Simple Randomness

Reliable Web Hosting

When you’re starting up a website, it’s very important that you have a good and reliable web host.  The problem is that there are so many to choose from!

I’m using a particular host, but honestly I think of changing it from time to time.  So as I’ve been thinking about this I’ve been checking out different ones from time to time.  One that’s been around for quite some time is Network Solutions.

Network Solutions overs a variety of web hosting services to match your individual needs. They also have a few great characteristics such as:

• 99.99% UNIX uptime reliability
• 30-day money back guarantee
• Award-winning customer service
• Free domain name
• Website building tools
• Website marketing tools

One of the other things to consider when it comes to choosing a web host is the cost. For example, right now I’m doing month to month hosting for about $7 a month. With Network Solutions it is $9.96 a month. Now, this isn’t such a big deal if they can justify the cost, and having a really reliable up time can be worth it.

Another thing to compare would be the amount of space that they give you and bandwidth. Honestly, I haven’t done any direct comparisons but that would be another factor in determining if a particular host is worth the price.

Anyway, if you’re looking for hosting, Network Solutions is one to look into!

Online Processing

I always assume that at least a portion of the people that read this blog from time to time are either currently online business owners or are at least thinking about it.

Either way, if you’re going to sell stuff online, you have to be able to accept credit cards.  Otherwise, how are you going to get paid for the products that you are trying to sell?

I know this is a very basic thing for a lot of you, but I also know that there are people out there that have no idea where to start.  Well, there are a lot of different options for handling credit card processing. One company you might take a look at is OnlineCheck.com. They have some really good rates and what looks like a pretty good program.  Anyway, check it out!

Check Your Credit!

A few years ago I used to work for a company that would help people to repair their credit reports.  Basically all sorts of things can happen to your credit report that you might not even know about, and then make it harder for you to get a loan.

For example, if too many companies check your credit that can affect your credit rating.  Or, if you paid a bill on time but for some reason the company reported it as late anyway, that can cause you problems.

This is was it’s a good idea to check credit report details every now and then.  You can get a free report at least once a year, but  you usually have to pay to find out what your score is.  Even then, you can still at least review your report and make sure there is nothing on there that shouldn’t be.

One thing to note though is that if the information on your credit report is accurate, there really isn’t much you can do about it.  But if it is inaccurate and you can prove it, then they have to take it off.

So if you do happen to have poor credit, you should do all you can to increase your credit.  One way to do this is to get a new credit card or something and then just make sure you keep the record on it very clean.  Then, as time goes on you will have a cleaner record because the old stuff will fall off.

There are lots of companies that can help you find credit cards for people with fair credit.  One such site is UnionCreditReport.com.  If you’re in this position, you might want to check them out.

Credit Cards for Women

I’ve talked on this blog about credit card sites before.  So when I came across this one I was a little intrigued because I thought that they approach was very unique.  How about a site that focuses just on those credit cards that are best for women?  Not a bad idea!

This is great!  They’ve figured out who their main market is and then geared the whole site towards women.  Which makes a lot of sense actually, because I’m sure that in most families women are the ones that do a good portion of the shopping.  Here’s a great quote directly from the site:

A wise and frugal woman is always eager to find a credit card with the lowest APR possible, zero interest plastics being the most appealing bank products.

Well, it is true that getting a card with a low interest rate is the way to go.  It’s also good to look for good rewards and cash back opportunities as well.  So check out CreditRoom.com if you need to find a great credit card for women!

Another Cool Idea from VistaPrint

I know that I’ve done several posts in the past talking about different things that VistaPrint can offer for your business.  Well, here’s another one: Yard Signs!

You see these all the time for real estate agents, election campaigns, and lately I’m seeing a lot of them with phone numbers on them to teach me how to make money off the falling dollar.  But the thing is, they get noticed!

So maybe this is something that you could use in your business.  If so, now’s a great time to give it a try because VistaPrint is offering a special discount on their lawn signs.

If you use this code, you can get 25% off your next order of yard signs: YardSigns25. What a better time to think about using this type of advertisement?

VistaPrint is running a bunch of discounts on all sorts of their products right now including stamps, checks, car door magnets, t-shirts, and more.

The thing that I’ve always liked about VistaPrint is that you can either go with one of their designs or you can completely customize and upload one of your own.  So if you aren’t very good at design, they can help with their designs.  Or, if you’re pretty schnazzy with the computer you can do it yourself and just have them create the actual product!  Not a bad deal either way!

Good Deals on Movado Watches

When it comes to the high end, classy watches, I’ve always thought that Movado made some pretty nice watches.  I just think they have a really unique style!

I mean seriously, this kind of watch really shows some class.  The other thing that I really like about Movado watches is that they also have a real modern look to them.  Black face, no number on it…nice!

There really are a lot of nice watches out there.  And a great site for getting nice watches is TheWatchery.com.  They have a great selection of Movado watches, Gucci, Chanel, Citizen, and a lot of other really nice classy watches.

One thing that I really liked about this site is that they give you multiple options for searching around and finding whatever you need.  You can search by brand, price range, or gender.  This makes finding the right watch for yourself (or for a gift if that’s what you’re after) much easier to accomplish.

Right now TheWatchery.com is offering a huge discount on some of their watches.  In fact they have some on their site for up to 75% off retail!  Not bad!  They have also been a power seller on eBay since 1999, so they’ve been around for a while and know what they’re doing when it comes to watches.

Grow Your Business with a Cash Advance

Going back to the topic of owning an online business, or really any business for that matter, there usually comes a time when it’s a good idea to get a loan in order to grow your business.  This is usually a much better idea than just using a credit card since your rates will be a lot lower.

So let’s say you go in to get a loan, and the bank or lending institution turns you down.  Do you have any other options?  Well, one option you could look at is a business cash advance.

A business cash advance is a loan against a business’s future credit card sales. If a company accepts credit cards, there are merchant account companies that will give them money, and take a little out of each of their following credit card transaction for the next several months till it’s paid up.

Online Checks is one merchant account companie that offers these merchant cash advance programs.  With them there is no credit check, and the funds are available within 72 hours.  This is a great option for businesses that can’t get a traditional loan.

Of course make sure you don’t get an advance for more than you can realistically project paying back.  The last thing you want to do is get an advance and then really dip into your profit more than you should.

Help For Your eCommerce Business

If you’re running an ecommerce business that involves selling physical products from your site, whether you are doing wholesaling or dropshipping, you should know by now that you need to have a merchant account.  The crazy thing is that there are a lot of merchant accounts to choose from out there, so what do you do?

There are a lot of things to consider when comparing different merchant accounts. Look at their fees, both the per transaction fees and also the monthly fees. You could be paying way more than you need to.

In fact, even if you already have a merchant account you might want to look around and see what else you can find out there. For example, there is a company I came across recently called OnlineChecks. They offer some things that are not very common in the industry such as no fees, no contracts, and a free credit card machine. Not a bad deal!

So when it comes to credit card processing and merchant services, these guys look like a pretty good one to check out.  And as you know, you really should be doing everything you can to keep those costs down, so why spend extra on a merchant account if you don’t have to?

Into Sewing? Linen N Things Coupons!

So for the last couple of weeks my wife has been debating getting a sewing machine so that she can sew some curtains, clothes for the kids and whatever other projects she can come up with.  I think that she talked herself out of it for now, but I think that if she had the time to do it she would be great at it!  The only problem is that with two little boys running (or rolling) around, she doesn’t have a lot of time for that kind of thing.

But if she did, she’d be all over coupons for this kind of stuff!  So if you’re the kind of person that likes to sew, you should use some of these Linens N Things coupons and save on your regular purchases.

I know a lot of people are feeling a little more of a pinch on their pocketbooks right now, so using coupons like this really is a good idea.

Seriously, one of the best things about doing your shopping online (or just research) is that you can find great deals and discount codes for just about everything. Savings.com is a great site for all of these things.  So check out Savings.com, who knows, they might have a coupon that you could use today even!

Getting the Best in Online Marketing Services

If you have a website you know that marketing online can be a tricky business.  There are so many different aspects of it all, from web design, search engine marketing, PPC, SEO, SMO, etc.  Sometimes it can all seem a little overwhelming!

That’s why a lot of companies will prefer to hire it out and get help from professional companies rather than doing it all themselves.  But if you’re going to do that, you need to make sure that you do it with a good company.

I came across a company that looks pretty good for this type of thing.  Their name is BeyondROI. One of the things about this company that really grabbed my attention is that they were recently named a Top 10 Most Dependable Search Marketing Firm in the US from Inc. Magazine.

These guys do it all.  Their services include help with web design, doing paid inclusion, help with analyzing your web traffic, Web 2.0 marketing (SMO), email marketing campaigns, and more.

Basically, their name let’s you know what they will help you do: go beyond just getting a good ROI!  So seriously, if you have a website and are looking for a company to help you with your online advertising, this is one that you might want to check out.