective URL and choosing the right Internet
service provider.  Web consultants will offer weekly selections
of the most effective e-commerce sites and online tutorials and
self-assessment tests for online merchants.  "Working the Web"
will also expose the audience to hundreds of marketing tactics,
including how to successfully promote a business on a tight
budget and tips to keep customers coming back to the Web site.

ZDTV viewers will experience firsthand the roller-coaster
fortunes of several e-commerce business ventures.  By following
selected sites weekly, "Working the Web" will track the mistakes
and successes of these online pioneers.  Through e-mail, chat
rooms, and video mail, viewers will be invited to interact with
these businesses by asking questions and sharing their own
triumphs and failures. http://www.zdtv.com

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

MessageBay Releases VoiceEnabling SDK For Webmasters And
Developers

The easiest way to voice-enable your website just got easier,
thanks to MessageBay's VoiceEnabling Software Development Kit.
The SDK is free to download and evaluate, and webmasters with
only basic software programming skills can start integrating
two-way voice messaging features into their websites in no time.

The SDK includes basic Perl scripts and sample HTML pages and
images. The plug-in must be downloaded from the Messagebay site,
but the webmaster controls the look and feel of all pages. Voice
is hosted and streamed "invisibly" from a MessageBay server, so
there are no additional storage or bandwidth considerations for
voice-enabled websites. MessageBay will offer a PHP version of
its VoiceEnabling SDK in the near future, as well a newer version
of its plug-in with enhanced features. http://www.messagebay.com

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

New Website Enables Businesses to Pull and Report Consumer Credit
Via Internet

Starting January 1, 2000, Advanced Business Computers of America,
Inc. announces the formal launch of e-CBI http://www.e-cbi.net>,
an innovative website that allows businesses to retrieve consumer
credit bureau inquiries from the nationwide credit service
company, Equifax. The site also allows businesses the ability to
transmit consumer credit back to all three major credit
institutions using an online form.

All data is transmitted using 128bit Secure Socket Layer
encryption. The cost to use the website is a lifetime membership
fee of $75.00. e-CBI offers competitive per pull rates on their
credit bureau inquiries.

Time saving is one benefit due to e-CBI having a real-time
connection to Equifax. e-CBI credit inquiry and reporting is
handled in seconds. Cost saving is another benefit since e-CBI
requires no special software to purchase, equipment to rent and
monthly surcharges or minimums to pay.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

notifyUS.com Integrates Telephone and Fax into Internet Messaging

While email, online chat and conferencing are excellent ways to
get in touch with someone, there are times when these methods of
communication just don't work -- not everyone has email, those
who do have email may not check it often, and an online chat
isn't feasible if the other person isn't online. Until now, the
only way to send phone or fax messages to people who didn't have
email or who weren't online was to physically pick up the phone
or put a message in the fax machine. A new service from
notifyUS.com http://www.notifyus.com changes all that, allowing
members to send phone and fax messages anywhere in the U.S.A.
through a simple browser-based interface.

notifyUS.com's free service allows anyone to initiate a text
message from anywhere in the world. The browser user types the
message once and sends it as a regular telephone call anywhere in
the U.S.A. The message can be sent to one person or to groups of
people for immediate delivery, or delivery can be scheduled for
up to 3 years in the future. The receiver, in turn, can send back
a voice response, and the sender can listen to the message using
the browser.

notifyUS.com's service provides a valuable new messaging
alternative, says Shyam Aiyar, CEO of notifyUS.com. "Not only can
users send messages to people without Internet access, but now
people anywhere in the world can send urgent and important
messages to their friends and family anywhere in the U.S.A.,
knowing that they will reach the person within minutes. And it is
free -- users don't have to pay prohibitive international toll
charges."


`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````


=====================
+        TIP        +
=====================

Creating Your Niche In The World.
by William R. Montgomery


Know what business you are in and what product you sell. To have
an edge over your competitors you must know your market, who's
going to buy your product and the strategy you will use to get
them to do so. This will be your Niche In The World.

How to develop your niche may largely depend on the niche you
have already created, knowingly or unknowingly.

Creating, Developing and Nurturing your Niche can be the
difference between failure and success. Your Niche can make you
stand head and shoulders above your competition. It can give you
the ability to corner your own little piece of the consumer
world.

Get a "Unique" Niche!  Your Niche should allow your prospective
client or customer to visualize that they are receiving something
special, something only you can give them in a way that no one
else can.

How do you make your Niche stand out above the rest?

Major Market Niches: Service, Quality and Guarantee.  These are 3
words to always remember:

1) SERVICE: Consumers, no matter what kind, expect and demand to
be pampered and waited on. Pay attention to their wants and
needs, and fulfill them to the best of your abilities short of
effecting your efficiency to serve others or your "Bottom Line".

2) QUALITY: Poor quality is going to get you two things:
Complaints and no repeat customers. If you expect to spend any
time in business, do yourself a favor; Don't lie to, steal from
or cheat your customers. Provide them with truthful information,
honesty & integrity and the best product you can provide for the
price that you set without effecting your bottom line profit
margin.

3) GUARANTEE: In today's world of the "fast buck" rip-off artist,
especially on the internet, people are hesitant to buy anything
without a guarantee. If you want to make sales, make a guarantee,
but don't over do it. Don't make such a ridiculous guarantee,
that can't be believed or will cost you so much that your profit
margin takes a nose dive.

When deciding what your Niche will be, first decide how it will
attract and benefit your customers, and how you will divert them
from patronizing your competitor for first time or repeated
sales. For example, your Niche may also be providing more
information and services in your area than anyone else in the
market.

In closing, no matter what your Niche, you will always find
someone else in the same market. Always study your competitors.
Approach them (their site) as you would if you were really a
prospective customer looking for their product. Would you be more
likely to buy from them or from you. Why? Why Not? These are
points that you should be constantly examining, researching and
striving to make better.

William R. Montgomery

This article may be reprinted as long as the following resource
box is included:
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======================
+ SITES TO CHECK OUT +
======================

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Range of useful online software tools. FREE!

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See keywords being used by searchers at dozens of web site
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Comparisons of domain registrars. FREE!

http://List-Universe.com/ad-network/publishers/
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http://ProfitInfo.com/
Site of Web marketing guru Marty Foley. FREE!

=====================


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