Pop Windows in Internet Marketing:
A few years ago it seemed that every time one opened a web page one would be bombarded with offers for this or that. Pop Windows had arrived with a vengeance.
As time elapsed the point was reached where surfing the Internet was almost like playing a video game; when the ad appeared one would try to close it before another one arose. This annoyance factor is precisely why we have seen the decline in the use of pop-up windows on today's Internet; surfers simply do not even look at pop-ups anymore. They close the window out before even reading the ad. Very often, a surfer will even leave your site if there are too many pop-up ads. It is simply not worth the hassle of closing those windows while trying to obtain the information that your site has to offer. This information, while valuable, is not as valuable as the surfer's time.
Studies have shown however, that even with these setbacks, pop-up windows are still an effective method of Internet marketing. Is there some way that pop-up windows can be less irritating and still be effective? Yes! What if the pop-up ad were seen upon exiting your site instead of entering? This would allow the surfer to obtain the information needed from your site, feeling that they were able to come and go quickly without being hassled by other ads and offers, all the while making the surfer happy. You have left the surfer with a positive attitude and he or she are therefore more likely to respond to the pop advertisement.
This is being accomplished more and more by using what is being called pop-under windows. When the surfer comes to your site, the ad is opened discretely behind your web page. Then, upon leaving your site, after obtaining all the information needed, the ad will be seen and is therefore more likely to initiate a response. Since the surfer has the information initially required, he has achieved his objective and is now open to do other things; ideally respond to the pop under advertisement.
Not all pop-windows are created equal however. There are some things that you can do to make your pop-windows, whether pop-up or pop-under more effective. The pop-window should be easy to "escape" from. If the surfer does not want to see the ad, but has a hard time closing it out, they will likely become frustrated and could leave your site all together. You should either use a button that will allow the surfers to close the window. Make sure that the "x" is easily visible. Another good idea is to use a script that utilizes cookies. Cookies will prevent pop-windows from overloading the surfer since you can decide the frequency of the pop-windows, rather than each time a page is opened. Also be sure that there is no more than one pop-window per page.
When creating a pop-window, you will be asked to fill out a short information form, select the length of cookies, and choose the layout of the pop-window. When choosing the design of the pop-window, you can increase the effectiveness by creating a large headline that includes benefits that will be most appealing to the customer. You should also consider using incentives, and lastly do not ask the customer to read a long and drawn out advertisement. Keep the message simple yet powerful and your pop-ads will be sure to generate profits for your site.


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How To Save Money In Your Business
Why look at ways to save money in your business? Business isn't about how much you make, but about what you keep - the net profit. Cut an expense, and the savings usually goes straight to that bottom line. Learn a simple way to spend $25 less on electricity each month, for example, and you'll have $3,000 more profit over the next ten years. Here, then, are a few random but useful ideas for cutting those costs.
Ask Vendors How You Can Save Money
Often, just asking can save you a lot. Ask a supplier if there is a way to cut the cost, for example. Maybe you and he would be better off if he delivered more of something, but less often, for example. You won't know until you ask.
Join An Association
There are professional associations in most industries and service professions. See what benefits you get by joining one. Some can help you get reduced insurance rates and discounts on legal costs and other services.
Educate The Customer
I would love to be educated by many of the online services I use. Good simple explanation of how to use their products would keep me from having to call and e-mail them so frequently. It would also save them the cost of handling those calls and e-mails. If your customers are coming back with questions too many times, you probably aren't educating them well enough at the point of sale.
Piggyback Your Advertising
Save money mailing out advertising by including it with other mailings, like your invoices. Put coupons in with your products to encourage repeat business.
Trade Advertising
If you are mailing advertising to a few thousand people, maybe you know of a complementary but non-competing business that does the same. Agree to put his ads in your mailings and have yours in his. You can mail out as many ads for half the postage and envelope costs this way.
Save Money On Labor
While working at a restaurant I tracked the customer count in relation to the employee scheduling. I found that there were many times when we didn't have enough employees on duty, and many more when we had too many. Changing the scheduling meant better customer service and savings of about $15,000 per year on labor.
Reduce Your Lawyers Hours
If you need to hire an attorney, ask if there are things you can do to prepare which will cut the time you are billed for. There is no point in having your lawyer make $100 phone calls that you can make in five minutes. Wait to discuss several issues at one time with your lawyer - he will be charging a minimum for each time you call him.
One last tip: at least once a year, look back on every expense you had, and see if there is a way to save money on any of them this year.
Steve Gillman wrote the e-book 400 Ways To Save Money. For more on this and other useful insider information, visit: http://www.99reports.com


5 Strategies to Successful Cash Flow Management
Copyright 2006 John J Reddish
Managing cash flow is every manager's challenge, every day, every year. Those managers who keep a close eye on their daily activity and emerging industry trends can help reduce their company's exposure to the chill of a cash crunch.
How can you predict, avoid and/or, minimize the impact of a cash emergency?
First, pay attention when any cash shortages arise. When cash gets short, pay close attention and be prepared to act. Questions to be answered include:
1. What caused the problem? Pre-payments to take advantage of special discounts can reduce cash. Transportation strikes, for example, could delay shipments and therefore payments. An industry (or economy) slowdown will often result in customers stretching out their payables.
2. How can you cope? If cash on hand is not robust, let the special discounts go. It's usually more cost-effective to pass on a discount than to borrow to overcome a shortfall. Keep up on the news. If you hear about any threatened strikes and/or disruptions to your supply chain, make sure you have a back-up position. Even if temporarily more expensive, it can save your business by showing your customers your reliability and versatility in challenging times. If your customers are in industries facing hard economic times, keep closer tabs on your credit policies and be active in collections. If necessary, tighten credit terms, but use discretion. Being firm but supportive to your customers will go a long way in keeping them in the fold while still giving you a better cash flow. Defer purchases and/or negotiate extended payments if cash gets short.
Most importantly, document both the signals of problems and your solutions. That way, if the signals happen again, you can refer to prior successful action as a first possible solution.
Imagine possible, but normally unpredictable cash flow challenges. Some problems can't be anticipated, so "what if" scenarios can be created. You don't have to get elaborate, but you can ask what would happen if there were a flood, or, as we've experienced more recently, a devastating hurricane. What then? Other problems, such as "product sabotage" can only be dealt with as they occur. Constructing possible scenarios to reduce risks associated with "unforeseeable" problems is an important management tool. Learn from, and document, each experience, or you may have to repeat it.
Second, watch sales. Any prolonged (and "prolonged" computes differently for each company and industry) drop in sales without a comparable -- and simultaneously emerging -- reduction in expenses is a prescription for trouble. Of course, there is at usually some lag between sales changes and a compensating contraction in expenses, but early diagnosis can reduce the negative impacts significantly. Once a changing trend has been identified, act promptly or the impact of the lag will be more severe.
Third, review the budget. If short-term borrowing is regularly needed to meet normal operating costs, the unavailability of such loans or a sudden change in operating expense could be devastating.
If ongoing operations cannot be supported by sales, either more sales are needed, fewer expenses must be incurred or a combination of the two is in order. While this sounds very simple, all too many companies hesitate "in hopeful anticipation." If remedies are not introduced on a timely basis, a severe cash crunch could follow.
Fourth, keep a close eye on new product development. In many companies, R&D expenditures for new products are often allowed far greater variance from projected budgets than normal expenditures. After all, when you create something new, it is really hard to accurately predict costs -- or turnaround time -- at the outset.
Failure to keep these costs, and time commitments, within bounds or monitor their continuing impact and cost/benefit can lead to continued funding of projects well beyond when they should be cut off. Overall cash flow can be easily drained into a seemingly bottomless pit, and often an entire company is jeopardized by one errant project.
Fifth, beware of pet projects. A pet project is any organizational activity undertaken for ego value rather than consistency with the organization's mission and profit targets. Pet projects, whether new ventures or ongoing cost/profit centers, can often lead to cash flow problems. All organizations have pet projects from time to time. Failure to recognize and deal with a pet project when a cash crunch looms has been the death knell for many companies.
Many cash flow challenges have such simple origins. Often it's simply a matter of days, or weeks and they can creep up on you. And the daily grind can cloud your vision, encourages false hope or distract you just long enough for problems to take hold. You can learn from past and/or current cash shortages. You can be watchful that sales, budget and R&D costs stay in line. You can keep a lid on pet projects. In an increasingly competitive world, you need to be alert.

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John Reddish works with and speaks to entrepreneurs and top executives who want to master growth, transition and succession, helping them to get results faster, less painfully and in ways that work for them. Author, speaker, consultant and mentor, John is a member of the National Speakers Assn. For booking and product information: http://www.getresults.com . Or call 800.726.7985 in the US, 01.610.388.9335 internationally, or at johnr@getresults.com.