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!

Cool Zip Code Locator for Businesses

I love it when I can go to the website of some company and then use some kind of a store locator that helps me to find out where they are in my area or some other place that I might be visiting in the future. It makes it so much easier!

Well, if you are a business owner and don’t have this type of service on your website (and you have a physical location/storefront), the good news is that there are companies out there that can help you get one of these services! These programs help you set up a program that will find your stores based on their zip code.

One such company is the ZipCodeWorld Store Locator Live. And the best thing about it, its free!

Here are some interesting facts about their program:
a) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is supporting 1089 companies and total of 30692 unique stores and growing.
b) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is supporting 33 countries worldwide including United States and Canada.
c) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is free for business with less than 100 stores. The only thing we would like in return is to display a banner linking back to our Web site.
d) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is also available in .NET and PHP. Programmers can install it in their local servers.
e) The company also provides comprehensive ZIP code and postal codes resources for United States, Canada and Mexico.

So if you need this type of service on your site, check these guys out!

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!

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?

Everyone’s Starting a Blog

So in the last few weeks I’ve learned about a bunch of different friends that have blogs up and running.  It seems like everyone these days is starting a blog!  Well, it’s probably a good thing.  I’ve actually found that it can be very therapeutic at times…

One thing I always wonder is if people know about all the different options for setting up their blog.  I know that a lot of them will just do a blog hosted by the blogging company, but even better in my opinion is to host it separately so you can do more with your blog.  But then I guess that depends on what you’re after.

Well, if you’re thinking of starting a new blog and want the most felxibility out of it, you really should go with hosting it somewhere else.  It’s a good idea to check out some web host rating websites to see which ones are currently the best to work with.  This way you can be sure to get the best deal and also know what you should be getting in the first place.

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.

Freelance - Got Skills?

If you have a good set of skills, one great way to make some extra money is to do some freelance work or pick up some freelance jobs.  And the great thing is that there are plenty of websites out there that can help connect you as a freelancer to different businesses and individuals that might be looking for your services.

So how does freelancing help businesses?  Well, let’s say you’re a manager and you have a small project that you need to get done, but it isn’t long enough to really hire a new employee for.  Or maybe it’s beyond what your current team has time to handle.  Well, that’s where the freelancer comes in.  You hire someone for that job and that’s it!

So how does it help the individual freelancer?  Well, maybe you have some extra time in your schedule and would like to pick up some extra money.  You look at some jobs that are available on a site like TheFreelanceNation.com, find one you like and get hired for it.  Now you have an extra job you can do to make that extra cash!

As you can see, freelancing sites are good for both parties.  The other cool thing about sites like TheFreelanceNation.com is that they have forums and other tools to help you.  So if you’re looking for some temporary employment or other freelance opportunity, check these guys out!

All About Network Solutions

I’m sure that a lot of you are relatively new to the internet, blogging, hosting, and all the other strange words that you’ve probably heard since you got involved in this crazy thing called the world wide web.  Did you ever wish there was a resource that could help clear up some of your confusion?

Well, Network Solutions has put together a page to explain everything about themselves, and by finding out about a company like Network Solutions and their many products you can honestly find out the answers to a lot of your questions like “What is hosting?” and others.

Pretty cool site.  It looks like they just barely did a redesign on it and I have to say that they’ve done a very good job with it.  you can find out more about their products and services, Network Solutions jobs, and anything else you need or want to know.

Network Solutions is one of those hosting and domain name registration companies that has been around for a long time.  So if you’re looking for a reliable company to get a domain name, hosting, email, or other online service though, you can trust someone like Network Solutions to treat you right.  Check them out!