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SITE-SELL! Issue #031
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SITE-SELL! The World's Most USABLE E-commerce E-zine
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>A free, occasional e-zine dedicated to showing you...
>... how to SELL on the Net!
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April 3, 2003 Issue #031
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>All-Time Favorite SITE-SELL! Article
If a friend forwarded this copy of SITE-SELL! to you, here's
our readers' all-time favorite SITE-SELL! article. It's a
powerful example (using the luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel)
of how to makeover your own site to...
... SELL on the Net!
http://articles.sitesell.com/bhh/
If you like what you see and want to keep getting more of
the same, SITE-SELL! is free. Please visit...
http://myss.sitesell.com/s-ezine.html
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>Reader's Choice...
Care to see the VERY BEST ARTICLE (according to reader
feedback) from each of our OTHER two e-zines?...
http://articles.sitesell.com/
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>Table of Contents
o SITE-SELL! Xpress News
1) New SBI! Directory HQ And SpamCheck II Launch!
2) Register Your Site in SiteSell's
Newly Launched Value Exchange!... FREE!
--
o Featured Article
1) A Brief Value-Exchanging Primer
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>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITE-SELL XPRESS NEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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>-News-
---1---
>-News-
New SBI! Directory HQ And SpamCheck II Launch!
How do you improve upon the best?
Simple...
Add more exciting, intuitive features that further address
the needs of all small-businesses doing business on the Net,
with NO accompanying increase in cost.
Funny thing... that sums up the whole Site Build It! (SBI!)
philosophy! :-)
The new SBI! Directory HQ and SpamCheck II show that we
don't just pay lip service to this philosophy... we live and
breathe it!
-----
First, let me tell you about SpamCheck II...
We originally developed SpamCheck to integrate directly into
SBI!'s state-of-the-Net newsletter MailOut Module. However,
due to the very real and desperate need of Webmasters to be
able deliver their newsletters through increasingly
stringent filtering software, we introduced SpamCheck to the
Net through our 5 Pillar Affiliate members.
Phew!
Talk about an overwhelming response!
SpamCheck was so successful that it brought our mailserver
to its proverbial knees -- it seems even we had
underestimated how desperate Webmasters had become! So as
volume grew, it was taking longer and longer to receive a
report.
Obviously, this was totally unacceptable, so I put the
techies to work developing a more robust solution. Now
SpamCheck II is "live" on its own dedicated server, ready to
report on *all* your e-mails and newsletters in mere
seconds! We also installed the most up-to-date version of
SpamAssassin while we were at it!
Best of all, we don't require that you provide a pile of
personal information to use the service, nor do we add your
address to any list (like some of the "copycat" services
did/do that have popped-up since we launched!).
To use the service, simply start the "Subject" line of your
e-mail with the word "TEST" (in all caps, but without the
quotes), copy and paste your content into the body, and send
it to...
spamcheck@sitesell.net
... you'll receive your report in a few seconds -- a minute
or two if volume is heavy. Remember -- you *must* use TEST
in your Subject line, or we'll delete your e-mail!
-----
OK, let's move on to the new Site Build It! Directory HQ.
As you know, SBI!'ers are already privy to the most
comprehensive and intuitive set of Search Engine tracking
and reporting tools on the planet (submission,
index-checking, re-submission, rank-reporting, keyword
search reporting... ALL automated and optimized).
And then, of course, you have SBI!'s Search Engine
Optimization tools, including Analyze It!, to bring your SEO
skills up to the level of the pros. And...
In addition, you have the Pay-Per-Click bidding and research
tools available in the Manager, as well as the tracking
tools available in the PPC HQ.
Yes, SBI! has *all* the Search Engine bases covered...
And what are the bottom line results?
SBI! sites ATTRACT focused traffic at an unprecedented
level...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/sbi-businesses/traffic-alexa.html
But what about the Directories -- LookSmart, Yahoo!, and
Open Directory?
Ah, indeed... they are a horse of a different color! First
of all, Directories are compiled by humans (not by spiders),
and they require manual submission, a process that is
impossible to automate. Directories used to report results
like this...
category > sub-category > sub-sub-category > sub-sub-sub-category
But now most directories report search results much like
Search Engines do. What's the significance of this?
It means that we can report upon how well you rank at them!
Important?
You bet!
The 3 big Directories -- Yahoo!, Open Directory, and
LookSmart can provide vital, profit-generating traffic to
your site in two important ways...
1) from searches originating directly from their own
portals (i.e., a LookSmart referral originating directly
from LookSmart)
Or...
2) from searches originating from their SE partners who
supplement crawler-based listings with directory listings
(for example, a LookSmart referral originating from MSN or
AltaVista).
Of course, with the exception of Open Directory, it costs
*real* money to list in a Directory these days.
So it's vital to...
o measure the ROI (Return on Investment) from such an
expenditure
o evaluate the possible profitability of a paid listing
o verify the listing is delivering as reported (important
for a LookSmart listing, which operates on a Pay-Per-Click
basis).
The new Directory HQ at Site Central in Site Build It! does
all this... and more! By tracking directory-driven traffic
and identifying its source of origin, there will be no more
second-guessing the importance and performance of such
listings!
The new functionality comprises two major new reports...
1) The Keyword Ranking Report
The "reporting" table is very similar to the one present in
the Search Engine HQ, which tells you exactly where every
page on your site ranks for every one of your keywords.
2) The Keyword Searches Report
This report tells you how each one of your Web pages was
found. SBI! tells you which keywords found which page, and
even tells you if the referral originated from the Directory
itself (i.e., Open Directory), or one of its partners,
(i.e., AOL -- which uses Open Directory results as a back-up
for crawler listings). And it sorts results by page, or by
keyword... so you get the complete picture...
o how many times all pages were found by each Directory
o how many times each page was found by each Directory
o the breakdown of that Directory according to how many
times each *version* of that directory found that page.
o the breakdown of that Directory according to how many
times each keyword found that page.
Super-simple. Super-useful, too -- this way you know *who*
really delivers the goods! And how! :-)
-----
On a "bigger picture" scale, here's what really excites me.
Consider these SBI! tools and reports, and check out all the
features...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/index.html#FEATURES
Even better, see how SBI! stacks up against the
competition...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/compare/compare1.html
And ask yourself...
Is there a better overall resource on the Internet?
At any price?
Nope.
It's the world's most powerful Search Engine/Directory/Pay
Per Click Search Engine, just ready and waiting to build
your TRAFFIC... your business.
Factor in *all* the exciting functionality, and the answer
becomes clearer and clearer...
Site Build It! is the answer...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
>-News-
---2---
>-News-
Register Your Site in SiteSell's
Newly Launched Value Exchange!... FREE!
The SiteSell Value Exchange is the simplest, fastest, most
efficient, and (most importantly) most REAL way of
exchanging links. It's a true use of the Net -- relevant
quality sites linking to related quality sites *only,* just
the way Search Engines want it.
The SiteSell Value Exchange matches you with similarly-
themed quality sites who are interested in exchanging links.
A self-regulating process keeps the quality high and the
process REAL (for example, if you have a low-value,
banner-loaded site, don't bother joining the Value Exchange
since you'll be weeded out in no time).
-----SIDEBAR-----
Why do I call this "Part I?" Because before
we can officially start this program, we have
to load up the database with tens of
thousands of sites.
Wait 'til you see how (in Part II) we'll use
these tens of thousands of sites to provide
fantastic selection of similarly-themed sites
for SBI! owners... a powerful traffic-builder.
-----SIDEBAR-----
I deliberately did not use the term "Link Exchange" for this
new traffic-building tool. The SiteSell Value Exchange is
clearly *much* more than that. In a nutshell, the SiteSell
Value Exchange is a unique service -- indeed, it's the ONLY
service on the Net that encourages and facilitates the
exchanging of *valuable* business-and-traffic-building links
between high quality, similarly-themed sites.
The SiteSell Value Exchange generates *credible* matches so
that you only contact other sites who have SPECIFICALLY
expressed an interest in exchanging links with you, *if* you
have a similarly themed site (or related) -- talk about a
HUGE time saver! It also culls low-quality sites from the
program, and uses specially designed algorithms to ensure
you never receive off-target link requests or worse... spam.
Result?
Pre-qualified VALUABLE link requests from quality,
like-themed sites -- the REAL way.
Translation?
Headache-free value-exchanging -- no searching or begging
required. And *most* importantly... no tricks! We use
technology to *keep it real* and yet remove the tedium and
complexity of searching out and requesting links from
qualified sites. (In this case, it applies more than ever,
since managing a "link exchange" program is usually both
spammy and highly tedious and complex.)
In other words, you're going to do it "the real way,"
the way the engines want you do it...
.... except in hyper-drive, with little use of your time.
Yet it will be genuine, adding real value for your human
visitors *and* meeting everything the Search Engines seek.
-----
And here's the best news...
SiteSell Value Exchange will be available to...
o YOU, valued Site-Sell! subscriber
o YOUR target market... friends, colleagues, visitors,
subscribers, audience, etc. -- should you decide to
join our acclaimed 5 Pillar Affiliate Program, and
present the Value Exchange to your audience. For
more info...
http://affiliates.sitesell.com/
Naturally, we'll be making this free version of Value
Exchange available to *all* our various other e-zine
subscribers. What an extensive and exciting pool of
potential site exchange candidates!
Here's how to register YOUR site for participation in the
new Value Exchange...
http://value-exchange.sitesell.com/
Read all the in-context "Help" to ensure you present your
site in the manner that is most beneficial to you and other
participants in the program. Once you see the unique way
that registering and searching serve as "simultaneous"
automatic self-regulators (which ensures high quality
matches and relevancy), you'll get as excited as I am. :-)
Here's that URL again...
http://value-exchange.sitesell.com/
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Of course, SBI!'ers get a little extra with their version of
Value Exchange -- OK, OK, a LOT extra! Not only are
SBI!'ers provided with sharply targeted matches, but a whole
slew of cutting-edge link management tools as well,
including the loyal "GoGetIt" bot...
o automatic submission, once, of all URLs that link to
their site, to all engines, just to be sure that they know
about them -- after all, what's the point of an incoming
link if it takes the engines FOREVER to find them?
o specialized tools to easily manage the exchanges -- wait
until you see how these turn hours into SECONDS.
o automatic link monitoring to assure that an exchange
partner has the link to your site well-exposed, visible, and
not "buried" (deep in the site or with 100 other links) and
not "orphaned" (i.e., unreachable).
o automatic calculation of TRUE link popularity, with a
unique weighted index that gives SBI!'ers a score of how
well they are doing.
o tracking of links IN and links OUT, as well as clicks IN
and clicks OUT, through the Value Exchange Program, to make
sure that each SBI!'er is getting solid returns from this
program.
o other valuable tools, including a wonderful new bot
called GoGetIt, which, together with the above
functionality, will boost SBI!'ers traffic even more...
... all done fairly and in a way that even the most
stringent of Search Engines (especially Google) will *love.*
For a current list of the full functionality of SBI!...
http://buildit.sitesell.com/
*************************************************************
Yup, the SiteSell Value Exchange delivers the sort of
value-exchanging that Search Engines love and encourage --
the type of exchange that provides value to the engines, to
their visitors who search, to visitors of the sites they
find and visit...
... in other words, to *EVERYONE!*
Talk about WIN-WIN-WIN!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FEATURED ARTICLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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-------
---1---
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A Brief Value-Exchanging Primer
OK. You're registered! Now what?...
It will be four weeks before we "turn on" SiteSell Value
Exchange (Part II). As just noted, we want a HUGE database
to deliver top-notch, relevant value-exchange requests.
This provides you with some thinking time to decide how you
are going to approach value-exchange requests.
Here's the key theory in digestible chunks...
1) A limited number of high quality links is much better
than a huge number of low quality links. There are a couple
of reasons for this...
a) The more your reciprocal links look like an
artificial attempt to increase link popularity (instead of
providing an additional valuable source of information to
your visitor), the more likely a Search Engine will ignore,
or possibly even punish your site's ranking within its
index. So while it's a great idea to integrate links into
the context of your site, or even have a Top 3 or Top 5
"best resources" page, a page with zillions of links can
only be viewed by Search Engines (which are extremely
clever) as an artificial attempt to raise link popularity.
b) Your #1 priority must be the building of your own
business. In other words, even though all links should be
configured to "pop-up" in a new window, it's not a good idea
to distract your visitor from your MWR (Most Wanted
Response) too much! Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal
of your site... to build *YOUR* business!
2) Don't exchange links just for the sake of exchanging
links. Remember, who you link to reflects upon the
credibility of your own business. Linking to a low-quality
site will tarnish your credibility. Don't feel that you
have to exchange a link with everyone who requests one. On
the contrary, every link request should be analyzed
carefully and thoughtfully.
a) Ask yourself... "Will exchanging a link with this
site add credibility to my site and provide a valuable new
resource for my visitors, without jeopardizing the success
of my own business?" If yes, it sounds like this is a great
opportunity for you! If not, there is no need for you to
oblige the other Webmaster.
b) Judge a site on its own merits, not on its Google
PageRank score. Do *YOU* think it's great -- remember,
this is the kind of behavior Google looks for. Over time,
truly well-done sites *DO* get recognized as such by Google.
So your early recognition of a "young gem" will be well-
received and rewarded.
c) On the other hand, be ruthless. If it's not related
to what your site is all about, or if it's not well-done,
accepting to give a link to such a site hurts. Remember...
you CANNOT be penalized for "bad links" coming INTO your
site -- that is NOT under your control. But you CAN be
penalized for the reverse.
-----
So it really boils down to this...
STAY REAL!
Stay focused on building your *own* business, and exchanging
links *only* with credible, similarly-themed sites.
And that's where the power and simplicity of the SiteSell
Value Exchange comes into play...
It will help you build a true value linking program. One
that works, without tricks...
... and will KEEP on working.
SiteSell Value Exchange does its business while you "do"
yours!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SITESELL PRODUCTS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Site Build It!
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Take the SBI! Quick Tour at...
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-----------------------------------------------
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-----------------------------------------------
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the Net. And, best of all, the courses are free.
Take the courses that interest you today. You'll receive
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Shows you how to become a high-earning affiliate champion.
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InfoProducts Masters Course
How to brainstorm, create, produce, and sell
your very own infoproduct online
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------------------
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Written by Ken Evoy, M.D.
President, SiteSell.com
(c) copyright 2003 SiteSell.com