This article by Christopher Knight will give you the basics of HTML that you can use to spruce up the articles you submit for publication. Contact me if you have any questions.
Leave a comment if this article was helpful to you.
-----------------------------------
Essential HTML Skills For Article Authors - 7 Tips
By Christopher Knight
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because they figure they don't need to know it. I've been in technology, marketing and writing on the Internet for a decade+ now and I too shut my mind to learning HTML... until earlier this year. My thinking was that HTML coders only make $8-$10/hr and why would I want to learn a skill that I can outsource to someone who specializes in HTML coding?
Guess what? You don't have to learn more than 15 minutes of HTML knowledge to significantly improve the quality of your articles. In today's issue, I'm going to show you the top 7 easy-to-learn essential HTML skills that can help any article author make better looking articles before the day is over.
The 7 HTML "MUST KNOW" article author skills include how to format a URL or an email address, how to enhance your text with BOLD, ITALICS, or the UNDERLINE font attribute and how to set up a bullet or numbered list in HTML.
How To Make A URL/Website Address "Linkable":
This:
Just substitute your website address from the above code and now you know how to "link" up a website address. Some like to create anchor text links. Here is the code to create links out of keywords:
One Note: Use anchor text links *sparingly* when submitting articles to directories as some have limitations on the number of times the same URL can be linked up. For example, with EzineArticles.com, you are only allowed to have one URL in a given article that is the same and your article could be rejected if you have two links to the same URL regardless as to whether you linked it up like the first and/or second example above.
How To Make Your Email Address "Linkable":
This:
One Note: It is never a good idea to put your email address in your article because your email address will get harvested by spammers who use web email extractor bots to scour the Internet. Better to put a link to your contact information if you must.
How To Make Something BOLD:
This:
How To Make Something ITALICS:
This:
How To Make Something UNDERLINED:
This:
How To Make A Bullet Point List:
This:
This:
By opening up your mind to allow yourself to learn the above 7 essential HTML tips for article authors, you can improve the quality of your articles immediately.
About The Author:
Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic http://EzineArticles.com/ directory. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links intact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://EzineArticles.com/submit/
Copyright 2005 - Christopher M. Knight. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Knight
http://EzineArticles.com/?Essential-HTML-Skills-For-Article-Authors---7-Tips&id=7185
Start writing your own internet success story with Plug-in Profits, a 3-Step Plan that includes a free website and a 30 Day Guide to Success.
Sign up for my free Common Sense Ebiz newsletter and learn more about home business opportunities at www.CommonSenseEbiz.com
Also, see my online store The Anniversary Shop for gifts for wedding anniversaries and every gift giving occasion.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Article Writing - Essential HTML Skills For Article Authors - 7 Tips
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Article Writing - The Elements of an Article
Now that you're committed to writing articles, writing at least one article a week, and not giving up too soon. The elements outlined here are required by each article directory to which you submit your articles once they are written.
I write my articles in Notepad following this "template" then copy and paste the elements into boxes for each element on the article directory's submission page.
Title
What title will you use for your article? Sometimes I come up with a "working title" to get me started but will change it or improve it slightly before submission.
While many writers use headings like "Ten Ways to Increase Internet Traffic," it is best to use your keyword(s) at the beginning of the title rather than the end. This title would then be changed to: "Increase Internet Traffic - Ten Methods You Can Use Today." This title places the keyword(s) "Increase Internet Traffic" at the beginning of the title while calling the reader to action - to start using these methods today.
Article summary
The article summary is generally 2 or 3 lines that tell the gist of the article you are submitting. This should include your keyword(s) along with a call to action or what the reader will find if he/she reads the article in its entirety. Readers who are looking for information or for articles to include on their own sites will read the title and the summary before choosing whether or not to read the entire article. The article summary should be short and to the point while compelling the reader to read the entire article and possibly include it on their own site, thus increasing the exposure of your article.
Keywords
The keywords to include here are the words that a web surfer would search for to find the information in your article. An article on increasing traffic might use the keywords "increase traffic," "work at home," "marketing tools," and other keywords that you use as your ten steps.
There is usually a limit on the number of keywords that you can include, so be sure to insert your most important keywords first.
The article
Now you add the body of your article. Again, check that your article does not exceed the maximum number of words or characters allowed by the directory. If you exceed the maximum number, your article may be automatically rejected without any notification.
Some directories allow html in the body while others do not. A great article on the basics of html will be posted in a day or two. Html is not difficult once you understand the basics. In article writing, the main html tags you will use will be to make text bold or italic, include numbered or bulleted lists, and to include web addresses in your posts. There will be little need to use anything beyond these basics, but their use will give your article a little more pizzazz and readability.
About the Author
Often this is called your signature or author bio. Whatever it is called, this part is where you tell about yourself and provide links to the places you want the reader to visit, whether it's your online business or your blog or some other site.
I suggest reading other articles to find out what other authors have included and decide how you want to represent yourself. Also, most directories provide guidelines that you must follow when including your web or email addresses. Some of them do not allow affiliate links in the author bio, so be sure not to include these or your article might be rejected without notice.
In addition to the elements included here, you must read each directory's guidelines to ensure that you are adhering to their policy. Directories are not obligated to publish your article. Even if your content is good, they will most probably reject your article if their guidelines concerning html, word or character length, and other items are not followed.
As mentioned earlier, you can save yourself time and effort in article submission if you type your article in Notepad and include the title, the article summary, keywords, the body of the article, and your author bio to cut and paste into the element boxes on the directory's website.
Start writing your own internet success story with Plug-in Profits, a 3-Step Plan that includes a free website and a 30 Day Guide to Success.
Sign up for my free Common Sense Ebiz newsletter and learn more about home business opportunities at www.CommonSenseEbiz.com
Also, see my online store The Anniversary Shop for gifts for wedding anniversaries and every gift giving occasion.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Article Writing - Choose to Write Consistently and Stick With It
As one of the hottest forms of marketing today, article writing and submission must be part of your marketing effort whether your business is online, brick-and-mortar, or both.
I will address several parts of article writing over the next few days. The first of which is the 3 major mistakes people make in writing articles for publication.
1. Choosing not to write articles
2. Not writing enough articles
3. Giving up too soon
The first major mistake is choosing not to write articles. If you read my post from January 18 "Article Writing - You Have What it Takes," you know that article writing has the potential to bring hundreds or thousands of new visitors to your website for years to come. With just a computer, a passion, basic grammar skills, and some time, your articles can be spread throughout the world to an audience who wants to hear what you have to say. If you do not write articles for publication, this outlet is lost along with the hundreds or thousands of new visitors who could increase your sales daily.
The second major mistake is not writing enough articles. While it is not necessary to write an article every day or even every other day, the more articles you write the more potential you have for exposure. One man I read said that he writes 100 articles a month; another man writes 30 a month. If just writing one article sounds overwhelming to you, start there with a plan to write another one next week, another the following week, and so on. Once you start writing, you might be surprised at the knowledge that you have and find that you enjoy writing. If you write one article per week, you will have 52 articles spread throughout the world in a year. Keep in mind that writing just one article probably won't increase your exposure enough that you will notice, but a number of articles written over time will bring a stream of traffic to your door.
The third major mistake is giving up too soon. As stated previously, writing one article probably won't increase your exposure enough for you to see much difference in traffic to your site. However, repeated articles spread throughout the world by others who pick up your article have the potential of putting hundreds or thousands of dollars in your pocket. Your first article might not get much attention right away, but imagine that, as your writing skills and knowldge improve over time, subsequent articles receive attention and are picked up by more and more bloggers and ezine publishers. As your name becomes recognized, peole who have enjoyed and learned from your articles will return to the internet and search for articles that you have written. Even if your first article isn't widely distributed at first, it could receive exposure months later when you are seen as an expert in your field. Remember, the internet is living and breathing and nothing is ever truly lost if it has become a part of the worlwide web.
Much more is to come on article writing. Future posts will focus on what you need to know about html, writing killer titles, article submission, and other aspects of article writing that will make you an expert in your field in no time.
Start writing today and avoid the three major mistakes that others make in using article writing as part of their marketing effort: choosing not to write articles, not writing enough articles, and giving up too soon.
Start writing your own internet success story with Plug-in Profits, a 3-Step Plan that includes a free website and a 30 Day Guide to Success.
Sign up for my free Common Sense Ebiz newsletter and learn more about home business opportunities at www.CommonSenseEbiz.com
Also, see my online store The Anniversary Shop for gifts for wedding anniversaries and every gift giving occasion.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Article Writing - You Have What It Takes
If you have done any research on internet marketing, you know that article writing and publishing is the hottest topic today. This marketing method takes little more than a computer, a passion, basic grammar skills, and some of your time, yet it has the potential to bring hundreds or thousands of new people to your site every day.
When you log onto your computer, what are you looking for? Email from family and friends, maybe the latest seasonal item from your favorite catalog, and information, lots and lots of information.
You see, the internet thrives on information, especially new information. Who is able to
plan their life around the 6:00 news or take the time to read the newspaper when the kids have soccer practice, mom has a business meeting, and dad is cooking dinner?
Fortunately, you can get the latest news and tips delivered to your door with the click of a button - the switch to your computer. With your computer, your passion, basic grammer skills, and your time, you too can add new and exciting news and tips to the internet by writing and publishing articles.
1) A computer
If you are reading this, you have access to a computer. Any computer will do. One that has Notepad or some other text editor program will work.
Note: You may use programs such as Microsoft Word, but be aware that some characters, double quotation marks and dashes, for example, will not appear properly on some websites. If you choose to use Word, be sure to check that characters are displayed properly when published.
2) A passion
What are you passionate about that others are interested in knowing? If you have a website, you are obviously passionate about that and have done the research to know that you have a niche market that others are passionate about as well. Write about what you are doing in your business, how you got where you are, and what you have learned along the way. Help others learn from what you have already done.
3) Basic grammar skills
No matter how passionate you are about a topic, no one wants to read copy that is littered with typographical errors and mistakes in grammar. If you have lost some of the grammar skills you learned in school, go to the library or book store or search online to find books or articles that can help you get your skills back on track. Until you are confident in your own skills, find a friend or family member who has these skills and ask them to help you. Chances are good that someone you know will be glad to help.
4) Your time
Article writing and submission takes time. It takes time to come up with ideas that you want to write about, and it takes more time to actually write the article. However, if you are writing about something you enjoy, something you are passionate about, you will find out that the time you spend writing articles is time well spent.
Article submission can also take time if you choose to submit articles manually. If this turns out to take too much of your time, there are plenty of services and software available to help automate this task.
If your time is very limited, you may want to consider cutting something else out a few hours a week to give you time to write. The time you spend writing and submitting articles can result in hundreds of new visitors to your website and turn your time into money.
Remember, writing articles and getting them published in online article directories is one of the most profitable methods used today to market your internet business. With a computer, a passion, basic grammar skills, and some of your time, you can join the ranks of millions of others who are contributing to the latest news and tips available worldwide on the internet.
Start writing your own internet success story with Plug-in Profits, a 3-Step Plan that includes a free website and a 30 Day Guide to Success.
Sign up for my free Common Sense Ebiz newsletter and learn more about home business opportunities at www.CommonSenseEbiz.com
The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on The Internet - Product Review
"Discover how to start or grow your Product Review: "The Insider Secrets To Marketing Your Business on The Internet" You may not realize it, but you already know who Derek Gehl is. Along with the late Cory Rudl, he helped create one of the most successful businesses on the internet: The Internet Marketing Center. Derek Gehl's newly revised and updated "bible" for profiting on the Internet, "The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet - Version 2006," contains over 1,300 pages of the *exact* test results, case studies, and strategies that Derek used to grow a $25 investment to over $54,700,000 in online sales! In "Insider Secrets," you'll discover...
These strategies will work for ANYONE, no matter WHAT stage you're at with your Internet business -- or even if you haven't started one yet at all! Derek's system is perfect for YOU if...
It comes complete with two 8" x 11" full-color three ring binders containing 8 steps, broken down into 70 lessons with step-by-step instructions included for every promotion and strategy...  ... Plus five resource CDs and one audio CD with additional lessons, examples, audio interviews, and articles, as well as timesaving software and invaluable resource files."Insider Secrets" gets a perfect 10! It contains the exact step-by-step blueprint you need to follow to get a profitable Internet business online, or turn an existing web business into a profit-making machine! I suggest you click here to check it our right away! |
Read More......
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Your Signature - An Internet Marketing Goldmine
One of the biggest challenges in internet marketing is getting traffic to your site. One proven method of getting traffic to your site is through external links. Reciprocal links are generally obtained either through companies that provide a list of their members that are willing to offer a link to your website in exchange for a link to theirs or by spending hours looking for companies that would be a good fit with your product or service without being a competitor. Once these links are placed on a page, anyone who views that page has the opportunity to click the link and be taken to someone else's website.
While reciprocal links are good, there is some talk that search engines see these reciprocal links as “canceling each other out” because I have linked to you just because you linked to me. Because of this it appears that
one-way external links are much more valuable than reciprocal external links.
Did you know that hundreds of external links to your site can be generated with little or no effort just by including your signature, your web address, in these three places?
1) Outgoing email
How many email messages do you send in a day 10? 20? 100? More? Each of these outgoing messages has the potential to bring in hundreds of dollars. Imagine sending an email to inquire about tickets for the Boston Pops concert only to find out that the person reading your email was curious enough to click on your web address and find your business or company. If your web address had not been included, you would have received a response that included your name and the price of the best seats in the house. Instead, you received this information AND a sale. Does it get any easier than that?
2) Signature file in forum posts
Forums are the hot place to exchange business and niche ideas. If you are not involved in forums, get involved today. You will find great information from people who are in the same industry or situation that you are in while cultivating relationships that are invaluable. In addition to the exchange of knowledge, every time you make a post in a forum you can (and should) include a signature file that includes a link to your website(s). These links will remain on the web indefinitely and provide years and years of inbound links to your site(s) just by setting up your signature file one time. Generally it is as easy as editing your profile to include a little bit of html code. Most forums will offer guidance on setting up your signature file. The minute you spend getting your signature file set up will be rewarded over and over again as your links are propagated throughout the world wide web.
3) Add your signature to every article you submit
Similar to signature files in forum posts, information about you and your website(s) can and should be added to every article that you submit. Like forum posts, articles are living, breathing organisms that have the potential to live on in cyberspace indefinitely. An article you write today may be picked up by someone months from now and generate a sale for you.
Some article submission sites allow you to set up a signature file that will automatically be included with your article. Others have a special box for you to include your signature with your article. Either way, be sure to follow the instructions for including html and/or web addresses to get the maximum use of your signature. If you aren't sure what information to include in your “About the author” section, study some of the other posts first and craft a signature that is unique yet informative and includes your most important website(s).
Including your signature, your websites, in email messages, forum posts, and articles has the potential to put hundreds or thousands of dollars in your pocket over the lifetime of your website. Take a few minutes now to set these up and reap the rewards over and over again.
Start writing your own internet success story with Plug-in Profits, a 3-Step Plan that includes a free website and a 30 Day Guide to Success.
Sign up for my free Common Sense Ebiz newsletter and learn more about home business opportunities at www.CommonSenseEbiz.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Do You Have What It Takes?
Do you have what it takes to be an e-entrepreneur?
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
Author of "Dotcomology - The Science of Making Money Online"
These days, it seems like everyone wants to work from home and make money on the Internet. But before you even turn on your computer, the first question you have to ask yourself is whether you’re cut out for this kind of work.
The fact is, building a home-based business isn’t for everyone. Some people like the commute. They really do enjoy having a boss who tells them what to do, and they like the routine of working nine-to-five for an ordinary salary that can barely pay the mortgage. Personally, I think they’re nuts.
More reasonably, there are people who are concerned about
the risk of starting up their own business. They’re not sure it’s worth the investment of time and money, and they’re scared of the responsibility that comes with running their own company. They wonder if there is another way to escape the rat race.
I’m sure there is. You could win the lottery or wait for your Aunt Sue to keel over and leave you her condo. Or maybe you could sit down with a pen and paper and draw the blueprint for "The Next Big Thing". Anything can happen... Right?
For me, what happened was creating a successful, self-running Internet marketing system. It didn’t happen without effort. It didn’t happen without at least some initial investment of both time and money and, of course, it doesn’t happen now without me making sure that the taxes are filed and the paperwork is done. But it happened.
I’m my own boss. I work from home according to my own schedule and I get to pocket all the cash my business makes. If you’re prepared to give an e-business the time, the work and the money it needs to get started and get growing, it can happen for you too.
Article excerpted from "Dotcomology":Don't Pay A Dime For Any Ebook, MarketingCourse, Software Program Or Anything Else UntilYou've Read This Groundbreaking Document...Click Here to Discover "Dotcomology" Now!
TermsDisclaimerPrivacy
Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz GuyAll rights reserved.19009 Preston Road, Suite 215-209Dallas, TX 75252
Monday, January 15, 2007
Start or Grow Your At-Home Business - As Easy as PIE
For 13½ years I worked with some of the best IT guys in the world. I mean it. These guys were top-notch. No matter what I asked for, no matter what I needed, these guys could make it work – and fast.
Then there was John. John wasn't just as good as the other guys, he was better. Not better in what he could do by way of programming, but better in that he could see where IT was going in the future and he wanted to be the first to get there. I don't know where he kept it, but somewhere in that office full of papers, magazines, and programming ideas, John must have had a crystal ball.
Every now and then, though,
we knew that the future might be rosy but getting there was trouble, at least for the moment. When things got rough, when programs weren't running smoothly, or there were hardware problems, John could be heard saying, “Why don't we just make pies. It can't be too hard to make pies.”
With all due respect to Mrs. Smith and Marie Callender, we would sit quietly for a moment as we envisioned ourselves in chef's coats and hats with nothing to worry about but getting the right mixture of flour and water and setting the oven at the right temperature. Then reality would hit and back to work we would go.
If you are interested in or in the thick of creating your own at-home business, you know that it is hard. There are probably a lot of terms you don't know and a lot more you've not even heard of, but it's important to remember the principles of PIE.
Plan
If you are new to working at home, plan how you will add this new career to your existing work, play, and relationships. Plan what hours you will devote and where your home office will be. Plan how to include your family in this venture, even if it is just to make a deal with them that you will work as hard as you can through the week and take weekends off for family activities. Think about how much money you are willing to invest and plan how to make that work.
If you are experienced in working at home, plan your next step. Focus on one thing you want to do to improve your product, your customer or downline support, or website. Plan how you will accomplish that one task. Don't get caught up in all the latest programs available to you. Concentrate on just one change and plan how you will put that into action.
Investigate
Again, if you are new to working at home, investigate the possibilities that are out there. Do you want to be involved in affiliate marketing or start your own online business? What programs offer guidance to you either in the form of written materials or someone who will be your sponsor who can help you achieve your goals and keep it all in perspective? How much time and money will it really take? Where can you go for help?
If you are experienced in working at home, investigate ways to achieve the task you identified in the planning stage. If you need more traffic, investigate SEO, blogging, ezine articles, and solo ads, just to name a few. If you identified brand identity, investigate the tactics used by successful companies that are familiar to a wide audience. If you identified overwork, investigate getting help through virtual assistants, automated email responders, and your state's laws on hiring office help.
Whatever you identified as the goal you want to achieve, investigate at least three ways to accomplish that goal.
Emulate
You have heard it said that the best way to be successful is to duplicate success. Find someone who has achieved the goal you are striving for. Ask them questions, follow them around for a while, be annoying. Ok, don't be annoying, but you know what I mean. Find someone who knows the ropes and learn from them. This does not have to take the form of someone you know personally. There are plenty of men and women who are successful in their at-home business, but you have to get to know them even if you can only do it virtually. Search for their names and their products. Search for the person or product by name and the term “scam” behind it to see if there are forums out there where people are talking about being scammed by these people or the products they are selling.
Look for someone that will walk you through the process, not just take your money. Don't be fooled by “get rich quick” advertisement. There are some who have made thousands of dollars in a few days, but there are truly only a handful of those. If a person or product is worth investing in, they will be around for a long time and their products and service will get better with age.
You can achieve your dream of working at something you love and working at it on your own terms if you just remember that it really is as easy as PIE – Plan, Investigate, Emulate.
Copyright © Claudia Pate http://www.CommonSenseEBiz.com
Read More......
