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How to Make Money Online in 5 Easy Steps

I have been a graphic designer and writer for over 30 years. Creative Juices was born in 1981. And in spite of the changing design field with the introduction of e-lectronics and computers, starting a business of any kind takes lots of hard work and perseverance. But with that said…

Starting your own online business is as easy as starting a blog.

This will not make you rich overnight, unless you get lucky. But you can bring in extra cash with a little effort by following these 5 simple steps.

Start a blog in a niche you love. Make sure it is something you’re passionate about. I highly recommend using WordPress.org to create your blog. Because it’s self hosted you have complete control.
Create unique, killer content. By killer I mean highly relevant and helpful content that people will search out and read.
Sign up with Google for their free analytics, AdSense and keyword tools.
Apply for affiliate programs like LinkShare or Commission Junction and sell other people’s products by placing ads on your site or reviewing products.
Create your own products or services and sell it on your site and through affiliate programs. This could be anything from eBooks to T-shirts. Also check out Zazzle and Cafe Press to create products for sale. It’s free to sign up.

See how easy that was? Again, you will not make millions doing this. But some people have been know to make six figures a year with their online businesses.

If you have any ideas on making money online the easy way, let me know.

And don’t forget to sign up for my semi-regular newsletter for fun and helpful tips on marketing your new and small business, online or otherwise.

For Email Marketing you can trust

13 Sep

Blog your way to Business Success

Blogging is a great way to promote your business

One of the most popular parts of the new Web 2.0 or Social Media is blogging. Using the format of blogging to help promote your business is a powerful way to reach new clients. The whole purpose of writing a blog is to constantly create new content. All search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, love blogs because they pick up on the new content, especially if it is optimized correctly. This is a great way for your blog to be listed high up in search results.

Blogging Tips

How does this relate to your business and it’s success? Just follow these simple steps:

Create content that people want to read. You want to be a useful resource, so make sure whatever you’re writing about is something people will learn from.
Include keywords, but make sure the copy is easy to read, short, to the point and useful.
Bulleted items and lists are very helpful for those who skim.
Make sure to include a link to your website (unless your blog is your website). Don’t include too may links to your website as search engines may interpret that as spam and reject your site.
If you do link to your website, it’s best to link to a specific “landing page” that covers the topic of your blog.

Why not write a new blog post every day?! It’s a great new habit that will pay you back with more people interested in your business. It doesn’t have to be very long. Just interesting.

Want more information? Call Chuck at 310-791-5803.

Blogging to promote business. Branding Business Practices Helpful Hints Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

23 Mar

What’s the Most Effective Blogging Platform?

Blogging Options

When first starting out on my blogging journey I tried Google’s Blogger, GoDaddy’s Quick Blogcast and WordPress.com. All are easy to use and set up. I have since discovered that WordPress is one of the most popular free blogging systems.

So I settled on WordPress.com and created a not too regular blog. Blogging takes time and careful thought. Sometimes it takes research or just having something “remarkable” to say. That is not always easy.

Somewhere along the way I started reading and researching the blogging world and soon discovered that you can conceivably make money by blogging. What will they think of next. At the very least you can promote your existing business or service by creating useful, helpful, interesting, fascinating or humorous blogs on a regular basis.

Monetize your Blog

Making money with your blog is great. One of the easiest ways to make money blogging (by easy I mean setting it up, not getting people to buy) is by using Google AdSense. Then there’s the whole world of affiliate marketing. And of course selling your own “stuff”, such as an e-book or physical product or service. I soon discovered you cannot use AdSense or place ads with WordPress.com. But you can on WordPress.org. While WordPress.com is hosted by WordPress for free, you must find your own host for WordPress.org. This is not very difficult or expensive.

Why I Switched to WordPress.org

Since I am a GoDaddy reseller and I have a deluxe hosting plan for cjuices.com this was a no-brainer for me. GoDaddy makes it easy to set up WordPress.org. It’s just a matter of downloading the software into your server.

And with WordPress.org you get quite a lot of options to design, add to, and monetize your blog. As with all things in business, it’s a process that takes time, education, studying and work to make it pay. It’s also fun and relatively painless to set up and use. There are tons of widgets and plugins to help you with anything from simple forms, Google Analytics, Facebook and Twitter follows, shopping carts, photo galleries and much more. You can find lots of free information on setting up and using WordPress.org too.

Custom Designed Template for that Special Look

A custom designed website makes your business stand out and look professional. Call me at Creative Juices and I will explain all the possibilities on getting your website/blog up and running with a customized WordPress template. Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I am also here to help you by answering questions on the benefits of WordPress.

Free quotes too at 310-791-5803.

Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101

18 Feb

Niche Blogging is Fun and Can be Profitable Too.

Does your pet have their own blog? It’s can be rewarding and you can make money through affiliate marketing and selling merchandise. You can also use it to market your own business. Why not?

I set up a blog for my Chihuahua using WordPress. It’s called AllMyChihuahuas.

If you want a unique WordPress template created for your little pet, give Creative Juices a call at 310.791.5803.

Business Practices Creative Juices News Marketing 101

12 Jan

10 Simple Ways to Increase Your Website’s Ranking

There are several ways to make your website more search engine friendly. Here are some of the simple ones:

Add a Title (Heading) Tag to each page, also known as a Page Title. This should relate to what is on each individual page.
Add a Meta Description to each page (no more than 150 characters).
Research and and add Keywords to all the pages. Again, should relate to the copy.
Register your site with the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing).
Set up a site map which should include all your pages.
Make sure you are listed on the major online local directories in your field.
Create a blog on your site, or link to it and write regular, remarkable copy (such as this). This let’s your customers interact with your company on a regular basis instead of just having a brochure online. We recommend using WordPress.org.
Create a Twitter account and contribute to it regularly. Give helpful information and links as well as tell about yourself.
Create a Facebook Fan page for your company and create content regularly.
Get as many links to your site from other high ranking sites. This can be the result of having great content on your site.

This is just the beginning. Search Engine Optimization is a great way to get your website known. Being listed high up on the search engine results pages can be quite a complex and ever changing challenge. Enjoy. Or hire the professional.

Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

07 Jan

Creative Juices 29th Anniversary

Today marks the 29th anniversary of Creative Juices. We have seen many changes in the graphic arts industry. We have lived through the days of typesetting, paste up, hand inking, negs and veloxes. Then came the Mac and desktop publishing. Remember Pagemaker? Then came e-mail, the World Wide Web, Quark, Adobe and AOL. Now we have Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and of course the iPhone.

As technology changes Creative Juices changes too. We have many new services, including designing WordPress templates, Twitter backdrops, search engine optimization, marketing and blog copywriting. Of course we still do logo designs, brochures, websites, ads and printing. Don’t forget we can also host your blog or website and set up your domain name. I am in the process of converting my website and blog into a WordPress format. I will be adding new and exciting features which I will soon introduce. Look for more updates here.

As always, we are dedicated to giving our clients personalized, one on one service and free advice on how to improve your business image and online presence.

Feel free to call any time or stop by and visit (appointment required). Lucy the Chihuahua is always eager to greet you. Keep up on her latest musings at AllMyChihuahuas.com.

I thank all my past, present and future clients for their patronage and friendship and look forward to working with you all again in 2010 and beyond.

Creative Juices News

04 Jan

How to Cope with New FTC Affiliate Compensation Guidelines

As of December 1st, 2009, you must disclose on your website or blog if you are being compensated for endorsing a product or service. Also if you are an affiliate of the company selling the product. That’s the gist of what I’ve uncovered by doing a little research.

There’s a lot of information to be had online, from penalties to legal documents sold to post on your site. I am not a lawyer, but I doubt you will get penalized if you have a link to an Amazon product on your blog and you neglect to mention that you are an affiliate of Amazon.

As with graphic design and copywriting, if you use someone else’s stuff (images or text), that’s a no-no and you would probably get a “cease and desist” order to stop using it if caught. So please don’t steal someone’s hard work. Create your own instead. It’s much more fun and rewarding.

So if you promote a product or service that you are going to benefit from, it would be nice if you mentioned that. If you’re not being compensate, you could mention that too.

For instance, if you click on this link for ProBlogger, a very helpful and informative book on blogging, and then buy the book, I get a little change. I actually have bought the book and am reading it. And I do recommend it. It has been very helpful in setting up my WordPress blog and when I start earning a six figure income, you will be among the first to know.

Business Practices Helpful Hints

13 Jul

15 Ways to Website Success

A lot of thought needs to go into designing your website before you put it online. Your website is who you are (or want to be). It’s often the first thing people see and learn about you and your business. It’s the first impression you give and you only have a few seconds to hook a potential client.

So here are some things to think about when setting up your website.

Choose a Domain Name that is easy to remember and has meaning. It should relate to your business.
Use your logo on your website. If you don’t have one, get one. Just typing your name shows very little thought went into your business and people will pick up on that right away.
Put your logo on every page to maintain your brand. It’s also helpful to link your logo back to your home page.
Find a reputable host. Preferably one that offers 24/7 phone service and tech support. Don’t trust those you can’t reach. Creative Juices Domains is one of thousands of places to choose from. I prefer it because it’s part of the Creative Juices creative factory of services.
Make sure your website looks unique and professional. The navigation should be easy and the color scheme should match your image. Don’t just use a template. If you’re on a budget (and who isn’t these days) call Creative Juices to find ways to stand out on the web.
Test your site to see if it looks good on all browsers and platforms. The main ones are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome. There is also a difference between Windows and Mac.
Have something interesting to say on your website. It’s not enough to just have pretty pictures or fancy Flash effects. You want to include information that people will find helpful. If you are a plumber, include articles on how to fix things yourself or explain why it’s better to hire a plumber and not mess up your pipes.
Test all your links and make sure they work. People want to feel you’re on top of all this stuff.
Include title tags, keywords and meta tags. These are important for search engine optimization. Check out your competitors and see what they are doing. If you haven’t a clue about what these are, give us a call. We’re here to help.
Sign up with Google Analytics and see who’s searching for your site, what keywords they used to find you and where are they coming from.
Register with the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and especially target local search engines. There’s less competition there.
Find directories in your field and sign up to be listed. It’s usually free and also provides links to your site which helps with your optimization.
Write a blog about what you know best, preferably related to your business, and link it back to your site.
Twitter about yourself, your business, helpful hints, specials and reach a whole tribe of followers who look to you for information.
Add new content on a regular basis. Search engines love this and it gives people a reason to come back to your site. That’s a good thing.

When in doubt, consult a web professional. I recommend the folks at the Creative Juices factory, primarily because that’s me. And advice is always free.

Advertising Business Practices Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)