StoresOnline Rule Number 1: Learn as Much as You Can. One of the most important lessons you’ll ever learn is to ask all the questions you don’t know the answers to. Online businesses are very different from their brick and mortar cousins. The oldest, most archaic online store dates back to the 1980s! StoresOnline has been providing websites for at least a decade now. With so much new technology you must stay informed. Read the merchant newsletter. Go to the Boot Camp training. Spend time exploring the software.
StoresOnline Rule Number 2: Work from a List. You should know what you’re doing each morning. I have a stack of blank envelopes at my desk. I have no idea how I started using envelopes, but they work for me. I number ten items I need to accomplish before the end of the day. For example, “Get My StoresOnline Site Optimized” or “Call StoresOnline Customer Service for assistance” and etcetera. I don’t stop working until I’ve finished them and I don’t keep working once I’m done. It is a powerful tool to keep you focused, especially if you’ve decided to run your business out of your home.
StoresOnline Rule Number 3: Diversify, Diversify, Diversity. No farmer ever puts all his eggs in one basket and neither should you. All industry experts including StoresOnline understand and what major corporations spend millions annually doing is setting up multiple web pages. You should have, at minimum, two to three StoresOnline web pages for your business. The only way to succeed with an online business is to attract buying customers. The more nets you have the more fish you’ll catch!
StoresOnline Rule Number 4: Have a Savings Fund. Ideally a person should have three to six months of living expenses stored in a savings account. That way you’re prepared in case any unexpected expenses come your way. This savings fund will help you as you focus on building your StoresOnline website. If you keep your savings fund well stocked, you won’t need to worry about short term operating expenses because you have a nest egg to help cover those costs. StoresOnline wants you to be a success, so we hope that this opinion is one that you take seriously.
StoresOnline Rule Number 5: Take Calculated Risks. Starting a business or taking a business online is a risk. Everything in business has a risk factor that could threaten its success. StoresOnline customers can put risk in two categories: Facts of Life and Facts of Being the Boss. What are Facts of Life? You’re going to have new competition so plan and prepare for those contingencies.
And Facts of Being the Boss? You have to make the decisions. Are you going to offer a new product? How much should you spend on marketing? Don’t be flippant in decision making, but take the time to make decisions you can stand by. It has been said that StoresOnline Merchants can be successful by making well thought out decisions and having the ability to follow through.
StoresOnline Rule Number 6: Prescribe Patience. StoresOnline wants you to remember that your success will come with time and effort. StoresOnline gives you superior technology as a foundation and customer service to assist you. You will work to create and develop your website. But do not expect overnight success. Be patient and consistent in your business endeavors. StoresOnline already knows that an online store can be a worthwhile investment. Be patient and don’t panic if things don’t go perfectly the first time you try them.
StoresOnline Rule Number 7: Build on Success. If you’ve started a successful business chances are you had something to do with that success. Many merchants have success with one website through careful efforts. These same merchants have then in turn created additional websites based on those same successful business principles. StoresOnline wants you to be a success, so it might be a good idea to continually make note of what works and what doesn’t and test what you can do to affect your success online.
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Do You Have Something to Say About StoresOnline?
There are many blogs out on the Internet about companies like Disney, Southwest, and even Google. We want to let you know about a blog that is providing inforamation about StoresOnline. We recommend that you visit this StoresOnline Success Blog to post any comments that you might want to share about StoresOnline.
The most important information that you can get about StoresOnline in that blog is the contact information for the Director of Customer Relations. We'll post it here for those of you who want to email or call in to StoresOnline for assistance:
Mari Silva
Director of Customer Relations
Stores Online Inc.
Phone: (801) 227-0004
Fax: 801-426-6712
Toll Free Fax: (888) 416-7370
Email: msilva@storesonline.com
Visit the StoresOnline Success Blog today.
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StoresOnline Customer Support
StoresOnline encourages merchants and all online entrepreneurs to do a regular website review to maintain site freshness and usability. Review your online store often and keep track of changes that you make and how those changes affect sales or general site traffic. StoresOnline suggests that you review the following merchant interaction with a StoresOnine Support Representative for tips on the importance of a website review.
This merchant review was almost two hours long, but it was well worth the time as the merchant gave these comments: Best help I've ever received on SOL. Thank you so much!
<Support> Thank you for contacting StoresOnline. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> hi |
<Support> How are you doing today? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> hi i'm good thanks |
<Support> Thats nice to hear. |
<Support> How may I help you today? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> i added a bunch of categories in my store, how do I make links of these categories appear on the bottom of each page? |
<Support> Do not worry, Sir. I will help you with this. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> great |
<Support> Sir, shall I do that for you? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> Sure and then if you can tell me where it's at so i can add to it if necessary |
<Support> Sure. I will. |
<Support> Thanks. Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> wonderful |
<Support> You are welcome. |
<Support> Sir, I am still working on it. |
<Support> Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok |
<Support> Thanks. :-) |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> is everything ok |
<Support> I am doing it. |
<Support> So far so good. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> thank you |
<Support> You are welcome. |
<Support> Thanks for waiting, Sir. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> thank you |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> can i preview? |
<Support> Yes, you can. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great |
<Support> Thanks. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> looks good thank you |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> how do i edit these? |
<Support> You can edit that by going to the Backgrounds sub-tab in the Pages tab. |
<StoresOnline Support> then double-click on the Default background option./ |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok |
<Support> Then on the Elements tab at the right hand side. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok i see it |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> so what all of this added in plain html? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> and that's the only way to add that? |
<Support> Yes. |
<Support> Sir, I am having the step by step instruction for doing it. |
<Support> Shall i send that to you? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> sure, that would be great, and then i have a few more questions |
<StoresOnline Support> Please go ahead. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> i have a few products that are the same but come in different sizes, and i don't think i entered it right, i created several products instead of showing the different sizes available |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> how do i fix that? |
<Support> Do not worry, Sir. I will help you with this too. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> wonderful |
<Support> Sir, may I please know the name of those products? |
<Support> Thanks. |
<Support> Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok thanks |
<Support> You are welcome. |
<Support> Sir, do you want to enter them as a single product with different sizes. |
<Support> Am I correct? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> yes please |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> the sizes are 75, 100, etc... |
<Support> Okay. |
<Support> Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok |
<Support> Thanks for waiting, Sir. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> thank you |
<Support> Sir, I have modified the product |
<Support> Please check it. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok let me see |
<Support> You will have a drop down menu in that product to select its size. |
<Support> Okay. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great so i can delete the other ones later |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> can yo show me how you added the different sizes? i have some other products that need the same thing done |
<Support> Yes, you can. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> i have some shipping questions |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> i would like to publish my site but i'm still waiting for some shipping prices from my supplier, how can i add something that says "email for shipping quote"? |
<Support> Sir, do you want to show this for some particular products only? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> yes |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> I have two products where the shipping is free |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> then I have a few products where the shipping is $75 |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> and then i have a few that I don't know yet |
<Support> Then you can add this message in the Product summary of that product itself. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok... can we start with the free products? I started it but I'm not sure I set it up right. |
<StoresOnline Support> Yes. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> The Free shipping should go for the following products |
<Support> Okay. |
<Support> I will add a free shipping rule for this. |
<Support> Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok thanks |
<StoresOnline Support> Sir, I have added that rule for you. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok how can i check? |
<Support> You can check that by placing a test order for that product. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok let me try thanks |
<Support> Sure. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> great, it's working, thanks. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> is there a way to eliminate the shipping method choices afterwards |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> right now it shows, ups ground, ups 2day, ups overnight |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> they shouldn't have the choice to pick |
<Support> Okay. |
<Support> I will do that too for you. |
<Support> Please wait. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great thanks |
<Support> Sir, I have removed them for you. |
<Support> Please check that. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok one second |
<Support> Sure. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> it saying : You must select a shipping method. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> Maybe we should have one available that says FREE Shipping? |
<Support> Okay. |
<Support> Shall I add one? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> yes please |
<Support> Thanks. |
<Support> Sir, I have added that for you. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok let me check |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> it says UPS ground as the only option and it works |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> thanks |
<StoresOnline Support> You are welcome. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> how do i assign a fixed amount of shipping cost to one product? |
<Support> Sir, I am having the step by step instruction for doing it. |
<Support> I will email the steps to you so that it will be easier for you to understand and do it. Is that fine with you? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> yes |
<StoresOnline Support> May I know your email address that you want the email to be send? |
<Support> Thanks. I will send the steps to this email address. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> great thanks |
<Support> You are most welcome! |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> a few quick questions |
<Support> Please go ahead. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> when i edit a product and click on description, there is a field that says "tag", what should i write there? |
<Support> Sir, you can leave that field Blank. |
<Support> No need to enter any values there. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> what about the "unit' field, is it important to write something there, like "lampshade" or "light"? |
<Support> Sir, when you enter a value (i.e. boxes, barrels, etc.) in the Units field, that value is then displayed in the cart next to the quantity box. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> oh ok |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> i would like to add an alt tag description to my product photos, where is that at? under icon? |
<Support> No. Sir, you cnnot add an Alt tag for your product images it can be either the Product name or the default text "Click to enlarge the image". |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> is the default name, on the name of the jpg, like /files/ |
<Support> No. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> or is it under Edit Product, Product Name |
<Support> The Product name you gave to the Product. |
<Support> Yes, under Edit product. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great |
<Support> Thanks. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> is there an easy way to add the categories you added in the bottom to my left navigation? |
<Support> Sir, you can add a category tree there. |
<Support> Shall I do that for you? |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> sure thank you |
<Support> I have added that for you. |
<Support> Please check it. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok let me check |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> ok great |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> thank you |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> you have been very helpful |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> is there a way to contact you directly next time? |
<Support> When you log into chat, you can ask for me. |
<Support> If I am here, I can assist you. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> StoresOnline Support |
<Support> Yes. |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> I certainly will, thank you |
<MERCHANT REVIEW> have a great night |
<Support> You are welcome. |
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As you can see, StoresOnline Customer Support takes the time to ask the right questions and understand the needs of merchants. Here is another merchant chat record to illustrate how StoresOnline customers know they can count on top quality customer support every time they contact StoresOnline:
<Customer Support> Welcome to Stores Online Storefront Support! |
<Customer Support> Hi Sir |
<Customer Support> Good to have you here on chat! How may I help you today? |
<Merchant Review> Hi. I'm trying to activate links and it isn't working |
<Customer Support> Please clarify the links you are refering on? |
<Merchant Review> The links are on my product page |
<Merchant Review> I put in the links but it didn't go to the correct product |
<Merchant Review> It linked to a blank page |
<Customer Support> Let me check it on your shoes page. |
<Customer Support> One moment please |
<Merchant Review> I unlinked it since it didn't work |
<Customer Support> may I know the exact page name please? |
<Merchant Review> which one? |
<Merchant Review> Product A and B |
<Customer Support> Thanks |
<Customer Support> Are you referring to the "Price quotes" links"? |
<Merchant Review> No that is fine. |
<Merchant Review> The ones in the ( ) |
<Customer Support> Woman’s Product A? |
<Merchant Review> Yes |
<Customer Support> Sorry, I have copied the merchants name. I do apologize |
<Customer Support> May I know the sku # of the products that are on the parenthesis? |
<Merchant Review> ABC123 |
<Customer Support> How about for the products "Men's Product B"? |
<Merchant Review> XYZ456 |
<Customer Support> Thank you |
<Customer Support> One moment please |
<Customer Support> I am testing the links now. Please logout temporary to your storefront. |
<Merchant Review> I did |
<Customer Support> Thanks |
<Customer Support> Thank you for waiting |
<Customer Support> Please login now, the two links are fixed. |
<Merchant Review> Ok, I see it. |
<Customer Support> Thanks |
<Merchant Review> What was the problem? |
<Customer Support> The products url was not set up well. |
<Customer Support> You need to highlight the text then insert the product url at the links so it will work |
<Merchant Review> I did that. |
<Merchant Review> But it didn't link to the correct product |
<Customer Support> I see, possibly the products number is different. In the text tool bar "Click the "Links" ellipsis button then there is a window that will pops up then select products then the product url will show up just copy and paste the products url to make sure that you have pasted the correct products url. |
<Merchant Review> Is it the chain? |
<Customer Support> No, the "Links" ellipsis button above the text tool bar. |
<Customer Support> You can copy and paste the products url there |
<Merchant Review> Oh, I see it now. |
<Merchant Review> I've been wondering where the urls were listed |
<Customer Support> Okay, great |
<Customer Support> Is there anything else I can help you with? |
<Merchant Review> Yes |
<Merchant Review> There is a product that I have on sale |
<Merchant Review> But only the product C is on sale |
<Merchant Review> I don't know how to set that up |
<Merchant Review> It's on the clearance page |
<Customer Support> Do you mean the product has a variations and one is on sale? |
<Merchant Review> yes? |
<Customer Support> I see, |
<Customer Support> You'll need to create a variation for that then mark the sale item on the products. |
<Merchant Review> What kind of variation? |
<Merchant Review> There already size & color |
<Merchant Review> Did you see the pages |
<Customer Support> Hold on. |
<Customer Support> Is this sku#abcd? |
<Merchant Review> Yes |
<Customer Support> Ok. one moment please |
<Customer Support> Thank you for waiting. |
<Customer Support> I may suggest you to enter the sale price at the variations. |
<Customer Support> instead |
<Merchant Review> Instead of? |
<Customer Support> at the variations box since theres no sale prices options at the varaitions |
<Merchant Review> Ok. I'm thinking how that would work. Can you explain more |
<Customer Support> Go to the products edit |
<Customer Support> Then click the variations tab |
<Customer Support> Then edit the "Colors" |
<Customer Support> There are products below, enter the sale prices at the "Prices" field box. |
<Customer Support> For example =$10.00 |
<Customer Support> Then make a note that the blue products shoe colors are on sales. That is the only possible way |
<Merchant Review> Ok. I'll try it. |
<Merchant Review> I think I just figured it out. |
<Merchant Review> That was it/ |
<Customer Support> You'll need to highlight the single text only at the text tool baar |
<Customer Support> I mean text field box. |
<Merchant Review> Thanks for the help tonight. |
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If you need Customer Support, please email
help@myquickresponse.comor you can visit the StoresOnline Customer Support Chat page by clicking here.
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StoresOnline suggests that you take a moment to review the newest product in the StoresOnline product family: StoresOnlineExpress. Not only is this website software affordable, it also comes with access to other outstanding online marketing and merchant tools that you'll need to learn about how to track and produce the results that you want with your website.
If you have questions about StoresOnline services or reviews, please feel free to email help@myquickresponse.com or click here to visit StoresOnline Customer Service site.
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StoresOnline Newsletter Blog
Online Business Owners are in need of assistance as they learn to use their StoresOnline Website Builder. Whether it’s StoresOnline Pro or StoresOnline Express, you can find up to date information on the StoresOnline Newsletter Blog.
Find interesting facts about how to use social networking via blogs, 7 different ways that you can use a blog to further publicize your website business, and how to use blog tags, links, and content to start getting visitors to your website.
Click here to read more from the StoresOnline Newsletter Blog.

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Women Owning the Workplace: Tips to Guide Female Entrepreneurs
Women are taking the business world by storm, and it doesn't look like they're backing down. According the Womenentrepreneur.com, women-owned firms are the fastest growing in the country. Women are looking beyond the traditional roles and moving ahead to a new role: entrepreneur. This does not necessarily mean women are swapping roles with their spouses (although some are), but they simply may be adding owning a business to their list of daily duties.
If you're one of the many women considering going entrepreneur, it's important to do your research first. Starting up a business is no easy task and many people get into trouble by diving in without any thought. Consider some of these tips to help you prepare yourself for the task ahead. First, figure out what type of business you want to start.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to start a business dealing with something of no interest to you. Before you pick, think about your talents and passions. These are two key factors in choosing what type of business to run. Once you've decided on your type of business, you can start focusing on that line of work.
Next, find a place to host your business. Many women start their businesses out of their homes--but it's important to be careful. If you want to start your business at home, be sure to find a place in your house that is "strictly business." This area should be removed from the rest of your home and preferably have a door to close out the noise of a busy home.
Also, you should try to get a phone line specific to your business instead of using your home phone number or cell phone. This will create a more professional feeling for customers. Two of the biggest hurdles women face when starting a business are poor financing and lack of experience. Remedy the first by waiting until you are financially stable before you quit your current job to start a business.
Take into consideration all the costs associated with starting a business: rent, supplies, employee salaries, etc. When it comes to experience, just starting your business increases your knowledge However, avoid some of the problems encountered by inexperienced business owners by using mentors and other contacts to gain advice.
Try finding women in your area who started their own businesses and ask for tips. Before opening your doors, think about the time needed to start and run a business. If you are a mother who wants to be able to take care of her kids, realize this may not always be possible with the time demands of a business. Going back to school also may hinder your ability to start and run a business effectively. Look at the factors in your life that take up most of your time and weigh out your options.
Besides thinking of time restraints, also realize the risk of starting your own business. Many women look at starting a business as an opportunity to be their own boss and keep more of the profit, but there are snags in this dream. Many businesses take 3 or 4 years to start up, and during this time may barely break even. Be sure to have a back-up plan in case your business doesn't catch on as quickly as you imagined.
Also, being your own boss may seem glamorous, but this responsibility leaves only you to worry about financial situations and deal with employee issues. Once you've considered the above factors, you're ready to start your business. The first months or year may be a challenge, but the rewards of completely owning a company are priceless. Just be sure to keep it all in perspective; most women entrepreneurs don't own Fortune 500 companies.
Don't be afraid to allow your business to stay small rather than stretching your limits to grow. Finally, get support by joining networks such as entrepreneur.com or we-inc.org to get helpful tips and network with other female entrepreneurs.
Original Article by Melissa Mashtonio
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Manage Your Time and Make Money on the Web
Just because you make money on the web doesn't mean that you can live the rest of your life in leisure. Working online out of your own home requires just as much hard work as a mainstream job - sometimes, even more. To make money on the web, you actually have to do some real work, unlike working a 9-to-5 job where you can spend hours pretending to work while you make friends with Google, or play Text Twist. Indeed, if you think that you don't need to follow a schedule, think again.
Have Schedule, Will Work
It's very easy to get sidetracked from your objectives if you work out of your own home. In order to make sure that you're productive enough to sustain yourself in the lifestyle that you've been accustomed to, you need to manage your time as effectively as a drill sergeant. A schedule is time management at its best. This ensures that you don't waste away the entire day in bed. This also helps you make money on the web by keeping your productivity on the right track.
With a schedule, you'll be able to meet quotas and deadlines to keep your clients happy and business rolling in. Furthermore, you're sure not to overdo it and work too much when your time is efficiently managed. Suffice to say, a schedule keeps you disciplined. The good news is you can pick whatever schedule you want. This is the beauty of working at home. You don't have to force yourself to work in hours when you feel most unproductive. This is especially true for a nocturnal creature whose creativity is at its peak at night. All you have to do is determine the hours you're most comfortable working in, and plot your personal schedule accordingly.
Distractions For Disastrous Results
When you make money on the web, you'll find that your biggest obstacles are the numerous distractions around you, especially when you're working at home. One such distraction, and possibly your own worst enemy, is the television. This means that, if you have any sense at all, you won't touch the remote control within your scheduled hours of work. If you do, you'll find time passing you by while you haven't done any work at all. Children pose another distraction - that is, if you have any. While working at home, give your kids strict instructions not to bother you for anything within your scheduled hours. The same goes for your significant other, friends, and extended family.
You should also avoid doing chores or running errands within those hours you've allotted for completing your projects. Although it's for a noble cause, chores should not be used as an excuse to avoid fulfilling your tasks for the day. Set chores and errands aside for the weekends, or after your work day. With that said, minimize your distractions and manage your time effectively to make it so.
Original Article by Ainsley Howard
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Three Reasons Why You Still Need To Pay Attention To Meta Information
When people first look into optimizing their website in order to gain better placement in the search engines one of the first things that comes to mind is the web site's meta tags. The meta tags contain information such as the keyword or keyword phrases that best describe the information or theme of a website as well as a short description about the site. But of the years the importance of meta tags has been downplayed or ignored because of the lack weight given to them by search engines for rankings. But there are reasons why you will still want to pay attention to them.
Back in the early days of search engines meta tags were often the most important and sometimes the only tool you needed to ranking highly for keyword phrases. This made it very easy for sites to rank highly for terms that had nothing to do with the actual content of the site thus making the search engine results pages full of sites that were not relevant to the user. In a effort to show more relevant search results search engines had to add additional factors and criteria into the way they ranked a website.
Since then search engines have been paying much more attention to the content of a site as well as a number of other factors. And even though these days some search engine such as Google pay little if any attention to meta tags in an effort to improve the quality of search results, there are still reasons why they should be an important part of search engine optimization.
1. Some Search Engines Still Give Weight To Meta Tags
Search Engines such as Yahoo and MSN still use meta tags as part of the determining factors for ranking a site. Although the amount of importance may be small, when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) every little bit helps.
2. It Can Help Increase Traffic To Your Site
Often search engines will use your title tags as the linked text for your site with either the whole or part of the description underneath it on the results page. A well written title tag and description can entice someone to click on your link. How many times have you searched for something and clicked on a result based on the linked text of description.
3. Help Optimize Individual Pages
Each page of your website should have different keywords and descriptions that reflect the content on those pages. This can help when trying to optimize different sections of your site for different keyword phrases. Search engines may then display that exact page in the results directing visitor to that specific section rather than just the home page.
These techniques for using meta tags will not guarantee search engine placement but when combined with a complete search engine optimization campaign can help. And when it comes to optimizing your site for the search engines every little bit counts.
Original Article by Stefan Hyross |