blogs.matrixwebs.com

Upcoming Releases

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:25:02 GMT

In just a few short weeks Matrixwebs will be unleashing a couple of fun new sites that will make you never want to leave. We have a couple of fashion and fitness sites that will allow you to post your own articles and opinions on the latest trends and what you think about them.

You can even comment on our sites. If you love them we want to know; if you hate them we want to know. What's the best part? $$$ You can earn BIG bucks. That's right, Matrixwebs will be handing out cash to a select few bloggers that really know their stuff and have something to say.

Keep reading...there are is one more perk to those of you who are so lucky to be chosen as our "featured" bloggers. Let us sell your products on our site. You read it right...you can sell your goodies right on our site - basically it is a free to use marketplace.

We want opinionated and knowledgeable individuals that can really keep up an argument and keep the sites fun and fresh for everyone that pays us a visit.

Remember to keep checking back for our launch. In the meantime you may want to brush up on some of your notes and skim the headlines for some opinionated ammo. See you then.

SEO Benefits from Blogs

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:32:41 GMT

I found this article and thought it might be an interesting read...

Is blog optimization part of search marketing? Absolutely! Blogs are web site content management systems with additional functionality such as comments, trackbacks and RSS. Blogs are really no different than web sites.

If you can optimize a document and that document gets indexed, categorized and ranked by a search engine, it’s part of search marketing in my book. As such, marketers should be aware of how these kinds of channels can be used within the overall online marketing mix. Blogs are one of many platforms that benefit from optimization.

I sincerely believe using blog software to manage certain kinds of content on a web site such as an online media room, to archive newsletters, post frequently asked questions and to provide product updates can make a site that is otherwise very search engine un-friendly, become a viable source of great rankings. This applies to both regular search engines as well as blog search engines. These are applications for a blog besides the common use as a platform to increase credibility and communicate a more personalized voice for a company.

Blogs are no silver bullet though and require working hard and smart - especially smart. However the payoff can be significant.

Online Marketing Blog receives the majority of it’s traffic from search engines. I can’t mention any of our clients, so I’ll risk being a bit vain and offer a few of our own examples. This is a blog after all and these are very practical, verifiable ranking examples.

The top referring search phrases in the past month for this blog include “marketing blog“, “online marketing“, “rss button” and “social bookmarks“. Even more niche phrases bring in quality search traffic such as, “blog optimization“, “press release optimization” and “social media optimization” which are all services our SEO firm provides.

Of course the rules can change slightly over time, but here are a set of benefits I often find myself explaining to people wondering about the search engine optimization benefits of having a blog.

Structured content - Blog software with category features allows the aggregation of content according to themes. This makes it easier to algorithmically categorize content. If you can make it easier for search engines to understand your content, you have a much better chance of ranking well on those topics.
Crawlable URLs - Most blog software offers uncomplicated URL structure, making it fairly easy for search engine spiders to find and crawl blog content.
Internal links - Blogs that post product or service related information can deep link anchor text to product information or purchase pages deep within the web site. This is very beneficial for ranking on long tail phrases.
Inbound link magnet - One of the biggest benefits, blogs link freely to each other - much more than web sites do. Blogs are also a significant source of many posts to social news and social media web sites. Text, audio and video are all easily supported for syndication by blogs. The more media available, the more likely it will attract incoming links. Additionally, there are many widgets and plugins that make it easy to share blog content, thus encouraging links and traffic.
RSS - Links to RSS feed urls that use the blog domain name will assist in building link popularity and when RSS content is syndicated or cited by other blogs, any embedded links will also assist in sending traffic.
Fresh content - Both readers and search engines reward fresh content with repeat visits. From a search engine perspective, that means your site can be crawled more frequently, allowing your new content to become searchable more quickly. Fresh content is also indicative of a more authoritative web site.
Active community - Comments and trackback features in blog software encourage interaction. An active blog community creates the kinds of citations or signals from other sites (annotated and contextually relevant links) that search engines tend to reward in the rankings. Loyal blog readers can boost a site’s visibility through advocacy on other blogs, in forums offline at conferences as well as on their own blogs and within the comments of your blog.
Non-Search traffic - I think the greatest benefit of having an active blog has little to do with improving your search engine rankings though. The best thing about blogs is that they allow you to generate substantial amounts of traffic via RSS and links that have NOTHING to do with search engines. My recommendation to marketers in 2007 is to pursue traffic alternatives to search engines as aggresively as their budgets and marketing programs will allow. The result will be incremental increases in site traffic with search engine referred traffic an added bonus, if not correspondingly enhanced.

Bonus benefit of a blog:
Blog & RSS Directories - With a blog and corresponding RSS feed(s), your site can now benefit from visibility within blog and RSS search engines. Web sites without feeds (your competition maybe?) are not included in these kinds of directories and search engines.

Here are a few additional blog marketing tips from this blog as well as a recent blog optimization article on Search Engine Land.

So there you go. A basic list of practical reasons a blog can be beneficial as a site optimization tool and for improved web site traffic. What SEO benefits have you found from having and promoted a blog?

SEO 101

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:25:01 GMT

Intro to Search Engine Optimization

Search engines are one of the primary ways that Internet users find Web sites. That's why a Web site with good search engine listings may see a dramatic increase in traffic.

Everyone wants those good listings. Unfortunately, many Web sites appear poorly in search engine rankings or may not be listed at all because they fail to consider how search engines work.

In particular, submitting to search engines is only part of the challenge of getting good search engine positioning. It's also important to prepare a Web site through "search engine optimization."

Search engine optimization means ensuring that your Web pages are accessible to search engines and are focused in ways that help improve the chances they will be found.

This next section provides information, techniques and a good grounding in the basics of search engine optimization. By using this information where appropriate, you may tap into visitors who previously missed your site.

The guide is not a primer on ways to trick or "spam" the search engines. In fact, there are not any "search engine secrets" that will guarantee a top listing. But there are a number of small changes you can make to your site that can sometimes produce big results.

Let's go forward and first explore the two major ways search engines get their listings; then you will see how search engine optimization can especially help with crawler-based search engines.

Tips 10 and 9 for a Happier Workday

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:36:31 GMT

10. Be slow to react to other people’s “urgent” requests. When someone else asks you for help, to do a project or to meet some other urgent need, practice saying “what’s your deadline on this? or when do you need this done?” Then schedule that day. Most people when asked one of those questions realize it’s not as urgent and will set a future date. That way, you can go back to working on one of your top 3 activities.

9. List your top 5-7 objectives for the day and break the list down to 3 - It’s good to get in the habit of making lists, it’s bad to make long lists. If you’ve got more than 5 items on your list, break it down to the top 3 things (you can always go back and edit in another task or two). But with a list of 20 things, how can you not be overwhelmed? 3 is a managable, magical number. Break your list down to 3. Anybody can do just three things right?

Check back on Monday for two more top 10 tips...

Tips 8 and 7 for a Happier Workday

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:57:32 GMT

7. Go for a mid-day walk - again, I’m harping on the excercise. Getting a brisk walk in over lunch (even if for only 10 minutes) will get you to feeling better about your afternoon. Where most others are sitting around digesting, you can be energizing.

8. Avoid gossip - One drain on your day is gossip. It may seem fun and exciting to learn some juicy tidbit about your officemate or boss. But good gossip is always negative talk. Negative talk starts the pendulum swinging toward negativity.

Tips 6 and 5 for a Happier Workday

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:09:44 GMT

5. Think positive thoughts not negative - Seems simple, but many people never do it. Instead of looking on the worst side, try to see the bright side. Ask yourself “what is the advantage of this situation?” “how am I benefitting from this? What am I learning?” These are all good questions that you can ask in all negative situations to turn them to the positive.

6. Take breaks - If you push on one task for too long you your work starts to suffer. It’s easy to become tired and frustrated. So every 30 - 45 minutes, take 5. Get up from your desk, stop what you are doing and get your mind off your work for awhile. You’ll find you’ll return with more ideas and renewed energy.

Tips 4 and 3 for a Happier Workday

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:43:02 GMT

3. Get Aerobic Exercise - while you are getting your sunlight, use it as an excuse to get a good walk or jog in. Excercise lowers stress, gets your blood moving and wakes you up.

4. Avoid RSS, EMAIL or phone before 10 am. RSS, email and phone demand immediate attention. Whereas your goals and work for the day can easily be brushed to the side. If you can avoid the urgent and uninportant until 10 or 10:30, you’ve got a fighting chance at getting all of the important tasks done.

Check us out at http://www.InWithFitness.com for excellent aerobic exercises and more tips to stay in shape.

Tips 2 and 1 for a Happier Workday

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:05:21 GMT

1. Eat breakfast - If you skip breakfast, you won’t be at your best during the morning. You will more likely gorge yourself at lunch and have a sleepy afternoon. So eat something, anything (within reason) so you can ensure a smooth start.

2. Get plenty of sunshine - Sun in the morning signals the body and mind to wake up. So instead of reaching for a big cup of Joe, put on your shoes and go outside.

There you have it; tips 1-10 for a happier day at the office. Keep practicing these tips and see how much healthier your workday can be.

A New Approach to Moving Up the Corporate Ladder

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:58:56 GMT

Recently, I received an announcement regarding a symposium for mid-career professionals on "Moving Up the Ladder." Priced at $2,500, the three-day course was sponsored by a nationally respected business school.

Rather than tie up three days, here's a 15-minute short course. First, the Executive Summary ... Someone stole the ladder.

Today's organizations are struggling to survive in fiercely competitive global markets. They're restructuring, outsourcing, re-engineering, downsizing, subcontracting and forming alliances with friends ... and enemies.

The plugged-in, turned-on Internet-driven marketplace has issued new mandates to every organization to make dramatic, sometimes drastic, changes. Successful firms find they need to be lean, agile and quick to respond. The result has been a leveling of the corporate structure. Middle management layoffs don't even make the news any more. The thousands who find themselves suddenly without jobs wonder what the *&%$# happened.

Companies Struggle to Survive What happened was, we changed the way we do business, and firms must adapt to survive. Companies around the globe are eliminating excess baggage ... abandoning bureaucratic practices ... dramatically reducing the amount of time it takes to get things done. Organizations that don't or won't accelerate their change will disappear ... many already have.

The same is true for business professionals at every level who work in this Information Age. Forget about moving up the corporate ladder. Focus on making you your career. The truth is, no one owes you or guarantees pay increases, promotions, a job or even a career future.

In 1995, one in five American employees had been with their employer less than a year. Two out of three, less than five years. Gone are the nine-to-five jobs, lifetime jobs, predictable hierarchical relationships, corporate security blankets and even the conventional workplace.

Since 1980, the temporary, self-employed, part-time and consultant segment of the U.S. workforce has grown more than 65 percent. By year 2000, less than 50 percent of the industrial world's workforce were holding conventional full-time jobs.

A Quick Look Back To understand the reasons for the changing workplace, you have to examine the past. But do it quickly, or you'll get run over by the future.

In the '60s, half of the workers in the industrial world made or helped make something. By the year 2000, only one-sixth to one-eighth of the workforce in developed countries were making and moving goods. Statistics on the current U.S. working population show that two-thirds are already in the service sector. Knowledge is our most important product.

Today's businesses are in a constant state of flux. Rather than being bogged down with chain of command decision-making; project teams are made up of suppliers, customers, contractors and even competitors. There's a constant stream of new co-workers, new bosses and new challenges. A person's ability to become quick-change artist--and be comfortable in dealing with uncertainty--enhances his or her reputation and career.

You Control Your Career In this new environment, people have to take 100 percent control of their own lives ... their own careers ... their own futures. People have to come to grips with the hard fact that there are limits on how loyal an employer can be. Firms can no longer throw money and people at problems. They have to find better solutions faster ... with less.

People who struggle to maintain the past or status quo, who cling to old assumptions like the corporate ladder and job security, and who resist the inevitability of change are, unfortunately, left behind. Those who catch on and invest in finding and seizing change's opportunities, earn the rewards.

The Japanese call it kaizen--the relentless quest for a better way, for higher-quality craftsmanship--the daily pursuit of perfection. The passionate pursuit of kaizen improves your competence level and your worth to yourself and others. It also protects your career, even if your company or job disappears tomorrow.

While perfection is important, so is a strong sense of urgency. You can't be bogged down in endless preparation; fact-finding and planning before you make your move. You can't wait for a firm directive. High quality is important, but it must be done expeditiously. It means having the ability to fail fast, fix it and move on.

Dramatic breakthroughs in science and technology don't come in quantum leaps--they're the result of hard-won incremental improvements.

Empower Yourself In today's flattened organizations and reduced hierarchies, management can't wait for someone to "empower" you. You have to empower yourself.

If you empower yourself, you don't wait for someone to call the shots, to supervise you and to be accountable for the problems and results of your efforts. That's your job.

To be successful, you can't afford the luxury of a three-day symposium focusing on how to move up the ladder. You have to think of yourself as self-employed ... in business for yourself.

Whether you're inside or outside of the organization, focus on bottomline results and profits for the company. Don't waste time, energy and resources on activities that don't provide a strong payoff for your employer/client.

Dilbertism Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoon, says he told his PacTel bosses (and by his accounts, there was a constant stream of them) that when he cost the company more than he contributed, he expected to be fired. Confident in himself, and perhaps bolstered by an increasingly lucrative creative career, he realized his job security was based more on providing added value to PacTel; rather than his tenure, company loyalty or activity level.

People who simply stay busy, without adding any real value, are building their careers on fantasy. The better you serve ... the more you take control of projects and their outcome ... the more you add value ... the better you perform ... the more you enhance your career.

It doesn't guarantee job security, raises or promotions. However, by practicing kaizen in today's boundaryless organization--even when there are a few loose ends or ragged edges to your decisions and actions, it helps high-velocity organizations stay ahead.

Attractive Candidate It gives you more energy, more self-confidence and more job satisfaction. It also makes you a more attractive job candidate--inside and outside your present firm.

Your three-day symposium is complete. Let's split the cost of the original course ... just send me a check for $1,250 and we can both move on to the tasks at hand.

MatrixSuites

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:39:29 GMT

Matrixwebs.com, LLC has launched its new line of software programs. At this time, we have four new suite programs that are fully customizable to your company's specific needs. These suite packages are all web based and have been priced competitively. If you would like to learn more visit MatrixSuites

Fun Things to do When You're Bored at Work

Fri, 30 May 2008 20:44:46 GMT

Fun Things To Do When Bored At Work – Simpler Options

Music, yes music is perhaps the best stress buster for any and everyone. Although make sure you don’t play your music at a volume that might have people swearing at you.
You can try and have a power snack or a cup of hot coffee or tea to energize you. In case you are worried about the ill effects of nicotine and caffeine, try and have a nice herbal tea variety.
Try working out with some simple stretches at work. Hand rotations, leg stretches can be easily done at work and can actually make you feel fresh. You can also climb up and down the staircase that will not only be fun but will also help you stay active.
In case you like computer games, a good game of pacman or minesweeper is the best option for a fun break from work for a while.
In case your office system allows chat messengers, having a small conversation with an old friend or a relative can pep up your mood.
Call up a loved one or a friend just to say hi and catch up with them for a while. Talking to a loved one can be the best stress buster and helps you get back to work with added enthusiasm.
Try and clean up your desk and make it more interesting by adding post-its with funny messages, some interesting paper weights and so on.
Type ‘fun things to do when bored at work’ in the Google search engine and browse through the search results.
Clean up your computer, delete all the unwanted files, and try to find a better desktop theme for your computer.
Open MS paint and draw a picture. Painting or drawing can be a fun activity and it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are at it. Complete the picture and forward it to all your friends via email.
Make your own website and try to make it as good as possible with great content as well as pictures.

Fun Things To Do When Bored At Work –Wacky Options

Pick up random objects and super glue them together to create abstract art. Display it on your desk or present it as a gift to someone in the office.
Walk up to a co-worker and pretend to talk only using lip movements. Use funny hand gestures as well and just when the person starts getting irritated with your antics say " You better get your ears checked man!" and run to the next victim.
Make up a funny incomprehensible language and go around the office talking to people in your language for at least an hour.
Tell people they’ve got something stuck in their teeth and they better clean it up.
In case you’ve got mobile chairs in the office ask someone to move you around in the office by pushing your chair. Go around the office visit every cubicle and ask people how their day is coming along.
Make a buzzing sound which is loud enough for everyone around you. When everyone starts looking at you point suggestively at your neighbor and frown.
Have an imaginary friend and keep talking to him/her aloud in the office.
Have office Olympics and make people participate in funny games like three legged race or chair-racing . You can even have a typing contest where the one with the fastest typing speed wins.
Pick up a funny accent and talk to your co-workers in the weird accent throughout the day.
Try and google the names of people you know and see if you find anything interesting/funny. Walk up to those people and talk to them about the funny things you found out about them.