By: David Gant
Promotional clothing has long been a popular choice among companies who are looking for superior promotional items for their business. Why is promotional clothing so popular? If the goal of your marketing company is to see enhanced brand recognition and plenty of exposure, the benefits of promotional clothing are unparalleled. Promotional apparel can be versatile and fit a variety of industries and a variety of target market sectors. If your business needs a stylish advertising solution for all seasons, your business wants promotional apparel.
When is the slow season for your industry? If there is a particular time of year that has slower sales for your business, offering promotional apparel can be a great solution. Jump start your business during the slow season by offering promotional clothing items to your customers and employees. You can find season-specific clothing like fleeces, tank tops, sweatshirts and so much more to promote your business during these slower seasons.
Look for cold-weather apparel choices like quality fleece jackets, sweatshirts, long-sleeve t-shirts and others. You can have your company name branded on these items for maximum advertising exposure. Give these seasonal favorites to your loyal customers and employees alike. You can simultaneously improve customer retention and employee motivation for your business. Your promotional winter clothing will look great and feel even better for your customers and employees.
During the hotter months, you can promote your business through activity wear that people will use during the spring and summer months. You can find tank tops, lightweight t-shirts, hats and other choices to place your company name on for great promotional advertising. Your customers and employees will grab your promotional apparel before they hit the local walks, go bike riding, out to the golf course or just walk around town. As your employee or customer walks around town, they will run into a number of individuals who will see your business's promotional merchandise. Each view of your promotional merchandise will be another marketing opportunity that you simply cannot get from other advertising means like television, radio or print ads.
Search the full selection of seasonal promotional clothing choices for your business. You can find both cold-weather and warm-weather items that will keep your employees and customers in your business's promotional clothing all year long. Find the apparel choices that your target market will appreciate to give your business the advertising edge it needs. Place your order today.
David Gant is the sales manager at Promotionalitems.co.uk. Promotionalitems.co.uk is all about giving your brand the quality promotion it deserves, in the most cost effective ways possible with our superb promotional products, and promotional items in the United Kingdom. We've got the experience and expertise to make sure your promotional products presentation supports your brand values, and also the buying muscle to give you truly incredible value promotional gifts.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Targeted Web Site Traffic Is Possible In 24 Hours!
By: Vern How Chan
Now, the methods we will discuss will snap into action to generate targeted web site traffic for you. Just make sure you track your traffic and already have several account setup.
We will discuss more about accounts in the later part but ensure that you are already tracking your results to ensure visibility. Make sure that you have your sales funnel setup before you start putting these steps to work.
Strategy 1: The Traffic Exchange Way
If you have an account with any traffic exchange program this should be a snap too easy. Now, keep in mind that although this method is not favored among certain marketers it could well work for you.
Never sell on these traffic sources. Just promote your lead capture pages or a name squeeze page to get people to subscribe with you in exchange for your free report. Its a great way to reach a specific target market.
Strategy 2: Posting In Forums Effectively
Notice that I purposely put in the term 'effectively' and not some hogwash text there. You certainly should not spam the forum discussion topics.
Do not post stuff like 'I have a business that generates $78,278 in a week' kind of thing. It just would not work. Instead, contribute useful posts in certain discussions. Let your signature containing your URL do the trick.
Strategy 3: Monitoring Pay Per Click Adverts
If you noticed that there are some 'sponsored ads' in your search results page in Google then those are called 'pay per click ads'. It will cost you some investment to get started on Google Adwords but its worth it.
You see, you can just bid on the words that your business is related to and setup a simple 2 liner text ad. For instance, if you have a business selling lady slippers, you would bid on keywords related to 'slippers'.
Generating targeted web site traffic can either be a drag or an enjoyable thing. You can make it more enjoyable if you pick one simple strategy that you have an interest on to get started easily.
Do you want to learn more about getting traffic? Download your free blueprint here: Targeted Web Site Traffic
Vern How is a webmaster, author and a traffic generation expert. His website currently serves over of 4,500 unique visitors per month.
Now, the methods we will discuss will snap into action to generate targeted web site traffic for you. Just make sure you track your traffic and already have several account setup.
We will discuss more about accounts in the later part but ensure that you are already tracking your results to ensure visibility. Make sure that you have your sales funnel setup before you start putting these steps to work.
Strategy 1: The Traffic Exchange Way
If you have an account with any traffic exchange program this should be a snap too easy. Now, keep in mind that although this method is not favored among certain marketers it could well work for you.
Never sell on these traffic sources. Just promote your lead capture pages or a name squeeze page to get people to subscribe with you in exchange for your free report. Its a great way to reach a specific target market.
Strategy 2: Posting In Forums Effectively
Notice that I purposely put in the term 'effectively' and not some hogwash text there. You certainly should not spam the forum discussion topics.
Do not post stuff like 'I have a business that generates $78,278 in a week' kind of thing. It just would not work. Instead, contribute useful posts in certain discussions. Let your signature containing your URL do the trick.
Strategy 3: Monitoring Pay Per Click Adverts
If you noticed that there are some 'sponsored ads' in your search results page in Google then those are called 'pay per click ads'. It will cost you some investment to get started on Google Adwords but its worth it.
You see, you can just bid on the words that your business is related to and setup a simple 2 liner text ad. For instance, if you have a business selling lady slippers, you would bid on keywords related to 'slippers'.
Generating targeted web site traffic can either be a drag or an enjoyable thing. You can make it more enjoyable if you pick one simple strategy that you have an interest on to get started easily.
Do you want to learn more about getting traffic? Download your free blueprint here: Targeted Web Site Traffic
Vern How is a webmaster, author and a traffic generation expert. His website currently serves over of 4,500 unique visitors per month.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Niche eBay Stores Built with BANS Build a Niche Store
By: David Harris
BANS is an acronym for "Build a Niche Store". BANS is website building software that enables you to create niche websites focused around the eBay affiliate opportunity. The eBay affiliate program allows you to promote the entire product listings in the eBay marketplace and in exchange for your efforts they will pay you up to 75% of the revenue made from each sale you refer plus up to $35 for each new active eBay member you refer.
With BANS you can create professional looking websites containing eBay products that relate to your target niche inside a searchable store format. These stores are automatically updated as new products are listed and old listings expire from the eBay marketplace. The software has many built in development features that enable you to create new store pages and add your own content to them.
Exactly like eBay (because you use eBay listings) the Niches are endless. With BANS you can create an "anything" store. Just about any niche you can think of has products sold on eBay. Just pick your niches from all the eBay categories. For example, you could create a BANS website focusing on industrial equipment, cars, Webkinz, GPS, or most anything you can think of.
As you know certain niches are easier to rank for on the search engines than others. BANS includes SEO tools you can use to rank high on Google, Yahoo, and MSN for many niches. Once that free traffic is on your site, you are not limited to them buying eBay products. You can also promote affiliates products or include adsense ads. Include a opt-in offer and use the BANS SEO traffic to build your list of customers and prospects.
The BANS store installation manual is the best I have ever seen. It makes what would be a difficult process for many non-technical people (including myself) very easy. BUT make sure you follow the manual, don't try to take shortcuts. I actually learned a lot about MySQL databases and some other technical stuff from the BANS installs. It's really cool. Made me feel really smart...LOL. But remember please follow the steps in the manual and in about 10 minutes (once you are familiar the software) you can create a fully functional eBay affiliate website targeted to any niche market you choose.
So there you have it. With BANS eBay's inventory becomes your inventory and you don't have to stock any items, deal with customers, ship products or process refunds.
David Harris specializes in helping people get the most from Internet Marketing training and tools. For more information or if I can help you in any way please let me know. To contact me or to receive really useful bonuses when you purchase BANS or other Internet Marketing Products visit http://www.bans-bonuses.Internet-Selling-Systems.com
BANS is an acronym for "Build a Niche Store". BANS is website building software that enables you to create niche websites focused around the eBay affiliate opportunity. The eBay affiliate program allows you to promote the entire product listings in the eBay marketplace and in exchange for your efforts they will pay you up to 75% of the revenue made from each sale you refer plus up to $35 for each new active eBay member you refer.
With BANS you can create professional looking websites containing eBay products that relate to your target niche inside a searchable store format. These stores are automatically updated as new products are listed and old listings expire from the eBay marketplace. The software has many built in development features that enable you to create new store pages and add your own content to them.
Exactly like eBay (because you use eBay listings) the Niches are endless. With BANS you can create an "anything" store. Just about any niche you can think of has products sold on eBay. Just pick your niches from all the eBay categories. For example, you could create a BANS website focusing on industrial equipment, cars, Webkinz, GPS, or most anything you can think of.
As you know certain niches are easier to rank for on the search engines than others. BANS includes SEO tools you can use to rank high on Google, Yahoo, and MSN for many niches. Once that free traffic is on your site, you are not limited to them buying eBay products. You can also promote affiliates products or include adsense ads. Include a opt-in offer and use the BANS SEO traffic to build your list of customers and prospects.
The BANS store installation manual is the best I have ever seen. It makes what would be a difficult process for many non-technical people (including myself) very easy. BUT make sure you follow the manual, don't try to take shortcuts. I actually learned a lot about MySQL databases and some other technical stuff from the BANS installs. It's really cool. Made me feel really smart...LOL. But remember please follow the steps in the manual and in about 10 minutes (once you are familiar the software) you can create a fully functional eBay affiliate website targeted to any niche market you choose.
So there you have it. With BANS eBay's inventory becomes your inventory and you don't have to stock any items, deal with customers, ship products or process refunds.
David Harris specializes in helping people get the most from Internet Marketing training and tools. For more information or if I can help you in any way please let me know. To contact me or to receive really useful bonuses when you purchase BANS or other Internet Marketing Products visit http://www.bans-bonuses.Internet-Selling-Systems.com
3 Steps to Unlocking Internet Niche Marketing and Keywords
Finding a market that isn't adequately served could mean jackpot! Internet Niche Marketing is about capitalizing on an untapped market and has unmet demand. Small businesses can utilize Niche Marketing by targeting a specific group of people in a specific location where research shows impressive demand for their product/service. In essence, small businesses select specific keywords (i.e. location, area) to optimize their website performance such that their target market in Burlington, Vermont, for example, visit their site to make purchases. The key here is targeted audience, even if small, but who have every intension to make a purchase versus having a lot of traffic with a low conversion rate. What this translates to is great ROI!
To put this into perspective, let's suppose you want to create a website on computer topics. This is clearly a wide-ranging subject matter and finding your targeted audience or niche is key. There are 3-steps to unlocking the power of Niche marketing and the essence of selecting keywords.
Step 1: Do your research, get specific and make sure you are passionate about the topic! If you chose to create a website that provided PC information, clearly you would face intense competition amongst the likes of PC World and Computer World who act as premier sources of information to PC owners and/or prospective buyers. As an owner of a Macbook, you quickly realize that there is a shortage in the amount of information available on Macbooks but find there is tremendous demand. Have you found your niche? Let's see
Step 2: Keywords to unlock your niche! How do you know if you have hit a market that could potentially make you money? Pick a list of keywords including synonyms that are closely associated to the content and/or product/service you are considering to market and sell (i.e. Macbooks). To do this, visit online discussion forums in Google, Msn and Yahoo groups as well as MySpace, Facebook, Xanga and Squidoo. The key is to select words or long tail (list of keywords and phrases associated to your niche) that are high in demand but have limited supply in terms of websites that offer the product or service. This way you are not competing with established competitors and/or keywords. This also saves you money. Other tools to establish your list of profitable keywords are: Word Tracker and Overture. There are free softwares available for download at Goodkeywords.
Step 3: Bingo! From your research on Macbooks, you have successfully found a niche you can capitalize from! With a solid list of keywords, you are prepared to create a niche website that offers products and services related to Macbooks.
Niche marketing is about targeting a specific group of people who have a need and have the intention of utilizing your website to take action to fulfil that need. This translates to high conversion rate and developing a base of repeat customers who intend to utilize your service time and time again. With the research and time, niche marketing and selecting keywords could make a handsome income.
To gain more perspective, make sure to click on www.internetmarketinguniversity.com. Download your free copy of a "how-to" guide on starting a business online. And check out free videos and courseware.
Check out http://www.internetmarketinguniversity.com for information on Niche Marketing and picking keywords PLUS download a FREE guide on how to start a business online. Gain instant access to 3 hours of free video on Niche Marketing and 20+ hours of courses.
To put this into perspective, let's suppose you want to create a website on computer topics. This is clearly a wide-ranging subject matter and finding your targeted audience or niche is key. There are 3-steps to unlocking the power of Niche marketing and the essence of selecting keywords.
Step 1: Do your research, get specific and make sure you are passionate about the topic! If you chose to create a website that provided PC information, clearly you would face intense competition amongst the likes of PC World and Computer World who act as premier sources of information to PC owners and/or prospective buyers. As an owner of a Macbook, you quickly realize that there is a shortage in the amount of information available on Macbooks but find there is tremendous demand. Have you found your niche? Let's see
Step 2: Keywords to unlock your niche! How do you know if you have hit a market that could potentially make you money? Pick a list of keywords including synonyms that are closely associated to the content and/or product/service you are considering to market and sell (i.e. Macbooks). To do this, visit online discussion forums in Google, Msn and Yahoo groups as well as MySpace, Facebook, Xanga and Squidoo. The key is to select words or long tail (list of keywords and phrases associated to your niche) that are high in demand but have limited supply in terms of websites that offer the product or service. This way you are not competing with established competitors and/or keywords. This also saves you money. Other tools to establish your list of profitable keywords are: Word Tracker and Overture. There are free softwares available for download at Goodkeywords.
Step 3: Bingo! From your research on Macbooks, you have successfully found a niche you can capitalize from! With a solid list of keywords, you are prepared to create a niche website that offers products and services related to Macbooks.
Niche marketing is about targeting a specific group of people who have a need and have the intention of utilizing your website to take action to fulfil that need. This translates to high conversion rate and developing a base of repeat customers who intend to utilize your service time and time again. With the research and time, niche marketing and selecting keywords could make a handsome income.
To gain more perspective, make sure to click on www.internetmarketinguniversity.com. Download your free copy of a "how-to" guide on starting a business online. And check out free videos and courseware.
Check out http://www.internetmarketinguniversity.com for information on Niche Marketing and picking keywords PLUS download a FREE guide on how to start a business online. Gain instant access to 3 hours of free video on Niche Marketing and 20+ hours of courses.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Working From Home VS Working in an Office
By: Mathias Conner
There are tons of reason why you should get started working from home. But the mega two reasons are:
1. You get to work at home!
2. You get to spend more time with your family!
Besides this two, I want you to know that working from home has a lot of advantages. That is why many people out there are trying to find a job that allows them to stay at home and work. A possible few reasons that people want is job are:
1. People who are out of job
2. People who are lazy to travel to work
3. People who want to save travelling fee
4. People who want to earn some extra income
5. People who want to make it big online
6. Retirees who want to earn some income
7. People whom are tired of being reprimanded by bosses for even the slightest mistake
8. People who hate office job to the core that you would die if you stayed on
9. People who are always late for work, hence the deduction in your monthly salary
10. People who always love staying up just to catch a soccer match and are unable to get up in time for work.
Now, why should you get started working from home? Besides the two reasons I mentioned earlier, these are a few more:
1. Money earned easily from your home.
2. You can have tons of toilet breaks and no one can stop you.
3. You can take naps for as long as you like, as long as the assignments are complete otherwise you won't get paid.
4. There will not be any overtime work. If you have time to spare, you can complete more assignments for more income.
5. No one to reprimand you of your mistakes.
6. You need not get up early just to work. You can work anytime.
7. You can surf the net and complete your assignments at the same time.
8. You can watch a replay of your soccer match and complete your assignments at the same time.
9. No limit to your lunch breaks and tea breaks and whatsoever breaks.
10. Expect no salary cut at all.
You would be thinking, what if everyone quits their day job and start working from home? Well, there are people in this world who loves being stuck in his office cubicle and enjoys being reprimanded by their supervisors and boss.
Therefore, if you wish to start working from home, do not hesitate at all and start as soon as you like. Working from home has no boundaries.
About The Author
Mathias Conner now earns a steady flow of income by working from his home. Ever since being bankrupt a few years back, he has managed to pull through and has a relaxing job at home. Visit http://www.legitonlinejobs.com to find out how.
There are tons of reason why you should get started working from home. But the mega two reasons are:
1. You get to work at home!
2. You get to spend more time with your family!
Besides this two, I want you to know that working from home has a lot of advantages. That is why many people out there are trying to find a job that allows them to stay at home and work. A possible few reasons that people want is job are:
1. People who are out of job
2. People who are lazy to travel to work
3. People who want to save travelling fee
4. People who want to earn some extra income
5. People who want to make it big online
6. Retirees who want to earn some income
7. People whom are tired of being reprimanded by bosses for even the slightest mistake
8. People who hate office job to the core that you would die if you stayed on
9. People who are always late for work, hence the deduction in your monthly salary
10. People who always love staying up just to catch a soccer match and are unable to get up in time for work.
Now, why should you get started working from home? Besides the two reasons I mentioned earlier, these are a few more:
1. Money earned easily from your home.
2. You can have tons of toilet breaks and no one can stop you.
3. You can take naps for as long as you like, as long as the assignments are complete otherwise you won't get paid.
4. There will not be any overtime work. If you have time to spare, you can complete more assignments for more income.
5. No one to reprimand you of your mistakes.
6. You need not get up early just to work. You can work anytime.
7. You can surf the net and complete your assignments at the same time.
8. You can watch a replay of your soccer match and complete your assignments at the same time.
9. No limit to your lunch breaks and tea breaks and whatsoever breaks.
10. Expect no salary cut at all.
You would be thinking, what if everyone quits their day job and start working from home? Well, there are people in this world who loves being stuck in his office cubicle and enjoys being reprimanded by their supervisors and boss.
Therefore, if you wish to start working from home, do not hesitate at all and start as soon as you like. Working from home has no boundaries.
About The Author
Mathias Conner now earns a steady flow of income by working from his home. Ever since being bankrupt a few years back, he has managed to pull through and has a relaxing job at home. Visit http://www.legitonlinejobs.com to find out how.
Site Promotion I Dont Have Money How Do I Do It Well
By: Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba
You can succeed massively in your site promotion efforts even if you don't have a big budget. There are things you need to understand and apply if you want to do this right without spend much or even a dime.
But before we go further, let me stress this point: It's not always a smart idea to refuse to spend a dime. This is because every method that works will require that you spend money or time or both. Yes, you can choose methods that would work well with only a time investment.
But think of it this way: Isn't your time worth some real money. If it's worth some money, place a value on your time. Let's say, "At the moment, I am worth $10 per hour." This simple exercise will help you know when you're better off using a tool or service that reduces your work time by a given factor. Now that I've settled this, let's go to one thing you can do to promote your site without spending any or much money...
Start writing and submitting high value articles to article directories. To get the most from this make sure you rewrite each article before you submit to another directory. Here's how I do it...
1. Write a high quality article and submit it to Ezinearticles.
2. Rewrite that same article and submit to other article directories. If you submit the exact same version to too many directories, many instances of your article won't count due to the duplicate content filter being implemented by most search engines.
3. Rinse and repeat the process.
What you gain from this simple process are...
1. You build your brand and become known as an expert.
2. You get direct high quality traffic.
3. You build links that will in turn improve your ranking at the search engines. This means even more traffic to your site.
Do you want to learn how to drive massive targeted traffic to your site? Then sign up for my high value ecourse here...
Get Massive Website Traffic
Chimezirim Odimba teaches serious minded entrepreneurs how to succeed online.
You can succeed massively in your site promotion efforts even if you don't have a big budget. There are things you need to understand and apply if you want to do this right without spend much or even a dime.
But before we go further, let me stress this point: It's not always a smart idea to refuse to spend a dime. This is because every method that works will require that you spend money or time or both. Yes, you can choose methods that would work well with only a time investment.
But think of it this way: Isn't your time worth some real money. If it's worth some money, place a value on your time. Let's say, "At the moment, I am worth $10 per hour." This simple exercise will help you know when you're better off using a tool or service that reduces your work time by a given factor. Now that I've settled this, let's go to one thing you can do to promote your site without spending any or much money...
Start writing and submitting high value articles to article directories. To get the most from this make sure you rewrite each article before you submit to another directory. Here's how I do it...
1. Write a high quality article and submit it to Ezinearticles.
2. Rewrite that same article and submit to other article directories. If you submit the exact same version to too many directories, many instances of your article won't count due to the duplicate content filter being implemented by most search engines.
3. Rinse and repeat the process.
What you gain from this simple process are...
1. You build your brand and become known as an expert.
2. You get direct high quality traffic.
3. You build links that will in turn improve your ranking at the search engines. This means even more traffic to your site.
Do you want to learn how to drive massive targeted traffic to your site? Then sign up for my high value ecourse here...
Get Massive Website Traffic
Chimezirim Odimba teaches serious minded entrepreneurs how to succeed online.
SEO Training How to Get the Most Out of It
By: Tracy Fredrychowski
Let?s set the stage?
You?ve just invested valuable time and money by completing your hands-on SEO Training. You are now sitting back in your office contemplating all the wonderful information you just gathered, but you?re really confused on where to start. You pick up your notes leafing through them hoping something will inspire you to know what to do next. You start to drift back to class wishing you where still there. You hated to leave, you didn?t want it to end, you silently wish your instructor was there telling you where to begin.
Good news! I am going to share with you a detailed search engine optimization and internet marketing plan to get the most out of your seo training and to get you started today.
Step #1 ? Setting Goals
Before you can really get started you have to know what you want to achieve with your Web site. There could be a number of goals that you have in mind but your first step is get a clear picture of what you want the outcome to be. It could be:
? To gain higher rankings.
? To redesign your Web site to be more user friendly.
? To implement SEO basics throughout your site to make it search engine friendly.
? To increase your visitor response online.
? To open additional windows to your site through social media marketing.
? To launch an article marketing plan.
? Or all of the above.
What ever your goal is it is important to write it down and post it where you can see it every day. ?Goals that are not written down are just wishes.?
Step #2 ? Keyword Research
Any new project should always include this step. Keyword research is the basis for any successful page on your site. Let?s take the goals above and see how the keyword research you learned to perform in your seo training can be used.
? Higher rankings can be achieved by finding those keywords in your industry that have a high KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index) and low competing pages. You should concentrate on finding five phrases that you can work on simultaneously.
? By redesigning your Web site you can be including your new found phrases and work them into your sales copy. If you are creating a new site this is the ideal time to make sure you are concentrating on your visitors experience while on your site.
o Include a call to action above the fold
o Contact information above the fold in straight html including area code and zip code.
o Only use Flash in small elements and not as the whole page.
o Include something that will grab your user?s attention. Something out of the normal that will make your visitor stop and take notice of your page.
? Implementing SEO basics can be a daunting task if your site is large or it is many years old. Tactics that where used years ago are no longer useful and most times are being flagged as spam. Depending on how many elements need to be addressed you need to determine if it would be better to start with a fresh page or redo the existing page. A determining factor would be if the current page is already indexed. If this is the case then it would be best to fix the existing page. If the page has too many errors and creating a new one would be wiser be sure to name the new page the same as the old one or do a 301 redirect to the new page. Include your keyword phrase when implementing your basic search engine optimization.
? Visitor response will increase if you are giving your visitors exactly what they are looking for. Only your keyword research will help you with this. We are in an instant gratification world and your visitor will only give you a few seconds to answer their search, so make sure it exactly what they are looking for.
? Open additional windows into your site by using your keyword phrases in your social media avenues. A couple great places to include your keyword researched phrases would be in your blog post and creating a lens in Squidoo around your researched phrase.
? Article marketing is not for everyone but it does allow you to open multiple windows into your site but writing articles around your phrase and submitting them to places like Scribd, ArtcileFactory.com and EzineArticles.com.
Step - # 3 ? Which one to choose?
I know you want to implement each and everyone of those goals into your site and you still don?t know where to start.
Stop here and go find five phrases to work with and don?t even think about anything else at this point.
After you find those phrases refer back to your SEO training notes and refresh your memory on how to create a search engine friendly Web page and create content for each of the new keywords you found.
It is going to be hard not to get side tracked but stick to the project at hand. Your only concern is finding 5 phrases, creating content and designing five search engine friendly pages.
Once that is done go ahead and publish the five pages to your Web site. Include each page on your site map, link it from and to relevant pages on your site and include keyword rich link text within the body of the page.
Make a note of the day you added the new pages to your site for later use.
Now that you have the first three steps under your belt you are ready to move onto step four.
Step #4 ? Addressing Existing Web Site Issues
Now that you have gotten a good start with the above steps, you can start working on bringing your current Web site up to par while you are actually waiting for indexing on your 5 optimized pages. Your next plan of attack would be working on existing pages within your site. You may not be able to change every issue with your site but remember every small change could result in increased ranking for your site. You may only be able to change your title and Meta tags and not be able to change your corporate sites navigation so tackle what you can and don?t worry about the rest. Each and every issue is just one of the over 200 factors so learn to pick your battles and fix what you can.
Step #5 ? Social Media and Article Marketing
Your whole goal is to open as many windows into your site as possible. You have already started this by creating 5 new pages into your site now it is time to open the windows even further. Whether you decide to use article marketing or all the endless possibility of social media marketing now is the time to concentrate on one or both of these window opening wonders.
You can use the five phrases you found in your first step or you can find 5 new ones but at this stage you are creating content to be used in articles, on blogs or bookmaking pages within the many social media avenues. Your title is the most important element when tackling this step. Make your title keyword rich, compelling and deliver what your title describes in the article or blog post.
If you are not quite ready to dive into social media start at least with adding a blog to your Web site. Your best results will come from the blog residing on your server and not one that is hosted on a free blogging site. Make a commitment to blogging regularly and always about your industry so your site and your blog are industry related.
Step #6 ? Tracking Your Progress
Web analytics can show you information about all of your optimization projects. Not only will it show you your results for the 5 keyword phrases you are working on but it will open your eyes to how your visitor is moving through your site. Record your results on a weekly or daily basis. This step will help you in testing each one of your projects and help you decide which one you should concentrate more on. Usually I find 2 or 3 phrases that are really performing and those are the ones I concentrate on blogging and adding it to the social media venues.
Step #7 ? Keep Up With the Changes
There is no other step as important as this one. The internet changes its landscape on a daily basis so it is imperative that what you learn in your SEO Training is always the latest information. Your Web site and or clients are depending on your expertise so don?t let them down by applying out of date or useless techniques. There are many places you can turn to for guidance.
The first place would be Google, Yahoo! and MSN?s Webmasters guidelines. Each is posted on their site and is updates each and every time they have made changes to them.
Another place would be to subscribe to one of many search engine optimization and marketing blogs created by industry leaders. Your instructor should be able to point you in the right direction to their most trusted resources.
Continue learning by attending your favorite SEO Training provider?s courses on a yearly basis. Principles and techniques change often so always keep on top them.
Often students are overwhelmed with the amount of information they are given at class but if you learn to take them in small steps starting with setting your goals you will find that your seo training is working for you and your Web site.
About The Author
Tracy Fredrychowski ? SEO Instructor
http://www.searchengineacademysc.com
Let?s set the stage?
You?ve just invested valuable time and money by completing your hands-on SEO Training. You are now sitting back in your office contemplating all the wonderful information you just gathered, but you?re really confused on where to start. You pick up your notes leafing through them hoping something will inspire you to know what to do next. You start to drift back to class wishing you where still there. You hated to leave, you didn?t want it to end, you silently wish your instructor was there telling you where to begin.
Good news! I am going to share with you a detailed search engine optimization and internet marketing plan to get the most out of your seo training and to get you started today.
Step #1 ? Setting Goals
Before you can really get started you have to know what you want to achieve with your Web site. There could be a number of goals that you have in mind but your first step is get a clear picture of what you want the outcome to be. It could be:
? To gain higher rankings.
? To redesign your Web site to be more user friendly.
? To implement SEO basics throughout your site to make it search engine friendly.
? To increase your visitor response online.
? To open additional windows to your site through social media marketing.
? To launch an article marketing plan.
? Or all of the above.
What ever your goal is it is important to write it down and post it where you can see it every day. ?Goals that are not written down are just wishes.?
Step #2 ? Keyword Research
Any new project should always include this step. Keyword research is the basis for any successful page on your site. Let?s take the goals above and see how the keyword research you learned to perform in your seo training can be used.
? Higher rankings can be achieved by finding those keywords in your industry that have a high KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index) and low competing pages. You should concentrate on finding five phrases that you can work on simultaneously.
? By redesigning your Web site you can be including your new found phrases and work them into your sales copy. If you are creating a new site this is the ideal time to make sure you are concentrating on your visitors experience while on your site.
o Include a call to action above the fold
o Contact information above the fold in straight html including area code and zip code.
o Only use Flash in small elements and not as the whole page.
o Include something that will grab your user?s attention. Something out of the normal that will make your visitor stop and take notice of your page.
? Implementing SEO basics can be a daunting task if your site is large or it is many years old. Tactics that where used years ago are no longer useful and most times are being flagged as spam. Depending on how many elements need to be addressed you need to determine if it would be better to start with a fresh page or redo the existing page. A determining factor would be if the current page is already indexed. If this is the case then it would be best to fix the existing page. If the page has too many errors and creating a new one would be wiser be sure to name the new page the same as the old one or do a 301 redirect to the new page. Include your keyword phrase when implementing your basic search engine optimization.
? Visitor response will increase if you are giving your visitors exactly what they are looking for. Only your keyword research will help you with this. We are in an instant gratification world and your visitor will only give you a few seconds to answer their search, so make sure it exactly what they are looking for.
? Open additional windows into your site by using your keyword phrases in your social media avenues. A couple great places to include your keyword researched phrases would be in your blog post and creating a lens in Squidoo around your researched phrase.
? Article marketing is not for everyone but it does allow you to open multiple windows into your site but writing articles around your phrase and submitting them to places like Scribd, ArtcileFactory.com and EzineArticles.com.
Step - # 3 ? Which one to choose?
I know you want to implement each and everyone of those goals into your site and you still don?t know where to start.
Stop here and go find five phrases to work with and don?t even think about anything else at this point.
After you find those phrases refer back to your SEO training notes and refresh your memory on how to create a search engine friendly Web page and create content for each of the new keywords you found.
It is going to be hard not to get side tracked but stick to the project at hand. Your only concern is finding 5 phrases, creating content and designing five search engine friendly pages.
Once that is done go ahead and publish the five pages to your Web site. Include each page on your site map, link it from and to relevant pages on your site and include keyword rich link text within the body of the page.
Make a note of the day you added the new pages to your site for later use.
Now that you have the first three steps under your belt you are ready to move onto step four.
Step #4 ? Addressing Existing Web Site Issues
Now that you have gotten a good start with the above steps, you can start working on bringing your current Web site up to par while you are actually waiting for indexing on your 5 optimized pages. Your next plan of attack would be working on existing pages within your site. You may not be able to change every issue with your site but remember every small change could result in increased ranking for your site. You may only be able to change your title and Meta tags and not be able to change your corporate sites navigation so tackle what you can and don?t worry about the rest. Each and every issue is just one of the over 200 factors so learn to pick your battles and fix what you can.
Step #5 ? Social Media and Article Marketing
Your whole goal is to open as many windows into your site as possible. You have already started this by creating 5 new pages into your site now it is time to open the windows even further. Whether you decide to use article marketing or all the endless possibility of social media marketing now is the time to concentrate on one or both of these window opening wonders.
You can use the five phrases you found in your first step or you can find 5 new ones but at this stage you are creating content to be used in articles, on blogs or bookmaking pages within the many social media avenues. Your title is the most important element when tackling this step. Make your title keyword rich, compelling and deliver what your title describes in the article or blog post.
If you are not quite ready to dive into social media start at least with adding a blog to your Web site. Your best results will come from the blog residing on your server and not one that is hosted on a free blogging site. Make a commitment to blogging regularly and always about your industry so your site and your blog are industry related.
Step #6 ? Tracking Your Progress
Web analytics can show you information about all of your optimization projects. Not only will it show you your results for the 5 keyword phrases you are working on but it will open your eyes to how your visitor is moving through your site. Record your results on a weekly or daily basis. This step will help you in testing each one of your projects and help you decide which one you should concentrate more on. Usually I find 2 or 3 phrases that are really performing and those are the ones I concentrate on blogging and adding it to the social media venues.
Step #7 ? Keep Up With the Changes
There is no other step as important as this one. The internet changes its landscape on a daily basis so it is imperative that what you learn in your SEO Training is always the latest information. Your Web site and or clients are depending on your expertise so don?t let them down by applying out of date or useless techniques. There are many places you can turn to for guidance.
The first place would be Google, Yahoo! and MSN?s Webmasters guidelines. Each is posted on their site and is updates each and every time they have made changes to them.
Another place would be to subscribe to one of many search engine optimization and marketing blogs created by industry leaders. Your instructor should be able to point you in the right direction to their most trusted resources.
Continue learning by attending your favorite SEO Training provider?s courses on a yearly basis. Principles and techniques change often so always keep on top them.
Often students are overwhelmed with the amount of information they are given at class but if you learn to take them in small steps starting with setting your goals you will find that your seo training is working for you and your Web site.
About The Author
Tracy Fredrychowski ? SEO Instructor
http://www.searchengineacademysc.com
Pay Per Click Jobs Your Checklist To Finding The Right Job For You
By: Derek Rogers
When it comes to making a living online, the chances have never been brighter! You already see that there are plenty of people who are seeing a great deal of success when it comes to making money online, but what might not be immediately apparent is how you can join them. Search engine marketing, particularly through pay per click services, is becoming quite popular when it comes to earning a living from the comfort of your own home, but remember, you need to be critical of the opportunities that you will find. Take a look below for some tips that will steer you towards the right opportunity, and don't go forward until you can tick every single one off of your list.
Find out how much time you can devote to this opportunity.
The best opportunity for you will be one that will fit into the time that you have slotted for it. It doesn't matter how great an opportunity is if you are constantly trying to get more work, or it constantly expects more from you than you can give.
Think about the salary.
What are your current needs? Do you have a job that you are looking to get rid of, but does it currently pay the bills? Are you unemployed and need a situation fast? There is often a time period when search engine marketing opportunities and pay per click services will need to wait before they pay you. Ask how long it will be before you receive your first pay check and how much they think it will be.
Do you have the capabilities to do the job?
Think about your internet set up at home. Do you have a reliable connection and can you clock time on your own on the computer? Too many people need to fight for a turn to use the computer, and this can be quite detrimental to your plans. Take some time to really sort through your resources and what they will be for the foreseeable future. Think about any disruptions (visits, vacations, the busy time at your other job) and make sure you take them into consideration.
Do your research!
What do you know about the company that is hiring you? Do they have a good reputation online and what do people who have worked for them in the past say? Take some time to find out what people are saying in reviews and on forums about your new company. How much did the other people make, and were they paid in a regular and timely fashion? There are many points to consider when you are starting a new job, and you want to make sure that your newest opportunity is a good one.
By keeping to a checklist, you can make sure that you have criteria for judging the opportunities that you come across. This is a good rubric to use when you are choosing between pay per click opportunities because it gives you a place to start from. Take some time and make sure that this opportunity is the one that helps you succeed!
About The Author
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For Recruitment, he recommends SEM Recruitment, one of the UK's leading suppliers of SEO Recruitment: http://www.semrecruitment.co.uk/
When it comes to making a living online, the chances have never been brighter! You already see that there are plenty of people who are seeing a great deal of success when it comes to making money online, but what might not be immediately apparent is how you can join them. Search engine marketing, particularly through pay per click services, is becoming quite popular when it comes to earning a living from the comfort of your own home, but remember, you need to be critical of the opportunities that you will find. Take a look below for some tips that will steer you towards the right opportunity, and don't go forward until you can tick every single one off of your list.
Find out how much time you can devote to this opportunity.
The best opportunity for you will be one that will fit into the time that you have slotted for it. It doesn't matter how great an opportunity is if you are constantly trying to get more work, or it constantly expects more from you than you can give.
Think about the salary.
What are your current needs? Do you have a job that you are looking to get rid of, but does it currently pay the bills? Are you unemployed and need a situation fast? There is often a time period when search engine marketing opportunities and pay per click services will need to wait before they pay you. Ask how long it will be before you receive your first pay check and how much they think it will be.
Do you have the capabilities to do the job?
Think about your internet set up at home. Do you have a reliable connection and can you clock time on your own on the computer? Too many people need to fight for a turn to use the computer, and this can be quite detrimental to your plans. Take some time to really sort through your resources and what they will be for the foreseeable future. Think about any disruptions (visits, vacations, the busy time at your other job) and make sure you take them into consideration.
Do your research!
What do you know about the company that is hiring you? Do they have a good reputation online and what do people who have worked for them in the past say? Take some time to find out what people are saying in reviews and on forums about your new company. How much did the other people make, and were they paid in a regular and timely fashion? There are many points to consider when you are starting a new job, and you want to make sure that your newest opportunity is a good one.
By keeping to a checklist, you can make sure that you have criteria for judging the opportunities that you come across. This is a good rubric to use when you are choosing between pay per click opportunities because it gives you a place to start from. Take some time and make sure that this opportunity is the one that helps you succeed!
About The Author
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For Recruitment, he recommends SEM Recruitment, one of the UK's leading suppliers of SEO Recruitment: http://www.semrecruitment.co.uk/
Microsoft Server 2008 Certification Routings Not Just For Cisco Exams Anymore
By: Chris Bryant CCIE 12933
Knowing routing theory and routing protocols has always been a big part of earning your CCNA and CCNP certifications. According to Microsoft's exam blueprints for the Server 2008 certification exams, that knowledge will also serve you well on your Microsoft exams.
The topic outline for the Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure exam (70-642) specifically mentions routing and routing protocols as exam topics. Specifically mentioned are RIP, OSPF, and static routing - three topics every CCNA and CCNP candidate will be well prepared to handle!
IPSec isn't part of the CCNA exam, but you'll see it on at least one CCNP exam, and it's also listed as a 70-642 exam topic. IPv6 and IPv4 addressing are both covered on the 70-642 as well.
Microsoft's website lists the following major skills you should expect to see on this exam:
Configuring IP addresses and Services (routing with RIP and OSPF, static routing, persistent routing, addressing, DHCP and DHCP options including relay agents, IPSec policies, Authentication Header and Encapsulating Security Payload, subnetting, supernetting)
Configuring Name Resolution (DNS configuration, zones, records, replication, and integration with Active Directory, and client computer name resolution techniques)
Configuring Network Access (includes NAT, VPNs, RADIUS, 802.1x authentication, MS-CHAP, firewalls, and remote authentication)
Configuring File And Print Services (self-explanatory)
Monitoring And Managing A Network Infrastructure (includes SNMP and Windows Server Update Services)
Your CCNA and CCNP preparation will not quite be enough to get you past this exam, but as you can see, it'll give you a great head start!
About The Author
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com ), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, and The Ultimate CCNA and CCNP Study Packages.
For free daily CCNA, CCNP, CCENT, Network+, Security+, and A+ questions, just visit the website and sign up for the daily newsletter!
Knowing routing theory and routing protocols has always been a big part of earning your CCNA and CCNP certifications. According to Microsoft's exam blueprints for the Server 2008 certification exams, that knowledge will also serve you well on your Microsoft exams.
The topic outline for the Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure exam (70-642) specifically mentions routing and routing protocols as exam topics. Specifically mentioned are RIP, OSPF, and static routing - three topics every CCNA and CCNP candidate will be well prepared to handle!
IPSec isn't part of the CCNA exam, but you'll see it on at least one CCNP exam, and it's also listed as a 70-642 exam topic. IPv6 and IPv4 addressing are both covered on the 70-642 as well.
Microsoft's website lists the following major skills you should expect to see on this exam:
Configuring IP addresses and Services (routing with RIP and OSPF, static routing, persistent routing, addressing, DHCP and DHCP options including relay agents, IPSec policies, Authentication Header and Encapsulating Security Payload, subnetting, supernetting)
Configuring Name Resolution (DNS configuration, zones, records, replication, and integration with Active Directory, and client computer name resolution techniques)
Configuring Network Access (includes NAT, VPNs, RADIUS, 802.1x authentication, MS-CHAP, firewalls, and remote authentication)
Configuring File And Print Services (self-explanatory)
Monitoring And Managing A Network Infrastructure (includes SNMP and Windows Server Update Services)
Your CCNA and CCNP preparation will not quite be enough to get you past this exam, but as you can see, it'll give you a great head start!
About The Author
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com ), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, and The Ultimate CCNA and CCNP Study Packages.
For free daily CCNA, CCNP, CCENT, Network+, Security+, and A+ questions, just visit the website and sign up for the daily newsletter!
Statistical Process Control SPC Software The Past Present and Future
By: DataNet Quality Systems
Remember the first time in school you used a calculator instead of paper and pencil to add, subtract, multiply or divide? It made the job so easy, it almost felt like cheating. The technology freed you to focus on the problem rather than the mechanics of arithmetic.
Statistical process control (SPC) methods have been applied in manufacturing process control since the early 1930s. Over the decades, countless hours were expended plotting charts with pencils on graph paper. Then computers arrived and, like the calculator did for the schoolboy, freed the engineer to spend time analyzing the process instead of focusing on the formulae.
Over the years SPC software has matured in functionality, making statistical analysis quicker, more powerful and more flexible. The driving force has made the software easier for the practitioner to use. SPC software will continue to develop in ways that eliminate unnecessary steps, freeing quality practitioners from rote tasks and enabling them to focus efforts on improving the manufacturing process.
The Past
SPC software can show real-time control status of all data collection stations plant wide. As access to computers in the manufacturing environment grew, along came the first wave of products that automated the tasks associated with statistical analysis. Although they provided the tools for engineers to analyze the manufacturing process, these systems were difficult for many practitioners to use. They required tedious data entry and a Ph.D. statistician's knowledge to configure the software and analyze the data--a combination of tasks and abilities not easily married. Furthermore, obtaining interpretable results was a process completed long after the production run being analyzed had finished. This delay complicated the task of addressing process problems that continued to change--and probably resulted in additional process variation--in the interim.
The Present
Many timesaving features have since been added to advance SPC software usability. These software systems leverage other technologies such as automation standards and Internet access to simplify and integrate tasks--making administration, data collection, statistical analysis and reporting easier for today's practitioners.
Administration
Today's SPC software is designed to make the setup of parts and processes easy to accomplish. Common graphical user interface features such as tree views with drag-and-drop functionality dominate the market. These features reduce the repetitive tasks of separately creating items with only minor differences and instead allow for copying and duplicating similar components and then assigning unique parameters.
The introduction of communication standards across various platforms takes this ease-of-administration approach even further. Now SPC software can be configured to automatically obtain and update parts, processes, specifications, nominals and other pertinent information from values stored in other enterprise software systems such as manufacturing resource planning, manufacturing execution systems and human machine interface. Not only does this eliminate the effort spent re-entering and updating configuration information in multiple packages, it saves the effort expended tracking down entry errors that occur when the process is done manually.
Data Collection
Today's SPC software can automatically collect data from other enterprise software systems. As with the time-saving benefit for administrative tasks, this capability reduces the need to configure and maintain separate data collection interfaces and eliminates re-entry errors.
Current SPC software also has used communication standards to simplify the time-consuming job of connecting the system to data collection devices. Advances in software masking functionality permit out-of-the-box connection to a wide range of digital devices. And with dynamic masking capabilities, SPC software can automatically react to changes in device output and adjust to collect the specified data. This flexibility frees the practitioner from the tedious chore of administering SPC software every time there is a change to a device's output.
Real-Time SPC Analysis
Today's SPC software products are designed to collect data, produce charts and alarm in real time. This enables shop-floor operators to receive statistical feedback as close as possible to the point of production. Alarming capabilities include notification of supervisors, managers and other personnel responsible for maintaining and improving the production process. Immediate feedback and alarming enable all parties to begin problem solving and root causes analysis immediately. Eliminating the delay between a special cause and detection can reduce the investigation and corrective action effort by empowering quality practitioners with useful production feedback at the moment of a problem's inception.
Current development in SPC software includes the ability to provide supervisors with dashboard-style status indicators of all collection operations in the plant. Snapshot views of production status on a single screen allow busy supervisors to manage by exception instead of manage by walking around. Such SPC software systems aggregate and prioritize production information for the supervisor, reducing data-gathering demands.
Reporting
One of the most time-consuming tasks in applying statistical methods to a manufacturing process is developing relevant and understandable reports to form the basis for decision making. Modern SPC software makes the job easier by providing built-in report templates that can organize and deliver reports focused on the key characteristics of a process. Moreover, reports that are needed on a regular basis can be scheduled and automatically generated based on then-current production information. This is a time saver for those responsible for communication among quality team members.
Finally, the effort previously expended producing and distributing charts to various users and locations is reduced by leveraging the Internet. A Web-based SPC report with hyperlinks to various types of analyses can easily be distributed to multiple persons, teams or facilities.
The Future
Future SPC software development will follow the trend to eliminate cumbersome, low-value tasks and generally make SPC systems easier to administer and use. Describing the particular form such future development will take is speculative, but the combined capabilities of intelligent and expert systems is one possible way SPC software could evolve to address new challenges.
Intelligent systems emulate the human ability to learn from past experience and to make reasoned decisions and take action based on those experiences. Expert systems rely on a knowledge base to build models to diagnose, advise and act on real-world problems. Intelligent and expert systems are already deployed in control technology for manufacturing processes. It is not a great leap to believe that these technologies will profoundly change the nature of SPC software.
There are many ways in which intelligent and expert SPC systems would enhance the effectiveness and simplify the work of quality practitioners. On the most superficial level, these systems would learn from previous SPC configuration to logically reorder the system to make future administration easier. For instance, such systems could recognize which devices are being deployed and suggest effective collection methods and preferred connection approaches based on past experience.
But the administrative assistance offered by intelligent and expert SPC systems would run much deeper than that. Such systems could save countless hours helping determine how to monitor the process. Building on the history of previous production successes and failures, SPC software could select key parameters to track when to set up new parts or processes, and determine the most effective way to chart and report on those parameters. The software itself could anticipate problems and alter monitoring methodologies to adapt to changes in the manufacturing process.
The impact of intelligent and expert systems would perhaps be greatest when it comes to interpreting process statistics and acting on that analysis. There is not enough time in the day for the quality practitioner to thoroughly analyze the mountain of information generated from each production run. SPC software with learning and knowledge-based capabilities, coupled with computational power, will provide insights into the process beyond what the practitioner alone could achieve. With the advent of intelligent and expert SPC systems, the computer can transcend the earlier comparison made to a calculator. Such systems could not only assume or simplify menial tasks currently performed by the quality practitioner, but will also become a readily available and trusted source of expert guidance and advice.
Of course, the future developments suggested here may never come to pass. Nonetheless, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the SPC software of tomorrow will be more intelligent and capable of simplifying many jobs that burden today's quality practitioner. The future of SPC software is what frees those practitioners from time-consuming, low-value tasks and enables them to more easily obtain the analytical results that inform business decisions.
About The Author
DataNet Quality Systems provides quality control software (http://www.winspc.com) including WinSPC, a statistical process control software (http://www.winspc.com/datanet-quality-systems/products/winspc.html) solution designed to improve manufacturing process and product quality.
Remember the first time in school you used a calculator instead of paper and pencil to add, subtract, multiply or divide? It made the job so easy, it almost felt like cheating. The technology freed you to focus on the problem rather than the mechanics of arithmetic.
Statistical process control (SPC) methods have been applied in manufacturing process control since the early 1930s. Over the decades, countless hours were expended plotting charts with pencils on graph paper. Then computers arrived and, like the calculator did for the schoolboy, freed the engineer to spend time analyzing the process instead of focusing on the formulae.
Over the years SPC software has matured in functionality, making statistical analysis quicker, more powerful and more flexible. The driving force has made the software easier for the practitioner to use. SPC software will continue to develop in ways that eliminate unnecessary steps, freeing quality practitioners from rote tasks and enabling them to focus efforts on improving the manufacturing process.
The Past
SPC software can show real-time control status of all data collection stations plant wide. As access to computers in the manufacturing environment grew, along came the first wave of products that automated the tasks associated with statistical analysis. Although they provided the tools for engineers to analyze the manufacturing process, these systems were difficult for many practitioners to use. They required tedious data entry and a Ph.D. statistician's knowledge to configure the software and analyze the data--a combination of tasks and abilities not easily married. Furthermore, obtaining interpretable results was a process completed long after the production run being analyzed had finished. This delay complicated the task of addressing process problems that continued to change--and probably resulted in additional process variation--in the interim.
The Present
Many timesaving features have since been added to advance SPC software usability. These software systems leverage other technologies such as automation standards and Internet access to simplify and integrate tasks--making administration, data collection, statistical analysis and reporting easier for today's practitioners.
Administration
Today's SPC software is designed to make the setup of parts and processes easy to accomplish. Common graphical user interface features such as tree views with drag-and-drop functionality dominate the market. These features reduce the repetitive tasks of separately creating items with only minor differences and instead allow for copying and duplicating similar components and then assigning unique parameters.
The introduction of communication standards across various platforms takes this ease-of-administration approach even further. Now SPC software can be configured to automatically obtain and update parts, processes, specifications, nominals and other pertinent information from values stored in other enterprise software systems such as manufacturing resource planning, manufacturing execution systems and human machine interface. Not only does this eliminate the effort spent re-entering and updating configuration information in multiple packages, it saves the effort expended tracking down entry errors that occur when the process is done manually.
Data Collection
Today's SPC software can automatically collect data from other enterprise software systems. As with the time-saving benefit for administrative tasks, this capability reduces the need to configure and maintain separate data collection interfaces and eliminates re-entry errors.
Current SPC software also has used communication standards to simplify the time-consuming job of connecting the system to data collection devices. Advances in software masking functionality permit out-of-the-box connection to a wide range of digital devices. And with dynamic masking capabilities, SPC software can automatically react to changes in device output and adjust to collect the specified data. This flexibility frees the practitioner from the tedious chore of administering SPC software every time there is a change to a device's output.
Real-Time SPC Analysis
Today's SPC software products are designed to collect data, produce charts and alarm in real time. This enables shop-floor operators to receive statistical feedback as close as possible to the point of production. Alarming capabilities include notification of supervisors, managers and other personnel responsible for maintaining and improving the production process. Immediate feedback and alarming enable all parties to begin problem solving and root causes analysis immediately. Eliminating the delay between a special cause and detection can reduce the investigation and corrective action effort by empowering quality practitioners with useful production feedback at the moment of a problem's inception.
Current development in SPC software includes the ability to provide supervisors with dashboard-style status indicators of all collection operations in the plant. Snapshot views of production status on a single screen allow busy supervisors to manage by exception instead of manage by walking around. Such SPC software systems aggregate and prioritize production information for the supervisor, reducing data-gathering demands.
Reporting
One of the most time-consuming tasks in applying statistical methods to a manufacturing process is developing relevant and understandable reports to form the basis for decision making. Modern SPC software makes the job easier by providing built-in report templates that can organize and deliver reports focused on the key characteristics of a process. Moreover, reports that are needed on a regular basis can be scheduled and automatically generated based on then-current production information. This is a time saver for those responsible for communication among quality team members.
Finally, the effort previously expended producing and distributing charts to various users and locations is reduced by leveraging the Internet. A Web-based SPC report with hyperlinks to various types of analyses can easily be distributed to multiple persons, teams or facilities.
The Future
Future SPC software development will follow the trend to eliminate cumbersome, low-value tasks and generally make SPC systems easier to administer and use. Describing the particular form such future development will take is speculative, but the combined capabilities of intelligent and expert systems is one possible way SPC software could evolve to address new challenges.
Intelligent systems emulate the human ability to learn from past experience and to make reasoned decisions and take action based on those experiences. Expert systems rely on a knowledge base to build models to diagnose, advise and act on real-world problems. Intelligent and expert systems are already deployed in control technology for manufacturing processes. It is not a great leap to believe that these technologies will profoundly change the nature of SPC software.
There are many ways in which intelligent and expert SPC systems would enhance the effectiveness and simplify the work of quality practitioners. On the most superficial level, these systems would learn from previous SPC configuration to logically reorder the system to make future administration easier. For instance, such systems could recognize which devices are being deployed and suggest effective collection methods and preferred connection approaches based on past experience.
But the administrative assistance offered by intelligent and expert SPC systems would run much deeper than that. Such systems could save countless hours helping determine how to monitor the process. Building on the history of previous production successes and failures, SPC software could select key parameters to track when to set up new parts or processes, and determine the most effective way to chart and report on those parameters. The software itself could anticipate problems and alter monitoring methodologies to adapt to changes in the manufacturing process.
The impact of intelligent and expert systems would perhaps be greatest when it comes to interpreting process statistics and acting on that analysis. There is not enough time in the day for the quality practitioner to thoroughly analyze the mountain of information generated from each production run. SPC software with learning and knowledge-based capabilities, coupled with computational power, will provide insights into the process beyond what the practitioner alone could achieve. With the advent of intelligent and expert SPC systems, the computer can transcend the earlier comparison made to a calculator. Such systems could not only assume or simplify menial tasks currently performed by the quality practitioner, but will also become a readily available and trusted source of expert guidance and advice.
Of course, the future developments suggested here may never come to pass. Nonetheless, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the SPC software of tomorrow will be more intelligent and capable of simplifying many jobs that burden today's quality practitioner. The future of SPC software is what frees those practitioners from time-consuming, low-value tasks and enables them to more easily obtain the analytical results that inform business decisions.
About The Author
DataNet Quality Systems provides quality control software (http://www.winspc.com) including WinSPC, a statistical process control software (http://www.winspc.com/datanet-quality-systems/products/winspc.html) solution designed to improve manufacturing process and product quality.
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