NEVER SAY NEVER

How to get Cheap Auto Insurance

2008-05-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

1. Careless pay more. An obvious thing to say, huh? Though, you won’t believe the number of people who have a broken or an old car in their garage for months or years and still pay auto insurance premium for that junk. If it is your case – don’t be mad at us to be a little rude. Just take actions – renew your motor policy and do not cover the old vehicle you do not use.

2. Yes, yearly payment figures are large and scary. Yes, it is a bit frustrating to see your account cut by this amount of money. And, Yes, the annual payments are the real money savers in case of car insurance. Despite the fact that monthly fees seem to be more convenient, they happen to be much more expensive in the end. Just think of 12 bank transactions you have to make: each time you will be charged extra money for bank operations. Twelve times you will receive payment notice. Who do you think covers the mail expenses for insurers? Of course their customers, and hence, you. If you are serious about saving on auto insurance – prefer annual payments.

3. You do not have to be a financial analyst, a great economist or master Joda to get an affordable car insurance. All you have to do is to connect your computer to the Internet and spend some time looking for online insurance quotes. These things are really amazing! You enter your zip code and get vehicle insurance quotes from a number of your local providers in 5 seconds. Then you choose the most suitable variant: the cheapest one or the one with the maximum coverage or anything else. Then you may also purchase the policy via internet. Some insurers even give discounts for online customers. Anyway, you can find lots of valuable information in the Internet that will help you find a cheap auto insurance with good coverage.

8 Things You Should Know About Auto Insurance

2008-05-12T23:43:00.001-07:00

Dealing with the ins and outs of auto insurance can be as tricky and confusing as trying to untie the Gordian knot. Although we can`t help you with the knotty Gordian problem, the following recommendations could help you figure out some of the more complicated points of auto insurance.

1) Determine appropriate coverage.

Help control the price you pay, just ask American Insurance Association executive Dave Snyder. For example, Snyder notes that half of your auto insurance bill covers liability and "that has to do with how you are going to use the vehicle, such as for commuting to work and your driving record. If you`ve got a clean driving record, you figure to pay less for insurance than you would if you had a speeding ticket on your record. You can control the other half of your premium which covers damage or loss to your vehicle, comprehensive and collision coverage."

2) Shop around for insurance.

"In most states," Snyder reports, "there are hundreds of insurers competing for business, so it`s possible to save hundreds of dollars by obtaining quotes from different auto insurance providers." Picking up on Snyder`s theme is his AIA colleague, Nicole Mahrt. Mahrt urges you to work with your insurance provider to get more than one quote. "It pays you to shop around, especially if you feel you`ve been paying too much."

3) Look for insurance discounts.

"Many insurers will give you a discount if you buy two or more types of insurance from them, for example auto and home insurance," confirms John Marchioni, senior vice president of Personal Lines for Selective Insurance, in Branchville, N.J. More cost-saving suggestions from Marchioni: "Ask about discounts for air bags, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights and anti-theft devices."

4) Consider taking a higher deductible.

"You could lower your insurance bill by increasing your deductible," Mahrt says. "But just make sure you can pay the higher deductible if you file a claim."

5) Look into "stacking" coverages if you file an insurance claim.

Insurance trade group officer Daniel Kummer explains that stacking uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages means "you can collect from more than one of your auto insurance policies. Most states prohibit this practice, but there are about 19 states that either allow stacking or don't address the issue either through legislation or litigation," according to Kummer, director of personal insurance for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. "Be sure to check your auto insurance contract to see if it's allowed. "Be advised that you`ll likely pay a higher insurance premium if you have stacked coverage. "It could be 10% to 30% more depending on the litigious nature of the state in which you reside," says Kummer.

6) Check with your insurance provider BEFORE buying a car.

"Your premium is based in part on the car`s sticker price, the cost to repair it, its safety record and the likelihood of theft," answers Selective`s John Marchioni. Remember to avoid shopping by price alone. "You want an agent and a company that answer your questions and handle claims fairly and efficiently," emphasizes Marchioni, senior vice president of Personal Lines for Selective Insurance.

7) Notify your auto insurance company as soon as you change companies.

"Be sure to cancel your old policy," suggests PCI`s Dan Kummer. "Do it the same day, but don`t cancel your old policy until you`ve lined up a new contract. That`s important because some states like New York will fine you for the number of days you go without insurance." One last thought from Kummer on the subject: "Most auto insurers specify in your contract that you can terminate your policy any time you want by informing your company in writing about the date you wish that coverage be terminated or you can do that over the phone.

8) Pick the insurance payment option that best fits your budget.

"Generally, most companies will give you the ability to pay over time, but that comes at a price," says Kummer. "Your payment could increase a few dollars each time you pay by installment. Insurers can accept payments monthly, quarterly, or every six months, what ever is most convenient for you. Remember, though, that the more you break down your payments, the more the cost adds up."

How your Lifestyle affects your Life Insurance

2008-05-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Insurance companies operate and make money by assessing risk and charging premiums based on the amount of risk involved in the lifestyles of their policy holders. There are several lifestyle factors that affect how much you pay in premiums.
Physical and Mental Health
One of the biggest factors in play is your physical health. Are you a smoker? Are you overweight? Do you have a medical condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or heart disease? All of those things can increase premiums considerably, because they reduce average life-span and make it more likely that a policy-holder will die early. And the medical examination that you must take to be accepted for life insurance coverage will show whether or not you’re affected by any of these health conditions.
Excessive alcohol use can also affect your premiums. While there is no way for an insurance company to determine how much an individual drinks, the medical examination that is required as part of the application process includes liver function tests—and increased levels of certain liver enzymes are an indicator of alcohol-related liver damage.
While physical health as a risk factor is widely known and understood, many people do not realize that mental health also plays a role in determining insurance premiums. Insurance companies consider that those with certain types of mental illness such as depression are at higher risk of committing suicide, and therefore insurance premiums are likely to be increased for such individuals. Not all mental illnesses are viewed this way—factors such as the length of time the illness has been diagnosed, and whether or not long-term treatment and management is possible affect the risk level.
Employment and Hobbies
If you’re employed in a hazardous job, or if you have a hobby that’s considered dangerous, such as sky-diving or mountain-climbing, then your premiums are likely to be higher. The definition of high-risk varies so it’s best to ask potential insurers before you make a decision on where to buy life insurance.
Miscellaneous Factors
Other factors such as your driving record come into play, too. Many insurance companies review the driving records of those who apply for insurance, and speeding tickets or other citations can mean increased premiums. And if you’re a frequent flyer you should be prepared to pay more, too.
Changing your Lifestyle to Reduce your Premiums
If you have a high-risk lifestyle, it’s often possible to take steps to remedy any problems and get your premiums lowered. If you’re overweight or a smoker, quitting or losing weight—and maintaining that new status—will mean a reduction in your life insurance costs. If you make improvements in your health that might reduce your premiums, you will be required to undergo a medical examination so that you can prove your new lifestyle is lower risk. You’ll also need to be able to prove that you can maintain your lower-risk lifestyle—usually this means that you must maintain the new lifestyle for a certain amount of time before being eligible for a premium reduction.

How do I Collect on Life Insurance?

2008-05-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Life Insurance

2008-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it—most of us don’t want to think about the possibility of dying, and what might happen after we die. But if you have a partner and a family, then it’s important to ensure that they’ll be taken care of if the worst does happen. Life insurance is the best way of doing that, particularly if your partner is staying at home to take care of the children —it helps to make sure that your family won’t suffer financially from the loss of your income if you die or are involved in an accident that causes permanent disability. And even if you’re a two-income household, life insurance will help ensure that your family remains financially stable. That’s the standard benefit of life insurance, but there are others.
Dividends
Depending on the type of insurance company you choose, you can benefit from dividends while you are the owner of a policy with that company. These companies are known as mutual insurance companies, and if you have a policy with a mutual company, you are eligible to receive dividends based on the type of policy you own, and the amount of the company’s financial surplus each year. However, you are not guaranteed to receive dividends every year, nor is there a guarantee on the amount you’ll receive.
Depending on the company you have a variety of options for using dividends. You can put the money towards paying future premiums, use it to increase the value of your policy, leave it on deposit to gather interest, or you can simply take the money as cash to spend as you wish. However, note that while dividends themselves are not taxable unless the total dividends you receive are more than the total you’ve paid in premiums, the interest you earn on dividends if you leave them on deposit is taxable.Borrowing from your Life Insurance
If your life insurance policy has cash value, you may be able to borrow against it. One of the biggest advantages of borrowing against a policy rather than simply getting a loan is that you’ll pay much lower interest.
However, there’s a downside to this that you should be aware of. If you borrow against your policy and don’t pay it back, your beneficiaries receive less money if they make a claim—so borrowing from your life insurance can be counter-productive. Borrowing against the cash value of your policy should only be done if you have a true financial emergency—and the money should be paid back into your policy as soon as possible to ensure that your beneficiaries receive the full value of the policy.
Note that you must have permanent life insurance, rather than term life insurance, to be able to borrow against it. Additionally, there is a “waiting period” between buying the policy and being eligible for borrowing against it. Even more important, if your outstanding loan balance plus interest exceeds the cash value of your policy, the policy is terminated and your coverage ends—so it’s best to be cautious about borrowing.

What is Life Insurance? Is It Very Important?

2008-05-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Life Insurance is a policy that protects against financial loss as a result of death. Upon your death, the insurance company that you have your policy with will pay your chosen beneficiary a specific lump sum, assuming all the guidelines of the policy have been met.
So, why should you consider life insurance? If you currently provide income for your family, in the event of your death, who is then going to bring that money in for your loved ones? While nobody likes to think that they might die prematurely, life is not predictable. If you are currently providing financial stability for your family, think of the difficulties they will face should you pass away.

Life insurance can be used to replace income, pay off any mortgage or large debt, or to fund your children’s education needs. When you consider how much each of these can amount to, it makes sense to have a life insurance policy, to protect your family from financial difficulties.
But what sort of life insurance policy should you take out? There are two main types of policies that most insurance companies offer – Permanent Life Insurance and Term Life Insurance.
Permanent Life Insurance offers you a set Death Benefit (payment to your beneficiary) for as long as you live. The premium remains the same for the term of the insurance period and many offer guaranteed cash values, which means if you choose to terminate the policy, you will be refunded the guaranteed cash value.
Term Life Insurance also offers a Death Benefit, but only for as long as the policy is in effect. They also have adjustable premiums, based on the amount you are insured for, and many offer renewable policies.
Term Life Insurance is most often used to cover periods of time where a large loan (such as a mortgage) is taken out, or during child rearing years, to provide protection when it is most needed.
How much life insurance you need, and which type, depends on your individual situation. If you have a mortgage to pay off, and are the sole income earner, then both of these things need to be taken into consideration. Other things that also factor in are the amount of children you have, along with any other debts that would fall to your family in the event of your death.
No matter which sort of policy you choose to take out, make sure to read the fine print before deciding on a policy. If you feel that some of the conditions can’t be met, there is little point in having the policy, as the end result may be that your family will not receive any benefits upon your death. Make sure that you understand what is, and is not, covered by the policy.
No one can decide for you which type of life insurance policy you should take out, but if you earn an income, and have people that depend on you, then it is important that you have some form of insurance. While everyone hopes that they will not suffer from an untimely death, there are very few guarantees in life. It is better to be covered, than to leave your family to deal with both their grief and financial problems at the same time.

Families and Life Insurance

2008-05-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

fe insurance is something that you probably don't want to think about, because if you have a life insurance policy for yourself, most of the time no one will see it until you are gone. This is usually something that is very depressing, and therefore many people don't want to think about life insurance. However, when it comes to your family , life insurance is very important because it can provide you with peace of mind, and provide them with the money that they would need if something was to happen to you.
When you have a life insurance policy, it is important to note that even though your name is on the policy you are not going to be the one who benefits from it, unless you end up selling the policy for money, or unless you get sick and your life insurance benefits kick in while you are still alive. When you have life insurance, the people who will benefit form the policy will be your family. Therefore, it is important to think about them when you are deciding on your life insurance policy and seeing what type of policy you would like to have.
First of all, if you are married, your spouse will get the life insurance benefits, as long as she is stated as the beneficiary, or as long as your will claims that she should get the money. Even in cases where there is nothing that says who should get the money, if you are still married your spouse will get the money. If you don't have a spouse, the money will go to your children, depending on the type of policy and what it should be used for.
It is important that you think about what the life insurance policy will be used for by your family as you are taking it out. This will help you to make sure that the policy is enough money and that you'll be able to be satisfied with it. First of all, the life insurance policy will take care of anything that you might leave behind. This will include any bills that you have out, as well as your final expenses. Remember that the cost of final expenses is usually going to be a lot of money, so you want to plan accordingly. Also, if you have medical or hospital bills before you die, your family can use the life insurance money to pay for that as well.
Any money that is left in the life insurance policy after you have died will be used by your spouse and your children.. They can use it to pay their own bills, to pay their mortgage, and even to pay for school. This means that no matter what happens to you, if you have the right life insurance policy, you can go on taking care of your family even if you are no longer able to do so. This is something that is very important because it will help you know while you are alive that you are doing all you can to care for your family.

The Top Ten Hardest Cars to get Insured

2008-05-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

While your driving history is the number one factor in an insurance company determining your premium, the sort of car you drive also plays a role. Insurance companies take into account the sticker price, the cost to repair the vehicle, replacement value, safety features, and how well it will withstand an accident. The higher the cost of claims for a vehicle, the higher the rates, and therefore the harder it is to get insured.

Basically, luxury cars, sports cars, four-wheel drive trucks, and other performance vehicles are the most expensive to insure. Not only do these cars have high claim rates for collisions, theft, and injury, but the companies consider their drivers to be more apt to speed and therefore a higher risk factor.

Here is a list of the top ten most expensive vehicles to insure, that have a sticker price of less than $50k, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI):
1. Lexus IS 300
2. Land Rover Discovery Series II
3. Audi S4
4. Jaguar X-Type
5. Mercedes SLK Class
6. Lexus GS 430
7. Land Rover Freelander
8. Mitsubishi Montero
9. BMW X5
10. Toyota 4Runner

The HLDI also lists vehicles that are the most expensive based theft, injury and collision claims. The most expensive theft claim models are:
1. Acura Integra two-door
2. Acura Integra four-door
3. Jeep Wrangler
4. Jeep Cherokee four-door
5. Honda Prelude two-door

The most expensive injury claim models are:
1. Suzuki Esteem four-door
2. Mitsubishi Mirage four-door
3. Kia Rio four-door
4. Mitsubishi Mirage two-door
5. Kia Sephia four-door

The most expensive collision claim models are:
1. Lexus IS 300
2. Hyundai Tiburon two-door
3. Kia Spectra four-door
4. Suzuki Esteem four-door
5. Mitsubishi Mirage four-door and Audi A6 Avant Quattro station wagon (tie)

The cost to insure a specific make and model will fluctuate as time passes. Especially if it is brand new model to hit the market. Insurance carriers will examine how the vehicle performs in crash tests, as well as the average payout on accident claims.

Insurance companies also look at how durable or dependable the vehicle is, based on basic maintenance and repair costs. But, get a DUI or be a reckless driver and even that 1993 Geo is going to be hard to get insured.

Finding Health Insurance if You Are Self-Employed

2008-05-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

By MARCI ALBOHER

If there is one thing that separates the self-employed from those employed by others, it is their preoccupation with health insurance.

I was reminded of this on Feb. 14, when I wrote a post on the Shifting Careers blog asking small-business owners and would-be entrepreneurs what they were doing about health insurance. Within hours, scores of people posted comments about their own experiences and, if they had managed to find good resources, shared those. I have been reading e-mail messages and trying to make sense of the subject ever since. In short, it is not pretty out there.

A 43-year-old woman wrote about going without insurance in the first year of her business. “I lived in terror of needing a doctor visit or worse yet, lab tests or something more,” she said. She then moved to an H.M.O. for sole proprietors through a local chamber of commerce. The cost of that plan, which she said was $171 a month in 2001, has now risen to $500 a month. At the same time, she wrote, co-payments have increased and services have been cut.

That woman’s experience reflected the exasperated tone of several of the other writers. Many entrepreneurs seem to find health insurance after doing a lot of research, though they generally pay more than they think they should. Some who are in good health bet on remaining that way and forgo health insurance or get policies with low premiums and high deductibles, choosing to insure themselves for mostly catastrophic illness. Some are lucky enough to have a well-insured partner.

The unluckiest are those with chronic illnesses or the dreaded pre-existing condition that results in a denial of coverage. Many of these people abandon dreams of entrepreneurship altogether because they need jobs that come with a health plan and they cannot find a way to self-insure.

The comments also revealed that the health care system is a state-by-state patchwork, with options varying based on where you live. A 60-year-old owner of a mail order business from Illinois wrote that she was unable to get insurance until about 10 years ago when Illinois started a high-risk pool with Blue Cross Blue Shield.

A woman in business with her 57-year-old husband wrote to say that her husband is presently uninsured because, as a diabetic with high blood pressure, she cannot find an insurance company in Florida that will cover him. The stories go on. There were reports from Americans happily insured while living in Europe and Canada. And, of course, there were numerous pleas to Washington.

Jennifer Jaff, a reader who happens to be an expert on health insurance issues, shared a valuable tool, healthinsuranceinfo.net. The site, maintained by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, shows a map of the country and after clicking on a state, a document is downloaded that covers everything from what kinds of programs are available to small-business owners to whether there is a high-risk pool available for those who have been rejected by insurance providers. These primers are comprehensive and frequently updated, and they are a great place to start, especially if you have been wondering about the meaning of jargon that peppers insurance providers’ descriptions of their offerings.

Many readers shared recommendations based on where they buy their insurance. Popular sources were local chambers of commerce, the Small Business Service Bureau (sbsb.com), AARP (aarp.org) (for those over 50), industry-specific trade associations like a bar association or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In states that permit it, small-business owners can also start a group with as little as one member. In that case, a good insurance agent comes in handy.

For the reasonably healthy who know what they are looking for, ehealthinsurance.com got fairly good reviews. The site, which has the feel of an Expedia or Orbitz for purchasing health insurance, allows you to compare a variety of policies offered through about 70 insurance providers. One caveat, pointed out by several readers, is that ehealthinsurance.com does not serve consumers in all states. Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and North Dakota are excluded. The company also covers only individuals. So if your company has employees, you will need to explore other options, like starting a group if your state permits that.

Another possibility for consultants and independent workers is the Freelancers Union, which won consistently good reviews in the reader comments. But the union also has some limitations. It operates in only 30 states, and you have to work in one of the industries or occupations it serves.

While healthy business owners have to incur high costs and navigate a maze of choices, the truly unhealthy face the biggest challenges.

To learn more about options for those whose health is getting in the way of their self-employment, I spoke with Ms. Jaff, the woman who directed me to healthinsuranceinfo.net. Ms. Jaff, a lawyer who has worked on legal issues surrounding health care in both the public and private sector, now runs Advocacy for Patients With Chronic Illness (advocacyforpatients.org), a nonprofit organization in Farmington, Conn., that advises and advocates on behalf of the chronically ill. She says she works with about 1,000 patients a year, handling everything from battles to get insurance companies to pay for treatments prescribed by patients’ doctors to helping people figure out the best coverage.

Ms. Jaff speaks from experience. She suffers from Crohn’s disease, a condition so severe that she does not leave her house during flare-ups except to get to a doctor’s appointment or to the hospital. She wanted to find something she could do out of her home and as she went through the challenge of finding her own health insurance, she discovered what she calls “a community of patients in desperate need of help.”

Ms. Jaff qualified for the Municipal Employees Health Insurance Program, offered by Connecticut to cover small-business owners as part of a plan for state employees. She knew about the plan, which she recommends to all small- business owners in Connecticut, from her days as a lawyer in the attorney general’s office. Even with her extensive experience, Ms. Jaff has not been able to find the holy grail — good coverage at a great price. When she started on this insurance, her premium was $400 a month. Last year, the monthly payment went up to $800.

“I don’t know if people who don’t have chronic illnesses can really understand this,” she said. “But I have worked full time my entire adult life — generally 15 to 18 hours a day. I have paid into the system for all those years. And there is only one thing that could bankrupt me, and it is my health. I could lose every penny I own from one serious hospitalization without insurance. So I chose the plan that would give me the most possible coverage because the year I don’t is going to be the year I get really sick.”

Avatar : Book 3 - Fire (Subtitle : Indonesia)

2008-04-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Avatar : Book 3 - Fire (1 s/d 13) - Subtitle : Indonesia

Volume 1 : The Awakening
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 2 : The Headband
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 3 : The Painted Lady
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 4 : Sokka’s Master
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 5 : The Beach
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 6 : The Avatar and The Fire Lord
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 7 : The Runaway
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 8 : The Puppetmaster
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 10 : The Invasion
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 11 : The Eclipse
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 12 : The Western Air Temple
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 13 : The Firebending Masters
- Download RS [Part1] - [Part2]

Volume 14 : Soon
- Download RS soon

Thisaway templates (Thisaway Blue, Thisaway Green, Thisaway Rose)

2008-04-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

Buat yang bosen ama template yang itu itu aja, nih ada lagi template 3 kolom thisaway
langsung aja download deh...

Following hacks are included in all versions of Thisaway templates:

1. This template has an extra sidebar. Please visit Hans's blog for more info.

2. Google Translation for posts from Vivek.

3. Social Bookmark posts with one link using Socializer.

4. Peekaboo posts with summary in main page from Ramani
Note: I don't know why but this hack isn't working with this template anymore, so I've removed it.

5. Peek-A-Boo view of posts in label/archive pages from Ramani

6. Labels as breadcrumb from Hoctro.

7. Label Feeds from PurpleMoggy. (Do not use special characters or signs in your labels, otherwise this hack won't work.)

8. Open Linklist links in a new window from Vivek.

9. Bloggerattom Hovering Blogger Navbar from Bloggeratto

10. Technorati Link Count Widget for blogger beta.

11. Navigational Icons by Hoctro.

download disini deh

sumber : blog imesenger

Home VoIP and Business VoIP Phone Service

2008-04-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

Home VoIP
With home telephone service prices on the rise, now is the time to switch to home VoIP service. In addition to lower cost phone service, local and long distance calls The international call rate is significantly lower than you’ll find with pre-paid phone cards or traditional home phone services.

Business VoIP Service
Save Time and Money with Business VoIP ServiceWith business VoIP service, you get all the convenience of hosted PBX calling, integrated local and long distance phone service, and more without paying high monthly rates or high long distance charges. Business VoIP also makes it possible to add services and options you never thought you could afford with traditional phone service.

Adsense Glossary for Beginners

2008-04-22T05:31:00.001-07:00

There are numerous abbreviations that are frequently used and encountered by publishers. Sometimes new publishers get confused and are clueless about some of the terms. Following is the list of most common terms used by every Adsense publisher.

Click-through-rate (CTR): Number of times the ad unit is clicked divided by number of times the respective ad unit appeared on web page. For example, if an ad unit has been clicked 28 times out of 2,225 impressions then CTR will be ( ( 28 / 2225 ) * 100 ) = 1.26% approx.
Cost-per-action (CPA): Amount a publisher receives when the ad is clicked and thereafter the user completes certain action. For example, a web hosting ad is clicked and user purchases some hosting plan. Important: Almost all Referral ads come under the category of CPA ads.
Cost-per-click (CPC): Amount an advertiser pays each time his/her ad is clicked.
Cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM): Amount an advertiser pays every 1000 times his/her ad is viewed by the user.
Effective CPM (eCPM): It is a reporting feature and indicates the approximate revenue generated across different channels. It is calculated by dividing the total earnings from the number of impressions in thousands. For example, if a publisher earned $5.24 from 2,225 impressions, then eCPM is ( 5.24 / ( 2225 / 1000) ) = $2.35.
Public service ad (PSA): These are ads from non-profit organizations and are served in case the ads for relevant content is not available in Adsense inventory or the ad serving system is not able to gather and analyze the content of the web page. The clicks on PSA’s do not generate any revenue for the publisher.

There are many more terms related to PPC advertising, which will be covered in the coming posts.

Add Scrollbars to Blog Post

2008-04-22T05:27:00.001-07:00

If you have followed our main article Add Scrollbars to Blog Widgets, you would be able to introduce horizontal and vertical scrollbars to all or any of the widgets in the Blogger template. These scrollbars can be made to automatically appear when the contents overflow a certain specified width or height setting. We have also talked about how scrollbars can be added to the Blog Post body. We shall in this tutorial elaborate on that and let you know how to add the scrollbars within each Blog Post.

Scrollbars to Blog Post body

As we had mentioned in our article, to have the scrollbars to each of the blog posts, once you are logged into Blogger account, go to Template -> Edit HTML and scroll to this code. Add the portion shown in red:-

.post { height:200px; overflow:auto; }

This will give you scrollbars to every post:-

Scrollbars within Blog Post

Sometimes, you may not want to have the scrollbars to all the blog posts, but only for several paragraphs within a post. Assuming you are writing an article and you wish to enclose some long text within a scrollbox, you have to first define a class within the stylesheet.

For example, we can insert in the stylesheet this code to specify the maximum height and width of the scrollbox. Once the text overflows this setting, scrollbars will automatically appear:-

.scrollbox { height:100px; width:400px; overflow:auto; }

Save the template. Next, when you are writing a post, switch from the “Compose” mode to the “Edit HTML” mode.

Add these tags (shown in red) before and after the part of the text that you want to enclose within the scrollbox.

TEXT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SCROLLBOX.

You can continue typing the post by switching back to the “Compose” mode.

After you are done, when you publish your post, you will see that only the part of the text comprised with the tags will be in a scrollbox, like this:-

Adjust the size of the scrollbox in the stylesheet accordingly. You can also consider having a HTML text box to enclose certain text.

Blogger FAQ and Help

2008-04-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

Header

Insert an image to the left of Blog Title and Description [read]
Add a Horizontal Navigation Bar in Header Image [read]
Unable to remove Header Image [read]

Blog Posts

Arrange, customize and shift the Blog Posts and Footer elements [read]
Insert a picture or image beside the Blog Post Title [read]
How to have standard or pre-formatted text in Blog Posts [read]
Add Highlighting to Text and Background Color in Text Box [read]
Change Blogger Post URL - SEO Tip [read]
Change the Post a Comment Link [read]
Add scrollbars to text within Blog Posts [read]

Sidebar

Add Background color and image to Sidebar Titles [read]
Have different Background colors for each widget [read]
Style and Position Sidebar Images [read]

Footer

How to align Blog Post Footer elements to the left [read]
Move Comments Label to below Post Title [read]

Links and Labels

How to add Hover, Mouseover and Rollover effects for links [read]
Remove automatic number count in Labels widget [read]
Remove link underlines in Blog Posts and/or sidebar [read]
Be notified by Blogger when there is a Backlink [read]
Change and Edit Labels in Multiple Posts [read]

General

How to change Background Colour of TicTac Template [read]
How to remove the Pencil or Screwdriver and Wrench icons [read]
How to add animated graphics in Blogger Post and Sidebar [read]
Add Text Box or HTML textarea code in Blogs [read]
Know the limits on our Blogger account [read]
How to take Screenshots or Screen captures [read]
How to change and transfer Blog ownership [read]
Change font size and font styles in template [read]
How to center align Page Elements [read]
How to insert a separator line between each comment [read]

10 PPC Tips Improve Advertising

2008-04-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

1. Define your goals and what strategy you want to use to reach these goals. Also what metric will you use to define your campaign a success and consider your goal to have been met.

2. Gather Data. There is nothing more important than making informed decisions. I have seen too many account owners and account managers make decisions based a current trend instead of looking at the bigger picture. Gathering data should not be limited to a single online source but open your eyes and look at every possible influence on your business rather than just what your keyword search volumes from Overture or AdWords are showing. Customers are a great source of data and the savvy search marketer is always in tune with his customers needs and plans accordingly.

3. Keyword level Tracking. As, I mention in point 2 it is important for you to gather data to make informed decisions. For this I highly recommend using a 3rd party tracking system. I will review my thoughts on some tools in an upcoming post.

4. Bid on approriate keywords. Its a general theory and common misconception that the more keywords you bid on the better. Well theoretically you will drive more traffic to your site but it will not be relevant. Start with your base group of keywords and expand on those. This will not be a one time process, it will be constantly evolving. This is another reason for the importance of Keyword level tracking. It gives you the ability to expand on words that are performing well, they maybe unexpected words that initially would have not made your list.

5. Target proper landing pages. Finding the ideal landing page can take some trial and error, but for a general rule, it is best to use as relevant a page as possible. This is not always the case and I will discuss some examples soon, but it is a good general rule to follow. Too many people go straight to the home page and their conversion rate suffers badly.

6. Scare factor. Avoid flashy images, videos, bright colors or music on your landing pages. These cause an instant reaction for users to click the back button and leave your site immediately, costing you money!

7. Easy Landing pages. Yes, the third point about landing pages is make sure they are focused enough to get the user to do what you want. Make the 'buy now' or 'add to cart' buttons very obvious, do not bury them below the fold. It is also ok to have multiple buttons at the top middle and bottom of your product page, if the page requires vertical scrolling.

8. Stick to the majors. Sure you can go out there and sign up with every engine or PPC program but are you really going to see the return on your investment. I'm not only talking about the lower numbers of traffic, which you maybe able to scrape some conversions from, but the time it is going to take for you to manage these accounts may not be worth it. LookSmart, Kanoodle, Findwhat, BlowSearch etc do not have the tools developed to help you operate efficiently and their click fraud systems are a little less developed which may lead wasted funds. So for the time being I would keep my money in Yahoo, MSN, Ask, and *gasp* Google.

9. Prepare for seasons. It is always a wise idea to prepare campaigns that fit the seasons. For the upcoming holidays you should probably already have a few holiday ads and ad groups with holiday terms in the works. It is also beneficial to create a holiday ad group that has some of your best producing words paired with some holiday focused ads. This also applies to other seasons that affect your consumers shopping habits

10. More data. Did I already say this? Well I can't stress it enough. If you are just using the consoles that Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing provide, you are missing a lot of important information. Think of it as going to Best Buy to purchase a plasma tv. You don't just purchase the first plasma tv you see, right? Of course not. I will expand on which stats packages are the best for making informed decisions in an upcoming post.

5 psychological tricks for making money with your blog

2008-04-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

As been a psychologist, I thought.. what if I give my readers a few strictly professional advices? Just as a psychologist, and not as a fellow blogger or internet money making machine. So, here are a few tips. They are not a must, feel free only to implement those you feel good about and those that won’t change dramatically your way of blogging, unless you feel it needs to be changed. Anyway, let’s get started…

Don’t be so money oriented. The only way to win your readers *love* is not to talk with them about money, at least not all the time, unless you actually teach them how can they earn them themselves. People, who’s only concern and value seems to be money, tend to put off. Promote high values instead.
Win your readers’ trust. You know how much fraud there is today on the internet. Everyone is looking for someone genuine, someone real and honest who will tell them the truth about some product or network and won’t try to promote them just to get a commission, never mind what crap they are selling. I refused tons of reviews offers and advertisers’ links only because I felt their products could not deliver what it promises. All these e-Books that guarantee to make you a millionaire… they do pay good money for advertising, but I knew that if my readers will see that I promote such websites, or buy that products and end up disappointed, and, will remember how ardently I was recommending it, they will never trust any other review I make or product I recommend. Basically, advice your readers to use only what you used successfully yourself. If you need to make money with a sponsored review, accept only relevant offers that you believe in yourself, and make it clear to the reader that the review was sponsored, either by placing it in a “sponsored reviews” category, or state it in the post. US law, for instance, demands disclosure of sponsored posts.
Don’t lose your dignity in readers’ eyes. Talking about your downfalls and how much you need financial support, for example, is needless. Begging for donations under some poor excuses such as you can’t pay the hosting bill - won’t make you look good in readers eyes. Some will feel sorry for you and leave a cheering comment, others will throw a few bucks your way, but others will just not respect you as an online entrepreneur. I mean, you can’t cover 10$ a month? Okay, some of you can’t, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with not been as well-off as Darren Rowse, but letting the whole world know about it - is wrong. Most people tend to respect successful bloggers a lot more than beginners who struggle to make a cent out of their online business. Sad, I know, but this is how the world works.
Be honest. Not many do it though. I know, when the feedburner has little subscribers, it’s so very tempting to link to someone else’s image, it’s very tempting to say you make 5,000$ a month with your blog in order to impress others and set your visitors counter to a starting number of one million. There are so many things you could have done to make your blog look hella’ popular, but the thing is, if someone will find out (and there are many third party tools to measure the real worth of your blog), you will lose your face once and for all. If your counter has little visitors and feedburner shows 2 subscribers, the best thing you can do it just not make them public, yet.
Talk to readers. When making a blog post, keep in mind that you don’t write an essay that has to pass an exam and go to the archive, in hope to gather traffic from the SE one day. You have to talk to the visitor, make your writing interactive. Ask questions, answer to them. Throw some provoking statement (within limits, ok?) and approve or disapprove of it. Touch to reader’s heart by comparing online life to simple daily life examples, this will make you more real in their eyes and allow them to understand better what you are talking about. Cover frequently asked questions in your post, cover topics that everyone is talking about nowadays and give your own opinion. Be mean, have sense of humour, be cynical or very cheering, just make it clear to the readers that you are not a mere source of information behind a keyboard, you are a human with thoughts, character and ideas. Fascinating personalities attract, and everyone is unique in his own way, don’t be afraid to show it and win your online fans and admirers.

Okay, does it all help to make money? Yes. People will trust you and sign up with your affiliate links, knowing it works and you don’t lie. You will make it interesting to read your blog - they will come back, recommend your blog to others and it will grow. If you won’t talk about money in every post, they won’t feel like you use your audience as a mere tool to get paid for hits. Enjoy your blog, enjoy your writing, they will enjoy reading and money will come naturally.
That’s it for now. I might do a similar post in the future with more tips from my bank of knowledge. Hope this reading was interesting, interactive, honest enough and I didn’t talk about money too much, did I? Speaking of which, remind me to enlarge my “donate me!” button