Amazing Search Engine Optimization Tips

Amazon is one of the leading online retailers, and it’s no wonder since they provide a one-stop shop for most of your merchandise needs. You won’t find too much that they don’t have that you can buy on their website when it comes to common products such as electronics, books, movies, music, clothing and more.

If you’re looking for a way to make extra money on the internet, the Amazon affiliate program can provide an additional passive income stream to your affiliate marketing business.

To start promoting Amazon products, you’ll have to sign up as an Associate. Instead of being called an affiliate, you’re considered an associate to Amazon. The sign-up process is fairly simple. You’ll need a valid email address, user name and password. Afterwards, you’ll be required to provide more detail about yourself and your website from which you’ll be promoting the products.

After you’re signed up and can log-in, getting your affiliate link is very easy. At the top of the page you’ll be provided with what they call “Site Stripe” which is similar to a taskbar that contains links regarding your account. The Site Stripe is shown on every page you visit on Amazon and allows you to create your affiliate links for whatever product page you’re on very easily. Once you find the product you want to promote, simply click the “Link to this page,” “Add to Widget” or “Add to aStore” to build your affiliate links.

Your unique affiliate code will be available from where you can simply copy and paste the code into any web page. If you’re using a widget to add related products, etc., the widget can be customized to fit the style of your website.

The Amazon affiliate program should be something every affiliate marketer has at their disposal. With so many products to choose from, you’re bound to find a product that fits your niche market.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

One of the things I’m constantly amazed at when I go to an online auction site like eBay or a third party retailer like Amazon, is the greed and stupidity of sellers. I am both a buyer and a seller and here are some general selling tips and secrets based on 15 years of experience, for anyone who wants to actually sell their products:

1. Always check out the selling history of what you’re selling under “Completed Auctions” and what the going rate is to buy the item online from other sources of the same product in the same condition. You’d be amazed as to how many sellers list products at a higher dollar total including shipping than a place like Amazon where you can make a straight purchase or the going price from previously complete auctions. Why would anyone want to buy an item from you for $18 when they can purchase it outright on Amazon for say $15? Similarly, if the going rate on an auction is $25, why would you list the opening price at $35?

2. Always show a picture of your product. Anyone not showing a picture of their product is sending out a subliminal message to the potential buyer that:

1) They don’t actually have the product

2) they don’t want to show the product because it is not as described

3) They don’t have a scanner which is pretty pathetic and

4) They don’t care.

3. If you are selling a used item and you don’t list the opening or set sale price at least 25% less (when shipping is factored in) than what it would cost to buy new, how many people are going to go to all that trouble of bidding,paying and waiting for a used item that they can buy new, from a stranger just to save 25%? If you are selling a product that is brand new, the sales price should be listed substantially less then what people would pay for it at a National Chain store. If not, most people would rather buy something in person at the going rate then save just a few dollars for the hassle of purchasing online from a stranger.

4. Unless the item you’re selling is in totally bad shape, never use the phrase “Sold as Is” in your selling description as what you’re subconsciously saying is “Let the Buyer Beware”.

5. When selling “Buy It Now” items on places like eBay or Amazon where multiple sellers are selling the same product in the same condition, understand that unless a seller has terrible feedback, people will always purchase at the lowest offered price. You should constantly check on the prices of competing sellers and make pricing adjustments immediately. Do you really think when 5 sellers are selling the same item for $5-$7, you will be able to sell yours for $8?

6. Try to give fast service to buyers and communicate immediately if there is a problem and offer them some kind of rebate or a refund if there will be a long delay. One of the first things a prospective buyer checks out is a sellers feedback and most people will avoid sellers with questionable feedback.

7. Psychologically, its easier to sell an item with a lower selling price and higher shipping charge then the same higher listed item with lower shipping, if the total price is the same. Don’t charge so much extra on shipping though that the auction site will take notice and cancel your auction saying you’re trying to avoid paying selling fees.

8. If by some mistake, you have understated the shipping fees, eat the extra cost, do not try to tell the buyer they owe more money on the shipping. I’ve underestimated the shipping costs several times when sending to a foreign country and I ate the cost and made a mental note for future listings what I should adjust the cost to on my listings.

9. For overseas customers, you will personally have to take your item over to the Post Office for most items and fill out custom forms, etc. I would add a surcharge for all foreign sales for your time but don’t list it as a surcharge but just make it part of the shipping charges. IE, if it costs you $12 including supplies to send something to a foreign country airmail, list shipping as $16 or higher.

10. If you are selling an item for over $50, I would charge the customer the exact insurance costs. If you don’t and the item is lost or stolen you are responsible for it.

State in your listing that shipping includes mandatory insurance. I usually don’t insure anything under $50 but do occasionally use a tracking number for items over $25.

11. Whenever applicable, I would only accept payment by PayPal as this way you avoid the hassle of waiting for payment and depositing checks in banks and waiting for payment to clear and following up with customers for payment. I would clearly set a 2 or 3 day time limit to make payment after the auction ends in your listing. After that your obligation to the buyer ends. For “Buy It Now” items, I would make payment immediately by PayPal. I also would clearly state in your listing that you take PayPal only.

12. Include packing costs in your shipping charges. The USPS will supply you with free priority mailing boxes.

13. The Post Office also has Flat Fee priority mailing using their packages and mailers irregardless of what the product weighs.

14. Whenever possible, include a basic description of what you are selling in the listing. Often you can do this by just cutting and pasting the same publicly listed information or specs. IE, when I sell a CD, I always list the tracks and the date of its release. When I sell stereo equipment Iike a CD player, I list the items pertinent specifications. When people don’t do that, its telling me subconsciously that the seller doesn’t care or no what they are actually selling and doesn’t sound like someone I’d want to deal with.

15. Lastly remember that 75% of something is better then 100% of nothing on products you wish to sell.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

The mighty river called Amazon is not an ordinary river. It is an ocean of a river considering its length, width and the volume of flow besides its immense scope for navigability. The river that feeds 40% of South America also forms the biggest drainage basin in the world with no possibility of any bridge over it.

The river takes its birth from the womb of the Quebrada Apacheta cliff in the Arequipa at Nevado Mismi amid the snow crested Andean mountain ranges of Peru, at a short distance from the Pacific Ocean. The river finally drains in the Atlantic. In fact River Amazon releases about one fifth of the total fresh water in the oceans that make up the mother earth. The river that arises at 5 degree north ends somewhere near 20 degrees south latitude and is a witness to many a civilizations and varied cultures. It is at its widest at 11 kilometer from bank to another during the dry season gaining proportions as high as 45 kilometer during the peak season in May-June.

The huge Amazon River has infused life to the many an area that comes under its ambience. Its 6, 800 km long journey takes it through Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil before merging into the Atlantic. The river basin and its adjoining areas are a home to the largest tropical rainforests and the biggest biodiversity in the world. Its immense watersheds simultaneously support the grasslands of savannah in its ambit. The regions spotted as the premium ‘hot spot’ in terms of the varied biodiversity is considered an enormous sink of the green house gases and of great ecological significance. High rainfall and high temperatures have allowed the forests to take up such gigantic proportions that they are capable of casting critical impact on the climatic changes of the world. Its conservation has been big on the agenda for governments and environmentalists across the globe.

The course of River Amazon broadened by the joining of several other South American rivers and tributaries support deep rainforests stretching thousands of kilometers of distance with a huge biomass. Every kilometer of these lush forests are the home to about 75,000 trees, 150,000 species of higher flora and 90,000 tons of plant biomass alone making the region richest in terms of biodiversity found any where in the world. This reason can be attributed to the giant sized plants and animals found here. The waters of Amazon maintain Boto, the largest species of pink river dolphin, Bull sharks, catfish, arapaima, sturgeons and the anaconda snake, piranha the notorious carnivorous fish besides diverse range of crabs, amphibians, turtles, reptiles, algae and crocodiles.

The rainforests of Amazon are of immense economic value. Items on the likes of Brazil nuts, rubber, cacao, lumber, timber, gold and several exotic forest products such as fruits, spices, resins, lac besides animal products fetch the much desired foreign currency. The rare endemic herbs spread in these forests are a cure to many of our modern day diseases as well as the common ones. Their processing and manufacture will be of immense contribution to the benefit if the mankind.

The wide waters of the river and the rich tropical forest support many cultures and people who come in its vicinity. The forests are so dense that it is eternally dark at the forest ground abound with luxuriant greenery and exuberating color. A travel to these rainforests with the help of an expert guide or a river tour is the best way to explore its mysteries and vivacity galore.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

The staff at Brighthand.com take a look at the Amazon Kindle 2, Amazon’s new e-ink based e-reader.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

Diabetes is a common problem that is faced by about one eighty million people in the world. This figure, experts say, is most likely to double by 2030.Though many cures and treatments are being founded everyday all of them do not prove to be extremely effective in healing this ailment.

Ever since acai berries came into limelight there have been a number of questions arising. A common one being, is Acai Berry Safe for Diabetics? People suffering from diabetics go through a lot of problems in their everyday lives. These problems are mainly caused due to the diet taken by them everyday. The food they eat and the amount of work done by them everyday decide their sugar levels, which in turn decide their health condition.

So, adding acai berries to their diets causes no harm-that is what researches claim. It is extremely safe for a diabetic patient to have acai berries. This is recommended because these acai berries contain an antioxidant known as anthocynin. This is one antioxidant which controls the insulin level in a human body. Most of us know that the insulin levels will decide the blood sugar level in one’s body. Also acai berries contain much less sugar content than other fruits and this is what a diabetic patient has always wanted. Also a person who is suffering from diabetes is always found to be tired and less energetic than those who do not suffer form this. This is mainly due to the uncontrolled surges of blood sugar level in their body which drain their energy much faster. This problem too is solved by taking acai beris which come with a low Glycemic index. This hinders the unrestricted surges as there is a slow release of energy in the body which makes the diabetic person with more energy than before. These berries also act as a cleansing agent removing toxic substances in our body. This helps to not only to prevent diabetes but also maintain the insulin level in bodies of those suffering diabetes.

Also one general cause of diabetes is obesity. All of us know that obesity is caused due to the accumulation of excess fat in one’s body. And acai berries have proved to reduce weight by removing excess and unwanted fats in our body. Hence weight can be lost easily by the intake of acai berries.

In actual scientists say that diabetes is caused due to the malfunction of some cells that are damaged as their cell membranes that do not allow some vital elements and nutritions into the cell. But the super heeler acai berry repairs these cells, make the cell membranes work properly in turn which helps the passage of these vital nutrients. This is because acai berry contain a lot of antioxidants that does the repairing job. Hence these berries are considered safe for the diabetic patients.

But as the law goes “every action as an opposite reaction” the intake of products of acai berry which use some synthetic materials and sweeteners will lead to serious health problems especially for the ones with diabetic. Also some companies process these fruits in such a way that the natural nutritional value of the berries is lost which make the intake of these products extremely useless and harmful. Hence it is always recommended to buy products that are hundred percent organic, which will completely eliminate the risks of suffering from side effects caused by the synthetic agents, even if organic products are costly.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

Just as it happened in the real Super Bowl this year, the competition between superpower bookstore Amazon and mega publisher Macmillan was a back and forth affair. At first it looked like Amazon won win the negotiations by taking the offensive and not succumbing to threats from Macmillan to yank its titles unless the gigantic online bookstore agreed to lower its prices on ebooks.

But when all was said and done it appeared that the publisher won the first round of this game by getting concessions from Amazon that will keep the cost of books as much as 30 or 40 percent higher than what Amazon had originally demanded.

Amazon agreed to capitulate, it explained, because Macmillan controls so many titles. Without offering them at terms and prices agreeable to Macmillan, Amazon customers would be denied a huge number of significant titles, because the Macmillan company has a virtual monopoly on those books.

Amazon said that it prefers to charge less than $10 for the ebook versions of hot sellers like brand new releases and best sellers. So when Macmillan insisted on charging $12.99-$14.99 for its titles, Amazon temporarily removed all of those titles from its online inventory. The dispute made headlines and became a very public fight, but in the end Amazon compromised and put the Macmillan books back on its shelves at higher prices.

Pricing of ebooks is becoming a significant issue for publishers like Macmillan that are watching their profit margins shrink thanks to the affordability of digital ebooks. Reuters recently reported, for example, that according to data collected by the International Digital Publishing Forum, wholesale revenue from e-book sales in the USA almost tripled in the third quarter of 2009 to more than $46 million – compared to less than $14 million back in 2008.

Of course that represents money that would otherwise go to traditional paper and ink publishing companies. As the world becomes increasingly digital and electronic, it appears that the old-fashioned book industry may encounter the same problems that are now making many traditional offline newspaper publication companies extinct.

Meanwhile some ebook readers pay little or nothing for their access to popular titles, thanks to sites such as Free-Ebooks.net where they can gain access to thousands of titles free of charge. The idea of free books thrills readers, but it frightens conventional publishers and those ebook companies that are charging very high prices – comparable to what a person might expect for a real book. So sites like Free-Ebooks.net are gaining in popularity with both readers and book authors, while big players like Amazon and Macmillan continue trying to figure out how to adapt to the new digital age of ebooks and e-readers.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

Amazon parrots are one of the most widely known companion parrots. In addition to their brilliant green feathers and beauty, which makes them a showcase in any home, they posses a wonderful personality. They’re social, energetic and highly intelligent birds. When handled properly, socialized and trained, they’re a fantastic addition to a family. Training and socialization begin before you ever bring your bird home.

Preparing to train your Amazon.

It’s important to understand that while there are a few theories on animal training the one which provides lasting results and creates a unified and trusting relationship are training methods based on positive reinforcement. Beside the obvious animal cruelty issues with negative reinforcement training methods, they tend to create more problems than they resolve and the training efforts do not last.

Seriously, would you respond well to someone who screams at you or hits you or would you prefer to receive praise when you do something right? Guaranteed, your Amazon will respond much better with praise. Additionally, you’ll avoid breeding horrible aggressive behaviors which commonly cause owners to give up their beautiful birds.

Tips and strategies for training your Amazon Parrot.

Time it right. Timing is everything, right? When it comes to training your Amazon Parrot a schedule helps them to know what to expect. Take some time to determine what schedule works best for you. It’s important to know that your Amazon may respond better before meals. They’re hungrier and more motivated to learn for treats. This means that before breakfast and dinner time meals may be the best time to train. It’s very important to make sure your Amazon gets enough to eat though.

Additionally, pay attention to how long your training sessions last. Too long and your bird will become bored or tired of the training.

Start small. Playing dead and rolling over are fun tricks to teach and to show off to your friends and family however they’re definitely not beginner tricks nor do they do anything to curb and prevent unwanted behaviors. The best task to start with, particularly if you and your bird are new to training, is target training.

Target training is a tool you will use time and time again and it’s a great way to introduce your bird to training. It’s the perfect trick for fearful or aggressive birds. Another trick is the step up and step down trick – which makes retrieving your Amazon from their case easy and stress free.

Once your Amazon Parrot has mastered the basics then you can move onto training your Amazon to talk and other fun and delightful tricks. However if you’re dealing with unwanted behaviors like biting, screaming, and feather plucking

Training to prevent and eliminate aggressive and unwanted behavior.

If an Amazon hasn’t been properly socialized they may become fearful and potentially aggressive. Additionally aggression can surface during maturity or it can be the result of habits which have formed in your household.

For example, if your Amazon screams when you come home because they want to be let out of their cage and you proceed to let them out of their cage, you’ve trained them to scream. It happens quickly and then you’re stuck with a behavior which drives you nuts.

Trick training is the absolute best way to eliminate fearful behaviors because it builds a bond of trust between you and your bird. Additionally, trick training teaches your bird the rules of the house and that you’re the boss. It creates a system your bird can count on and trust.

Quite often bad behaviors are caused by boredom. This is particularly the case if you have a very intelligent bird like an Amazon Parrot. Trick training keeps your bird’s amazing brain stimulated and challenged. Trick training engages your Amazon’s problem solving skills. It keeps them busy and eliminates boredom, thereby reducing or eliminating behaviors caused by boredom.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

Amazon has announced an upcoming program called Pages. I think of it as “iTunes for books.” Pages will allow customers to download sections of books, or even individual pages, for a small fee per page.

The specifics (including pricing) have not been announced, but here are some examples of how it might work:

You want a recipe for Chocolate Nut Bread, but don’t want the entire cookbook. You go to Amazon.com and download just that one recipe for $.35.

You need to know how to create forms in Dreamweaver, and the reference book you have doesn’t tell you exactly what you need to know. You find another book on Amazon that has just what you need. You download the chapter on forms for $2.00.

You love one of the short stories in an anthology, but not the rest. You download that one story for $.95.

Would you have purchased the books if the download option had not been available? Maybe, but probably not. This is an opportunity for publishers to increase profits by slicing-and-dicing content to meet the needs of customers. Just as music fans can go to iTunes and buy the one or two songs they like instead of paying for the entire CD, readers will be able to customize their content and get exactly what they want.

Start thinking now about how this will affect the structure of what you write. Could you create a book that works as a whole, but also can be sold in pieces? How does that affect pricing?

Is this a good thing for authors and publishers? I think it is, but it probably doesn’t matter if you or I like the idea. This is where we are headed. If you are a content provider, you can embrace what is coming or you can hide your head in the sand and hope it goes away. The music industry tried that for a while, and it did not work out very well for them. Apple saved them from themselves.

Amazon.com is embracing the future of publishing and content delivery. I plan to be on the ground floor as both a reader and a publisher.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

Candido Rondon felt something whiz past his head as he approached the hidden village of the Nambikwara. Seconds later an arrow glanced off his helmet followed by another 5 foot long arrow which struck him in the chest and lodged into his thick leather bandolier. He quickly turned his mule around, arrow still protruding straight out of his chest, and ordered his men to go the other way without returning fire on this Amazon tribe.

What Candido Rondon accomplished as a leader and explorer is nothing short of miraculous. Rondon was commissioned to build a telegraph line in the early 1900’s across the Brazilian jungle all the way to Peru and Bolivia. At that time the Amazon was virtually unexplored and was home to numerous hostile tribes. Rondon knew that the only way he would be able to complete the mission was to enlist the help of the very tribes who wanted to kill him and his men.

As Rondon and his men ventured deeper and deeper into the jungle, they began coming into contact with various tribes. Some tribes like the Nambikwara had until then, killed every westerner they had come into contact with. Rondon knew the only way to accomplish his goal was to win the trust of these warriors. This required patience, gifts, and sacrifice.

In a very similar way, your success as a manager is dependent upon your team. The more trust you build between yourself and them, the more effective you will be as a leader. Many of the tribes distrusted Rondon initially, believing he had come to harm them. It took a long time and many meetings before a fragile trust began to build. Real trust is not something you can rush. It is built over time and requires patience from leaders. Trust is built when you can demonstrate to your employees that they are more than a number, or a pack mule to accomplish a task. When we take an interest in their development and show we also want to help them, trust begins to take root.

Rondon was always giving gifts to the various tribes to show his intent was one of peace. Giving before taking has been the formula for winning trust for centuries. Taking erodes trust while giving helps build it. As a manager finding regular ways to give back to your staff is key to long-term partnerships. Whether it is praise, feedback, your time, or your concern, making your staff feel that they are getting something in return for their efforts in addition to a paycheck is essential.

Rondon and his men also sacrificed to preserve trust. On many occasions, Rondon and his men were attacked in the middle of the night, but Rondon refused to let his men retaliate. He was quoted as having said, “Die if you must, but do not kill.” If Rondon or any of his men had retaliated, the delicate trust that was being built would have been lost. Now you might wonder how this relates at all to your workplace. Of course we hope that none of your staff have to give their life in order to hit your Q3 targets.

“Where’s Jane?” “HR got her.” “They hired her?” “No, they killed her.” “Typical.”

But from time to time you will face arrows and attacks from your own staff. How you handle these will determine your future influence with an employee. Retaliation may feel good for the moment but will destroy what you are trying to create. Grace, patience and compassion are hallmarks of great leaders who have learned to manage their emotions in times of injustice. No one ever said winning trust is a fair deal. You always have to give more than you receive, at least initially.

Building trust is an investment. But in time, its amazing the benefits you will reap in terms of productivity and happy employees. At the end of the day, those who work under you must feel that you are not just using them for their resources, but that you also want to help them achieve their goals as well. When you read some of the stories of Rondon and his men as they struggled to complete the telegraph line you will be amazed at their courage, and resolve to win the trust and eventual help of the Amazon tribes which were crucial to their success.

Online Shopping Guide : Books

QUESTION: I’m a part-time “hobby” seller of used books on Amazon and eBay. Do I need to pay income tax on the sales I had last year?

ANSWER: Yes, you are required to pay federal income tax and self-employment tax on your net income from selling used books online, whether you sold them on Amazon, eBay, Half.com, ABE, Alibris, or any other venue.

Since you don’t have an employer reporting your bookselling income and withholding a portion for taxes, you must inform the IRS about it yourself. It makes no difference that you consider your bookselling a “hobby.” If you’re making a profit, the IRS considers it a business, and wants its cut.

I’m assuming you won’t be incorporating your business, so you’ll need to report your bookselling income as a “sole proprietorship” on the long tax form, IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, “Profit or Loss From Business.”

You can report your self-employed income using the personal editions of TurboTax or TaxCut software. These programs can save you lots of time, since they give instructions in plain English instead of the bewildering jargon of IRS instruction manuals.

If you made a profit during 2005 from bookselling, you’ll also owe some state income tax for that, so I’d also recommend you also use the state version of TurboTax or TaxCut to figure your state tax obligation.

To complete your tax return, you’ll need to account for every transaction involving your book business. If you’re not already doing so, keep all your receipts and records, and put your expenses into categories such as “postage,” “shipping supplies,” “books,” and so on. This is the information that will go on your Schedule C.

Next year, don’t wait this long to get your affairs in order. With self-employed income, you’re supposed to estimate your tax obligation during the year, and make quarterly payments on your profits, submitted with Form 1040-ES, by April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following calendar year. Since you didn’t do this during 2005, you may owe a penalty for late tax payments. If you were expecting a tax refund this year, it may be smaller than you thought.

For next year, I’d recommend you have a separate checking account to track expenses and income from your bookselling. If your bank enables you to download your transactions into Quicken or another personal-finance program, you can automatically categorize expenses such as “postage,” etc., in Quicken. And next year you can transfer this same data into your tax-prep software. This will greatly lessen your bookeeping chores next year, and also give you a handy tool for examining the performance of your book business.

Online Shopping Guide : Books