Net Sieve

Can anyone tell me what the heck is happening with Overture … I mean I know they were bought by Yahoo, but I thought that meant they had been saved from a fate worse than G**gle. But now they’re down? Dead?

I’m hearing rumors of a return, but the last detailed report I got was that they were reporting numbers from January of this year. Gee, now that’s helpful. Actually it is more helpful than them just being down, but there has to be an update soon. Right?

I want my Overture. I want my keywords fresh.

Are you among the domain addicted? Be honest… how many domain names do you own? Do you know what VRE means? Have you flipped any virtual real estate?

There’s no arguing that creative domain flipping can be lucrative if you can come up with a decent name available at a decent price. If you’re looking for a domain name generator to help you brainstorm, give Nameboy a look.
Nameboy offers domain name creation, domain name lookup and domain registration, but the cool tool is absolutely free.

Enter a few keywords to find, register and back-order related available domain names. NameBoy will generate domain names based on the keywords you enter, and you can register or back-order them right here!

One option that I haven’t seen before in name generators is the rhyming selection. Never thought of that.

Or: Enjoy Our Forced Cheer

OK, things have officially Gone Too Far. SInce when do religious groups have the right to force their beliefs onto how a company do its marketing? (Since forever, I know, it was a retorical question.)

NEW YORK — This holiday season, Wal-Mart isn’t trumpeting big bargains only. It’s also bringing “Christmas” back into its marketing, after several years of playing down the term.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Christmas cheer seems to be a hot trend this season as several other retailers including Kohl’s Corp. and Macy’s, a division of Federated Department Stores Inc., are also stepping up their Christmas marketing. The moves respond to mounting criticism from religious groups that staged boycotts against Wal-Mart and other merchants after they eliminated or de-emphasized “Christmas” in their advertising.

Christmas Returns to Wal-Mart Marketing | Chicago Tribune

Thank god Santa Christ will be back where he belongs – in the aisles peddling goods.

Not all gaga over Google? Or do you simply want to reach out beyond Google’s limitations? (Yes, they do have them.)

To create free sitemaps that will attract the interest of other search engines, as well as Google, as well as real
live visitors, take a look at XML-sitemaps.

Some info lifted from their site:

• Create an XML sitemap format that can be submitted to Google to help them crawl your website better.
• Create a Text sitemap to submit to Yahoo.
• Create a ROR sitemap, which is an independant XML format for any search engine.
• Generate an HTML site map to allow human visitors to easily navigate on your website.

Here are 4 simple steps to get it done

1. Enter your full website URL and some optional parameters in the form below.
2. Press ‘Start’ button and wait until the site is completely crawled (the progress will be indicated)
3. You will see the generated sitemap details page, including number of pages, broken links list, XML file content and link to a compressed sitemap. Download the sitemap file using this link and put it into the “public_html/” folder of your site.
4. Go to your Google Webmaster account and add your sitemap URL. Please check About Google sitemaps page for more info. (Necessary for Google only, natch.)

Looks real clean and simple. I like it. Now I just need to use it. Did I mention it’s free?

And the tip to end all tips – or at least this 12-step program:

1. Starting small is starting smart

Many Internet entrepreneurs take a look at the technology available in cyberspace and think they need to have it all to be competitive. Besides adding to the cost of site development, all the Java scripts, animations, marquee messages, and other bells and whistles can actually push customers away.Starting small is starting smart – focus your time and money on promoting your products and fulfilling orders. Build a strong customer base with a fundamentally strong site with clear descriptions, logical instructions, and focused intent. Make your pages quick to load and easy to follow – you want visitors to notice your product, not your programming.

Later, when you feel you have a strong base of operation and you know more about who your customers are, you can add special features geared to their interests.

2. Think before you link

Success in offline ventures is sure to equal success online, right? The answer is no. Some products and services are just not a good fit for Internet sales.

Think objectively about what you have to offer. Are the costs of shipping and handling going to make sale prices too high to entice buyers? Does the item need the touch of a practiced, personal salesperson? Can your prices stand up against the stiff competition online and off? Are the items too delicate or expensive to ship practically?

Giving your products this honest scrutiny can save you a lot a time and expense. Don’t take your business and your money out on a limb.

3. Don’t neglect the real world

Some Internet stores seem to think that all a business needs to pull in online sales is a good shopping cart and secure credit card transactions. Don’t make that mistake yourself. A majority of “online” sales come from a customer accessing a site for information and comparison, then picking up a phone and calling in their order.

It is critical to always include contact information and display it prominently on each page. Give your business solidity by providing its street address and telephone numbers (toll-free is best). Not only will you make it easier for customers to order; you’ll assure them that you’ll be easy to contact for customer service should anything go wrong.

4. Shameless promotion can lead to an embarrassment of riches

You’ve create your online gem of a storefront, stocked it well and made it easy to buy your product. Now all your customers have to do is find you… but the Internet is not the Yellow Pages and the search engines are as likely to send your customers to your competition as they are to you.

You have to lead your customers to your store by the hand and conventional advertising can sometimes make or break an Internet site. Give buyers every opportunity to find your URL in conventional magazine, newspaper or mass media advertising. These days, leaving off your Internet address is like leaving off your phone number. Be sure to print it on any promotional item you offer and include it on your business card and letterhead.

While you’re at it, create a short and professional sig. file (signature file) to display at the end of every email you write. Your email software should have this option under the preferences menu.

6. Once is never enough

Many online ventures spend all their time and resources in attracting new customers and end up offering them little reason to return. But a key to success in business is turning a new customer into a repeat customer. Beyond offering a product for sale, you must create entertaining and captivating content to bring people back to your site.

Interactivity helps. Consider your products – would a monthly newsletter outlining their benefits be helpful to consumers? Can you create feature articles that would enlighten and inform them? Would games or contests be appropriate? How about regular product updates?

Consider the unexpected. Surprising and delighting visitors with your content can separate you from your competition and bring ‘em back for more.

7. An informed customer is a satisfied customer
Even the most well designed site with the hottest products can fail to elicit sales if you don’t give your visitors a clear understanding of what to expect once they order. Instill consumer confidence by spelling out your sales and shipping policy.

Clearly state, in a prominent position, how long it will take for you to deliver the customer’s order. Explain which methods of shipping you use, and how much you charge for shipping and handling. If there are any additional charges, such as sales tax or insurance, let them know up-front.