TWResourceGroup.com was Hacked by Pukes
The level of hackers today and taking extreme lengths just to gain access to website and to get their links on webpages over just the typical blog or email scams. Today I found out from a friend in Illinois that his real estate website was compromised. Under much panic it looks that my Everett real estate website is a-o-k.
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Business Mixer in Snohomish, WA
Being a member of LeTip gives me the opportunity to network more than just with our chapter. Every quarter various LeTip chapters host business mixers to further engage and pass business between members. This quarters business mixer is hosted by Everett’s Afternoon chapter at Victorian Manor in Snohomish Washington.
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A free alternative to hosting your own website
For many the problem of having a website stems from the fear of technology. In the early stages of the internet building a website was done by masters of html, server side hosting and a host of other magical tricks. But today’s alternatives have made it as easy as having a MySpace account. My first two sites where a MSN Space and an Advanced Access real estate website. Now I have a few blogsites, have built blogsites, blog on other professional websites and have a host of free social professional blogs and profiles.
It has taken the better part of a few years to learn all this and the biggest thing I’ve learned is it does not have to take a few years to learn. Getting an online presence is far more important today then just a few years ago especially is a slow economy. The easiest way to gain a website is to join a social professional network and complete the free profile steps.
The first place to start, and get the feel of free web advertising, is to register at www.MerchantCircle.com. MerchantCircle is an online directory designed strictly for businesses and allows its users to create a profile, list contact information, upload a picture/logo, receive testimonials and even have a blog. It’s free, easy and within a few minutes your business can be online and in a search engine friendly directory.
Still not sure where to start? Go to www.MerchantCircle.com and register. Fill out the require fields and don’t be afraid to disclose business contact information, it’s safe and secure. When you’re done hit submit at the bottom of the page and voila, you have a webpage online.
From the merchant dashboard you can navigate through the profile, add in information and further build a free website. Don’t get frustrated when things go wrong or it seems challenging to get the hang of.
Next…[EDITING POST]
It is all a learning curve but once one network is figured out other networks will fall into place.
Taking market share in a downed economy
Economical times can force businesses to make decision they would rather avoid. Typically, though exceptions are rare, companies thrive on sales of good and/or services to get through daily operations. But in challenging economic times companies need to think of avenues to pull in a fresh source of business.
It boils down to advertising and brand/name awareness. Companies that do not posses the leverage to gain and defend market share have a more difficult time drawing in consumers. It’s not because smaller companies provide inferior products or service. But quite the contrary. Small companies typically do not have a war chest to pull from to sustain long stretches of a downed market.
So what is the option? How does a smaller company fighting to stay alive gain market share while the pool of consumers continues to decrease?
Here is how. Get a marketing program together that does not take a continual influx of cash to maintain, a marketing program that takes into account available free time of a downed market and one that, as a business owner, has ownership and expertise.
Outsourcing marketing campaigns to print advertisers is inefficient, high cost and delivers minimal return. Switching to an internet driven marketing strategy will yield long term dividends. An internet marketing strategy works 24/7/365 with no interruptions, well save the intermitted server errors.
Building a Web 2.0 business blogsite is one of the most inexpensive marketing strategies a small business can have. Mapping a plan to dominate hyper local keywords and phrases makes the small business owner and instant expert authority within their realm. Consumers are driven to the website that has the most relevant and comprehensive data regarding a topic via search engines.
This idea may seem new but rest assured it’s not. Online brand building is captivating a large audience across the world and that is why on my Snohomish County real estate website the work continues to solidify the site as the authority. One strategy a site can incorporate, in which I have done (after building a SEO friendly site with quality content), is to get on local authority sites.
CitizenRain is a website built by one of the largest news companies in Washington, King5. They have a real estate page which syndicates local real estate blogs and if you look underneath the advertisement on the left you’ll find a list of those blogs. Number 5 on the list is mine. So every time I publish something it automatically gets the exposure from a trusted website, increasing exposure and decreases search engine index time. This results in a superior website when compared to other local competitors.
Strategies like this take very little time compared to the amount of market life they generate. Invest in great technology, get it exposed and it will work for you.
Another website done, can you believe it?
Well I just finished another website and this time it is for a student athlete, Jadelyn Thompson. Jadelyn is a volleyball player with a very bright future and it was a privilege to do up a Tweaked by TW Resource Group website for her. The site is pretty simple but its focus is to give a central location for college recruiters to see her in action as well as be able to contact her directly. As far as I know, I am being kept on as the webmaster to provide updates to the site. Good Luck with your future Jadelyn!!