Monday, September 27, 2010

Send Fancy Emails for Free

Keeping current Business is easier than finding New Business
I had several clients ask about web promotion methods. Another asked for help with sending an HTML email party invitation for their clients. The times and the economy seemed to make this a good topic for MY first HTML email. The interest was in simple and inexpensive. Something that looked good and did not require website design skills.
== At the top of this email is a Banner. It is 590 pixels wide. Make your banner 590 pixels wide or it will be resized. It can be most any height you want. ==
== Below the Banner is a Section Title with larger bold text. ==
== This is a Text block. It could be moved to any location in this stack of blocks.
There is a video on YouTube demonstrating the process of setting up MadMimi HERE ==
== Below this text is a Divider line. ==

This email was done at MadMimi an html email site that allows unlimited emails to a hundred email addresses for free. Meaning you can send an email like this to one hundred friends or clients, once or ten times a month, for free.
The other site that offers a similiar 3 free emails a month to 500 addressees is MailChimp. MailChimp also has a feature comparison chart.
Both allow you to upgrade your free account when the limited number of email addresses is not enough.
Note that this picture and text block wraps around the image at the left when the text extended below the image.
== This is a Left image and text block. It could be dragged and dropped to any location in this stack of blocks. The picture is 180 pixels wide and whatever height you want. You can add an html link to the picture, so that your audience can click and go to your website or another webpage. ==

A few of the other fancy email services

== This is a Right image and text block. The picture is 180 pixels wide and whatever height you want. You can add an html link to the picture, so that your audience can click and go to your website or another webpage. ==

One of the most involved tasks is exporting your email addresses to a document so you can choose which hundred you will upload to your email service, in this case Madmimi.
Madmimi allows you to type in your email addresses (five at a time)
Madmimi also allows copy and paste of email addresses.
And then there is the import of a Comma Delimited File exported from your addressbook.
I am preparing some PDFs to help with that. Basically, you export a comma delimited file from your addressbook. If you have the option, only export the contacts you want to use. If you can NOT choose the contacts to export, you will use one of the following techniques.
Open the exported file in a word processor (poor choice), spreadsheet (better), database (better, yet), or an address manager that has good import and export options (best option). Delete the unneeded addresses, export the remaining to a CSV and upload to Macmimi.
Palm Desktop is a free download for both Windows and Mac that has good addressbook management tools.
I hope you found this email interesting. My near future emails will deal with backups, both choosing software and hardware. The following ones will discuss hard drive replacement and recovering data from a failing harddrive.
Note At the top of this email are THREE options
View this email on the web here • You can also forward this email to a friend • Unsubscribe
Madmimi keeps track of the unsubscribes for you.
View this email online HERE
AND you can FORWARD THIS email to your friends. (maybe they would be interested???)
I know, you're thinking this is pretty simple. Yes, it is simple. Sometimes, elegance is found in simplicity. (and sometimes, not)

David Anders, The Computer Guy, Seattle
(206) 286-8438 davidanders@gmail.com

Build Your Web Presence

Check your Local Presence at this site
GetListed

I have a website, a blog, and an email address.
Shouldn't I just hire a SEO company to get noticed online?
That is an option, depending on your online business, and your expectations, it may or may not be the optimal solution.
You may find that extending your online presence may be more inexpensive and useful.
If your name.com site has a place for purchase, it may be just as effective to create a set of yournamepromote set of blogs, websites, twitter, linkedin, biznik accounts to point to your existing website.

Building Your Web Presence

Increasing Your Web Presence

All Things Google require a Google Account
Your Google Account user name will also be your Gmail address.
With everyone on Gmail, it is unlikely that yourname@gmail.com is available (although, I just setup a client with a 6 letter gmail account)
I am designing a database so that all the following steps can be documented - no losing passwords or usernames.
Save the data and pictures used at each step - you will need them tor the next step
Create a Google Account
Google Account Setup
Create a Google Personal Profile
Personal Profile Setup . . . . . . . . . . About Google Profiles
Create a Google Local Business Profile
Create Business Profile . . . . . . . . . About Google Business Profile
Create a Google Blog
Create Google Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Blogs
Create a Google Website
Create Google Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Google Sites
Create a Picasa Account For your photos and images
Create Picasa Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Picasa

Create a Wix website - a free flash website
WIX
Create a Webs website - a free website
WEBS
Why Do This?
Free, Easy, and will have links to your main website

Create a Yahoo Local Business Listing
Create Yahoo Local Listing . . . . . . . . . . About Yahoo Local Listings
Create a Flickr Account For your photos and images
Create Flickr Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .About Flickr
Also allows / requires a Yahoo Account to be setup.
Create a Bing Local Business Listing Requires a live.com or hotmail.com email account
Create Bing Local Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . About Bing Local Listings
Create a Wordpress Blog
Create Wordpress Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Wordpress Blogs
Create a Posterous Account
Posterous Account Signup . . . . . . . . . . . About Posterous
Used to send Blog entries to multiple blogs with just one email.
Create a Tumblr Account
Tumblr Account Signup . . . . . . . . . . . About Tumblr
Used to send Blog entries to multiple blogs with just one email.
Create a Madmimi Account
Create Madmimi Account . . . . . . . . . .. . . About Madmimi
Used to send this fancy HTML email.
Create a Facebook Account
Create Facebook Account . . . . . . . . . .. . . About Facebook
Create a Linkedin Account
Create Linkdedin Account . . . . . . . . . .. . . About Linkedin
Create a Biznik Account
Create Biznik Account . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .About Biznik
READ THIS ARTICLE
Local Search Engines & Providers
Because People Under 40 Don’t Use the Yellow Pages Book Anymore.
4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
"What’s the most important piece of your business’s web presence?"

These are the basics and a very good start.
These are the FIRST steps to doing online promotion.
These are FREE setups and can be done with some time and data gathering.
One of the first things to do is gather your contact email addresses.
If you would like to know more, contact me
Some things depend
If you are an artist, photographer, sculptor, or videographer you will add items.
If you are a restaurant owner, you will add different things (yelp, for instance)
You may need to narrowly focus your efforts, looking for return on investment.
You may need to use niche marketing if you are a physical therapist or musician.
My Experiences
I approached the tests I performed with skepticism. I am continuing to be surprised on the results of my promotion tests. If you search for "david anders Seattle" or "computer guy Seattle", I will usually be on the first page. Obviously, this is variable on the search terms and location and your competitors and your name and your business name. I am often swamped without the Seattle term, because there is a popular actor that took the same name.
A Google Search for "david anders seattle" Here
A Google Search for "computer guy seattle" Here
If you know someone interested in this information, forward it to them with this link. FORWARD
(their email addresses are not saved and are deleted after use)
You can view this document on a webpage HERE
David Anders The Computer Guy, Seattle
Seattle On-Site Computer Help . . . . . . . . Problem Solving
206 286-8438 . . . . . WebPresenceSeattle@gmail.com

These Icons are Links to my other web connections. You can add them easily with Madmimi.

Free Self Promotion Online Google Local Business

Self Promotion Online for Free

GOOGLE

Put a Personal Profile on Google
You need a Gmail account - Get A Gmail Account
With everyone on Gmail, it is unlikely that yourname@gmail.com is available (although, I do have davidanders@gmail.com)
Save the data and pictures used at each step - you will need them tor the next step
Create a Google Personal Profile (requires a Gmail Account)
Personal Profile Setup
A Google search for “david anders” will bring up the links and sites for the actor David Anders
(this is his first and middle name, his given last name is Hart)
My Personal Profile is listed on the first search page in a special area for Personal Profiles...
The next entry for me is on Page 10 of the Google Search for ‘David Anders”
Can I fight this actor’s Google Presence? Probably not.
BUT NOTE: My personal profile appears on the first page
A Google Search for “david anders seattle”
I have the first three entties, and the sixth through eighth of ten. AND my personal profile is on the first page.
Create a Google Local Business Profile (requires a Gmail Account)
Create Business Profile
Blog About Google Business Profile
Add Videos To Your Google Local Business Profile

Articles that explain Other Local Business Listing options.
Links to sign up for free (except for Universal)
10 Likely Elements of Google’s Local Search Algorithm Feb 16, 2007
Guide to Google Local Search
Guide to Yahoo Local Search
Yahoo Signup http://local.yahoo.com/
Guide to MSN Local Search (now it is BING)
Bing Local Sigup https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx
Universal Business Listing Signup $30 Listing
Free Join, Free listing Insider Pages
infoUSA
Amacai/Localeze
READ THIS ARTICLE
Local Search Engines & Providers
Cause People Under 40 Don’t Use the Yellow Pages Book Anymore.

IF you know someone that may be interested in this information, you can forward it to them with the link at the bottom of the page. OR you can opt out of any further emails like this from me.
This is the second HTML Email that I have sent, posted to my blogs, websites, and CMS,
and posted on craigslist and epages.
Most of the options have been used, except keyword optimization.
My Email davidanders@gmail.com
My Phone 206 286-8438
My Other websites
My Drupal CMS on my Website
http://acme-help.com/drupal/
My WordPress Blog on my Website
http://weblog.acme-help.com/wordpress/
My Blog on Wordpress.com
http://davidanders.wordpress.com/
My DibSpace webpage
https://dibspace.com/businesses/1588
David Anders The Computer Guy, Seattle
On-site Computer Help
206 286-8438 davidanders@gmail.com

Monthly Maintenance Macintosh Windows, David Anders, The Computer Guy

Monthly Maintenance - Do you mean me? . . . View Online

.
.
Why Monthly Maintenance?
All computer operating systems should have Monthly Maintenance done.
Just like all computers should be given a short nap once a week.
(for a computer, a short nap is a restart or shut down for a minute - memory is reset)
What will happen if I dont't?

Maybe nothing. Maybe something annoying.
Maybe something really bad.

Windows - Monthly Maintenance - Windows

Bare minimum for your Windows Monthly Maintenance

CCleaner removes temporary files that are not needed. The space recovered ranges between 1Mb and 1000 Mb.
CCleaner also cleans the registry.
Both steps should be done monthly. CCleaner is FREE.
Download from
http://ccleaner.com or FileHippo
CCleaner Help
Defraggler puts your files back together. Files get broken into pieces (fragmented).
Defraggler is FREE.
Download from
http://defraggler.com or FileHippo
Defraggler Help

Mac OSX - Monthly Maintenance - Mac OSX

For OSX 10.4 (Tiger) thru 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

AppleJack is a wondrous utility that keeps things clean and can repair problems, even if you cannot login to OSX.
Download AppleJack About AppleJack
Onyx can do 4 of the 5 functions of AppleJack, and many additional functions. Highly Recommended.
Onyx Downloads

Install Onyx as well as AppleJack .

Monthly Maintenance - Wrapup

View this document in a web browser for printing Here
Start your Monthly Maintenance Today!! Please.

Thank you.
David
For Further info, just email me davidanders@gmail.com

Helpful Emails - The Other Basic Subjects

Backup Basics
Monthly Maintenance to Print

Backup Basics, David Anders, The Computer Guy

Windows - Backup Basics - Windows

What should I backup? A: Your Windows Boot Drive
1] Your C: Hard Drive as a bootable backup (this is called a Bootable Drive Disk Image).
Why should I backup my bootable Hard Drive?

If your computer refuses to start Windows, a bootable backup allows you to recover to the last saved bootable backup.

Why can’t I just use System Restore to revert to last known good System Backup?

This sometimes Does Not Work. Especially, if the problem is a failing Hard Drive, that needs replacing.

Why can’t I just use the System Restore CDs or special partition recovery that came with the computer?

This will revert the computer as it was out of the box. Your added software will need to be re-installed. Your files and information will be lost, if they are NOT backed up.

What should I backup? A: Your Documents and Settings folder
2] Your user’s Documents and Settings is on your Boot Drive C:.
Why should I backup my Documents and Settings? If I make a bootable backup in Step 1], they will be backed up.
Step 1] is done once, or every 6 months, or after installing new software. It will not be current.
What should I backup? A: Your other saved files
3] Your files that are NOT stored in Documents and Settings on your Boot Drive C:.
Why wouldn’t my files be in my Documents and Settings?

If you save your files to someplace other than your Desktop, your My Documents, your My Music, your My Pictures, or directly into your Docucments and Settings folder - they are NOT in Docucments and Settings.
Your files could be loose on Drive C: or on another partition or another drive (either internal or external)

Where should I backup?
1] An external hard drive is most common. Another internal hard drive for desktop computers is also common. You can find Today's best deals at DealNews - DealMac - NewEgg
Depending on the SIZE of your file collection, an external or additional internal drive is inexpensive - $65 to $100.
What size is my file collection?
Right click on your Documents and Settings folder and choose Properties in the menu.
Where is my Documents and Settings folder?
Boot Drive C: > Documents and Settings > [your username] folder (Mine is 2.25Gb today.)
2] A USB flash (thumb) drive may be large enough. May2010 the largest sizes are 32Gb, 64Gb, and 128Gb..
3] A CD (700Mb) or DVD (4.3Gb) or DVD-DL (8.5Gb) may be large enough for your files.
4] Another computer at your location can be used.
5] A network storage device at your location can work about NAS
6] A neighbor’s or friend’s computer can be used. (If both has a fast internet connection)
CrashPlan
7] An internet file storage service. Mozy or Carbonite or SkyDrive with Windows Live Account.
What Windows Backup Software should I use?
1] For your boot drive backup to disk image I recommend. Macrium Reflect (FREE)
2] For your documents and files, I recommend GFI Backup (FREE)
3] For your documents and files, another choice is Cobian Backup 9 (free) (FREE)
Howto Backup with Cobian
This is a Simple Guide for Average Users
This is a simple guide, just designed to GET you to backup.
I do Data Recovery and sometimes the outcome is sad.
I test backup utilities before I recommend them.
Reliable, simple, and inexpensive are part of my requirements.
The software linked in this article will have reviews and recommendations by users.
For Further info, just email me davidanders@gmail.com

Mac OS X - Backup Basics - Backup Easy - Mac OS X

What should I backup? A: Your OS X Startup Drive
1] Your Startup Drive in a bootable backup (this is called a Bootable Drive Disk Image).
Why should I backup my bootable Hard Drive?

If your computer refuses to boot, a bootable backup allows you to recover to the last saved bootable backup.

Why can’t I just reinstall OS X using the Archive and Install option?

Sometimes this Does Not Work. Especially, if the problem is a failing Hard Drive, that needs replacing.

Why can’t I just use the System Restore CDs that came with the computer?

This will revert the computer as it was out of the box. Your added software will need to be re-installed. Your files and information can be lost, if they are NOT backed up.

What should I backup? A: Your User’s folder
2] Your User’s folder on your Startup Drive.
Why should I backup my User’s folder? If I make a bootable backup in Step 1], they will be backed up. Step 1] is done once, or every 6 months, or after installing new software. It will not be current.
What should I backup? A: Your other saved files
3] Your files that are NOT stored in your User’s folder on your Startup Drive.
Why wouldn’t my files be in my User’s Folder?

If you save your files to someplace other than your Desktop, your Documents, your Music, your Pictures, or directly into your Startup Drive - they are NOT in your User’s folder.
Your files could be loose on another partition or another drive (either internal or external)

Where is my User’s folder? Startup Drive > Users Folder > [your username] folder
What size is my file collection? Highlight your User’s folder and choose Get Info in the FILE menu.
What Mac OSX Backup Software should I use?
1] For your Startup drive backup to disk image I recommend. SuperDuper! (Free or $27 for extra features)
2] For your documents and files, I recommend SilverKeeper (FREE) or ChronoSync ($40)
View this document in a web browser for printing Here
Start Backing Up Today!! Please.
If you found this useful, you can forward it to five friends at the very bottom of this email.
You can Unsubscribe from any further Helpful Emails I send at the bottom of this email.
Thank you.
David
For Further info, just email me davidanders@gmail.com

The Computer Guy, Seattle