Interview with Web Marketer Will76

December 30, 2007

Will76 is one of the Net’s leading marketers of webcam and streaming media sites. He has been in the business for over 11 years and his business continues to expand every year. His latest online offerings seek to help webmasters make the right decisions in picking the right sponsors and provide them with industry information. His websites are http://www.referralmatrix.com and http://www.viraldiscussions.com.

1. How would you describe your job?

I work about 80 hours a week. I go to work around 10 am and sign off at about 3 am. I manage my business and spend most of the day monitoring its progress and going over new projects. I still do some tasks but I try to delegate as much as possible. Explaining what needs to be done and supervising work have become full time jobs as well. In addition to my online business, I am also involved in a real-estate business that builds and sells new houses.

2. How did you get into this kind of business? Did you really see yourself getting into this kind of business?

I got into the business by chance. I had been online since 1996 but spent most of my time meeting girls. I didn’t envision making money online until I discovered ifriends.com in 1999. I set up a webcam and suddenly started making money. I was working as a bartender at the time and I was in my last year of college. I started making more money on webcam a few hours a week than I was making from bartending 25 hours a week. I saved up money and made an investment of about $4,000 which went towards new computer equipment and a designer to create my first membership site. I started making good money from my first website so I put my career on hold and expanded my online company.

3. What do you think are the turning points that helped make webmastering a money-making business?

The keys to my success were investing what I made and never getting comfortable. In the first couple of years, I put all the profit back into my online business. After a few years of doing that, I started investing into real-estate to diversify. I didn’t buy all the toys and nice houses like most people. Instead, I paid off credit card debts, lived very modestly, and kept investing. I also never got satisfied. A lot of people will hit a certain point where they feel that they are making good money and then work less and waste money. I wouldn’t say there were any turning points for me; understanding those two principles from the beginning kept me in the right direction. I also try to stay one step ahead. As soon as you are making money from something, other people will try to copy you so you have to evolve and improve your product. Keep your competition one step behind you. The hardest part isn’t making money but to keep making money.

4. What is the most exciting industry-related development of late?

MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook; because of the type of value those sites were able to obtain in a short period of time. It is exciting to me that I could start something now and in a few years, it could be worth over one billion dollars. It is exciting trying to come up with the next Facebook or MySpace. I am working on some new projects that I hope can come close to achieving that type of success. I love the challenge and the money would be nice too.

5. What do you think are the essential skills to become a successful webmaster?

You need to learn and observe. Every “know-it-all” is broke for a reason. I learn something new everything day. You have to know what you are selling; what works and what doesn’t work. Know your customers and your market. You also need to have motivation and goals. Invest smart when you do make money and then make your money work for you. You need to be creative, think outside the box, and find something that someone else is doing and make it better.

6. Webmastering has gone from being a one-person job to a field that allows specialization. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for the business?

One person cannot do everything. Sometimes it is better to hire someone else to do a job if it saves you time. Your time is worth money. If you can design and it would take you 20 hours to do the job, if you hire someone to do it and it would only cost you $200, which is the better way to go? That was the hardest thing for me to learn; to not try to do everything myself.

7. Do you think the industry is regulated enough? Should the authorities or the governing bodies be more strict or less strict?

I believe the industry needs to step up and regulate itself. I think that a line needs to be drawn that separates “good” business from “bad” business. If you want to use spyware and help support sites that steal copyrighted content or if you cheat your partners or other companies, then you should be held accountable. The problem right now is someone can do all these bad things and are not being held accountable. If we can’t regulate ourselves then at some point things could deteriorate if the government intervenes.

8. What are the challenges the industry is facing today?

I think spyware is a huge problem that is going to get worse. Companies like Zango allow anyone to target your urls and basically hijack your traffic. There are other non-visible spyware programs that steal your joins behind the scenes. Torrent sites and copyrighted content being stolen and given away for free are other issues. The traditional picture and video membership site model will have to change drastically in the near future if torrent sites are not shut down.

Written by admin · Filed Under Interviews

The Current Web Market

December 30, 2007

Take into account the millions of people who do the exact thing every minute
of the day, and you’ll know for sure that doing business online is a gateway
to the land of milk and honey. Whether browsing the World Wide Web is a fad
or a cyber cult following, there’s a great chance that this favorite pastime activity
can help you turn in a large profit. Now that online publishing has turned
into a multi-billion dollar industry, expect the competition to only grow more intense
each day.

Suddenly, every player in the cyber field has to dig his own gold for a slice of
wealth and market share, which could have been easier a few years back.

The Web Market - Then and Now.

If in the past, critics have cast all the blame on capitalists for creating surreal
needs and manipulating the market trends, today’s bandwagon is highly influenced by the way consumers think and feel. The name of the game is innovation, wherein you have to be more sensitive with what people want and need.
As technology turns into a new fold, the only way to survive is to keep up with the changes.
Not only do advertising and marketing strategies have to be more user-oriented, you also have to learn a few tricks about search engine optimization (SEO). They say that SEO is a three letter word for success that can generate more revenues through pay-per-click (PPC) and affiliate marketing

The Truth About SEO.

SEO is more than just creating a great content for the site. Aside from tracking the right keyword phrases through a keyword selection tool such as Overture, the overall design also concerns the format. What color to add, where to place the ad, and what size to use for the banner may all create a more attractive appeal to online browsers.
You see, any activity on the World Wide Web could be enhanced by integrating the basic senses of your browsers. That’s why online publishers have their eye on adding videos, podcasts, shopping carts, and live chats to their sites, which all translate to higher page views and clicks. This is where widgets also come handy in providing mini-applications that can be dragged out of the page.

Today’s Challenges.

Despite the recent developments, the growth of e-commerce has been sluggish compared to its success in the previous years. The startup and inventory costs are on the rise as large companies also tend to dominate the search engine results, making it hard for small-time players to gain an equal footing.

The current web market now poses a great challenge that transcends beyond the basics of managing an online business.
Online publishers and advertisers alike are exploring more avenues to improve their promotional strategies through social networking. As such, link baiting, bookmarking, as well as forum and blog posting are seen as effective tools for social media marketing.

They all help in keeping the brand or service offered alive and resilient to the growing marketplace.

A New Launch.

In following a trend for innovation, some websites have also launched a new set of tools for its users. For example, Rondee has made it on the headlines for launching “Evite” as a conference calling system. Oddle, a classified search engine, has also upgraded its site by optimizing the search for up to 30 million listings on the web. The Windows Live Community Builder, meanwhile, has enhanced its version by adding, photo service, email, writer, messenger, and livedrive options for its community. Flickr, a photo sharing site, has launched geographical features, while Viddler now features a new tag-based advertising system.

The current web market has grown to be as complex as it can be. Not only do online publishers and advertisers have to identify a specific niche or target, they also have to feed their users’ insatiable whims.
Ideally, they should make it easier for their online browsers to navigate, track, use,
and remember their sites by building their own social network.

Written by admin · Filed Under Reviews

Web Marketing Tips

December 12, 2007

7 Web Marketing Tips

If you think web marketing is only for online businesses, think again. The Internet has become the new marketplace, and that applies to online and offline businesses alike. In fact, web marketing accounts for over 50% of sales revenue for the average business, and the figures keep growing as we speak. No matter how good your products are, or how much you spend on mainstream advertising, you can’t maximize your publicity potential without a strong web presence.

But web marketing can be expensive and time-consuming. You want to make sure your time and money will be worth it. Here are seven ways to make web marketing work for you.

1. Have a website. Even if you don’t do business online, a corporate website helps users learn more about your company. People turn to the Web for practically everything, and if they don’t find you there, you might as well be invisible. At the very least, a website tells your customers that you’re stable enough to invest in a web site, no matter how basic.

2. Choose a good domain name. Your domain name is the address that someone types in to reach your site (such as “http://www.yourcompany.com”). A good domain name is easy to remember no complex spellings or number codes and directly refers to your site. Your brand name is the most obvious choice, but there’s a good chance it’s already taken. If that’s the case, try using a different top-level domain (such as .biz or .net) or separating words with hyphens.

3. Know your clients. This may sound cliché, but it’s more overlooked than you might think. A lot of companies spend millions of dollars marketing to the wrong people or giving the wrong marketing message. Invest in good market research. Find out which sectors you most apply to and what they like most about your company (your service, your product quality, etc) and stress that in your campaigns.

4. Be consistent. Web marketing isn’t an entirely new marketing strategy; it’s only an extension of you current one. Make sure your online and offline identities are the same. You don’t want to confuse people by using one logo offline and another online. Use the same color scheme, message, and images as you do in your other marketing projects.

5. Be accessible. Even if you do all your transactions online, people will want concrete evidence that you’re a legitimate company. Always provide offline contact information such as a phone number, fax number, and street address. Make sure there’s always someone to answer calls in case an online customer wants to verify.

6. Use search engines. Thirty years ago, people looked at he yellow pages for information; these days, they go to Google. Search engines account for about 75% of your website traffic. If you don’t show up on the first page or two, you’re missing the bulk of your target market. Look for a good search engine optimization (SEO) service provider to see how you can make your site rank higher.

7. Outsource. Not all companies can afford an in-house designer, programmer, and copywriter. Don’t try to do everything yourself. If writing isn’t exactly your strong suit, consider outsourcing your web content and marketing copy. Not only does it ensure better results, it also helps you save overhead costs.

Written by admin · Filed Under Marketing Tips

Website Domain Trends

December 12, 2007

Website Domain Trends

The trade of website domains has been a lucrative industry in the past few years. Advertising expenditures have increasingly shifted from traditional media such as newspapers and television into the Internet. Almost $4 billion were spent on Internet advertising in the first half of 2005 alone. Such developments contributed to the rising of domain prices as the industry attracted the attention of corporate buyers and venture capitalists.Prominent business publications such as the Wall Street Journal have featured the website domain business which further increased interest in the burgeoning industry. Industry leaders have also conducted trade conventions such as the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. and Domain Roundtable conferences for domain owners, developers, and investors. These trade conventions enable domain insiders to interact and discuss important issues about the industry.

A 2006 research conducted by Emiliano Pasqualetti of DomainsBot on secondary market sales trends in the website domain business found that domain names that were sold for more than $10,000 are growing exponentially in value. The research also showed that the total value of domain names that were worth at least $100,000 had the fastest rate of growth. Sales of English domains dominated the market from 2004 to 2006 with a market share of 82.5%.

English domains sold for a total of $76.7 million from 2004 to 2006. Pasqualetti also found that .com domain names composed of a single English keyword had the most demand. Pasqualetti’s research concluded that 54% of the domains that were sold are being used for traffic monetization purposes.

Domain sales in 2007 are being dominated by adult domains based on market reports conducted by DNJournal.com.The adult domain Porn.com has so far topped the domain sales chart for 2007 with a market value of $9.5 million. Seniors.com ranked second with a market value of $1.8 million and Tandberg.com ranked third with a market value of $1.5 million. Rounding out the top 10 are: Vista.com ($1.25 million), Scores.com ($1.18 million), Chinese.com ($1.12 million), Topix.com ($1 million), Poker.de ($957,937), Dollars.com ($650,000), and Cardiology.com ($550,000).The leading website domain vendors in 2007 include: Moniker/T.R.A.F.F.I.C., Sedo, DRT Auction, and Afternic/BuyDomains.

Real estate domains have so far ranked prominently in the Global Contenders sales category of DNJournal.com for 2007. Global Contenders category includes domain names that end in .biz, .info, .mobi, .net, and .pro. RealEstate.net topped the Global Contenders sales chart with a market value of $300,000. DIY.net ranked second with a market value of $200,000 and Chinese.net ranked third with a market value of $180,000. Rounding out the top 10 for the Global Contenders sales category are: Ringtones.net ($175,000), Sportsbook.mobi ($129,800), Travel.info ($116,000), Hosting.mobi($101,000), Army.org ($99,000), RealEstate.mobi ($85,000), and Bingo.org($75,000).The International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has recently revealed its plans to hasten the development of country-coded top level domains (ccTLDs) and local language scripting at the 2007 Internet Governance Forum. ICANN is an international non-profit organization that is in-charge of regulating the World Wide Web’s domain name system.

ICANN has also launched its campaign to assign internationalized ccTLDs with the assistance of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO). ICANN’s efforts will further help in the globalization of the website domain industry.

Written by admin · Filed Under Reviews

Choosing a Domain Name

December 12, 2007

Choosing a Domain Name It’s only a few characters long, but your domain name is just as crucial as your company name. Your domain name is the core of your online identity. If you pick the wrong one, your website won’t be doing half its job, which is to draw in potential customers. A bad domain name affects your entire marketing strategy and can have lasting effects on your public image. So how do you choose a good domain name? With over 100 million sites in existence, most of the good names will have been taken by now. But think of it as a way to make your site even more unique and creative. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your site. Be consistent with your brand name. Ten years ago, the trend was to stuff your domain name with keywords to attract people and search engines alike. That’s why you have lousy names like CheapPlaneTickets.com and BuyRareBooks.com. But these days, people are looking for credibility, for proof you’re an actual company. If your brand name is already taken, try adding “company”, a hyphen, or some other variation.Choose a good TLD. The top-level domain (TLD) is the extension at the end of your web address, such as .com, .net and .org. The best choice is always .com, as it’s the easiest to remember and often the first thing people think of when they recall your site. .Net and .org are good alternatives, but there are also seldom-used ones like .biz and .info. If you cater mostly to local clients, country code TLDs like .ca and .co.uk may be more preferable.

Keep it short but informative. A domain name can have up to 67 characters, but you don’t have to use it all. Most of the time, just your brand or company name, plus variations if it’s already taken, will do the job. Acronyms aren’t a good idea for small businesses, unless you’ve already built a strong association with it (think MSN.com or NBC.com). If your company name doesn’t exceed 67 letters, spelling it out may be a better option.

Register several TLDs. Many experts recommend registering all common variations of your domain name to make sure no one else gets it. If you’ve got businessworld.com registered, for example, consider registering business-world.com and businessworld.net as well. That way, you won’t be confused with a company from another continent using the same company name. It also helps people find you better, if they add in that extra hyphen or can’t remember the right extension, they’ll easily be redirected to you. Avoid trademarks. Some site owners have faced legal issues regarding the use of trademarked names. A company may make the best iPod accessories, but they may find themselves in trouble with Apple if they use the domain ipodaccessories.com. Some are simply unfortunate and unknowingly register a trademarked domain name. Research is the best way to avoid this. Know what laws apply to your state and make sure your website complies.

Written by admin · Filed Under Domain Names

The History Of Webmastering

December 2, 2007

The History Of Webmastering

The invention of the Internet and the creation of the World Wide Web are considered as some of the most important innovations in the world of communication and information. By working side-by-side, the Internet and the World Wide Web are constantly providing the convenience and service that everybody needs. The success of the mentioned advancements in the fields of electronics, information, and technology are continuously developing because of the process called webmastering.

Webmastering is a means of organizing and manipulating the websites that constitute the World Wide Web in order to improve everybody’s Internet experience.The history of webmastering starts with the creation of the World Wide Web. When he was still working as an independent contractor in the computing services section of the research laboratory CERN, Tim Berners-Lee came up with the most brilliant idea yet.

CERN, the largest particle physics research laboratory in the world, is dedicated to the promotion of collaboration and cooperation of the different institutions and various scientists in order to discover new ideas and innovations that might benefit the society in the future. Because of the fact that the participants of the CERN research are geographically distant from each other, Berners-Lee thought that it would be better if the necessary information they use for research are collected and organized to be conveniently accessed by everybody regardless of their location.

During that time, the trend in the access of information via the computer technology is simply described as the arrangement of individual documents into separate files. The files are then capable of being downloaded into different computers. Because he feels the need for an easier access of different files, Berners-Lee started a project that he called ENQUIRE. The project ENQUIRE, based on the idea of hypertext, is created to allow the researchers to have continuous retrieval of information by the linking of pages which contain related information. With the help of his colleague Robert Cailliau, Tim Berners-Lee introduced the birth of the World Wide Web in 1990. The World Wide Web is a system which allows the input, the distribution, the sharing, the retrieval, the organization, and the processing of data and information across the globe through the use of the Internet. The necessary components needed in order for the World Wide Web to work efficiently are the web server and the web browser. Berners-Lee is also responsible for the creation of the first ever web browser, WorldWideWeb, and the first ever web server, NeXTcube.

On August 6, 1991, Berners-Lee put the very first website ever built available online. The website was plain and simple and it only contained an explanation regarding the identity of the World Wide Web. The mentioned website is addressed as www.w3.org. In the first ever website, other things such as the brief history of the project, the basic description of the project, the technical aspects of the project, the index of software products, the paper documentation and references, the list of people involved in the project, and the help page of the site are also found.

The locations or sites of the specific groups of information which are found through the World Wide Web are called websites. The websites are Internet-available, 24/7-accessible sources of useful information which are characterized by a collection of linked documents and files called web pages. Web pages may contain interrelated facts, pictures and images, animations, audio files, videos, and texts. The art of planning, creating, designing, maintaining, developing, marketing, publishing, and overall managing of the web pages in a particular website is called webmastering.

The process of webmastering is administered by an expert called a webmaster. The first ever webmaster in the history of the World Wide Web is, of course, Tim Berners-Lee. He was responsible for the creation of the first ever website which features the basic explanation regarding the identity, the features, and the functions of the World Wide Web. The art of webmastering is made possible through Berners-Lee’s invention of the set of characters called the HTML.

The HTML, which is an acronym for Hypertext Markup Language, is a specially-made computer language that is primarily used for the creation of websites. Almost every single aspect and detail that is found on the different pages of the earliest websites is described through the HTML. Through the HTML codes, the webmasters are given limited options when it comes to the format and layout of the pages included in their websites. The alignment of the texts, the insertion of the graphics, the style of the fonts, the background of the pages, the size of the characters, the width of the borders, the embedding of the videos, the presence of the headings, and the customization of the settings are some of the things made possible by using HTML codes.

The success and popularity of the HTML paved the way for the invention of several other computer languages. Some of the mechanisms or codes which are specially-made to enhance some features and add some style to the different web-based pages are programming language Java, the application framework ASP (Active Server Pages), the reflective programming language PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), the object-oriented VB.net (Visual Basic), and the stylesheet language CSS (Cascading Style Sheet). Aside from the different computer languages, the other features of webmastering that rapidly developed are the websites.

A huge variety of websites are now ubiquitously found through the World Wide Web. The different types of websites include the affiliate, the archive site, the blog, the corporate website, the commerce site, the community site, the database site, the development site, the directory site, the download site, the employment site, the game site, the geodomain, the gripe site, the humor site, the information site, the Java applet site, the mirror site, the news site, the personal homepage, the phish site, the political site, the pornography site, the rating site, the review site, the search engine, the shock site, the web portal, and the wiki site.