Article Writing

When I learned about article writing as a way to generate web site traffic, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, it took me several hours to write that first article for my backpacking web site, and another two hours to submit it to several article directories. I still liked the idea, but it seemed like a lot of work for the results. There had to be a better way.

Today, I often write a new article in less than thirty minutes. Then I submit it to fourteen article directories in about twenty minutes. This means six times as much output in the same time, which means six times as much traffic generated, which means six times as much money made for the same effort. It seems very worthwhile now.

<b>Article Writing Efficiency</b>

First, I learned to write shorter articles. Attention spans online are short, and you want to keep the reader reading to the end - where the link to your site is. You also want the article to be used on other sites, and many webmasters won't use long articles. These are two good reasons to keep it short. Of course this means less time writing too.

I soon learned to identify the essential information quickly. In fact, articles like "Free Web Site Traffic - Seven Ways," get right to the point and are basically a list with a quick explanation of each item. They are easy to write quickly, and popular with readers.

The next important lesson I learned, was to keep a list of article directories on a file in the computer. I copy and paste an address into the browser for quick access to any of the twenty directories on my list. The addresses go straight to the submission page, or the login page. Links in your "favorites" list would work well too.

The most tedious part of the article writing process is the article submission forms. Some directories ask for descriptions, others don't. Some allow HTML, and others don't. To make this part go quickly, keep your articles organized in a Window's Notepad file or something similar. Write the title, then a two or three sentence description, and then a list of three to six keywords that the article might be found by. Then write the article.

You may find it faster to have two versions prepared, one with HTML tags for things like subtitles and italicizing. Have an author's resource box (like the one at the bottom of this page) prepared in two versions too - one with just the full URL of your web site, and the other with an active HTML link.

Now you can go quickly to the directories on your list, and copy and paste the proper elements in the proper parts of the form. If you have an auto-fill function on a Google or other toolbar, you can also enter name and e-mail address with a click.

Speed is the result, meaning more money for the time spent. To really make it efficient, you have to have a system. You can start with mine. Then look, and you'll find even more ways to systematize your article writing.

Article Submitters are Incredible

When you use Article Submitters to speed up your submissions to directories, get more visitors to your site and generate targeted leads, there are many variables that make or break your system. There solution to that problem. This is one of the big ones.

First, let’s point out what to avoid. These are traits of poor quality Article submitters that you will not want to buy:

The article submitter does not enter the correct information to the directories.
You can not accurately select the category when you submit your article.
Your articles will not look “natural” in appearance when you submit them
Hyperlinks in the body of your article are not possible to use.
Article submitter is 100% automated so it will SPAM the directories

Let’s talk about GOOD article submitters do, exactly what to look for and what to buy.

This is the key thing to look for. Make sure the submitter works live and allows you to actually see each directory as you sign up with, and or, submit to each one. This wipes out all of the problems listed above.

A good article submitter will have a list of quality directories and let you input new ones into the list. First you write and save a copy of your article in the submitter. It will also save other articles write.
Then sign up with and submit directories in seconds the first time you go to a new one in less than one minute. You just trough the list, pick the directories you like and signing up. The submitter will insert you sign up information and you just verify it at a glance. Then you know your information is correct. The submitter will have you user name and password available to log you in the next time you go to the directory at the click of mouse. You will also be able to pick the correct category, make any changes to your article, insert links and know that your article meets the directories editorial guidelines perfectly.

So, lets imagine you have set up you article submitter to work with 30 directories. You write an article in 15 minutes. Then you go through your list. This is what it’s like:

Select the directories you want. Let’s say you use ten. Ten seconds later you go the first directory and in one click you’re logged in. Then you hit submit, look over your perfectly formatted article, summery, bio box and key words. Two more seconds. You decide to but in a text link buy hand in your article’s body text. Twenty more seconds. Preview your article. Five seconds. Submit your article in one click. One second. You just submitted your article in thirty-eight seconds. So, over the next five minutes you finish up. Ten articles out in five minutes.

They are 100% accurate and save you incredible amounts of time.

Researching Auto Responders

If you are in the Internet marketing business or if you run a business online, an autoresponder can make a world of difference.  They can handle a majority of your technical support questions and informational requests, by sending out automated messages to interested customers.  When they get an email, they will respond instantly with a preset message.  This can save you quite a bit of time- especially if you get a lot of emails on a daily basis.

Out there on the Internet, there are many autoresponders to choose from.  They are classified into three main types – locally hosted, remote hosted and desktop hosted.  Each type has pros and cons, depending on your needs.  Locally and desktop hosted programs will give you complete control over the program, as you run them through your own server or website.  Remote hosted on the other hand, is ran through a third party service provider.  Remote programs cost you a monthly fee, while desktop and locally hosted programs cost one fee – then you have complete ownership of the program.

Before you decide to purchase an autoresponder, you should always compare and see what each one has to offer.  If you are interested in running one from your server or website, then you’ll need to look at desktop and locally hosted autoresponders.  There are free programs available online, although they will normally come with strings attached, such as ads in your emails.  This can be a bad thing, as ads in your email will give customers the wrong impression. www.Automatic-Responder.com is a great service that also offers a free version for up to 250 subscribers and no advertisements.

When you purchase one of these types of autoresponder programs, you should always research and find out all that you can.  There are many programs out there that you can buy, many of which will offer you great features at a great price.  Buying your program is the way to go, especially if you have an image to uphold.  Once you have found a program and buy it, it will be yours for as long as you decide to use it.

If you are looking towards a remotely hosted autoresponder, you’ll need to research for the best prices and service, this is a must when shopping around.  You’ll be dealing with a company who has control over the address of the autoresponder, meaning that your domain name won’t appear in the emails you send using the autoresponder.  This can be good for some, although many prefer to have their name in their emails.

When it all comes down to it, you should always research an autoresponder before you decide to make a purchase or use a free program.  There are several out there to choose from, although some are far superior to others.  If you take the time and research what each one has to offer you and how much it will cost you – you’ll end up with an autoresponder that will prove to be more than worth the cost.