It’s not a good sign. The blue screen of death on my kids PC.  That spinning beachball of doom (sometimes it means just be patient, other times it means Eudora decided to eat my mail… again…) on my Mac.  Oh no!

I’ve got multiple backup drives, and I use them regularly.  But not every night.  My backup drive saves the most important files weekly, but a crash today could mean I’d lose up to 7 days worth of important email and work files.  And the most recent pictures of my kids, too!

A complete crash could spell minor or major disaster for a small business owner who stores everything from email and website files to financial records to client projects to virtual product files on the computer.  If you only do incremental backups to an external drive like me, or just haven’t gotten around to setting up a backup system yet, this “cool tool” is for you!

I’ve found a fabulous solution to backups (and can sleep peacefully at night).  :)

Mozy!  It’s an extremely secure online backup system.  When I say secure, we’re talking 448-bit Blowfish on-disk encryption and you can even keep your own key. The first backup takes a while as it encrypts and copies everything you’d asked it to, but after that it’s smart enough to save only the new files and files you’ve changed, and it does it all in the background.

You can choose from home or business accounts, and even get 2 GB free! Perfect for just backing up the most important files. Click the logo for more details.

I like it so much I’ve got a MozyPro account!

2GB Totally Free Online Backup! Compliments of Mozy

I appreciate everyone who took time to respond to my survey, and I hope you found the free gift at the end valuable in your marketing.  I thought it’d be fun to share some some of the results this week in the newsletter.

About your online presence:
- 75% of you have your own website
- 25% of you don’t have a website (yet!)
- 60% of you have a blog

What are you most interested in?
- Marketing Strategies
- Marketing Plans
- Time Management
- Search Engine Optimization
- How to Sell Online
- Business Management
- Getting Media Attention
- Social Networking
- Managing Your Website
- Managing Your Newsletter
- Publishing Information Products

Lots of great questions were submitted and I’ll be working through the list answering one each week on my blog and in the newsletter.  If you submitted a question, keep your eyes open for the answer soon!

Next week… I’ll be starting a series on how to get your marketing plan for 2009 ready!  We’ll start with a quick look back to 2008, goal setting and business visions, how to create a marketing plan, how to systemize your marketing to save time, and lots of great marketing strategies thrown in the mix.

To celebrate my birthday this month, you can get 28% off any of my Muses Guide info products. Why 28%? I’ll be 28 on the 26th!

* Marketing Brainstorm Workshop, Regularly $67.00, Now $48.24
* Rock Your Website Traffic, Regularly $37.00, Now $26.64
* The Muses Guide to Banner Ads, Regularly $29.00, Now $20.88
* The Muses Guide to Hyena Cart, Regularly $29.00, Now $20.88
* Establish Your Expertise with Articles! Regularly $9.99, Now $7.19
* Building Synergy: Congos, Collaborations & Joint Ventures, Regularly $9.99, Now $7.19
* Secrets of Recurring Income for Website Designers, Regularly $9.99, Now $7.19
* Marketing Your Business with Great Business Cards, Regularly $9.99, Now $7.19
* Creating & Managing Your Own Sales Newsletter, Regularly $9.99, Now $7.19

To get the special deal, use coupon code: birthday

Click Here to Shop Now!

Since all the products are digital, there are no shipping fees, and you can download them immediately after payment is sent. Even if it’s 3am.

And, to add to the party I’m making available a special series of special reports from Alice Seba of InternetMarketingSweetie.com (don’t worry, she gave resell permission). These aren’t available through her public website, but you can get them here through November 30th, when this post will self-destruct. ;-) Get them quick!

To get the special deal, use coupon code: birthday

Reports below only $17 each (and you can get 28% off that with the coupon, so grab more than one!)

	Content Distribution Profits: Increased Traffic, Better Reputation and Boosted Profits   This is your guide to getting your self-promotional content published on the Internet and in print publications too. Includes a written report plus full audio recording discussing: * The 5 business-building benefits of distributing your content. * Why you need to think beyond articles and it’s not as complicated as you might think. * Articles: Ideas to create great content and getting it published. * Videos: What types of videos you can create, tips for making the most of your video marketing efforts and how to distribute your videos. * Audio / Podcasts: How to promote your business in your recordings and where to distribute your audio. * Reports / Ebooks: How to create them and where to distribute them. How to get help if you don’t want to do all the work At only 11 easy-to-digest pages (or listen to the audio if you prefer), it’s easy to breeze through and start distributing your content. No sense in reading all day, when you can be working on highly-effective self-promotion through content distribution.
	Social Networking to Grow Your Business: Get People Talking About You Amidst All the Chatter   If you’ve been looking for a way to tap into the social networking opportunities available to grow your business, make connections and more WITHOUT getting lost in the time-sucking vortex that is the social web, this is a must read. It includes guidance on: * Why social networks are a powerful force on the Internet and how your business can benefit. * How to maximize your time and resources allocated to social networking. * The #1 mistake Internet marketers make with social networking and how you can avoid it. * Critically evaluating your results and adjusting your approach where necessary. * The real secret to social networking success–and you don’t even have to do the hard work. * An introduction to some of the more popular social networks. * Networking for long-term results. At only 11 easy-to-digest pages (or listen to the audio if you prefer), it’s easy to breeze through.
	Online Partnerships: Simplifying Your Work Life & Maximizing Your Profits   This is your guide to connect with and make the most of your co-projects and co-promotions with other online business owners. Includes a written report plus full audio recording discussing: * What are online partnerships and how you can benefit (THINK: Reduced workload and MORE money!) * What types of online partnerships you can form and how to decide what’s the best for each project. * How to find partners to promote your products. * How to create and profit from new products with your partners. * Working together on content creation, creating a win-win benefit for both sides. * Finding partners and carefully planning your approach, so you get more YESSES! * Negotiating the terms of your partnership and making things work for the long term. At only 12 easy-to-digest pages (or listen to the audio if you prefer), it’s easy to breeze through and start building your own online partnership. No sense in reading all day, when you can be working on reducing your workload and leveraging the resources and skills of others.
	Easy Website Makeovers & Conversion Strategies   Small Changes Can Mean Big Results: Learn How to Make the Right Changes for Your Website * Understand Your Website’s Purpose First * Understand Who You’re Targeting * Know What Makes You Unique: Unique Selling Position (USP) * Analyze What’s Really Going On * Be Objective * Use Split-Testing: Introducing A/B Split Testing * The Specifics: Design Stuff to Consider * The Specifics: Copywriting Stuff to Consider * Now What? Your Action Plan At only 14 easy-to-digest pages (or listen to the audio if you prefer), it’s easy to breeze through.
	Online Advertising: More Bang for Your Advertising Buck   This is your guide to turn paid advertising opportunities into PROFITS, instead of feeling like you’re gambling your money away. Includes a written report plus full audio recording discussing: * Why only focusing on free methods of traffic generation is seriously limiting your business. * Why online advertising is so much easier and often more cost-effective than traditional offline advertising. * The two simple calculations that make it possible to take you from SPENDING money to MAKING money with your advertising. * Simple ways to track and improve your advertising efforts. * Where to send your advertising traffic for best response. * What types of advertising you can buy and tips for using them. * 5 crucial things you must consider before purchasing any advertising. * Writing your ad text for maximum results. At only 18 easy-to-digest pages (or listen to the audio if you prefer), it’s easy to whip through and start making smart decision with your paid advertising. And seriously, a few of those pages are just graphics, so that means you can go through the guide even faster. No sense in reading all day, when you can be DOING and generating more traffic that converts to sales.

For managing projects in my design business as well as working with my VA, I use Basecamp’s Plus version.

Working with my VA: It allows me to easily login and setup to do lists, upload files to share, and set deadlines - then it notifies my VA by email.  When she logs in, she can add in her time tracking for each to do completed.  At the end of the month it’s easy to print out a report.

Working with Client Projects: I’m able to setup a login for each client so they can securely login and view various things I’ve setup including overviews, project milestones and deadlines, files, and to do lists.  They can add their notes and feedback as I work.  And I can track my time spent on the project.

Saves me time and keeps me organized.  Very cool!

Clients and friends frequently approach me with questions about emails regarding their domain names that just don’t “feel” legitimate, and for good reason! Domain name scams are becoming more and more common. These scam attempts are also becoming more sophisticated, less obvious and using unethical techniques that cause the domain owner to worry that they may lose their domain or another company may be trying to steal it. Depending on the scam, they may be after your domain name, your money in transfer fees, or your credit card details for fraud and identity theft.

Fortunately, there are seven easy things you can do to keep your domain name and related information safe, and they only take a few minutes each.

1) Know who your domain name registrar is.

When you purchase your domain name be sure to print out your receipt and keep it somewhere safe. The original registrar is the only company who should contact you about your domain renewal, and their website is where you will go to renew your domain name. One common scam involves a company sending out official looking renewal notices through the mail. If you send in the renewal notice with your payment they’ll transfer your domain to their company where you’ll be stuck paying higher fees or dealing with other problems.

2) Use a secure password as your domain registrar (not something like your name or a password you use for other things).

We all know passwords should be secure. Is yours? If not, go to www.random.org and generate a secure string including both letters and numbers and update the password you use to access your domain records at your registrar. Make an note for yourself so you don’t forget your password. It’s important to use a different password for different sites. Otherwise, if someone hacks your email account password they may suddenly have access to your domain name account,
your PayPal or banking accounts! Don’t allow that opportunity.

3) Keep your personal contact information up to date on your domain
records.

If your email address changes, update your domain registrar so your renewal notices and other important communications from them can reach you. Your mailing address also needs to be kept up to date.

4) Lock your domain name at your registrar.

Domain registrars offer a feature called “domain locking” that can help your domain stay safe. It’s usually free and will prevent someone from transferring your domain to another registrar without
your permission. It’s simple to unlock later if you decide you’d like to transfer your domain.

5) Consider using domain privacy protection.

Most domain related scams learn your contact information by doing a whois search for the publicly available domains records. Search for your domain at www.domaintools.com to see what information comes back about your domain. If your personal name, address, and other information is available, contact your domain name registrar and ask them about privacy protection.

6) Renew your domain name early and for as many years as you feel
is reasonable considering the purpose of the domain.

If your domain is your business name and you know you’ll want to keep it for a long time, go ahead and renew it for 5 or 10 years. If it’s a temporary domain that you may not keep, register for a
year but renew early each year you decide to keep it. Never wait until the last minute to renew a domain.

7) Never click the links in an email about your domain, always go
directly to the website of your registrar.

Many phishing emails work by sending out an “official” looking email that links to a website that looks almost like the real one, but it’s a fake site setup to gather login details and credit card
information. You can protect yourself by never using links in email to access websites. Instead, go to your browser and type the real address directly into your browser bar to get to the website.

Taking these seven precautionary steps can help ensure that your domain name stays protected.

To help me better focus my ezine and blog on the information that’s most helpful for you, I’ve created a very quick (only 3 questions) survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0gto_2bC1AiQ4ah1iRpyIyjA_3d_3d

At the end there’s a special thank you gift in appreciation for your time. To find out what, you’ll have to take the survey. *smile*

This week I’m introducing a new feature on my blog.  Each Tuesday I’ll post about a great tool.  Here’s the first!

Ever wished you could add a form to your website to collect information, but felt intimidated by the HTML form coding needed to make it work?

Check out http://www.jotform.com/ where you can build a free form with drag and drop!

Free video tutorials show you what to do, step by step: http://www.jotform.com/tutorial

This is part three in the “15 Ways to Get More Traffic to Your Website” series. Here are strategies 11 through 15.

11. Craigslist

Craigslist.org is the hugely popular and successful local bulletin board website. Have you tried it for business yet? If not, or if your results have been less than you hoped for, here’s a link to an article full of great tips and a step by step on how to effectively use Craigslist: http://snipurl.com/3duox

12. Google Local

Want to come up at the top of Google listings? Target your geographical area and it might be easier than you think! Try a quick search for something like “alternative health anchorage” and you’ll see above the regular listing there are 10 geographically based listings with a small Google Map on the left. Now search for “your business type your city” (example: “dentist new york city” or “boutique baby shop seattle”) — if you aren’t listed on the top by the map, it’s easy to get added! If you’re already listed, claim ownership of your listing and make sure your contact info is up to date.

Description from Google: “Use the Local Business Center to create your free listing. When potential customers search Maps for local information, they’ll find your business: your address, hours of operation, even photos of your storefront or products. It’s easy, free, and you don’t need a website of your own.”

Sign up at http://www.google.com/local/add (you’ll need a Google account)

You can also encourage your customers to leave reviews for you through Google Local.

13. Joint Ventures

Two minds may be better than one. Two business promoting together can definitely be better than one! There are many easy ways to build your traffic and sales with joint ventures. Here are a couple quick strategy ideas to kick start your brainstorming:
- Create a collaboration of products
- Swap ads in ezines
- Link exchanges or banner exchanges
- Do a contest swap and offer a contest others can promote, the promote their contests for them
- Swap business cards – send theirs out with your orders, they send yours out with theirs

(I share more ideas in “Building Synergy”, available at www.themusesguide.com)

14. Giveaways

Who can resist a great deal? Or better yet, something for free? The most effective free items or giveaways will be closely targeted to your market.

For example, if you offer items like nursing bras, you could create (or hire a designer to create) blinkies promoting breastfeeding and give them away to visitors to use on their websites or MySpace pages. If you’re an artist, you could setup a script to offer free ecards that feature your artwork. You could give away craft project ideas if you sell children’s items, or recipes if you sell home related items to women.

Just grab a piece of paper and take five minutes to write down everything you can think of that your target market is interested in, and then go back over your list and highlight the ones that also relate to your products or services. Those are good things to consider for freebies.

15. Newsletter

I’ve saved the best for last. Studies show that most shoppers don’t purchase the first time they hear of a business, service, or product. So you need a way to capture their information and keep your business on their minds.

One of the best promotional tools is a newsletter or ezine. If you haven’t started yours yet, it’s easier than you might think! Choose your service provider, add the form to your website, encourage your visitors to sign up (offer a freebie or coupon in exchange for their subscription), then send out regular newsletters. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or even seasonally may be often enough depending on your business model. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to keep your business in the minds of people who are interested in your products or services.

I highly recommend Aweber for newsletters: http://www.aweber.com/?221066

Need a bit more direction to help you get started? Ideas on what to write about? Get your copy of The Muses Guide to Creating & Managing Your Own Sales Newsletter at http://themusesguide.com

!!Bonus Tip!!

I couldn’t let this issue go out without one bonus tip to help you get more traffic. You need a way to let visitors tell their friends about your website!

Here’s a free hosted tell a friend form:
http://www.bpath.com/recommend/rcm_info.dbm

Or, here’s a free script you can install on your website:
http://www.tamingthebeast.net/articles3/tell-a-friend-script.htm

This is part 2 of 15 ways to get more traffic to your website.

So far we’ve looked at these traffic generating strategies:
1. Search Engine Optimization
2. Blogging
3. Social Networking
4. Social Bookmarking
5. Review Products & Services

And here are the next five:

6. Signature Line

Add a signature line to all of your email messages. Every time you send an email your website URL and promotional information can be included. You want to keep it short. I recommend 3-4 lines. Include your business name, website URL, and slogan or tag line.

You can also consider including a notice about current special offers, upcoming sales, or your free offer for subscribing to your newsletter.

7. Article Marketing

Several months ago I decided to try a short experiment. I put up a website (www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com) and shared the URL only through article marketing. I submitted articles at www.wahm-articles.com and www.ezinearticles.com then waited to see what would happen. Would I get any traffic? Would the traffic sign up for my newsletter? This week I sent an update to the owner of WAHM Articles to let her know how it had gone:
After a few months of comparing traffic and subscription rates I found that the traffic I received from my articles came with more average page views per visit and a higher subscription rate to my newsletter. In fact, the subscription rate for visitors from articles was double that of the general traffic to my site! About 40% of visitors who read one of my articles first and clicked through to my website signed up for my newsletter.

If you track your website unique visitors and sign up rates, you’ll recognize that as a very strong subscription rate. Article marketing converts more subscribers to my newsletters than any method except joint ventures. I highly recommend it.

Another advantage of article marketing is that it allows you to leverage your time. You can write an article once then use it on your blog, your website, and submit it to multiple article directories. From there it will get published on other websites and sometimes picked up and used in ezines as well. Write it once and it keeps working for you.

Click here to read a press release from WAHM Articles that mentions me!

8. Get Listed in Directories

Here are three types of directories you can get your website listed in and how to find them:

Specialized Directories: Use the search engines to find trade associations and product directories that you can be listed in. One example is http://www.diaperpin.com for cloth diapering websites. You can find good, targeted directories by searching Google. For example, try this: “product name” directory. For example: “cloth diaper” directory or “website design” directory

General Directories: General directories such as http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.alexa.com are free to request a link from. You may want to consider paid directories on individual basis. Their value for you will depend on your particular business and the type of traffic the directory generates.

Other Directories: Look at local directories such as http://local.yahoo.com and http://cityguides.msn.com as well as small business directories, environmental/ethical directories, and other similar sites to request listings on. Also check the websites of the retailers/wholesalers you purchase from, the shopping cart or web host you use, and other businesses you work with. Many offer directories of their clients or retailers and you may be able to pick up some links and targeted traffic by being listed.

9. Charities & Community Involvement

10. Create a Buzz

Sing it in your head — “Let’s give them something to talk about…”

What makes a commercial memorable? What gets you to visit that new little cafe downtown? Why did you download the last free ebook, article or resource you downloaded?

Something caught your interest! Maybe a trusted colleague recommended it. Maybe a friend told you not to miss it. Or maybe an ad created curiosity and you couldn’t resist.

Does your website have a “buzz”? If not, you’ve got to create it! If you’re providing fabulous service, your customers are probably already buzzing but you can encourage it by offering customer rewards for referrals, providing “email a friend” links, and giving them quick, easy ways to share your website.

You can also create a “buzz” by running contests, offering giveaways, and using other exciting marketing strategies.

Give people a reason to talk about your site and they will.

Comments? Questions? Feel free to post a comment to this blog post.

With the economic squeeze on our minds, we’re all watching our checkbooks closely. But growing our businesses means we’ve got to keep marketing, promoting, learning and growing. So, I’d like to extend an offer to you for any one of my special reports absolutely free to help you in your business. No strings. Offer good for about 24 hours. So post by 12pm Alaska Time on Tuesday, October 14th (that’s by 4pm East Coast time for you easterners and 1pm Pacific for you westerners and for everyone else click here to see what time it is in Alaska).

How to Get a Free Special Report

1) Choose any one of the five special reports I offer here: http://themusesguide.com/specialreports.htm (link will open in a new window).

2) Post a reply to this blog post with a note of which report you’d like and why, and be sure to fill in the name and email address fields so we can get your copy to you. Your email address won’t show up with your comment and will stay private.

3) You’ll get an email from us within a few days (quicker if we can) with your download link.

That’s it!

P.S. If you’ve already purchased one of my reports, choose another one for your freebie! :-) Or, if you own all five, email me at michelle@themusesguide.com because I’ve got another offer for you.

Legal Disclaimer: This offer has no cash value.