According to a recent study as reported in 2007 by Live Science, neuroscientists discovered that we become distracted from specific tasks that require our in-depth concentration simply because other parts of our brains suddenly ‘light up’ based on outside stimuli.
The scientists said that our brains process the outside world in two different ways. What they call the ‘top down’ approach, which is a controlled sort of focus on a single concept or activity, and an automatic focus, which is basically what happens when, say, a sudden noise makes you jump.
Of course, scientists have always known that brains work this way. The surprise of the report is in where the signals originate from within the brain. They come from different parts of the brain, depending upon the activity and stimulus. This means that it is very hard for us to control those distractions by simply focusing harder on our important tasks.
But what is most interesting to online marketers is this: author of the findings, Earl Miller, told Live Science, “Anything that stands out as different from everything else—like a red apple in the middle of a green field—tends to grab your attention.”
So, how should online marketers adjust their strategies for attracting the attention of potential online consumers? How can online marketers avoid scaring away potential customers with aggressive techniques?
Well, online marketers can take advantage of internet browsers inability to fight the initial distraction impulse by using marketing techniques that set off different pulses of neural activity within the brain. Certainly, marketers have used pop-up ads as the most basic method to do this; however, this research suggests that the slightest outside stimulus can still have a strong effect, thus making pop-up ads perhaps too intrusive on the browsing experience.
In other words, online marketers can refine their techniques to be less aggressive, while still remaining confident in the science that shows the initial distraction is still reliable. This way, online marketers don’t risk making the brands they market into something that consumers suddenly find is associated with annoying pop-up ads or ads that they can’t close.
Instead, online marketers should strive to make their ads like the red apple in the middle of a green field. Make ads and ad programs aesthetically pleasing and relatively seamless, rather than intrusive and crash-worthy. The subtlety of the red apple in the middle of the green field is what attracts the eye to it. It’s not screaming for someone to come pick it up and eat it, but rather simply by juxtaposing itself against the field, it simply calls attention to itself. Some of the best online advertisements do this as well and work in such a way as to entice the internet browser to click on them because he or she wants to, rather than force them to click on them to make them go away.
This guest post is contributed by Barbara Jolie, who writes on the topics of online classes. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: barbara.jolie876@gmail.com.
It’s probably the most widely adopted method of marketing in today’s world; what with technology soaring to great heights and reducing physical distances to nothing thanks to the virtual world, it makes sense to marketers to tap the Internet to spread the word about their products and services. It’s easy enough and cost-effective to set up a presence on the web, and all you have to do is get people to visit your website and learn more about your company and how you can satisfy their needs and wants. Now not many Internet marketing strategies work effectively, but there are some that beat the rest hands down. This is because:
* They combine both traditional and modern methods: It may be hard to believe, but there are still many people who are not tech savvy. The older generation is wary of computers and anything that has to do with technology while the technophobes are careful that they don’t spend too much time with their machines and gadgets. So if you want to target this crowd and get them to view your website and subscribe to your services, the best way is the traditional way. Put up your link in visible locations like television, newspapers and magazines; and besides sending out emails to those who have email addresses, use the postal service as well for those who don’t. When you combine traditional and modern methods of marketing, you gain the best of both worlds.
* They use the 80-20 principle: Internet marketers must know where to look for customers and try to entice them to their page. The chance of the customer wandering onto your site by accident is very minimal, so you must be willing to do the hard work. If you follow the 80-20 principle however, you reduce your effort and find new customers in less time. The key to this principle is to know that 80 percent of your potential customers visit 20 percent of the sites on the Internet. So tap popular hangouts like Facebook, Twitter and Google where everyone you know has an account. These networks also offer viral marketing advantages where one person’s visit to your page is shown to others who are connected to them, thus taking your marketing one step further to the next level without any additional effort on your part.
* They keep up with the times: And most important of all, successful Internet marketers know when to change their methods and tactics if they are to keep up with the times. They are never stagnant by sticking to tried and true methods. Rather, they explore every avenue and leave no opportunity alone. They know that the web is a rapidly evolving organization, and that if you don’t keep up, you’re bound to get left out.
This article is contributed by Susan White, who regularly writes on the subject of Internet Service. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: susan.white33@gmail.com.
In my experience, I would say that most Holiday lighting companies are small (2-4 employees) and only have the ability to handle a limited amount of customers each year.
Once some installation companies establish core clients after their first year, many of them don’t even market. Their business comes from previous jobs or referrals from current clients, which usually is made up of neighbors, family and friends.
Each holiday season, you will find that more calls come in than can ever be fulfilled. I have found this to be a very common complaint from Christmas lighting installers: too much business! I can’t think of any other industry that has a problem turning down customers!
During the first week of December, things get really busy any calls start pouring in. I have found myself telling people that I can’t leave my house for less than a minimum of $400. Lighting services are in such demand that people are really willing to pay an arm and a leg to have it done.
Growth is the goal and most important aspect to your new business. Be careful though because you don’t want it to grow so quickly that you find yourself overwhelmed. This will only lead to a series of problems that will have a negative impact on your business. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Only make commitments that you can keep. Never say you will do something and not follow through. Your reputation is your most valuable asset and you should protect it at all costs.
Take this business one job at a time and don’t be afraid to tell a client that you are booked.
Things tend to get very busy and there is only so much you will be able to handle on your own. It may be hard at first to turn down jobs, but be aware that there is always next year.
Keep a database of names, numbers, and email addresses. Even if you don’t get to them this year, you will be able to contact them earlier in the season next year to ensure that they become a client.
Make sure that you take down as many details as possible about your clients and contacts. Names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, how they found you, job description, and price quote are all important to have in a database. The more organized you keep your business, the more efficient you become and the more profits you make.
You should have a good handle on your strengths and weaknesses as a worker and a business owner. If you don’t, you will soon learn them.
Owning a business will teach you a lot about yourself. By knowing your skills and what you bring to the table, you will be able to take advantage of many opportunities that will make your business as efficient as possible.
Bill Tincu makes $50,000 every holiday season by simply running his own Christmas Light Installation Business. For more information on starting a holiday lighting business, visit: Christmas-Kings.com
Money- It’s the universal currency that all civilized human beings are familiar with. So what is money? Or precisely, How do you “see” money?
Money means differently to everyone.
It can represent power and authority.
A measurement of success or contribution.
Maybe happiness?
Perhaps, some see it as only a piece of paper and they earn it just so that they can carry on with their lives. Once it’s finished spent, they’ll work again to earn it.
Now that you KNOW what money is, consider the difference between money and wealth. Money relates to your income where else wealth is define on the assets you have and how they’re being used.
True wealth has nothing to do with how much money you have in your bank or the car you drive. It’s the sense of well-being, knowing you are ‘rich’ – it does not need to be seen by anyone but just you.
As how many people view money in different ways, power, authority, happiness and so on – some also sees it as a ‘relationship’. Clarifying your relationship with money will determine whether money’s your master or slave – who’s controling who.
So is your relationship with money is something stressful or a healthy one?
You see, if it’s giving you negative impact, no wonder you’re not striking gold. Simply because your unconscious mind will ‘prevent’ you from pain and push it away. You’ve heard about this a million time so I’m not going to write more about it.
The only way for you to know the answer is to look in the mirror and face the truth – because all of us hated or feared money at one time or another in our life.
When I was broke, money means a lot to me but that does not means I like it. Because the lack of it, I suffered ‘pain’. I was broke. But noted that I was never poor. You can take my money away and make me broke, but I will strive to stand up and play the game of money again – and win because I now know how’s the game is being played. So the only way to overcome disassociation with money is to “ACCEPT” money into your life without fear or shame.
So if you want to be financially wealthy, don’t just sit and practice ‘law of attraction’? It’s more than that.
Here’s the combination to attract money:
Right Mindset + Right Attitude + A Solid Plan + Proven Techniques + Taking Actions = $$$ Into Your Pocket
Right mindset could be how to attract money into your life.
Attitude? You can start with being patient to obtain wealth.
Solid plan will mean knowing what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there.
Techniques are yours to choose.
Taking actions need no explanatory and this is the part that most failed.
So what does money means to you and how you make it to be on your side? Your homework for today is to know this and it’ll definitely make you become a richer person.
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Patric Chan is an international speaker, author and the founder of The Success Trace Private Membership. Find out what are his other success strategies and get free gifts from Patric at Success Trace.
If you’re ready to enter the world of blogging, you have lots of options available to you. One is Blogger.
Blogger is a simple and easy way to get started for free. It’s a service provided by Google and geared toward beginners. This is a good option if you are new to the world of blogging.
WordPress is also free and extremely flexible. It builds your entire site for you, allows you to use or modify existing designs and lets you create as many categories as you choose. It also integrates RSS (more on this in a moment) into your site automatically.
Another option is Movable Type. This publishing system is the most popular business publishing platform and has many features a system such as Blogger lacks. This is a more professional program and is a paid service.
Typepad is an alternative paid blogging service. They host many of the world’s most popular blogs and are easy to use.
It doesn’t matter which service you choose. The important thing is to pick one and get a blog started as soon as possible. But unless your blog posts contain a combination of certain components, you can not and should not expect it to become a viral blog.
People simply won’t talk about blogs that bore them, so you must give people something to talk about. You do that by keeping these five things in mind when writing your blog posts:
If your blog posts contain at least four of these five components, you are creating the right kind of content that has the power to attract massive traffic to your website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Glen Hopkins is Best Selling Author, Information Marketer, Speaker, And Consultant. Glen specializes in teaching struggling entrepreneurs how to turn their small Online businesses into thriving money machines using specific systems that will allow you to work less and earn more. Get over $753.58 worth of his products for FREE.