Internet for Web Marketers

Page Table of Contents

Autoresponders, Cascading Style Sheets, CGI Scripts, Classified Ads, Community Building Tools, Domain Registration and Searching, E-book Resources, E-Commerce Resources, E-mail Marketing, ISP Resources, Link Tracking, Mailing Lists, Search Engines, Directories, and Indexing, Traffic Building Ideas and Resources, Webmaster and Web Designer Resources, Websites - Free, Websites - Commercial Providers

See Getting Listed for more information about getting your site listed in the various search engines and directories.

Websites - Commercial Providers

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of companies providing webhosting. The range of pricing and features varies all over the place. Prices are coming down and the number of features included, including storage space, is increasing. I've looked at hundreds of providers over the last few months and here are some of the companies I am recommending. I've been using Hypermart.net to host my sites for awhile, but some of the other companies are offering much better feature sets at lower prices. It may not be long before I move to another provider so I can do more with my various sites.

Special Hosting Tailored for Marketers

Site Build It! - This is a fantastic tool for anyone who wants to earn income over the Internet. Do you have something you want to sell, but you don't know how to build websites? Do you love marketing but don't quite know which way to turn to get your business on the web? Site Build It! is designed for you, and for the experienced web marketer who wants to concentrate on marketing and not on building and maintaining your website. There is just no comparable product available anywhere. It's perfect for the newbie because it eliminates the technology hurdles and helps you build a tightly-focused search-engine friendly page by writing your copy and clicking a few buttons. For the seasoned webmaster, SBI! is invaluable for its traffic-building tools.

For the best traditional Unix-hosted webhosting for marketers, I have to recommend Host4Profit. Some of the reasons I use their services (to host my site at 21st Century Sales) and recommend them are their affiliate program. Host your site with their service and recommend it to others and you'll earn $10.00 per month per customer who chooses them, for as long as they remain a customer. Get three people to sign up for hosting based on your affiliate recommendation and your hosting is free and you'll receive a commission check for the difference. Refer more than three and you can start earning some serious money. Want to earn an additional $500 per month? All you have to do is refer 50 customers to Host4Profit.

Another reason I recommend them is that they host the best marketing forum that I've been able to find -- the Warrior Pro forum. I visit this forum several times per month and always -- always! -- learn something valuable.

For the best of both of the above, and more, check out Stone Evans' Plug-In Profit Site service. Stone is one of the top-selling affiliates in several programs and he offers a deal that is unbeatable. He'll set up a free site for you with even more than I can tell you in a brief treatment. I'm a very happy customer of Stone's service. Plus, if you take him up on his offer, you will get free access to the Warrior Pro forum. Check out his Plug-In Profit Site offer, today!

See, also, Building Website Traffic.

Traditional Web Hosting Services

After comparing dozens of web hosting services in late 2002, I decided to move all my sites to AssortedInternet.com. I'm extremely happy that I did, and I recommend them to you, if you're looking for full-featured Linux web hosting.

AssortedInternet.com - Feature packed Web Hosting. Includes: PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, CGI-BIN, Shell Access, FTP Access, POP3 and SMTP Email, CPanel Control Panel, Mailing Lists, Web Based Email and more. Prices start around $5.00 per month. I host about a dozen websites with them, and they've always provided extraordinary service and support. I couldn't be happier. Editor's Pick!

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Autoresponders

(Moved to a new page, see Autoresponders.)

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Cascading Style Sheets

In January, 2002, I went through the major process of changing over 500 pages of this site so that they'd work with Cascading Style Sheets. Now, I can change the look of every page of my site by changing a single style sheet. While this can be a very powerful, and handy, way of managing the look of your site, you should be aware that all browsers don't support CSS the same way. I found a great reference chart that lists various CSS properties and how they are, or are not, supported by different browsers and operating systems. (Unfortunately, that site has disappeared. See the following link for a good page of CSS reference resources:

HTMLHelp.com offers a Guide to Cascading Style Sheets that you may find useful.

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CGI Scripts

The CGI Resource Index is the first place I go when looking for interactive tools to enhance my sites. I tend to prefer scripts written in PERL, and this is a great place to find what I need. If you prefer using PHP, check out their PHP Resource Index. Editor's Pick!

WillMaster.com - sooner or later you'll want to make your website interactive, and then you'll need a source of CGI scripts. This is one of the best sources for quality programs. Some are free, some are fee, but all are quality. I've been reading his very informative newsletter for well over a year and recommend it. He even provides tutorials about CGI programs and what it takes to make them work on your site. Be sure to check out his Webmaster Resources section for a large collection of tutorials and articles that previously appeared in his newsletter. Editor's Pick!

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Classified Ads

21st Century Classifieds - I've set up a site specializing in classified advertising, both online and through newspapers and magazines. I'll be posting all future advertising information there.

You are invited to visit my Classifieds page, where you can place free or paid ads on a huge advertising network, and submit ads to be posted on this site. If you are an artist, crafter, or artisan who makes handmade items, feel free to fill out the submission page for my classifieds or directory with a short description of your products, and I'll consider adding you to either my directory or classifieds at no charge. See the submission pages for more information.

See Classified Ads Success Story for more information on how you may be able to earn extra income hosting a classified ads mall online.

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Community Building Tools

In 1999 and 2000, there were lots of people saying you had to develop a community on your site to keep people coming back. I've put lots of time into testing this, and it's been my experience, and my observation on other sites, that it takes a lot of time and energy to build a community.

For chats and discussion groups, you really need one or more moderators who will keep the conversation on track and deal with administrative tasks. For most of us, this may not be worthwhile, and at worst it will take you away from what you are doing to earn a living and/or enjoy your interests.

If you want to develop a community, then I have come to believe that you should put worthwhile information on your site, get listed in the search engines and directories (see Getting Listed for more information), and use proper metatags and keywords in your pages to make your site attractive to the search engines and easier for folks to find.

If you are a person who really likes to talk to others, then you may find that chat and/or discussion groups makes a nice addition to your site. If not, and if you can't find someone to do it for you, then perhaps you should forego some of these tools and concentrate on producing whatever you do, supporting your customers to the best of your ability, and perhaps keeping in touch on a semi-regular basis (not more than once per month) through a newsletter.

If you don't have the time, talent, or interest to produce a newsletter, find someone with good organizational and writing skills to produce a simple one page newsletter each month. Link to new products, maybe some pictures, and other items of interest and news. Make it easy to read and friendly and people will look forward to reading it. Don't use high pressure or put lots of hard to read text, links, and pictures in the newsletter. Mos of us are busy and already receive lots of email, so don't make your customers dread getting your next massive missive! I deal with hundreds of email messages every day. Some I look forward to. Others I wade through the chaff to find the occasional wheat grain. Others I unsubscribe within a few days or weeks because the amount of noise I have to wade through to find the good information I want isn't worth the time and effort. Don't drive your customers away! Keep them informed. Thank them for their business. Give them a special offer now and then. Let them know you appreciate them.

But, don't beat them over the head with it! Play nice.

Regardless of what works for me -- or doesn't -- it doesn't necessarily mean that it will perform the same for you. We probably have entirely different personalities, outlooks, and energy levels. If you see something that appeals to you, give it a try. If it helps build your business or enhance your interests, then keep doing it. If it proves to be a distraction or stops you from being productive, then discard it and try something else.

Bravenet.com - free chat, web journal, discussion groups, surveys, email forms, guest books, referral forms, greeting cards, and much more. I use their services and I'm very satisfied. Highly recommended. - Editor's Pick!

ClickZ Stts - the web marketer's guide to online facts, including statistics and marketing information. Complete web demographics and traffic stats.

Etiquette Tips for mailing lists and discussion groups

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Domain Registration and Searching

(Page moved, see Lowcost Domains.)

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E-book Resources

CBmall.com -- This is one of the best sources of information about ebooks and software sold through ClickBank. Be sure to subscribe to Jeff's newsletter!

Make Your Knowledge Sell!

Does Your Site Sell?

Make Your Words Sell!

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E-Commerce Resources

PayPal.com - Send money to, or receive money from, anyone with an email address using their secure servers for the actual transaction - Editor's Pick!

Wilsonweb - Learn from Dr. Ebiz - Editor's Pick!

Planning Your Internet Marketing Strategy: A Doctor Ebiz Guide by Jim Wilson. - The author says, 'If you have friends who are struggling to figure out business on the Internet, give them this book. I really believe it can make a difference between success and frustration.'

ClickBank - the online billing and marketing solution used by thousands of web businesses that deliver unique products and services over the Internet itself (via web pages, files, or email). Their payment technology lets any web business (a seller) automatically pay sales commissions to any other web business (an affiliate) that links a paying customer to the seller. Clickbank bills the customer, pays the seller, and pays the affiliate.

CBmall.com -- This is one of the best sources of information about ebooks and software sold through ClickBank. Be sure to subscribe to Jeff's newsletter!

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E-mail Marketing

First off, no, I'm not advocating spam emails. They are a scourge and I detest unsolicited email.

However, there are ways to use email to market your products and services in ways that are both ethical and welcome.

How to Create and Profit from Your Own E-mail Workshops in 3 Days or Less! spills everything you need to know about creating and profiting from just one e-mail workshop -- painlessly and quickly!

Autoresponder Magic is a nearly-500 page ebook that presents examples from some of the current marketing masters' uses of autoresponders to sell their products. An autoresponder is a program that receives emails from interested visitors and responds with pre-arranged emails. You can purchase autoresponder scripts, such as AutoResponse Plus, or use 3rd party providers of free and paid autoresponder services, such as RapidReply.Net. Some send a single reply message, and others return a series of messages over a period of days or months. (See my Autoresponders page of my Directory for more information.) This ebook, Autoresponder Magic, includes some of the most-successful autoresponder messages currently being used to sell 24-hours per day, and you can study these examples to learn how to create your own marketing robot that runs on autopilot.

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ISP Resources

(None at this time.)

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Link Tracking

Site Build It! - Among the many other tools offered by Site Build It, it features very good link tracking features, both links in from ads to your web pages and links from your webpages to the products you are selling. No other webhosting service on the planet comes close! Editor's Pick!

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Mailing Lists

Webdesign-l - is the best Web development / design mailing list that I've found, so far.

Yahoo! Groups - I manage about two dozen mailing lists and, at this time, I prefer to use Yahoo! Groups (formerly eGroups). They are free. You can have as many members as you like and they provide other services including chat, a basic database, calendars, and more, plus a little web space to keep your information and files. You can see a list of some, but not all, of the mailing lists I own or manage at John Dilbeck's Websites. If you'd like to create a list of your own, just click on any of my lists and look on the top right hand of the resulting page. Click on the link for starting your own group and follow the directions.

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Search Engines, Directories, and Indexing

INeedHits.com - Submit FREE and add your web site to 28 popular Search Engines with one easy form. You must then go through each submission manually to adjust it for that search engine, and you may decide not to submit to all of them. Some have restrictions for certain types of sites, too. So, even though you won't submit to all of them, it may be worth your while. This company offers a paid submission service, too.

Submit Pro - INeedHits.com also offers several paid submission and management programs to help you build traffic to your site. They can submit to over 300 search engines and directories, and they can do it once, or on a regular basis. They offer other services and an informative newsletter.

Unfortunately, Jim passed away recently. I'm leaving these links on my site to honor the work he did while he was still here.

JimWorld.com - is a great source for information about search engines, directories, and building traffic to your site. It is the home of the world-famous JimTools that will be of interest to just about every webmaster who wants more traffic. Jim is also leading the fight against scumware. Click on the link to have his site automatically check your browser to see if it is infected. Are you seeing what the website really looks like, or is your browser misrepresenting the site to you and passing on private information to others? JimWorld will check your browser. If it is infected, he gives instructions on how to fix it. Don't forget to subscribe to his excellent newsletter! - Editor's Pick!

Some of the JimTools include:

LINK POPULARITY ANALYZER - An all-new online link popularity tool has been released at the JimTools site. Enter your domain name and this powerful tool searches the 13 top search engines to tell you how many links point to your web site from all over the world.

SEARCH ENGINE SUBMITTER - The Search Engine Submitter has been overhauled and now submits your URL to the 31 top spider driven search engines. You see the detail results of each real-time submission.

ADVANCED FRAMES GENERATOR - By popular request we have added a second frames generator to help you set up a framed site without the problems involved in writing the frame sets by hand. The new generator allows far more flexibility for more advanced frame sets.

DROP DOWN MENU GENERATOR - We all love those space-saving drop down menus where the users clicks on the box, the list of available destinations shows on the screen and the user selects one option and they are transported to that URL. This JimTool does all of the coding for you. Enter the descriptions and URLs then simply cut-and-paste the code into your page.

OPEN NEW WINDOW TO YOUR SPECS GENERATOR - Want to see exactly how big a window is when it is opened by the browser using your specs? This tool will open a window to your size specifications and include or not include the various elements of a window. Things such as location bar, scroll bars, status bar and more.

TASKBAR MESSAGE GENERATOR - Do you like the scrolling messages in the task bar at the bottom of a browser window? Now you can generate the code to place in your site without any programming skills required.

AUTOMATIC REDIRECT JAVASCRIPT GENERATOR - I can never remember how to code an automatic redirect script so now we have a fast tool to create a perfectly formatted redirect script.

3D GRAPHICS GENERATOR - The 3D graphics generator continues to grow a following. Select the font, size, color and style for your new logo or headline. The program creates a great looking graphic to add to your site.

As always, these JimTools and the dozens of others, are free for you to use.

Overture.com -- Search Term Suggestion Tool.

ODP - Open Directory Project

Epage.com - They take the data from the Open Directory Project and add many features, including classified ads, forums, sponsors, library pages, and much more. Editor's Pick!

Search Engine Watch - As far as I've been able to determine, this is the site to visit if you want to know what the search engines and directories are doing. - Editor's Pick!

SelfPromotion.com - Use this resource for free to register your site with the most important search engines and directories and then decide if and how much you want to pay to support the service. - Editor's Pick!

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Traffic Building Ideas and Resources

See, also, Building Website Traffic.

Site Build It! - Nothing builds traffic better than creating keyword focused theme based websites that provide real content for the folks searching on the search engines. By following the strategies outlined in the 800+ page book that comes with Site Build It, you can build a site that generates tons of traffic. No tricks. Just build a great site and promote it to the directories and search engines -- and this is done automatically as part of the hosting service. No other system can build traffic as easily as Site Build It.

Is this just my opinion? No. It's a fact and is easily proved. Just visit SBI's results page and see for yourself.

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Webmaster and Web Designer Resources

Webdesign-l - is the best Web development / design mailing list that I've found, so far.

Freelance Project Database - The world's largest database of web design, graphic design, and admin projects! Click to see for yourself! - If you are a free lancer wanting to provide services to motivated buyers, register here and bid on projects that suit your talents. If you are a buyer looking to hire a free lancer for a project, click here to offer your project up for bid.

HTML and CSS Tutorials and Information

Newbie Club Website Builder - Joe Robson and Tom Glander are founders of The Newbie Club. Their latest blockbuster 'The Newbie Club Website Builder', shows how to build, write, design, automate, backup, promote and publish your First Website with free software. Click over there now for your FREE TRIAL!

Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, Graphics, and Beyond by Jennifer Niederst and Richard Koman.

HTML: An Interactive Tutorial for Beginners

NCSA -- A Beginner's Guide to HTML

Web Style Sheets

Index DOT Html and Index DOT Css: THE Advance...

Eric Meyer: CSS

glish.com : CSS layout techniques

Image Manipulation and Management

SASheet - Contact sheet creator - Windows only, shareware.

Smaller Animals ThumbNailer - Creates thumbnails and linked pages - Windows only, shareware.

Jakob Nielsen's web design thoughts and critiques

Newbie Club Website Builder - Joe Robson and Tom Glander are founders of The Newbie Club. Their latest blockbuster 'The Newbie Club Website Builder', shows how to build, write, design, automate, backup, promote and publish your First Website with free software. Click over there now for your FREE TRIAL!

Visibone - HTML and Color references

Visibone reference pop-ups

Web Developer's Journal

Web Reference.com - The Webmaster's Reference

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Websites - Free

The Free Webpage Provider Review

Bravenet.com - They offer free and paid webhosting. Their editing tools do not work with Macintosh computers (at least, they don't with mine.)

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Copyright © 2000 - 2005 by John L. Dilbeck
Last built on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 9:56:26 AM by JLD,
using Radio UserLand and BBEdit on Apple Macintosh Computers.

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