Google Tips for Web Businesses

Web site owners should follow these handy tips for using Google's Analytics, AdSense, and AdWords tools.
Whether you're a first-time blogger or you've owned a Web site for many years, chances are you're not doing it just for fun. Mostly everyone wants to make money with their online venture, or at least gain lots of exposure. If this is the case, then you may want to opt for some Google tools to track your success.
If one of your objectives is to have a lot of eyeballs on your site, you may want to set up an account with Google Analytics, so that you can track your Web site's referrals and run traffic reports. Next, you'll likely want to choose which advertisements are relevant to your site's content by using Google AdSense. This way, you can earn money every time a visitor clicks on these ads. (Yes, real money!) Finally, Google AdWords will help you customize your ads and choose the right keywords to make your site search-friendly.
The idea of using these tools may seem a bit overwhelming at first. That's why we asked the Google experts to provide PC Magazine with a list of tips for using Analytics, AdSense, and Adwords. Study them, because they may just help your Web site grow and profit.
Google Analytics lets you track your Web site's referrals, ads, and e-mail promotions.
1. Get the basics out of the way. Defining basic terms will help Web site owners and
Webmasters with using the Web analytics tools.
• "Visits" is the number of sessions on a Web site, the number of times someone
interacted with a site.
• "Bounce Rate" is the percentage of single-page visits or number of visitors who
left instantly from the entrance page.
• "Page View" is the instance that a page is loaded by a browser.
• "Average Time on Site" is how long visitors stay on a site.
• "% New Visits" is how many sessions or interactions were from first-time
visitors.
2. Understand traffic sources. Once you get the basics, find out where people are
coming from.
• "Direct Traffic" is composed of visitors coming to a Web site by typing in the
URL of that Web site or from a bookmark. Some people also call this "default
traffic" or "ambient traffic."
• "Referring URLs" are other Web sites sending traffic to a Web site. These can be
from banner ads or campaigns, and they can include blogs or affiliates that link
to a site.
• "Search Engines" are—you know—Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, and others. This subset
includes both organic and paid (PPC/SEM) traffic.
• "Other" means campaigns that have run: e-mail, direct marketing, and so on.
3. Determine what reports mean the most. Learn how to read data and make use of
reports.
• Look for trends and see where growth is coming from in the last three to six
months. Is it from free traffic? Paid traffic? Have efforts to get people
through other channels succeeded?
• Drill down to specific Web sites that send traffic and, of course, keywords and
key phrases that are sending traffic. Both of those help make sense of customer
intent.
• Improve pages that need attention. Pages with a high "Bounce Rate" are not
delivering on the promise that drives customers to a site.
• Make sure an ad campaign's keywords are not leading to high bounce rates and are
delivering on an intended action or conversion.
• Search for surprises in your data, such as unexpected or unusual patterns.
• Identify and label goal pages in order to calculate return on investment.
4. Walk in their shoes. Experience a Web site as a visitor.
• Look for clusters of heavy clicks, links that ultimately drive high conversions
and items that connect with people. Do more people convert on a site if they
click on product comparison on the homepage, or do they go directly to a product
page?
• Follow the heavy clicks and see what people do next.
• Check out referrers to each page. It may explain bounce and exit rates.
5. Focus on outcomes. Measure and evangelize your data, and take action.
• Identify needed improvements to your pages.
• Consider merchandising, cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.
• Answer the question, why does a Web site exist? Then go through the four steps
mentioned above to identify the two or three key metrics that help measure those
outcomes.

With Google AdSense, choose which ads are relevant to your site's content, and you can earn money every time a visitor clicks on them.
1. First off, you must have launched a Web site with acceptable content and a valid
URL. If you don't have a Web site, you can use Google's free programs: Page
Creator or Blogger (page.google.com, blogger.com). Then, sign up for an AdSense
account and you are on your way.
2. Make sure your site is attractive by customizing the ads to your site. For
instance, sites with white backgrounds should use ads with a gray background, as
well as use colors in ads that already exist on the page.
3. Place ads on the best location on the page. One of the best locations is in line
with your content.
4. Create a lot of content and add fresh unique content regularly. Sites with the
most pages and content have more opportunities for ads and clicks. A site with 10
pages won't make nearly as much money as a site with 50 or 500 pages of relevant
content.
5. Promote your Web site by emailing friends for word-of-mouth, and submit your site
to all search engines so content will be indexed.

Create your own ads and choose powerful keywords for your site using Google AdWords.
1. Know your audience. Precision is the key to search advertising with programs like
Google AdWords. You want to reach the right users at the right time. Take a good
look at the products and services you're selling and the customers who are buying.
2. Identify your goals. Once you have a clear sense of your business, stay focused on
how to reach your customers. You'll need to know your ultimate goal so you can
measure success. Structure each campaign based on a simple, overarching goal such
as a category, product line (coffee, tea, or machines), or theme (seasonal or
promotional).
3. Choose powerful keywords. Choosing keywords is both an art and a science. Start
brainstorming by expanding your list as broadly as possible, and then narrow your
focus. Try to think like your users do. Understand which keywords work best for
you and increase your bid on those words to maximize your return.
4. Write "gotta-click" ads. It's time to write the ads that users will see when they
search on your keywords—the ads that will make them feel they must click on your
ad to learn more. Typically, you'll have three short lines of text with which to
grab your potential customers' attention. To get your ad right, try these tips:
• Include your keywords in your title and description.
• Convey key product benefits.
• Get to the point quickly.
• Write copy that includes a strong call to action, such as "buy now" or "sign up
today."
• Direct users to the landing page that most relates to your ad.
5. Hit the right users with the right ads. Once you know your potential customer, you
can target individual campaigns to reach your audience. Write and target ads in a
variety of languages if you have a global business. You can also target a
particular geographic area, such as a region that your business serves.
6. Track down to the last customer. After your campaign goes live, measure its
results regularly. Keep a close watch on your account statistics, review your own
Web logs, and use conversion tracking software (available for free through some
advertising programs).
7. Test. Adapt. Thrive. Continually review what you've set up, keeping in mind that
there's always room for improvement, and that the online advertising environment
is dynamic. Don't be afraid to make changes and try new things.

by Jennifer L. DeLeo

iPhone 3G Tips and Tricks

As the cliché goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Round 2 of the iPhone revolution brought fans a 3G-capable model with a built-in GPS radio—not to mention plenty of software enhancements that work on both the new model and the original version.
Of course, that means there's more to learn. But that's where we come in. We assume you already know how to make calls, surf the Web, synchronize your music and photos, and generally have a good time—but you want to learn some real shortcuts. If that's the case, here's a list of our top tips and tricks for iPhone 2.0, geared toward more advanced users. Want to become a real iPhone power user? Read on.
1. Force-quit an application. Now that the iPhone is a real handheld computer, it's not immune from the occasional misbehaving application. If one freezes up on you, force-quit by pressing and holding the Home button for 6 seconds.
2. Make reservations the easy way. If you're looking up a phone number for something in Safari—say a restaurant or a hotel—there's no need to leave the page when you find it. Simply tap the number right on the page; the iPhone will dial it automatically.
3. Double-down with scrolling. Many Web pages contain separate text boxes with their own scroll bars. If you're trying to move around in one, try this: Zoom in, and then scroll with two fingers instead of one. That will let you scroll just inside the box and not affect the position of the entire page.
4. Maximize battery life, part 1. iPhone and iPhone 3G models have more sensors than just the accelerometer. For example, they have a separate sensor, situated right above the earpiece, that detects ambient light. The iPhone uses this sensor only once per session, though, just as you unlock the handset. But if you cover the sensor as you unlock the phone, you will trick the handset into thinking it's in a dark room, and it will power down the screen brightness as a result.
5. Maximize battery life, part 2. The iPhone's newfound e-mail synchronization abilities are useful, but they also drain the battery more quickly. If that's a concern, under Fetch New Data, set e-mail fetch time to Hourly, and turn Push off.
6. Grab a screenshot. The latest iPhone software lets you easily take screenshots of just about anything. To grab one, hold down the Home button and press the Sleep/Wake button. The iPhone will deposit a photo of the current screen in the iPhone's Photo application.
7. Get a bigger keyboard in Safari. Before you begin browsing, rotate the phone horizontally. Now tap the address bar. Voilà: a wider keyboard. Now if Apple would only add this feature in more applications instead of just Safari….
8. Keep Safari's address bar handy. Ever scroll pretty far down a Web page, only to find that the address bar has disappeared? No need to scroll back up—instead, tap the top part of the screen. The address bar will reappear, regardless of where you are on the actual Web page
9. Enter punctuation quickly. To enter a period while using the on-screen keyboard, hold down the Punctuation key and slide your finger over to the Period button. Then release it. (This works for all punctuation, of course.)
10. Ride the dot-com wave. When keying in Web addresses, the iPhone gives you a very useful .com button that lets you add the four characters in one press. But as with the desktop version of Safari, you can even leave that out: Safari will automatically add it for you. Bonus tip: hold down the .com button; you'll be presented with a list of alternate domain endings, such as .net, .edu, and .org.

by Jamie Lendino

Top Tips to Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

You seasoned techies are no doubt thinking, “Another article on how to get more life from your laptop battery. Big deal. I already know how to do that.” Well, Mr. or Ms. Techie, I scoff at your hubris. There’s still plenty to learn when it comes to getting more juice from a charge and extending your battery’s overall life.
So, yes, there are tips that most of us know:
1. Dim your screen.
2. Minimize background processes.
3. Don’t use the CD/DVD drive.
4. Disable your wireless antenna when not in use.
But there’s still a lot you may not know about battery technology and the things that both help and hinder your laptop’s juicebox.
Getting More Minutes per Charge
You can fiddle with background processes and other software settings all you want, but your hardware is the biggest factor in battery life, according to PC Mag’s lead analyst for laptops, Cisco Cheng. In fact, software such as power-management utilities can help minimize the impact internal components have on battery longevity. Knowing this can affect your buying decision if you’re looking for a new laptop (see the “Picking a Laptop for Maximum Battery Life” section below) or help you get the most out of the trusty laptop you’ve got. Here are a few ways to optimize hardware for maximum battery output.
1. Turn off ports. Disabling unused ports and components, such as VGA, Ethernet, PCMCIA, USB, and yes, your wireless, too. You can do this through the Device Manager or by configuring a separate hardware profile (see next step).
2. Create Power-Saving Hardware Profiles. Configure your laptop for the various scenarios in which you use it (on a plane, at the coffee shop, at the office, and so on). You can do this through the Hardware Profiles menu by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Preferences or by using a freeware utility such as SparkleXP (for Windows XP users).
3. Configure your display to turn off when not in use. This is different from just using a screensaver, because in many cases a screensaver still requires the display’s backlight to be on. You can set the interval to turn the display off in Windows’ Power Options—found in the Control Panel.
Extending the Overall Life
The easiest way to give your battery an early death is to damage it. And the two most common causes of damage are from overheating and overloading. Here’s how you prevent overheating:
1. Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap.
2. Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft surface that can heat up.
3. Clean your desk. It sounds strange, but if you have a dusty, dirty desk, that dust will get into the vents and clog the cooling fan. Once the dust is inside your laptop, it is much harder to remove. You can try blasting it out with canned air, but you run the risk of damaging internal components. You can also remove the vent and clean out the grit, but remember that taking apart your laptop can void the warranty. So clean your desk at least once a week, if not daily.
4. Never store your laptop in a place where the air temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, such as a hot car or an outdoor patio.
5. Consider taking your battery out when using your laptop plugged into AC power. Just make sure to keep the contacts clean. If you need to clean them, use rubbing alcohol.
6. For lithium ion batteries, you do not need to discharge them fully and recharge constantly. Since they don’t have the same “memory” as older nickel-metal hydride batteries, it is actually better to discharge a lithium ion only partially before recharging. You need to do a full discharge only about every 30 charges.
Overloading a battery occurs when you use an AC adapter that has a higher wattage than that specified on the laptop (and battery), or if the circuitry of the laptop consistently overcharges the battery. If you’re using a replacement or spare adapter, make sure the wattage matches your laptop’s within the specified voltage range. In the worst-case scenario, overloading can also damage your motherboard.
Picking a Laptop for Maximum Battery Life
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, there are features and components you should consider to get the most mileage from the system’s battery.
1. An ultra-low-voltage processor, such as the Intel Penryn or one from VIA’s line of ULV processors.
2. A solid-state storage drive, which requires less power and, since there are no spinning parts, will suffer less wear and tear than a traditional hard drive.
3. An LED display. Although pricey, LEDs use much less power than LCD.
4. A smaller screen. A smaller screen means a smaller backlight, which will also save on battery drain.
According to Andrew Bradner, product line manager for APC, all lithium ion batteries are not created equal. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case the chemistry. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to discern if the battery you’re buying was manufactured in a top-notch facility using high-quality materials. And making that call is not as easy as assuming your laptop manufacturer’s battery will be of better quality than a battery from a third-party vendor. But you can stick to a couple of key guidelines.
1. Don’t skimp on your battery. If you choose the lowest-cost battery you’ll probably get a battery that degrades quickly, and you’ll end up buying a replacement too soon anyway. So spend the money now to save expense and frustration down the road.
2. Don’t buy an expired battery. A good indicator of a battery’s performance is how far into its product life it is, whether it’s used or new. If possible, look at the bottom of the battery and find the manufacture date.
Check out the Expert Help section to learn more about extending your battery’s life.

by Erik Rhey

Rahasia, Tips dan Cara Tetap Sehat & Menjaga Kesehatan Anda dan Keluarga : Menghindari Penyakit Jasmani & Rohani, Jiwa & Raga

Memiliki tubuh dan badan yang sehat seumur hidup adalah dambaan setiap orang. Namun situasi dan kondisi lingkungan sekitar kita serta bervariasinya daya tubuh seseorang terhadap penyakit membuat hal impian tersebut sulit untuk dicapai. Semua orang pasti pernah sakit, namun resiko sakit dapat diminimalkan atau dikurangi resikonya dengan memperhatikan hal-hal berikut ini :

1. Istirahat / Tidur
Waktu yang diperlukan manusia normal untuk tidur kurang lebih 8 jam sehari atau sepertiga hari. Waktu tidur akan bertambah sesuai usia, di mana bayi, anak kecil dan manula membutuhkan waktu tidur yang lebih banyak dari orang dewasa dan anak muda. Tidur yang cukup dapat meningkatkan daya tahan tubuh dan energi di dalam tubuh, sehingga dapat menghindarkan diri kita dari berbagai serangan penyakit yang merugikan.

2. Makanan
Makanlah makanan yang bergizi secara teratur, tidak berlebihan dan tidak kurang. Kelebihan makanan dapat meningkatkan kadar gula dalam darah yang akhirnya menimbulkan penyakit kencing manis yang sangat berbahaya. Kekurangan makan juga dapat menyebabkan kurang gizi, darah rendah, lesu, dan sebagainya. Perhatikan pula kandungan gizi sesuai takaran yang wajar, karena berlebihan suatu zat tidak baik untuk kesehatan.

3. Kondisi Psikis / Psikologi
Jangan terlalu stres dengan berbagai hal dalam hidup anda. Buat apa susah, lebih baik kita bergembira. Jika pekerjaan anda membuat anda stres dan pusing tujuh keliling terus-menerus maka sebaiknya anda mulai mencari peluang bisnis atau pekerjaan lain yang tidak banyak membuat anda stres. Bila anda punya masalah ada baiknya anda bicarakan dengan orang lain yang dekat dengan anda. Beban psikis dan pikiran dapat mempengaruhi daya tahan tubuh yang efeknya dapat mengundang penyakit jasmaniah dan rohaniah. Setiap masalah pasti ada jalan keluarnya. Luangkan waktu anda untuk sesuatu yang menyenangkan bagi diri anda sendiri dan jangan sekali-kali lari ke minuman keras dan narkoba.

4. Daya Tahan Tubuh
Tingkatkan daya tahan tubuh anda dengan mengkonsumsi berbagai makanan atau minuman alami yang dapat menangkis serangan kuman dan penyakit. Membiasakan diri dengan jamu-jamuan tradisional atau sering minum teh kental pahit setiap hari dapat mengingkatkan zat anti oksidan dalam tubuh untuk melenyapkan zat radikal bebas dari alam sekitar yang merugikan kesehatan kita.

5. Ekonomi Finansial
Memiliki penghasilan yang cukup untuk keperluan sehari-hari dan tabungan untuk masa depan yang halal akan membuat hidup anda tenang lahir dan batin. Jika anda masih berjuang dengan kebutuhan dasar maka rubahlah pola pikir anda. Bekerja sama dengan istri, suami atau kawan anda untuk merintis sebuah usaha yang memiliki peluang serta prospek yang baik, siapa tahu bisa sukses dan membuat anda terbebas dari masalah finansial. Jangan hidup boros, dan mulailah hidup sederhana walaupun penghasilan anda besar.

6. Sosial
Hiduplah yang rukun dengan tetangga anda di lingkungan sekitar anda. Perbanyak teman dan relasi serta jauhi permusuhan dan segala sifat dan sikap buruk pada orang lain. Istilahnya seribu teman masih kurang, satu musuh kebanyakan.sudah kebanyakan. Memiliki hubungan yang baik dengan para tetangga dan saudara sangat menguntungkan bagi anda, karena mereka dapat menolong anda sewaktu-waktu anda membutuhkannya. Pemilihan teman juga sangat penting. Pilihlah teman yang baik-baik yang bisa membantu anda dan tidak akan menjerumuskan atau merugikan anda. Timbal balik pun juga penting, di mana anda harus memberikan bantuan pada orang lain yang membutuhkan pertolongan. Kehidupan sosial yang baik dan sehat dapat membuat anda rileks dan dapat mengurangi resiko terkena gangguan kejiwaan baik yang ringan maupu yang berat.

by organisasi.org

Tips : Strategi Keuangan Bagi Pasangan Muda

Agar kehidupan pernikahan Anda bebas dari pertengkaran soal uang, tetapkan strategi dalam mengelola keuangan keluarga.

1. Bangun kejujuran

Anda berdua sebaiknya bersikap jujur dan terbuka mengenai jumlah pendapatan setiap bulan, termasuk pos lain selain gaji. Jujur bukan hanya dalam hal jumlah penghasilan, tetapi juga mengenai kebiasaan berbelanja.

2. Atur pos-pos pengeluaran

Sepakati jumlah pos uang bersama, berapa dana yang digunakan untuk membiayai keperluan rumah tangga, berapa persen untuk tabungan, berapa yang dipakai untuk investasi (termasuk asuransi).

3. Tetapkan target

Evaluasi anggaran pendapatan dan pengeluaran keluarga secara berkala. Buatlah rencana pencapaian jangka panjang dan diskusikan cara mencapainya.

4. Tunjuk manajer Finansial

Jika Anda merasa tidak pandai mengatur uang dan termasuk tipe yang boros jika memegang uang, mintalah suami untuk menjadi manajer finansial dalam keluarga. Tak ada salahnya meminta bantuan konsultan keuangan untuk meminta saran dalam mengatur keuangan keluarga.

5. Bijaksana memakai uang

Bersikaplah bijaksana dalam mengelola keuangan bersama, jangan membeli barang yang tidak diperlukan, apalagi sampai memakai uang yang sedianya dipakai untuk membiayai kebutuhan rumahtangga.

Sumber : http://blog.glodoksmart.com

From Kitchen Utensil to Work of Art

The central of metalwork such as copper and brass has been in existence since the age of Matarm kingdom. At the time, the center of metalworking was functioned as the main supplier of household items made of metal, serving the aristocrats as well as the comments.

At the time of the Mataram kingdom, a Mataram Prince known by the name Prince Jolang intended to stay in the Tumang area. At the time, the Tumang area was still a forest. In this place, Prince Jolang and his aides opened the forest and built a settlement. Henceforth, Prince Jolang needs such as eating utensils and household items made of metal was supplied by a few blacksmiths.
After the prince passed, the blacksmiths stayed in the Tumang area. Over time, these blacksmiths spawned a new generation of copper house wares crafters in the Tumang area. Nowadays almost all of the villages inhabitants are copper and brass workers. The area then becomes the center of metalworking in Central Java. This center is located in the foot of Mt. Merbabu, at Cepogo village and Tumang. The area located about 40 km from Solo and 12 km from Boyolali.

Previously, the crafters made housewares, such as kitchen utensils and household needs. It was only around the 1970s when they began to produce works of art, interior ornaments as well as copper and brass ornaments. Now the crafters not only make pure copper products, but also try to produce new innovations. For example, using copper mixed with brass in creating their crafts. (majalah-handicraft.com)

WiFi on the move: This device turns your car into a hot spot

A completely connected car. John Halamka, of CareGroup Healthcare System, anoints his "cool technology of the week": AutoNet Mobile, a device that can turn one's car into a WiFi hot spot, for $29 per month.
Access speeds range from 600Kbps to 800Kbps with upload speeds about 200Kbps. No software is needed to use the device, since it uses existing WiFi connections resident on mobile devices and thus it is compatible with all operating systems and devices. No additional antennas are needed. Chrysler plans to offer this service on all of its 2009 models starting in August.
Of course, this connectivity is to be used by passengers sharing your commute, family members who want to stay connected on long car trips or as an access point once you've reached your destination. WiFi connectivity while driving is a bad idea - keep your attention on the road.

It's rare for an investor to serve up a list of ideas he'd like to back, but that's just what Paul Graham did this month. He founded an early e-commerce company, Viaweb, that was acquired by Yahoo a decade ago and now runs a Cambridge firm called Y Combinator that invests in - and helps cultivate - start-ups. On his wish list:
Simplified browsing. There are a lot of cases where you'd trade some of the power of a Web browser for greater simplicity. Grandparents and small children don't want the full Web; they want to communicate and share pictures and look things up. What viable ideas lie undiscovered in the space between a digital photo frame and a computer running Firefox? If you built one now, who else would use it besides grandparents and small children?
New news. The problem is not merely that [newspapers have] been slow to adapt to the Web. It's more serious than that: Their problems are due to deep structural flaws that are exposed now that they have competitors. News will morph significantly in the more competitive environment of the Web. So called "blogs" (because the old media call everything published online a "blog") like PerezHilton and TechCrunch are one sign of the future. News sites like Reddit and Digg are another. But these are just the beginning.
Auctions. Online auctions have more potential than most people currently realize. Auctions seem boring now because eBay is doing a bad job, but is still powerful enough that it has a de facto monopoly. Result: stagnation. But I suspect eBay could now be attacked on its home territory, and that this territory would, in the hands of a successful invader, turn out to be more valuable than it currently appears. . . . A start-up that wants to do this has to expend more effort on their strategy for cracking the monopoly than on how their auction site will work.

Hewlett-Packard executive Antonio Rodriguez, who wound up at the company after it bought his Cambridge start-up last year, writes about his latest gadget acquisition.
Essentially, a Tengu is a USB-powered set of LEDs that make faces depending on the ambient noise. So when you play music, Tengu "sings along" with you.
It's an interesting reaction people have to it; upon first hearing what it does, almost everyone says "that's it!?!", surprised by the fact that it needs to plug into a computer at all (which, sadly, it only uses for power). But after watching it for a little while, observers become entranced in trying to determine the pattern of its various facial expressions.
Having seen the mesmerizing power of the Tengu, I now want someone to build a Tengu that does something more useful with its host's networking capabilities.
What about taking a page out of Ambient's products and showing a happy Tengu when the market is up and a sad one when it is down?

By Scott Kirsner