How to Create Great Content for Your Website

In their book, "Million Dollar Web Presence," author Chad Barr and Alan Weiss lay tactical strategy to build brands and businesses by utilizing the Internet. In the following excerpt, the author describes a tried and true method for generating provocative, compelling content, as well as the essential elements of a successful website. 

Content may be king, but the content is provocative ace. var In connection Million Dollar Web Presence By Chad Barr and Alan Weiss 16 Comments Share your thoughts Website you only have seconds to capture the interest. Think about the articles you've read, heard the words, the book you started. The early exposure helps people decide if they want to spend more time reading, listening or viewing. There is simply too much competition for time hoping that people will invest too much of it in trying to resolve a warm introduction. 

Edgy content for an accounting firm may include six reasons you are paying too much tax, why line up is more important than the bottom line, and how to get your clients to offer to pay you more than you asked for. 

You can smooth, but not poke someone in the eye. You must be willing to challenge and comfort, while not proud or bragging. Your site, and especially your site, it should be provocative enough not memorable, and cause others to tell his colleagues, "you should visit the site." Related: courting the Blogger tout Your Product? Get Ready for More Disclosure of Content Marketing Let's explore some of the best ways to get the provocative idea that you need to: Reading books and relevant publications and summarize read and document your ideas. Brainstorm with others. Involved team of trusted advisors. Being part of a mastermind group of powerful and trusted counselor is a great way to promote the ideas and creativity. Investments in development. A Japanese proverb says: "I master something, then creativity will come." Questioned the basic assumptions. This applies not only to your own conclusions, but also those of your advisors and clients. You gain new insights come to the right solution. Taking a contrarian view. Discuss the pros and cons of the concept. Our clients hire not necessarily agree with them, but to question their views and developing a basis for increasing their business. Create a story. Use stories to convey a particular concept forces us to develop ideas to make it more effective. Another interview. This is a great way to learn, get new ideas and leverage effective marketing while developing new audio and video content for your web site and the people who interview. Social networking. When participating in an online community that effective and smart, you can quickly gain knowledge about what is asked and discussed, and how you can be useful to others. Among the "musts" of our own content for your website is a homepage that includes the results of a typical client, at least one video testimonial testimonials plus scrolling text (about seven seconds in between) and the amount a dramatic and exciting. Menu should include case studies, list of clients, position papers, biography, contact information, product and service offerings and video explanations of the various offerings. Give each page a different look. Related: Telling Your Story: 5 Rules for the 'Content Marketing' After reviewing thousands of websites possible for many years, we have come to the conclusion that in order for your organization to be successful on the Internet, the three main elements that must be achieved: Design. Your site should be designed in a professional, appealing and attractive, and easy to navigate to quickly capture the attention of visitors and flowers. Good use of images is important and the use of images of movement to your clients. Content. 

Your site should focus on the interests of your visitors' and answer questions about what is in it for them and how to improve their business and life. To achieve this, content must be strongly developed in the form of products, services and intellectual property, while continuing to grow. Strategy and tactics. Determine what business will look like, how they should position themselves online and what parts of the Internet is essential to make the business successful. Decide how you have to reach and interact with customers: they buy a product, read this article, subscribe to newsletters, communicate through blogs and online communities? Without the three, greatly reduced the effectiveness of your site. For example, a well-designed site with great content but do not have a defined strategy and tactics such as driving a large car without a map or GPS system effective. 

You'll wonder why you did not achieve your goal. If you have good content and effective strategies and tactics, but poor design and navigation, the guests are also close their browser or hit the back button to go to their site before. Do not try to tag, label, and identify every single item. Focus on the things that are most important to your credibility. If leadership is your strong suit, do not worry about the blog entry to highlight your movie reviews. Use tools like Google Alerts to let you know how you perceived and seen. If your position for a problem that just around the true value, and then change what you emphasize. Related: What's Hot and What's Not in Content Marketing for 2012

New Craft Beer Niche Division

Growlers are used to bring beer since the 1800s, but the procedure to fill it dramatically increased since then. And Shelton, Conn.-based beer-to-go concept complaint Station bringing the latest technology to U.S. complaints filling It all starts with customer complaints. Brothers Mark and Bill da Silva, brew pub owner in Connecticut, found that their customers are not satisfied with the quality of their complaint system. Mark, the master drinks at the pub (and for growler Station), when it took itself to find a solution. 

He found that Russian system promises to fill a complaint with a unique process that limits the exposure to oxygen so that the beer remains fresh for up to two or three months (compared to about three days in the common charge) . He and his brother share to find with John O'Connell and Tony Lane, co-founder of the company's sales and marketing S3 Consulting. O'Connell and Lane saw an opportunity for the U.S. distribution system is tested with one of the brothers of pub ', and the results are amazing: oxygen-free, foam-free, durable craft beer. 

Cheers, mate: John O'Connell complaints station saw potential in the concept of beer-to-go European. "This is basically the same skills that the bulk fill bottling lines for each beer company use, and they called for single use," said O'Connell. Inspiration hit when people began to research the market and found that the system used in the beer-to-go shop in Europe. "We thought, wait a minute: Maybe there is something here not only from the point of view of distribution, but from the point of view of self-actual store and use the system to sell growlers," said O'Connell. The decision is clear - if the concept worked in Europe, definitely take America. All four jumped at the chance. They were joined by Piero Broccardo, who served as president and CFO, and established complaint Station. Open (beer) Gates Complaint Station Store first launched in January in New York. 

Even before the doors opened, the company has built a fan base of potential customers through Facebook and Twitter followers. The team also asked the PR firm to create more buzz. While customers can not drink in the store, they can choose from a selection of 24 craft brews on tap and take it to go. Reusable glass growlers sold in 32 - and 64-ounce sizes, but also offers a choice of 2-liter plastic complaint Station, recycled (not reusable) nicknamed the "Beast." "This is the concept that we are the only one to do at this point," said Lane, who served as Chief Marketing Officer. "Now you do not have to worry about buying a glass complaint, you do not have to worry about bringing it back, you do not have to worry about cleaning it before bringing it back." Prices vary between different beer. Customers can cost as little as $ 1.99 for 12-ounce bottle of single and up to $ 34.99 for the design of special import to 64 oz complaints. (Median price for a 64-ounce domestic beer complaint craft $ 13.99) The complaint Station also sells a variety of specialty foods - from salsa and marinate for home brand GS Nutsack summer beans - to increase drinks. Intelligent Support The shop is equipped with iPad kiosks that customers can use to explore the application of Beer complaint Station Wizard and find their perfect beer.

 Users can search for craft beer based on food, family style or conformity with brands they know, and then filter the results based on criteria such as bitterness, color and alcohol content. "We want to create a customer experience," says Lane. Customers have downloaded apps on their iPhone can use it to see where beer is currently available in local stores. "The Beer Wizard app really tied into the shop, so that when they change the beer on tap at the store, it will automatically update the application," he said. More This business is self-funded so far, but the founders believe their investment will pay off. O'Connell said the store has seen consistent week-over-week sales increase of about 15 percent. Just six weeks after its opening, complaints Station is performed at the level of the founder who is expected to take five months to achieve. Broccardo said business is the breakeven point in terms of cash flow. A second location recently opened in Greenville, SC, and more are planned. 

 The founders say they have received national and international interest in the franchise, they expect to have a fully developed plan to franchise this year and soon will begin actively seeking franchise. "Surely we built a store at the product level measured high that we can move the franchise community," said Broccardo. In addition, the team will create a scale-down, store-in-store version (think: Starbucks at the grocery store), and options, the small kiosks around 20 square meters called the Complaints Station Express. The company is in final discussions with retailers interested in the stall. All of the company's revenue stream associated with complaint-filling modern technology. O'Connell said: "We are revolutionizing the way beer is sent to the consumer."

Facebook not your platform. Is the Facebook Platform

Facebook seems to make users mad and / or confused with how to handle the news feed. A few months ago, actor George Takei and billionaire Mark Cuban upset at what they see as the algorithm changes Facebook makes them less visible content, and this time it's New York Times writer Nick Bilton, who complained that his job is not getting as much as they want or used to share. The assumption is that Facebook (FB) would like to pay to get this kind of reach. Whether or not that happens, it still sends an important message: You are not in control, Facebook is.Bilton described in a piece for the Times Bits, how his posts used to get lots of 50 or 100 and even wanted to share from Facebook users sign up to get his feed, with a network of new subscriptions feature. But even if the number of users who subscribe soared, from 25,000 after the feature was launched almost half a million now, he said Bilton get far fewer responses to his post, sometimes as little as 10 or 15 like and share. At one time paid Bilton Facebook to promote his position, however, the number increased nearly 1,000 have percent.I 'see the same phenomenon as Bilton feed myself, even in a relatively small scale. While Bilton nearly half-million customers, I have around 75,000, but I am also, I'm posting content that does not get much more interaction than the first day feature. I am experimenting with pay Facebook to promote my post, but I have no doubt I'll see the same kind of increase in activity if I do. It's kind of the point. (Facebook will hold a news event on March 7, which could include the announcement of further changes to the news feed.) This conclusion seems to jump all at the same time that Mark Cuban came in November when he complained about the increasing difficulty in reaching network of his fans: " sponsored tales "that Facebook accidentally tuning (or at least slower) signals coming from multiple users who can convince them to use as promotional tools such as advertising and Cuba said he was deeply disturbed by the steps that he transferred the majority of the marketing budget a variety of brands on Facebook on Twitter and other platforms.Facebook then give much the same response as in the column Bilton (as reported by my colleague Eliza Kern GigaOM): It is said that tweaks its ranking algorithm for all the time to try to reduce spam and increase the visibility of the content that users want, and say that it was not an attempt to market services such as advertising and promotion of its various features. Official post on the Facebook site, entitled "Reality Check," says: "Our goal in the News Feed is always showing each individual entry of the most relevant of the story to maximize interaction and interest. There have been claims recently showed that our algorithm suppress the distribution of News Feed posts that support organic postpaid to increase our revenue. This is not true. "It should be noted that the former YouTube (GOOG) executive-turned - Hunter Walk venture capitalists come up with some alternative theories why Bilton and become more noticeable drop-off to their liking and sharing, including the possibility that some followers and number of customers will drive the bot accounts spam or loss of interest. I definitely look after the "Subscribe" feature was launched I got a lot of spam comments, and the like and share, as well subside. In that sense, reducing the amount of activity qualifies as a good quartz thing.Zach Seward offer additional theories I think there are a lot of feasibility: In a comment on a post run, she cited frequently devotes Facebook significant amount of energy to promote new features, such as offering subscriptions and "social news reader" offer launched by a number of publications, including The Guardian and The Washington Post. After some time, the network is almost always tweak the ranking algorithm so that new features are underestimating brothers when they stand up, often causing problems for those who rely on them.The bottom line, of course, no way for anyone to know why the Facebook algorithms behave In this way, there is more than possible for us to know why some pages rank high in Google. Second black box with mysterious functions. As I tried to indicate to Cuba in my post, Facebook has the right to do whatever you want on your news feed, including use this to convince you to pay a promotional tool, because it has a news feed. You do not want to. Both are reminded that sometimes.Also from GigaOM: Social Networkers Survey: How to Compete on Facebook in 2013 (subscription required) T-Mobile Data Plan Joint Trust, too, just not for the Force Park CustomersOpen Full Release The net Mobile App crowdsourced Hadoop Ecosystem: The Elephant (Welcome) In Room (Infographic) What is the Ed Tech Can Learn From Health Care comes to Access Data

David Beckham, Football Ambassador to China

Dennis Rodman not only sports stars appear in strange places and offer support. David Beckham, 37, star of English football, just signed an ambassador for Chinese soccer (called football outside the U.S.). His duties will include attending the game in China and lending his star power to help make the game popular among Chinese youth, reports the BBC. "I am excited by the prospect of promoting the greatest game in the world for Chinese sports fans as I saw firsthand the growing interest in soccer there," Beckham said in a statement. Global A-list celebrity can help polish the image of football in China remains an open question. While basketball is made much admired celebrity in China, chief among them the most recognized football Yao Ming, China humiliating defeat and corruption. Sport has made several top former football referee, Chinese criminal now in prison for taking bribes to fix matches, and 58 other referees were banned from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). With current Chinese football is no real hero. Sports heroes are important because they can attract fans, and finally a sponsorship deal. Although now retired from basketball, Yao's face remains ubiquitous on television advertising, in China and abroad, for the dizzying array of products, including these mini-Oreos, Coke (I), Visa (V), Apple (AAPL), T-Mobile, and Nuvi personal travel assistant. Currently, Beckham is expected to praise the utopian aspect of his new mission. "It is a great sport that inspires people around the world and bringing the family together, so I enjoyed the opportunity to introduce more fans to the game," read the statement. He continued to play football for a team Paris Saint-Germain in France.

Apple iWatch Can Find Silicon Valley hard sell

While the technology and media industry analysts salivating at the prospect of Apple iWatch, company backyard I saw a lot of my high-tech friends decided that they should be mechanical analog watch luxury. They appreciate the placement of smartphones go for a while. It will celebrate the trusty old-school watches, full of small parts of each other, as marvel.Luxury engineering goods, especially watches, weather and economic crisis is part of a gentle push toward "crafted quality" tools, clothing, and accessories. Silicon Valley may play a role in the watch running outdated, but have not managed to destroy value for the mechanical, analog. While the general population is looking forward to the latest in futuristic status symbol, technology futurists will 'retro.That not say iWatch or similar device will not work. It is annoying to take a cell phone in your pocket to check the time, and it's more annoying when other people use as an excuse timeliness in meeting to check their e-mails. After the mini-computer on your wrist streamline their fitness activities and play, as well as checking the time. In technology we tend to celebrate a general purpose tool capabilities of a wide range of activities. However, analog watch is the product, beautifully complex physical doing something well. It simplicity.At interesting even though I kept telling myself. I gave up on the latest trends in Silicon Valley a few weeks ago while traveling: I bought a flashy watches. (I'm still struggling silly socks.) Strengthening dollar combined with sales to make a profit buying resist.The may vary. Watch me make my new younger and more handsome. Also adaptive camouflage golf courses and yacht clubs, even for those who do not play golf or know anything about sailing. If and when you are ready to pull double-grip, here are some practical reasons: • It stops me from looking at my phone and then check e-mail, so it's really a anti-panic device • It is a flight to quality, identifying me as a deeper and more stylish than plastic watch me walk • Most men can not do a lot of jewelry (rings I have left pinky), but I felt the need to express myself like that • It inspires jealousy in those who do not have one • Some people online say it's cool

The Research Paper explains how to predict the Arab Spring and the Next Cyber

"specific triggers for how and when instability would lead to the collapse of various These regimes can not always known and predictable ... We are not clairvoyant "- James Clapper, director of national intelligence, told the congressional committee in February 2011 that U.S. intelligence agencies believe he did the best they could to monitor the Arab Spring protests.Here's what we know. : some incidents of trouble incite violence, political and social changes, or trigger a series of cyber attacks. The other, a situation that appears to be similar to fade quietly without hitting the masses foolishness. We just can not tell which events are changed ugly.What if you can predict dangerous incident as early? Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories developed an early warning system to alert officials to politically motivated cyber attacks or other threatening activities in the world.In paper (PDF) released late last year, "Proactive Defense for developing Cyber ​​Threat, "Sandia tagapagpananaliksik Richard Colbaugh and Kristin Glass outline computer models say they monitor the Internet to identify the volatile situation weeks before they go south, the" perfect accuracy. "Husband-wife team since 2009 learning how to spread information through social networks to influence behavior. Several predictive models built using the latest analytical approach, with a twist: Colbaugh and Glass map how anger is an extensive conversation with Internet.Most digital efforts depends on the amount of precognition. If the words or phrases mentioned most often, signal an emerging trend and possible opportunities. While the information may be enough for retailers who bet to see "steampunk" is the next hipster hobby that spymasters called Translation: "non-actionable intelligence" not enough detail in the Sandia Act.The researchers solve the problem by Device software trace convoluted way conversation on the internet. They began by tracking the number of times out a particular phrase, use a website that tracks the day-to-day memes sort of early warning system. Their algorithm then takes the data and analyze the relationship between social networks and membership information and influence over each other. Their approach works, Colbaugh said, because it is a combination of social sciences (human power should influence the others) and computer science (the power of Big Data). Study of past events-Duo-34 was analyzed to find the model they unfailingly choose the situations where virtual vitriol exploded into action. "We pay attention not only to communicate, but also how the chatter spread through the network," said Colbaugh.The model that does not require huge investments. Researchers usually run the program over the weekend to $ 10,000 workstation.US Intelligence, embarrassed by the unexpected events that led to the Arab Spring and the historic changes in the region, working with open source tools (PDF ) to make them more prescient about world events. "If I DOD, I want to be best friends with researchers," said Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of security provider BeyondTrust.The Sandia research interests developed as a method to detect and track emerging social and political events. "Think of the Arab Spring kind of thing," wrote Colbaugh, in an e-mail follow-up. There continues to work at Sandia algorithm "hardening" so that the program can operate without human supervision.For much now, apparently no attempt to use the model to develop a defensive weapon against cyber attacks. Research, Colbaugh shows, is in the public domain and will not be difficult for a large company concern cyber attacks, said the financial services, to change its model use.The Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and Boeing (BA) are listed in the role as sponsor of the Sandia study. DOD and the National Security Agency did not respond to several requests to discuss the role. Boeing, the sponsor only company listed in the paper, did not respond to e-mail requests for interview.Encouraging as emerging research, it is designed to replace the security tools that exist in cyber or traditional methods intelligence gathering. It is best used to zero in on the public chat because, your not alone Web-modus operandi of cyber criminals or state-sponsored pros like John Pescatore, director of emerging security technologies for the SANS Institute , pointed out: "They are not going to yak about social media" Right., but other cyber weapons require quite a lot of rambling to get started. Hacktivists preferred weapon is a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which is a type of attack that tested Sandia study. A DDoS attack because it requires coordination involves paralyzing web site by having many computers to send mountains effective data server crash, then refuse service to others. But computer security experts warn and author, Bruce Schneier, the model should be considered at least Sandia research is moving in the right direction "one tool of many.", Said security experts. "The threat intelligence no longer a lagging indicator," says Christopher Ling, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, who led the military intelligence unit of the company. In Boaz, he said, they are working on a similar approach. "This is the first step," he said Sandia's work. "We need a much more sophisticated analysis."

Obamacare Offers Coverage Sweatshop Labor. They Buy?

How many people are newly eligible to purchase corporate health plan next year you actually do it? It is one of the many questions about health care reform that we do not know the answer. Important for several reasons. First, the company offers health coverage on the hook for most of the 'premium their workers, so the number of people who sign up will affect their costs. It is of particular concern to small businesses that provide health benefits for the first time.Second, premium law considered "affordable" (ie, less than 9.5 percent of the labor income) may still be too expensive to attract workers to buy. Imagine a low-wage restaurant workers or retail stretch to pay for gas housing, food, and other necessities. The workers are not going to be 5 percent of their income to buy health plans to leave the company. And if younger, healthier workers forget about coverage, adverse selection means that someone else will pay more.A new report today from ADP Payroll providers offer some guidance on how this can play. The graph above, based on data from ADP client, showing how workers who drop off the work plan as a premium eating a larger portion of their salaries. Workers began to opt out of the health plan premium costs employers when they began to take more than 3 percent of their income, ADP data showed. This is starting to happen with individuals who make less than $ 40,000 per year and will be more apparent due to a decrease in wages. "If you think about 2014, because it is a great experiment," said Christopher Ryan, vice president of ADP Strategic Advisory Services. "Many millions of people will have the opportunity to purchase the benefits you had before. But the real question is, can they afford it? They really show? "ADP data do not provide a perfect model for what happens in the next year. Individuals who do not purchase coverage fined only in the year 2014. Starting at $ 95, or 1 percent of income (whichever is greater), and a year later increased to $ 695, or 2.5 percent of revenue. Premium tax deductible, while the good is not. However, the graph shows that offer coverage for low-income workers may not be enough to get them insured.

This happens every Spring and All

clever little comedy chemistry professor (Milland) accidentally discovered the chemical that causes the ball to avoid all wood surfaces, especially baseball bats. He took time off from academics and start pitching career is skyrocketing. A most pleasant, unpretentious picture.-pass Every Spring (1949) in 2009, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (2008, Signet) interruption collected together to form chemicals (fictional) " methylethylpropylbutyl, "which then applies to most baseball this. Happens Every Spring, when I saw one that WikipediaBy understated gem Maltin, dated. Now this is the way the date. (You can see a future star on Gilligan Island?) Where I grew up, spring occurs around the second week of June. The week before, NBC Saturday Night Movie will launch the baseball season with a simple classic.I bring this up because of a certain age, I was fascinated by the impossibility, anxiety, and Valentine Davies script happy ending. (Davies worth a read heart Think: Miracle on 34th Street.) Spring has fascinated our fearless leaders in Washington are looking for a small methylethylpropylbutyl.There impossible. There was tension. Are you looking happy isolated ending.They have exactly one hope.It Spring.Too often looks foolish and recently in Washington happens every spring. Discuss.

Calculating the True College degree value

How much does a college degree really worth? The eternal question asked by every former English, philosophy, and art history major now answer some countries. For students of the University of Virginia, to pay $ 60,300 for the approach, on average, 18 months after graduation, rather than sociology ($ 33,154), or worse, biological ($ 27,209). In Tennessee, Dyersburg State Community College graduates with a bachelor's degree in health generates about $ 5,000 more on average than someone who majored in health and took a degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, the state schools very. With skyrocketing tuition and student debt and dim job prospects waiting for many graduates, the state attempted to show people back what they realistically expect to invest at a level of public universities. That is why Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and collect data on the salaries of their graduates and post them online CollegeMeasures.org, a website run by a former Bush administration education official. The database, which does not display the name or other identifying information, show the students how much money they can expect to earn based on large school they choose. Colorado, Nevada, and Texas will start using it in early 2013. "The we want is for students to make decisions," said Tod Massa, director of policy research and data warehousing in Virginia State Board of Higher Education. Massa, who will push for a database for years, with little success until 2011, when the Virginia legislature passed a law mandating that the state publishes salary data for graduates of all colleges and universities, public and private. Schools' need to coordinate the level of loans students have [students] tend to ability to pay, "said Massa. Running the Virginia share information CollegeMeasures and its own website, which publishes the data for graduates in five years the federal government school.The tried, but failed, to do something similar. In 2005 the U.S. Department of Education floated the idea of ​​collect notes from college students to measure student performance and compare it with the data work. Measures are required by an act of Congress, but the Bush administration dropped the idea after protests from civil liberties and schools are concerned about the privacy of students. In 2008, Congress banned collection of transcript of the Ministry of Education. Americans, though, does not comply with the ban. To gather their data, both higher ed and Virginia CollegeMeasures appropriate council department 'notes of the students of their wages held unemployment insurance program state. (Only graduates working in state salaries are recorded in the database.) Mark Schneider, president CollegeMeasures, said protecting the identity of the people 'by not publishing information about academic programs with fewer than 10 graduates. Plus, Social Security numbers removed from the records before making their website Schneider. However, the school concerned file sharing may lead to privacy violations. "People are not told what they did with the records," said Sarah Flanagan of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, walking group in Washington. College administrators say the collection of data will prevent students from majors such as English, philosophy, and art history. They fear that these countries can also use the data to reduce public funding for programs with low income prospects. "All that counted does not necessarily count," said Flanagan. "There are many things of value that provides high-quality education can not be reduced to a number or data points." Meet Schneider data publishing his best viewed with a critical eye. A student with a nursing degree from a two-year college can be more than a year after graduating from an English major at a liberal arts school, he said, but over the span of a career , those with a bachelor's degree will end up making more than the degree of relevance. Database also excludes federal employees and self-employed. In some cases, higher wages may be a result of the higher cost of living in the areas in which new graduates looking for work. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has proposed legislation to force all 50 states to disclose salary data for graduates of public and private schools. Bill has not gone anywhere, but Schneider said he thinks Congress will come around. "People look at higher education in a way that is completely different than the usual." Bottom line: Before choosing college majors in the country, students in three countries can go online to see how much money you make new graduates.