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Aletha writes:
I bought a new mattress 2 years ago, after 1 1/2 years I starting have hip and low back pain. I started sleeping on my sons 12 year old Serta(firm) and pain went away. We just recently bought a Bemco Grand Firm bed(thinking the firmer the better) and the first two nights it felt too hard, but the third night was better. We ended up putting a 3 inch memory foam to soften it up a little, but pain came back. We thought that by buying a firm bed, we could adjust the topper or mattres pad to our comfort. Dont know what to do and cant afford to get new bed. Please help.
Hi Aletha,
Memory foam is worthless...as you have now discovered.
2" of soft latex will give you the comfort you need, without sacrificing support.
Latex is a whole lot more resilient than memory foam. It's more comfortable and more durable...by far.
Here's a link to latex toppers. http://www.themattressexpert.com/Accessories/
Thanks, Pete
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This review was originally published on January 21, 2013…
Practical effects are nearly a thing of the past. Today, we tend to see bloated, computer-effects driven, hollow films. So it comes as a breath of fresh air when a film appears that champions techniques of the past with modern technology. That's Sci-Fly, a small film that is able to create larger than life landscapes before your eyes.
Sci-Fly blends in-camera and practical effects to create galaxies, planets and other really cool locations to create a unique, atmospherical, experimental film. These are visuals that would rival that of The Fountain, Tree of Life and would even make Gaspar Noé tremble.
As I was writing this review, I got curious about the creation of the film, so I looked up director Joey Shanks and the creation of this film and learned about the whole Kickstarter process that went into this. Shanks explains his love for stop-motion and practical effects while pitching Sci-Fly as a film about the last living being in the galaxy trying to survive a harsh galaxy. I was unable to see that in the film per se but nonetheless I was captivated by the overall process and final output of the film. The music adds a whole extra layer to the experience and I feel like both the visuals and the music compliment each other nicely.
Joey Shanks was able to do this film entirely on imagination and heart. I must say I applaud him for what he was able to achieve. I look forward to seeing what else this he is able to create with an even bigger budget.
Posted on March 8, 2013 in Reviews by Zack Haddad
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GarrettXian on Mon, 21st Jan 2013 3:54 pm
I thought your readers might like to know that the music in Sci-Fly is by Kleptonaut. http://kleptonaut.com/
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Uniteam produce a wide range of highly mobile medical military shelters for all theatres with wide ranging applications.
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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt |
My name is Astrid!
Facts about Astrid
- Breed: Domestic Shorthair
- Color: Brown Tabby
- Age: Kitten
- Sex: Female
- Hair: Short
Astrid's Info...
I am already spayed and up to date with shots.
If you are interested in viewing or adopting these kitties, please go to www.orphankittenrescue.com/adopt and fill out an application.
Astrid is bonded with her brother Loeki, and would like to be adopted with him.
Again, if you are interested in viewing or adopting these kitties, please go to www.orphankittenrescue.com/adopt
Other Pets at Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA)
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Astrid, a Vancouver Domestic Shorthair kitten was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Domestic Shorthair for sale in Vancouver, or seeking a Domestic Shorthair kitten from a breeder in Vancouver.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Vancouver already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Vancouver breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even Domestic Shorthair breeders who help with Domestic Shorthair rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Vancouver paves the way for another one to be saved.


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Thread: http://pfcup.com.au/web/
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
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- Australia
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Hi I volunteered to help improve this website, can you suggest ways it can be improved? Don't worry I didn't design it myself so there's no way you can offend or hurt my feelings.
I personally don't like
- how the homepage is presented as one long scrolling page. I think it's offputting to the visitor and doesn't cater to today's average attention span.
- Lags slightly when scrolling frantically.
- Pictures disproportionately big to text.
- Widgets ugly and their function unclear, and they seem defective and disorganised
- Widgets generate validation errors, esp. by using iframe
- Other markup coding errors
Your thoughts?The website I am building is http://www.mathannotated.com. My questions often pertain to it. This is my site plan: http://www.mathannotated.com/images/...ctory-tree.gif
Thank you for your help in all matters. All earnest efforts in helping me will be credited with Thanks. -ptrcao
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Yep you pretty much got it bang on. The actual layout of the page is nice enough and the colour scheme works, just needs some refinement.
My thoughts:
1. Needs a logo + image instead of just the plain text at the top.
2. Articles should be chopped down to 200 characters on the home page, then click to read more. (if possible) means the reader can browse through easier to find what they want to see.
3. Images need to be inline with the page, jutting out images always looks bad.
4. That google calendar events thing is really ugly. Maybe needs to be styled better or just implemented differently.
More or less the same as what you said I guess. It's not a bad site though for its purpose.


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Today is the calm before the storm — a potent winter storm is headed straight our way beginning late tonight. For today, sunny skies will prevail across all areas, but afternoon highs are going to be pretty similar to our typical morning lows with this very cold arctic air mass in place. Highs will be in the 30's over the Rogue Valley, Siskiyou County & the mountains. The 20's are expected for highs in the Klamath Basin.
A rain/snow mix and/or just snow will begin around 4am at the Coast tomorrow morning. This will be the onset of a winter storm that will bring low elevation snow by late morning tomorrow for inland valleys. Precipitation will likely start and end as snow over West Side Valleys on Friday. In the morning, it is expected to begin falling between 7am & 10am. Morning lows in the Valley will be in the lower 20's, and with the cold temperatures all week long …cold ground temperatures will also support sticking snow.
This snow will likely turn to a rain/snow mix or just rain across the lowest elevations in the Valley into the afternoon. More showery activity is expected by the evening, but in the form of snow over all areas at this time. This will be after the front has moved through, which will bring in an even cooler air mass for the weekend. The snow showers will then taper off into Saturday morning, with showers into mid morning for the Klamath Basin & Siskiyou County.
In terms of accumulations, snow over West Side Valley grassy surfaces and sidewalks is almost definite …accumulations on the roads over the valley floors will also likely be between a trace to one inch. Locally higher amounts is also not out of the picture — the "higher elevations" of Medford could recieve 1″-2." The foothills will see a good 2″-4″ easy. The Cascades are looking at 6″-12″, with the highest totals near Crater Lake and Diamond Lake. The Klamath Basin will likely see 2″-5″ ..with the higher elevations of the East Side picking up more towards 5." The Siskiyous will likely see 3″-6″ before this storm is all said and done.
Travel impacts are anticipated tomorrow morning, with deteriorating conditions through the course of the day. The passes, especially above 4,000′ are likely going to have accumulating snow by the afternoon. Those with plans to travel should put chains on their tires and be prepared for winter weather. Travel Friday evening is not recommended, and those with plans to travel Friday afternoon should be sure to keep a flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in the event of an emergency. Wind is not a huge impact with this disturbance, so blowing snow is not a huge concern. Our biggest problem will be slush, ice and snow …especially Friday evening and Saturday morning.
For the weekend, the coldest air mass we have seen so far this season will move in, following Friday's cold front. This is an even COLDER arctic air mass that will restrain highs from warming beyond the 20's over West Side Valleys! Morning lows will be in the lower teens west of the Cascades and below zero in the mountains and the Klamath Basin. These are the temperatures that will not only freeze pipes, but burst them. Households & businesses should take the necessary precautions to protect pipes through at least Tuesday of next week.
Meteorologist Alyssa Caroprese


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Up to 45% off Dining Room Furniture* | Up to 65% off Jewelry & Watches* | Up to 70% off Select Area Rugs* | Up to 25% off Select Bedroom Furniture* |
Beautiful fixture, great price. Looks very modern and expensive when installed. Crystals are beautiful! Printed instructions clear and helpful but I couldn't have installed this by myself (husband did it and I had to help hold during elec. connections. Watch out for: 1) SHADE LINING -not obvious from the pic but the inside of the shade is shiny silver - very modern, maybe too modern for our setting as we installed in an entry where you see the silver from all angles-might look odd if other fixtures in view are not also very modern. 2) INSTALL - very easy to bend the frame so it looks crooked. This is b/c you have to attach all the crystals and the electrical support while it is tetering on the center ball. Suggest you use the foam from box to keep the fixture flat while doing all needed elect. and crystal attachment (we ordered two fixtures with drum shades and bent both!) We were able to straighten the frame after it was installed. 3) CRYSTALS - took about an hour to attach crystals - more difficult than it looks.
I love this lamp, I purchased two for my new salon. The ceilings are high and these give off beautiful light. The inside is shiney sliver so it reflects even more light, Hanging the crystals was fairly easy and only took about 15 minutes for both lights. We have it on dimmers so we can soften the light when needed. The design is elegant yet modern. If you want to see a photo of the light handing in the salon, go to facebook andlook up Raina's hair color studio,
Very pretty when installed....and simply beautiful when you look at it from a few feet away. When you sit under it though, and look up, the rings holding the crystals together stand out as a bit flimsy. the reflective inner lining is a very nice touch. this product is not bad. I like this piece.
I bought this light fixture for a fun alternative to boring general lighting in my office. It gives a very dressed up feel and casts great light. The light is primarily focused down and up because of the dark shade, but that is not a problem for me as I use task lighting for small work and it would be perfect for over a dining table. The quality is solid, it isn't a heavy metal, but I didn't expect that in this price point. It is a great fixture, everyone who has seen it, loves it. My only complaint is there were no instructions for the installation. "Hire an electrician to install" is not helpful, so if you are a DIYer, make sure you are familiar with single wire fixtures. If it were easier to adjust the chain length without breaking the links, it would be even better. Good buy and a great value for a fashionable piece!
would not recommend this product. inside of lamp scratched
The black & chrome looks great in our foyer, which also has hints of black and chrome throughout. We decided to use some of the chain, so there is a nice reflection on the ceiling when the light is on. It does require some time (maybe 15 minutes) to hand the crystals onto the lamp. Be mindful to not scratch the chrome when putting in the crystals. Other than that, with some electrical skills, anyone can hang this beautiful chandelier.
Very pretty but terrible installation instructions.
The chandelier arrived undamaged and all the peices were in the box. It took a few tries to get it installed, as we did it ourselves, but we managed. There is plenty of extra wire - so if you have high ceilings, this will work. Our ceiling is standard size, so we had to tuck a lot of wire underneath. The glass crystals were beautiful and easy to attach. We had to buy special chandelier lights, but they throw off plenty of light. The inside of the shade is metallic. so light reflects and illuminates the table underneath. Have gotten many compiments on the light.
I read several reviews before I decided to purchase this chandelier. I Absolutely Love this lighting fixture. Very classy, not to big or to small. The crystals dance and capture the light perfectly. I would have paid more for this chandelier. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I bought this a while back and its GORGEOUS....modern easy to put together although a friend actually did the wiring and I just did the crystals. I just never get tired of it in my home office. love love love it
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Wed, Mar 28, 07 at 15:55
The front of my house is literally being taken over by beach roses - rugosa I guess they are called - and I want to move them to another location. Can anyone tell me what time of year is best, and how best to go about this - I am afraid it will be quite an undertaking as they have literally grown out into the yard, and have suckers everywhere. Any advice would be appreciated! |
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I would think April is the time in Maine. |
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Sponsored by: Missoula Federal Credit Union
Jan 2, 2013 3:21 PM by KPAX/KAJ Media Center
MISSOULA - The winner of the latest First Night Star competition in Missoula is Michelle Duflocq-Williams, who attends Hellgate High School.
The event was part of a musical singing competition held at the Wilma, with bragging rights and a trophy on the line to claim stake as Missoula's brightest star.
Monday night's 2012 finale brought in quite the audience, with the Wilma selling out. It has become a Garden City New Year's tradition over the years.
"We've been doing this now for 19 years on New Year's Eve, celebrating a community-wide festival of the arts. And the First Night Star is in its eighth year, it's a high school competition, and...[they] are all competing on the Wilma stage, to a packed house," Missoula Cultural Council Executive Director Tom Bensen said.
1 day ago


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Welcome Urgent Fury
Urgent Fury is a PlayStation Competitive community offering leagues and Scenario Based TacMap Tournaments for games such as Call of Duty, Battlefield and Last of Us. Our goal is to give "The Greatest" a place to compete in a respectful arena, and our motto "Win with Honor, Lose with Dignity" exemplifies exactly what this is all about. At the end of the game you shake virtual hands, usually by saying good game, no matter if you win or lose and show respect to your fellow gamer.
Pardon our dust as we continue to complete our redesign and launch of Urgent Fury 3.0. We have been working hard to bring a new design along with a much more stable platform for you to enjoy here at UF. Head over to the Forums to interact with our community and get in on the conversations. We are glad to have you hear and look forward to providing you with a great experience.
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CBS 2 - Search Results
Plains Economy Still Appears Strong
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- A new monthly business survey suggests the economy in nine Midwestern and Plains states should continue growing steadily in the months ahead.
The region's overall economic index crept up to 60.6 in June from May's 60.5 to hit another three-year high.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says the report offers plenty of reasons to be optimistic because the job market is strong and businesses report solid new orders.
The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.
The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Answers to question from Mark
What is a good time in the year to visit kenya?
3 Answers to this question
During our summer (Nov-Jan) is peak tourist season. August and September are good if your interested in seeing the great migration of wildebeests in the Mara.
Hi Mark, Rates are cheaper during off peak seasons especially june and july.Its cold then but Parks like the mara always have beautiful terrain and animals to see so you can never miss out.
Thanks Kate! Very helpful!


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You are here: The Museum > Permanent exhibition
The life cycleThe lives of Jewish people are marked by episodes designed to comply with divine commandments and the precepts of the law. Various documentary and pictorial items illustrate these episodes, including the marriage ceremony, the rituals of purification and the reading of the Scroll of Esther at the synagogue. Outstanding itemsMegillat EstherInk on parchment, 19th century, Morocco (collection of Uriel Macías). The Scroll contains the story of Esther, the Jewish heroine who saved her people from annihilation at the hands of the evil Haman, the adviser of King Ahasuerus of Persia. Esther, who was the King's favourite, pleaded with the monarch for the fate of her kin. Her heroic act is commemorated at the Festival of Purim at the beginning of Spring each year. KetubbahInk on parchment, 15th century, Vic (facsimile of the original in the Vic Episcopal Archive). To formalize a marriage agreement, a contract was established that established the bride's rights concerning her dowry and family life. This ketubbah pertains to the marriage of R. Sadoc and Bella, two members of prominent Jewish families living in the town of Vic in the 14th century. |
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This is a syndicated post from ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome. [Read the original article...]
It continues to rain in Rome but that didn't stop thousands of people from gathering at St. Peter's Square for the Holy Father's weekly General Audience. Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Sacraments, focusing on the Eucharist.
The Eucharist, he said, constitutes the source of "the very life of the Ch…


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With love, best wishes and many adventures to come!


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Hi: The lady I get my greenware from has sold me a couple of forms for melting glass bottles and pieces of glass in. She is not a teacher and just told me to put the bottle in the form (with kiln wash on it) and use a decal cone. That is the extent of my knowledge.
What about the label? If the bottle is dirty will that show through? How do I make a bowl? Do I break pieces of glass and lay them on the outside of the bowl form? Any help will be appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
I hope somebody knowledgeable responds... I need the same information. I've seen wine bottles that have been fired till flat and then used as cheese trays... the neck of the bottle becomes the handle of the tray. Dish TV has a jewelry making show. The guest made slump glass watch bands and all she did was balance the flat, rectangular pieces of glass on top of the kiln washed form (which was curved like a wrist) and when they were fired they slumped over the curve. Another artist made masks the same way only he also used cut pieces of colored glass to make the facial features. Those pieces melted into the clear glass once fired. Do you have a kiln? |
Hi, CandyWA: Yes, I have a little kiln that I purchased when I knew I would retire in a few years. It was one of the best purchases I ever made. It will only fire 11 x 10 inch pieces, but is a top of the line kiln. As far as the glass goes, I purchased the form for the glass bottle melting. I have not put the kiln wash on it as yet. Hope to try it soon. Those forms must have holes in them so the glass will not blow up. I hope someone who reads this forum has done this project. |
11 X 10 sounds good to me. Can you fire copper (for copper enameling) glass (for slumping) as well as ceramics and clay? |
My kiln uses "cones" so the kiln automatically shuts off when it reaches the temperature of that particular cone. (The cone bends and causes the kiln to shut off) I purchased cones for what I use - glaze, greenware, and the glass melting temperature which is the same as decals. There are many different temperatures available. My kiln also has an extra safety feature where I can set a timer for the maximum hours I want the kiln to fire - when those hours are used up, it shuts off. It is lots of fun. If your interested in a kiln, I suggest you start talking to shop owners that would use a kiln. I found mine after talking to a lady whose specialty was doll making. She gave me her discount from the factory. I don't even like doll making, but she sure helped me and I appreciate it. I would hesitate to buy an old kiln. They don't have the automatic shutoffs that modern people want for safety. I keep mine on my back porch. It is covered and unplugged when I'm not using it. When you fire, gases are given off, so kilns must be ventilated. |
Sooooo helpful.... thank you! What brand and model is your kiln? I'm sick of trying to get information from kiln companies... they just confuse me with too much information that's useless to me... and too little information I actually need. If they had their way I'd be buying four kilns LOL. I have a big Cress kiln but I've never used it. I bought it from a neighbor who was moving... it was only a year old at the time. Since it didn't come with an instruction book I have no idea how to operate it. I should probably play with that one before I buy a new one :) I just really like the idea of having a table top model. |
Hi, Candy: My kiln is a Olympic and works on 110 electrical wiring. I love it. I did not want to hassle with 220 wiring like a clothes dryer has. Too much trouble. Good luck with your kiln. Monica |
Oh thank you, Monica... I'll look that up on the internet. I've been watching the Vicki Payne show and am now all enthusiastic about glass slumping small pieces. I love the idea of the watch bands. |
I'm glad you mentioned the copper enamel process. My parents used to make copper enameled pieces when I was little and produced such lovely work. The other processes sound like fun, also. I've always wanted to as do pottery. I live about 80 miles from the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. They don't use kilns as such, firing instead with wood and sheep manure to get worldclass results. I think in Japanese it's called "Raku". Norm |
As a an art eacher (years ago) I had the kids do melted glass in the kiln...You can purchase molds ( from ceramic supply house) and just lay the bottles etc. on the molds. The labels will burn off. I think I first used a layer of kiln wash over the molds. Also, bits of colored broken glass or glass "threads" ( also from supply houses) can be placed on the pieces before melting. Sorry but I do not recall the temp where glass melts. |
Candy, you can find a Test Kiln, which I understand is what the smaller ones are called, at Bailey Pottery Equipment for $465.00. Go to the below site and click on Part# Search and put in C-230-1110. They have several different small kilns to look out and large ones. Hope this helps. Sandra |
- Posted by jasper_austin(email@example.com) onSun, Dec 17, 06 at 7:56
I tried slumping a wine bottle last week as an experiment. I put it on a shelf (with kiln wash) and fired to 016 - I have a computerized skutt kiln, so I just used the preset program set and a medium speed and added a 20 minute hold time (just to make myself feel a little more secure. It worked. I had a couple of little bubbles remaining in the body of the bottle, but it flattened down as expected. |
Months after my original posting, I purchased a bowl and a bottle slump form from a dealer. Apparently they need to have holes and kiln wash on them. They work great. I just used pretty bottles to fire, making sure they were dry inside - and it worked fine. I read someplace that people put those flat glass marbles inside the bottles before they fire them and that makes an interesting melt, but I haven't tried it. I tried slumping a piece of picture frame glass in the bowl mold, but it emerged from the firing all cracked and crazed. I guess I would have to use special glass, but I really cannot afford it right now. Lots of fun tho. |
This site has some great hints and tips http://www.delphiglass.com/. I make fused glass jewelry and other items. The bracelets and watch bands you'll need the bracelet form plus gaphite tongs to mold the glass around the form during the second firing.I don't use the kiln wash but use fiber paper. This is heated to approx. 1300F. You can make some beautiful pieces. Right now I'm looking to buy a larger kiln so that I can do pottery as well as warm glass. The best thing to do is read up on each so that you have a good understanding of what you'll need. |
- Posted by Marsha(firstname.lastname@example.com) onFri, Dec 22, 06 at 9:17
I have fused glass in a cerqamic kiln with really good results. First, make sure your glass has the same coe -90, or bullseye. Fuse the pieces at cone 015 and slump at cone 019 - 021. You will have to do some experimenting. Make sure your shelf is 3/4 of the way up in your kiln. Your molds can be made from clay bisqueware, but make sure they have holes in it & have kilnwash on it. If you fuse glass together, use 2 pieces the same size together & add other pieces to decorate, otherwise the glass edges will be very sharp. Slump bottles at 019, although I have slumped them at 015, put rolled fiber paper under the neck for a handle. Fiber paper can be cut into designs and layed under the glass to create a 3D effect on the bottom of your glass. |
- Posted by Bennie Walker(email@example.com) onThu, Jun 2, 11 at 22:06
yes i have! the glass melts and then it'll reharden at the bottom of your bowl. it looks great especially crunched glass, when you glaze so your glaze will run into the glass. I've never used the stuff your usuing thou. I actually just broke a few beer bottles. In class this week I'm actually melting gold into the bottom of my cup. its a beauty! i recommend putting anything in there, except diamonds because they wont melt! hope that helps ya! |
Hi, Bennie That sounds like a lot of fun. I am going to try that. Thanks |
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Email marketing has been a part of online marketing efforts for years now. But, Internet users have become extremely leery of it. They do not want to get a email box full of spam from a company that they visited once. Website visitors have become more and more hesitant of providing their email addresses to any website.
If you are lucky enough to get the email address of a customer or a lead, you need to use it carefully. Sending too many emails or low quality ones will backfire and get people to drop you from their email. If you are doing a website redesign, you should update your email marketing efforts to coincide.
Here are a few tips on how to get better results with email marketing:
These tips show you how you can make your email marketing campaigns be more effective. With a few changes to your email marketing, you should see more leads coming in and more leads converting to sales. That can interlock beautifully with your website redesign efforts. Give your marketing a new face and a new strategy.
How are your online marketing results doing? Anyone who runs a business online needs to have an eye on how well their marketing efforts are going. If you have not done so recently, you need to take a look. You may be surprised that your current efforts are not giving you the results you want. If you are thinking about doing a website redesign, improving your online marketing results should be a primary goal for the effort.
Here are five ways to improve your online marketing results:
1. Better Calls to Action
A call-to-action is any action you want the visitor to take while on your site. Simply putting a button on the page is not enough. If you want your visitors to do something specific, such as share their name and email address, you have to give them a reason to do so. Using better calls to action will improve your lead numbers and give you leads from highly qualified visitors.
2. Amazing Landing Pages
Landing pages give your visitors a special place to come to rest on your site. They have likely done a search on Google or a similar search engine and came across your site as one of interest. Ideally, your landing pages should target a specific keyword or product. For example, if you sell auto parts, you may need a landing page for each part manufacturer or car brand. Landing pages need to address the specific needs the customer is looking for and hint at much more available on the rest of the site.
3. Lead Nurturing
With good landing pages and better calls to action, you will likely see your lead numbers going up. And the quality of those leads is going to be higher. The next step in your online marketing efforts is lead nurturing. You want to nurture leads so they become sales. You need to build trust with your leads by building a relationship with them. That happens through quality content and social media interaction.
4. Have a Great Blog
You may already have a blog that you update on occasion. But, when doing a website redesign, it is the time to take your average blog to the next level. Blogs offer so many opportunities to build relationships with leads, new visitors, and existing customers. The most important things to remember with a blog is provide quality content, regular updates, and make your visitors want to come back to see what else you might have to offer. Read: Facts about Blogs
5. Participate in Social Media
You may have been avoiding going on Facebook or using Twitter. Social media is not a passing fad. It is a force you should embrace. If you want to improve your online marketing efforts, you need to embrace at least a few social media channels. As part of your redesign, integrate them into your website and your marketing efforts. You will start to develop a following and those followers are more likely to share your company with others.
A website redesign is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your online marketing strategy. It offers an opportunity to see how you are currently doing and set goals on where you want to go. With those goals in mind, you can get going with your redesign efforts and see the results you expect.
Should you redesign your website with a mobile responsive feature? Watch this video and see if it would make sense for you.
Improving your online marketing strategy should be a part of any website redesign effort. One important part of this is to define your target customer. When you understand your ideal customer, you can refine your website, its content, and the SEO efforts around it. Those efforts will get highly qualified customers to start visiting your website.
How can you define your ideal customer?
The best approach is actually to ask your customers some questions. Ask some of your best customers to fill out a survey. If you cannot ask these questions of your customers or do not want to bother them with a survey, you need to answer them yourself.
Here are some questions to get you thinking about your target customer:
All of this information gives you insight into the target audience you want to attract to your website. What you may find is that you have more than one target customer. Many companies offer services or products that take in multiple groups of people. Identifying all of your ideal customers helps refine your online message. Ask these questions of a wide range of customers before you website redesign to find out if you have more than one ideal type.
When going through a website redesign, you need your target audience clearly defined before you begin the design process. What you learn with those questions will guide your content, your SEO focus, and even your color/theme choices. Take the time up front and give your redesign the focus you want.
A professional website redesign is more than just adding new graphics and a new color scheme to your current site. You need to look at where you are now and decide where you want to go with the new design. You need to know what you like and what you do not like. You need to know what your competition is up to and how you want to counter that. All of this is part of a solid redesign effort.
To help focus your efforts, here is a seven-point checklist for your website redesign:
You can use this checklist to prepare for your redesign. Take the time up front to get the information gathered and to choose the right web agency. It might seem like a lot to do, but the effort is well worth it when you seen your new website premiere.
Can you pinpoint the year your website went live? It might be the year you opened your business. It might be a decade ago when you realized you needed some sort of web page. It might be five years ago when you upgraded your single web page to a multi-page site. No matter when that website appeared, you need to consider a website redesign every two to three years to stay up on modern design and technology.
Here are five things you need to make sure are part of your next website redesign:
1. Mobile Responsiveness
Mobile devices are rapidly overtaking both laptops and desktops for web browsing. If your website is not friendly to mobile browsing, consumers will go elsewhere. When you are doing a redesign, it is very important to make sure your website works well on the smaller browser windows of a smart phone or a tablet.
2. Optimized Landing Pages
In the past, most visitors would enter your site through the home page. Today, that is not the case. You can have multiple entry points to your website. These landing pages offer a place for people to look at specific information you are offering. Let's say you offer car parts for both new and old cars. You can have a landing page for new cars and a separate one for old ones. These landing pages have a design optimized to gather traffic and route it into your larger site.
3. Clear Call-to-Actions Throughout
Vague requests and mild requests do not do the job when it comes to gathering leads and getting sales on your website. Your website needs clear calls to action parsed throughout the entire site. If you want to get lead information, your landing page should guide the visitor to do that. If you want visitors to check out your catalog of products, then a banner pointing to it is a good way to direct that activity.
4. Blog
You may already have a blog. If you do not, you need to add one in your website redesign. Some people think that blogs are fading away. The reality and facts about blogs is that they are not going anywhere. People like to read entries that interest them. They will follow blogs of companies they like to get information on new products and services, to get tips, and to get ideas for new projects. This is a great way to connect with existing and new customers.
5. Social Media Integration
Do you have a company Twitter and Facebook account? Social media is something almost every company needs to use. Social media is here to stay and a smart company will maximize its use to promote new products/services, to introduce discounts, to award loyal customers, and to offer tips and ideas.
BONUS - Professional Design
Do not let your website design fall into the hands of amateurs. Your web credibility is more important than you think. A new visitor makes assumptions about your company based on your website. If your website is professional looking, works smoothly, and looks slick, the visitor is more likely to give lead information or to consider making a purchase. If your site is unprofessional or looks sloppy, people make the assumption your company is unprofessional or just doesn't care.
Take your website design seriously. Make sure you integrate the features into your site to grabthe attention of new visitors and to keep the interest of existing ones. Leave the design work to the professionals to make the best impression possible. It is an effort that pays off in the end.
Redesigning a website is a major decision for your company. But, all company websites need a revamp at least once every two to three years to stay fresh and current with technology. When you are ready, there are a few things you can do to make this effort worth the time and money.
Here is a list of six things to remember when preparing for a website redesign:
Use these recommendations to make your website redesign a fresh restart for your business. You will find the time, money, and effort well worth it when you have professionals at your side during the entire process.
In 2000, I made the following prediction at the CIC Forum in Washington DC:
"Mobile phones will morph into 'widgets' (wireless internet devices for geo-positioning, ecommerce and telecommunication)."
I went on to forecast that our phones will become web browsers, "Walkmen" (iPods were not invented yet), still/video cameras, GPS systems, email managers, calendar/contact managers, micropayment systems and more.
Here is the actual slide shown at the conference:
What fueled my interest was the potential that mobile applications held for meetings. Meetings are mobile and inherently in need of mobile technology to manage event data!
What a difference a decade makes! All these predictions have come true and mobile apps are now the hottest line of software development. There are hundreds of direct applications for events, tradeshows, associations and venues. Here are several of the significant ones.
Multipurpose conference applications:
These "Swiss army knife" applications provide multiple tools bundled in one application:
QuickMoble www.quickmobile.com
Quick mobile was the mobile application for the MPI MeetingDifferent and will be for the MPI WEC. It also used at major film festivals including Sundance and Tribeca. Features include: full conference schedule, personal agenda building, area guide (with Frommer's integration), search capabilities for attendees/speakers/exhibitors, integration with social media including Twitter/Facebook/Pathable and messaging. They build apps for the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android and mobile web providing greater ease of use than companies that provide only mobile web versions.
Follow Me www.core-apps.com
Follow Me was the mobile app for the 2010 Consumer Electronic Show, one of the largest shows in the tradeshow industry. Features include a full conference schedule, personal agenda builder, maps, exhibit hall way-finding (you are a dot on the map), course notes/literature pick-up, session alerts, Twitter integration, and sponsorship revenue sharing. They also build native apps for the major smart phones ( iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and mobile web for the rest.
EventKaddy www.eventkaddy.com
Similar to QuickMobile and Follow Me, EventKaddy provide native apps for most smart phones. Shows include the large 2010 Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, Features include full conference listings, customized attendee agenda building, attendee networking tools, interactive floor plans/maps, multimedia listings for exhibitors, digital coupons/brochures/course notes (in .pdf), conference alerts from show organizer to attendees, with extensive metrics.
EMA www.epromeetingapps.com
EMA provides multiple-platform mobile web applications (iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and mobile web) including conference agenda, exhibit directory, conference alerts, hotel information, local area resources, attendee messaging and social media integration.
Zerista www.zerista.com
Zerista is as an online networking/ business matchmaking tool, but as now put much of their emphasis on mobile networking apps. Their mobile community application Zerista Pro was used at the Mobile World Congress with more than 20,000 users. Features include mobile web meeting scheduler, attendee directory, personal profiles, attendee matching, social media integration (Twitter/Facebook), personal scheduler, full agenda, exhibitor directory, booth locator, virtual booths, floor plans, and local guides.
Event Media Concept's Mobile Conciergewww.eventmediaconcepts.com
Mobile web applications providing conference agenda, exhibit directory, conference alerts, hotel information with GPS mapping/star ratings, local area resources with GPS mapping, attendee messaging and social media integration. Mobile web applications tend to be slower and not as user-friendly as native applications built for specific phones. On the plus side, nothing needs to be downloaded to have it work.
VisionTree www.visiontree.com
VisionTree is a service company focusing primarily on the pharmaceutical industry. They provide mobile handsets similar to an audience polling service which can be supplemented by attendees mobile phones. Features include audience polling, text Q&A, feedback forms, conference agenda, speaker bios.
A2ZInc's ChirpE www.a2zinc.net
A2ZInc has been a pioneer in web-based exhibit floor plan sales, mapping and management providing services for more than 600 shows per year. They are also developing a mobile application called ChirpE. This mobile web application includes a full conference agenda, event alerts, exhibit guide, exhibit floor plan, social media integration with LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter, and personalized agenda building.
A2Z has gone to great lengths to build a mobile platform that will work well with other mobile and web apps including strong matchmaking tools. They have also built some of the best social media integration and aggregation tools for mobile apps for the events industry.
Meetings2Go http://meetings2go.mobi/
This is another mobile web-based product with agenda, exhibitor information, basic surveys, searchable attendee list, basic city guide, and SMS alert sign-up.
Mission Software http://event-master.com/mobile_phone_service_key_features.html
Mission Software, based in the UK, has Mobile Phone Service providing a range of mobile web and on-demand text services for events including agendas, exhibit information, travel info, SMS messaging, and SMS voting.
Text messaging event information services:
Text messaging has some advantages. It is cheap, is accessible on virtually all mobile phones. Here are two similar products incorporating this technology:
SNIPP www.snipp.com and XIPP www.xnip.comn
These two nearly identical products work like this: Identify everything of interest at an event (people, exhibit products, exhibit booths, course notes, articles, weblinks, etc.) with a unique ID code (e.g. A345B). Then text message this ID code to 76477 (S-N-I-P-P) for Snipp or 29292 (for Xnip). Then attendees can access the information collected anytime via a personal web page at the Snipp.com or Xnip.com websites. This provides inexpensive, paperless, and digital ways of accessing event information.
Audience polling and surveys:
Audience polling devices are a great way of stimulating attendee interaction and finding out what they are thinking. However, traditional keypads can be beyond the budget for many events (from $3-12/person/dar). Phone based polling/survey systems, although not as fast or capable as keypads, can be right for some events.
Traditional surveys methods are problematic. Paper surveys are inefficient in tallying and end in landfills. Web surveys often are captured days after the event when impressions are cold often resulting a low response rate. Alternatively, mobile survey tools are low-cost, low in environmental impact, efficient in data collection and capture the data while the impressions are fresh.
Here are several mobile survey products:
NearPod (www.nearpod.com)
iPod and iPad applications for surveys, data collection, prize give aways, presentation tools, and metric tools with applications for meetings and trade shows.
Validar (www.validar.com)
Validar is primarily an exhibitor lead management/intelligence company. Their SMS Survey product provides text messaging surveys at events. Ask attendees questions about the keynote speaker or solicit advice on which sessions met expectations and which fell short. Attendees can respond to surveys using any SMS-enabled device, such as a PDA, cell phone, or smart phone. This system has the capability to ask answer several questions with one text message, making it more convenient survey tool than those using a separate text message for every question.
Zuku (www.zukuweb.com)
Similar to Validar, Zuku provides low-cost text messaging (SMS) polling and Q&A. Responses can be projected live.
Plug and Poll (www.plugandpoll.com)
Plug and Poll is a Dutch firm providing similar SMS polling services.
PollEverywhere (www.polleverywhere.com)
PollEverywhere provides SMS polling and Q&A sessions. They also integrate with Twitter and mobile web responses, and, as with standard audience polling systems, results can be projected live. These polling questions can be integrated directly into a PowerPoint program making it easy for a speaker to use it. Try it for free for up to 30 responses.
Lead retrieval:
Traditional lead retrieval is one-way (from attendee to exhibitor), location bound (at the exhibit booth), and expensive for the exhibitor. Mobile lead exchange provides two-way, less expensive, digital ways to exchange contact information anywhere at the event.
DUB – Mobile Business Card Networking www.dubmenow.com
This app was used at the South-By-Southwest 2010 (SXSW), the same Music and Media conference where Twitter debuted two years ago. This app works with iPhone and Blackberry (with Android, and Window Mobile Media coming) to exchange electronic business cards. It allows you to locate people near you at a conference or send your card via SMS or email. This automatically syncs with your phone address book and updates to contacts are updatee automatically. It also integrates with LinkedIn and Twitter.
Bartizan's iLeads www.bartizan.com/index.php?id=62
Bartizan has been a traditional lead retrieval service for more than 30 years. Their new iPhone app is a tacit admission that the traditional lead retrieval model is on the way out. iLeads is an iPhone/iPad app giving each attendee at a tradeshow a unique 4-6 digit code printed in 16pt.font on their name badge. Those with access to the iLeads database (usually exhibitors) log into a specific event on their iPhone, type in attendee's 4-6 digit code, and then can see (and record) the full contact information. There are built in qualifier questions, seven standard action codes and an area for notes. All leads are date/time stamped and, using the phone cam, a contact's photo also can be attached.
Digital show guides:
A primary focus for these apps are on the exhibitor information and floor plan:
Taptopia (www.taptopia.com)
Interactive maps, schedules, and exhibitor info for the iPhone and iTouch sold through the iTunes store.
Member management for associations:
Associations are moving to use mobile tools to provide member services. The major association management companies are expanding their product lines to include these options. Here is a stand-alone one:
A range of membership and association mobile web management tools including member directory with full contact info, member photos, personal contacts, special interest groups, staff roster/contacts, and member alerts.
Attendee management:
This will likely be a hot development area where meeting planners will be able to access all online event registration and housing data through their mobile phones.
Ooto (www.ootoweb.com)
Otto is one such example. Veteran designers from the pioneer meetings technology company SeeUThere have built a revolutionary attendee management/online registration product. It has full mobile integration so planners can access all attendee/housing data from an iPhone. The registration product is free for the first month and then only $49/month thereafter with no transaction fees.
Venue and Location Concierges
These applications are designed for the venues to provide to attendees or hotel guests:
SwiftMoble (www.imswift.com)
This nicely designed iPhone application helps conference attendees at convention centers. The "myBCEC" app designed for the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is a good example of what other venues could do. The app contains a full, interactive venue map, local area restaurant/services information, the event calendar for the facility (with Twitter event hashtag links), transit information (including airport departures, traffic alerts, directions, parking information, subway alerts), a wide range of information about the venue (venue twitter feed, lost & found), and exhibitor information (utilities, AV, F&B, cleaning, etc.).
RunTriz (www.runtriz.com/hotel)
RunTriz is a pocket concierge for hotels. Hotel guests can order room service, view the drink menu, contact housekeeping, receive messages from the hotel front desk, schedule a wake-up call, arrange transportation, and view local shopping, restaurants and nightlife. If you don't have an iPhone, participating hotels will loan you an iTouch.
Geovative GeoTours (www.geovative.com)
Geovative provides destination marketing using multimedia GPS tours with mobile apps.
Micropayment Systems/Near Field Communication:
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range (about 4 in.) wireless communication standard used in Europe. Primarily designed for making quick payments, residents of Estonia, for example, can tap their phones on a parking meter or at a rapid-transit turnstile, making a immediate and easy transaction form the 'e-wallet' stored on their phone. Nokia and Samsung are among the phone manufacturers that currently offer NFC and there are rumors that the next generation of iPhone will have it as well. NFC provides great potential for meetings including lead exchange, electronic ticketing, and micropayments. If the new iPhone adopts this standard, NFC will become huge in the tradeshow arena.
ITN International (www.itn-international.com)
ITN, a high-end registration company, is a pioneer in using NFC for events and tradeshows. They provide innovated capabilities for attendee tracking, lead data collection, event micropayment systems and more.
Consumer mobile apps with event applications:
Although this article focuses on event-specific mobile applications, there are few consumer app that bear a brief mention:
Foursquare www.fourquare.com and Gowalla www.gowalla.com
These location-aware mobile applications allow people to check-in at a location to network with others and to share with friends. Although originally used in restaurants, bars, etc. these are starting to be used for events. Both were used at the 2010 South By Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin.
Bump http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bump/id305479724?mt=8
iPhone app to share contact information and photos.
WebEx Meeting Center http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cisco-webex-meeting-center/id298844386?mt=8
iPhone app to tap into schedule, attend and start WebEx online meetings
Things http://itunes.apple.com/app/things/id284971781?mt=8
iPhone task management
Google Goggles www.google.com/mobile/goggles
Built for Android phones, this product holds great promise for augmented reality applications. Simply point your phone cam at a restaurant or other object, and get a link to the website. Take a picture of a business card and it converts it to data in your mobile contacts… And much more!
These are just a few! There are likely hundreds more meeting-specific applications on the way and tens of thousands of consumer mobile apps that can help attendees, meeting planners, exhibitor and meeting suppliers at events and tradeshow. Finally, these 'widgets" have become a reality and much more will come.
Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP is a professional speaker and consultant focusing on meetings technology. With 20 years of experience running international citywide technology meetings, he now helps clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity He can be contacted at his extensive web site: www.corbinball.com.
Have you looked at your website lately? If not, then it is likely no one else has either. A major issue many businesses do not realize they have, until it's too late, is a website that needs a major overhaul.
Here are five ways to know if your website needs a redesign make-over:
Your website is not mobile responsive.
Studies show that by the beginning of 2015 mobile devices will outstrip laptops and desktops for browsing. The number of mobile devices offering the ability for easy Internet browsing is growing at accelerating rates. You need a website that offers easy browsing and good design on laptops, desktops, smart phones, tablets, and any other device capable of Internet browsing. Adaptive or responsive web design are two options to consider.
Your website is over three years old.
When did you launch your website? When did you make the last update to it? Unless you actively manage your website, it might have been awhile since you last updated it. Every two or three years you need to freshen up your website. You can do a complete website redesign or just a face-lift to give it a fresh look and feel. But, you should have it redesigned with the best practices in mind to make the most impact to your business.
Free Download: Website Redesign Self Assessment Checklist >>
Your website is not getting many inquiries any more.
Do you have a "Contact Us" or "Request More Info" form on your website? How many inquiries do you get through that form each week? If you say none or very few, you are due for a major website redesign. The inquiry form is a basic tool for potential clients to receive more information on your company. With no inquiries, you are losing a major pipeline for new customers. A stale website will often show in the decreasing number of inquiries you get. A fresh website will give a positive impression on visitors that will entice them to ask for more information.
Your website is something someone else must manage for you.
Can you or a designated employee easily update your website's content without help? Do you rely on someone else, outside your company, to do this for you? If so, you need a website that has easy content management built-in. With today's technology, there is no reason to depend on an outside vendor to do content updates to your website. You need a redesign that will make this an easy thing to do so you can keep your website up to date and the content fresh.
Your website does not rank at all for your critical keywords.
What are your critical keywords? Those are the phrases that people commonly use to find your website. For example, if you sell handcrafted dolls from Russia, a keyword might be "handcrafted Russian dolls" or "Russian dolls." When you type that keyword in a search engine like Google or Yahoo, where does your website come up? If you are not on the first or second page, you are not ranking high enough to get attention from clients. You need an optimized website that will get you to those top spots.
If any of these sound familiar to you, your website needs a major website redesign. Consumer use of mobile devices is growing very quickly and you need a fresh new website to keep up with this change. You want your website to pull up in the highest ranks possible on the search engines and you want inquiries to flow in all the time. Add easy to manage content, and you will have a winning website redesign.


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Watch Right Now: Behind the Scenes at Anna Sui's Spring 2013 Show
We look forward to Anna Sui's runway show every single season. Why's that, you ask? Simply put, Anna's collections are always packed with playful rock 'n' roll references, her beauty styling is always inspiring (witness Spring 2013's pastel ponytails), her casting's top-notch (Karlie Kloss! Joan Smalls! Liu Wen!) and the girls actually smile on the catwalk—an unfortunately rare occurrence during Fashion Week.
Now, with the Sui team's new behind-the-scenes video, we can relive this season's show in multimedia form. Take a look at how the entire collection came together, plus hear style insiders like Alexa Chung and André Leon Talley wax poetic about the designer's punk-chic aesthetic, in the clip below.
Keep up with the Lucky team on Twitter: Follow @LuckyMagazine
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photo by Pornchai Mittongtare
Makes 10 to 12 servings
- 3 1/2 ounces crumbled blue cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 8-ounce package chilled cream cheese
- 2/3 cup purchased spiced cranberry-apple chutney
- 1/2 cup very thinly sliced green onions
For shortbread:
Blend blue cheese and butter in processor until creamy. Add flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add walnuts and process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top sheet. Using 2 1/2x1-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out leaves. Transfer leaves to prepared baking sheets. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional leaves. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer leaves to rack and cool. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)
For roulade:
Using rolling pin, flatten cream cheese between sheets of plastic wrap; roll into 10x8-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Spread 1/3 cup chutney atop cream cheese rectangle, leaving 1-inch plain border. Sprinkle chutney with 2 tablespoons green onions. Using plastic as aid and starting at 1 long side, roll up cream cheese, jelly-roll style, into log. Gently press remaining green onions onto roulade. Wrap roulade tightly with plastic. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Place roulade on platter. Surround with shortbread leaves. Top roulade with remaining 1/3 cup chutney and serve.
my notes
- Calories190
- Carbohydrates11 g (4%)
- Fat15 g (23%)
- Protein4 g (9%)
- Saturated Fat8 g (42%)
- Sodium271 mg (11%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber1 g (2%)
- Monounsaturated Fat4 g
- Cholesterol42 mg (14%)
recipe at a glance
main ingredients: Cream Cheese, Onion, Walnut, Cranberry, Blue Cheese
cuisine: American
holiday/celebration: Thanksgiving, Fall


text:
>Runner's World - My Event Ratings>
In short: A challenging yet enjoyable runIn full: A pretty brutal first 3 miles uphill gave way to a great downhill section with amazing views. Fantastic marshalls - thanks to the village for supporting us.Date of review: September 28, 2014
In short: Lovely race In full: as usual, a well run race with lots of supportive marshalls - thanks to everyone who gave up their timeDate of review: July 13, 2014
In short: wet and challenging In full: Boy they weren't kidding when they called it 'challenge' - thigh deep channels with a wicked current, the first 7 miles of pretty much ankle deep water (and the channels) and a headwind for the next 5 miles. A great run however with friendly runners and well organised. thanks allDate of review: July 6, 2014
In short: Great race, lots of mudIn full: thanks to the organisers, marshals and locals who came out to support us all today. This is my second attempt at this race and despite knowing about the big hill I still loved every minute. A well organised, friendly race - can't recommend enough (as long as you don't mind a bit of mud). Date of review: April 6, 2014
In short: Fantastic event - book me in for 2014In full: Great course, wonderful marshals - thanks to all at Droitwich AC for making us feel so welcome and for putting on such a good event.Date of review: September 15, 2013
Date of review: June 29, 2013
In short: A bit too hot for me but as usual excellent raceIn full: thanks to all organisers, drinks marshalls and the people of Freckleton, Wrea Green etc who took the time to cheer us on. All I will say... DO THIS RACE, marvellous atmosphere and friendly fellow runnersDate of review: June 16, 2013
In short: Thanks to all involvedIn full: This was my first attempt at this course and I loved it. The hill at c.8 miles is challenging but not as bad as I had imagined and the wade trough the river was welcome given the improving temperatures.I would just like to say a big thank you to all of the organisers, marshalls, locals and runners. You made this an excellent event with your enthusiasm, support and welcomeDate of review: April 7, 2013
In short: Must train next yearIn full: Brilliant race as ever - thanks organisers. Next year I hope to challenge my PB (gained at B'pool in 2009) - curse my dodgy knees !!!!Date of review: February 24, 2013
In short: They make us tough in the North WestIn full: Despite a shocking run (poor preparation due to knee injury) and being 3 mins slower than last year, a great race. Camaraderie in plentiful supply due to the snow and supportive marshalls. Thanks to all involved. My only criticism was the goody bags - not as good as last year and the new queuing system to get your medal etc - other than those minor issues, fantastic and i will be be back next year to crack the elusive 1:40 (unless i manage it at Freckleton first!) Date of review: February 21, 2010


text:
Tell A Friend
Thank you for your interest in sharing us with others. Enter your info and your friends info below and hit Submit.
The following product will be referenced in the email:posted on 09/14/2012
Maximize shooting time with The QuikShot Premium Ball Return. Installs in seconds without a ladder and features a return chute with 360-degree swivel action.
BPI Price: $92.70
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(Savings: $10.30)


text:
Metropolitan Money Store Loan Processor Pleads Guilty in Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Under the Scheme Conspirators Took Title of Homes from Financially Distressed Homeowners and Secretly Used Home Equity for Personal Benefit
Greenbelt, Maryland - Katisha Fordham, age 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme that falsely promised to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes and repair their damaged credit, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
"We are prosecuting mortgage fraud crimes thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and state investigators," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to her plea agreement, in December 2005, Katisha Fordham was hired to work as a loan processor at the Metropolitan Money Store, located in Lanham, Maryland, which offered foreclosure consultation and credit services to financially distressed homeowners. Fordham was paid $750 to $1,500 per processed loan and was responsible for working with loan officers, lenders, and closing attorneys in order to facilitate the closings of loans, including loan re-finances and mortgage reversal program loans. Prior to taking the position of loan processor, Katisha Fordham worked at a perfume and make-up company and had no background in the mortgage brokerage, credit repair or financial services industries.
Beginning in March 2006, Katisha Fordham conspired with others in a scheme to fraudulently promise to help homeowners, who had substantial equity in their homes but were facing foreclosure because of their inability to make monthly mortgage payments, avoid foreclosure and repair their damaged credit. The homeowners were directed to allow title to their homes to be put in the names of third party purchasers (the straw buyers) for a year, during which time Metropolitan Money Store promised to improve the homeowners' credit ratings, help them obtain more favorable mortgages, and eventually return title to their homes to them. The homeowners were told that the equity withdrawn from the properties would be used to pay the mortgage and expenses on their homes and to repair their credit. The straw buyers were paid $10,000 to participate in the scheme.
Using the homeowners' properties, the conspirators applied for mortgages to extract the maximum available equity from the homes and prepared and submitted to mortgage lenders ("the lenders") fraudulent loan applications to obtain fraudulently inflated loans on the target properties in the straw buyers' names. At settlements, the conspirators imposed numerous fees and required "seller contributions" which were far in excess of industry standards; they imposed fees for services which were not performed, disclosed or explained to the homeowners; and they transferred the sale proceeds out of the escrow accounts into the conspirators' business and personal bank accounts and converted a substantial portion of those funds to their personal use.
Specifically, Katisha Fordham agreed to serve as a straw buyer for five properties, and secure mortgage loans in her own name to do so, because she had a good credit history, and her co-conspirators paid her $10,000 for each property for which she served as a straw buyer. In purchasing the five properties Katisha Fordham made false statements as to personal and financial information on settlement documents.
From March 2006 through June 2006 Katisha Fordham received five $10,000 cashier's checks, in return for serving as a straw buyer for the fraudulent real estate settlements of properties in Washington, D.C. and Bowie, Oxon Hill and two properties in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
As a result of this scheme, the total loss attributable to Katisha Fordham, including the estimated losses to the mortgage lenders, is between $200,000 and $400,000.
Katisha Fordham faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2009.
Katisha Fordham is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the Metropolitan Money Store mortgage fraud scheme. Richard Allison, age 37, of Camp Springs, Maryland, an attorney and employee of the U.S. Census Bureau; Clifford McCall, age 47, of Lanham, Maryland, president of Burroughs & Smythe Financial Services, Inc., based in Lanham and a director of the Fordham & Fordham Investment Group, Ltd., a foreclosure consulting and credit servicing business based in Lanham and Greenbelt, Maryland and Carlisha Dixon, age 31, of Hyattsville, Maryland, vice president and a director of Burroughs & Smythe Financial Services, Inc.; each pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and are facing a maximum sentencing of 30 years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation's Division of Financial Regulation Investigative Unit for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney James A. Crowell IV, who is prosecuting the case.


text:
Just as I was losing hope in my first Secret Santa match, I got this orangered in my inbox! Thanks a ton, whoever you are, and I can't wait to see what else you have in store!
Edit 1: Now with 200% more gifts! My awesome match, whose username I'm yet to find out, had these printed for me at my nearest office depot! The level of stalking is amazing, and each drawing has everything I love in it! from mini-schnauzers, to tf2, to archery, to linux! I love it!


text:
Eric F. Schneider
Group Head, U.S. Region
Telephone: 914-249-6264
Eric Schneider is Group Head and member of the management team for the MasterCard Advisors U.S. Region. Eric and his team undertake business development with several of MasterCard's major accounts in the U.S. - as well as prospective new accounts. In this role, Eric formulates highly customized solutions leveraging an array of consulting, information and implementation capabilities to address the customer's most pressing challenges. Prior to Advisors, Eric developed business intelligence applications in the Information Products & Services team.
Eric joined MasterCard in 2001 from the consulting firm, Edgar, Dunn & Company, where he specialized in market-entry strategy, interchange analysis and activity-based cost studies within the payments industry.
In a consultative as well as client development capacity Eric has accumulated a breadth of expertise cutting across the cards business including co-branded programs, debit and small business. Eric has also become a multi-functional generalist, advising on business strategy, market entry, product design and development, customer acquisition, lifecycle marketing strategy and execution, operations and risk management.
Eric has worked with clients across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Western and Central Europe, and the Middle East.
Eric earned a B.A. magna cum laude from Cornell and a Ph.D. from Oxford University.


text: DINNER DISHING: There's no deal in the works for Rihanna at Topshop. Earlier this week, the singer told her fans via Twitter that she'd dined with Topshop owner Sir Philip Green, Simon Cowell, Universal Music chief Lucian Grainge and friends at Sandy Lane in Barbados, igniting speculation she was set to be the Topshop tycoon's next celebrity designer. But industry sources said the dinner was "purely social," and that no fashion deal is in the works. A Topshop spokesman declined to comment. Earlier this year, Green said he was winding down his collaboration with Kate Moss, although the two will continue to work on capsule collections together.


text:
Bodmin Indoor Skatepark Petition
Bodmin Skate Project has been formed by two skateboarders from Bodmin. The purpose of the group is to help improve the skateboarding facilities in the town of Bodmin, Cornwall. The current campaign in progress is the Bodmin indoor skatepark campaign; the aim being to have an indoor skatepark facility constructed in Bodmin to provide an environment for skateboarders, in-liners and BMXers that is safer, of a higher quality and of a higher capacity than the current facility and that can also be used in harsh weather conditions. If you would like to show the local authorities that you are in support of such a facility please sign our petition. Thank you, Bodmin Skate Project.
Recent signatures
Neil dain, United Kingdom
3 years ago Town: Bodmin
Louie Jeffrey-Jones, United Kingdom
3 years ago Town: Bodmin
Harvey Jeffrey-Jones, United Kingdom
3 years ago Town: Bodmin
Petition highlights
There are no highlights yet.


text:
Being involved in advertising, music in commercials is a bit of a grey area for me. The majority of the time, brands will choose great songs if an original isn't made specifically for the ad itself. On the positive side, it gives the artist massive exposure but of course it comes with a cost: the product will be forever embedded in the consumer's mind when they hear the track. Some guy gets paid to sift through music and choose just the right track. I want that job.
My sister showed me this artist the other day, saying that she heard the song in a McDonald's advert. I don't care if this guy reminds me of a Big Mac from here on in, he is utterly phenomenal. This cat is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, then grew up in Philly, and now lives in Colorado. Naturally, this will shape him to have a certain depth, and my goodness does it show in his music. Everything from the lyrics to the way he casually strums his guitar is incredible and filled with so much passion. Prepare to have your mind blown and heart melted.
Sala kahle,
Gregory Alan Isakov – Big Black Car [Mediafire]
Gregory Alan Isakov – All There Is [Mediafire]
Gregory Alan Isakov – If I Go, I'm Goin [Mediafire]
Gregory Alan Isakov – Master & A Hound [Mediafire]
Here's his live session with a UK folk radio station that showcases his truthful talent.


text:
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Is offering a discount to gain a link the same as buying?
Msg#: 4566334 posted
1:21 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
In the UK, there is a practice that gains high page rank and high domain authority links by offering a discount on their services to students.
Most UK .gov official university website have a page which publishes discounts on products and services to students, including a very valuable link to the suppliers website.
So the question is--.
Is offering a discount on products and services in return for a link the same as buying one and therefore is against Google's terms and conditions?
This was brought to my attention when looking at the linking profiles of my competitors and found, every website in my niche on the first page for a certain search term, had links from university sites, even though the service (finance related) was unlikely ever to be used or even possible for a student to use that service.
Even if you could argue an occasional student could use the service, I would still question whether any website service should gain on their SERPS, because of offering discounts anywhere.
These links are all gathered together on a links page, rather than any added high quality content.
I suppose the obvious solution would be to copy what they are doing, but in my case I don't supply the service, I just write about it, so no discounts from me.
The webmasters or students who administer these pages, probably have little or no knowledge of the benefits given to these websites, or for that matter no interest. A well written email and an offer of a discount is all that is needed.
It would be good to know Google's opinion on this matter.
Buying links is wrong, but offering a discount in return for a link is acceptable, or do they agree with my opinion, that anything that relates to money changing hands in return for a link, is against rules and I suppose that includes good directories too (unless nofollow)?
Msg#: 4566334 posted
1:55 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
Remember the Overstock.com penalty back in 2011? A large part of the publicity around that seemed to be about links they asked students to place on their .edu sites to help publicize Overstock discounts. No direct payment for links there.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
3:00 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
I think Google wouldn't care how you pay for your links - in cash or in discounts or in favours or for offering a "quality article" - the link is still unnatural (not earned naturally).
Msg#: 4566334 posted
3:19 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
I wasn't aware of the overstock.com issue.
This issue is not students adding things to their blogs etc, but main pages within the university website that the site administrator would have to add.
But we are talking about pages on sites with a DA of 80, with the actual page range of the links page being PR5.
A a dozen of these, and nothing else needs to be done, you are ranking high.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:07 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
I think ColourOfSpring has the right idea - Google wouldn't care how you "pay for" links. If they're not naturally given, then they could be suspect. However, many sites do acquire links through various types of favors and still thrive, because after all it's not easy to detect the many possible scenarios. Things also get pretty fuzzy, trying to find a definite line here.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:15 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
>>the link is still unnatural (not earned naturally).
i disagree, if you offer a discount for some reason and sites link to you highlighting that, then that is entirely natural.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:33 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
It has to be some kind of statistical model. If you run promotions and somehow you gain significantly more links than other sites that run similar promotions. Your site gets red flagged...?
Kinda like IRS audit I shall say. Not many gets flagged at all for all the questionable things, but once you do and get put into a microscope...be aware
brotherhood of LAN
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:34 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
Sounds all fair and square to me.
You're not even really 'asking' for the link, simply notifying the site that you offer a discount.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:48 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
if you offer a discount for some reason and sites link to you highlighting that, then that is entirely natural
However, in the Overstock.com case, the company actively requested return links from university web pages. I can't say for certain, but that action may have crossed some thin line in Google's view.
I agree that it doesn't sound very egregious, and there was some buzz back then that other link building actions were also part of the total picture.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
7:02 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
This is no different IMO than your company offering a scholarship to college students majoring in a field related to your business and having a government education-related site decide to link to your scholarship page on their student scholarship resources page.
You're getting the link from the government site. The government site is in no way benefiting from that scholarship (or in your case, from the discount).
Personally, I see nothing wrong with what you've described so long as the site where the link is placed (or any other site/business they own) is not receiving payment, favors, etc in return. If this were an issue, then every coupon site and mom's "saving" site on the web that posts links to deals they have found would be in hot water.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
7:13 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
i disagree, if you offer a discount for some reason and sites link to you highlighting that, then that is entirely natural.
I agree with you if they link
out of their own volition stating something like "hey, great deal over at widget.com, check it out". However, the OP (flanok) did say:-
Is offering a discount on products and services
in return for
a link the same as buying one and therefore is against Google's terms and conditions?
(my emphasis). It sounds like a conditional or strongly suggested thing. This is unnatural - the discount is purely there to get a link in return.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
7:25 pm on Apr 19, 2013
(gmt 0)
Is offering a discount on products and services in return for a link the same as buying one and therefore is against Google's terms and conditions?
Yes, and I don't see how there can be much argument about Google's position on the question.
Any links intended to manipulate a site's ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme. This includes any behavior that manipulates links to your site, or outgoing links from your site.
Buying or selling links that pass PageRank. This includes exchanging money for links, or posts that contain links; exchanging goods or services for links; or sending someone a �free� product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link
Msg#: 4566334 posted
11:36 am on Apr 20, 2013
(gmt 0)
Just to clarify
These are not links offering univeristy offers.
These are 3rd party businesses, that contact universities stating if a student were to buy from them, they would offer a discount.
I dont have an issue with these links being placed as a marketing tool (ie nofollow), I do have an issue that it affects serps and all top placements, for my chosen search term has at least one university link.
In fact I may have understood and accepted, book sellers or rail cards etc, that are traditionaly associated with students.
But I know, the links have been sourced by the 3rd party companies, only to gain high quality links and in most cases are not based anywhere near each of these universities.
The universities, are not visiting these 3rd party websites an making their own decision to link, because of any high quality relevant content. They are making their linking decision only by the discount being offered to the students.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
8:32 pm on Apr 20, 2013
(gmt 0)
I watched a Matt Cutts video a while back (I couldn't find it now of course) which said that offering a discount on products and services in return for a link is the same as buying one.
Of course your competitors could of just offered the discount and not actually requested a link.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
11:48 pm on Apr 20, 2013
(gmt 0)
Cut to the chase:
How does the search engine know
that you picked up the phone, called the prestigious .edu site and said
Psst! I give student discounts
-- as opposed to just cropping up on a list generated by a work-study student assigned to call every business in town and ask if they give student discounts?
:: pondering the fact that probably every software vendor in the world offers academic pricing ::
Msg#: 4566334 posted
12:13 am on Apr 21, 2013
(gmt 0)
How does the search engine know that you picked up the phone, called the prestigious .edu site and said Psst! I give student discounts -- as opposed to just cropping up on a list generated by a work-study student assigned to call every business in town and ask if they give student discounts?
They obviously can't "know know" you called and offered a discount, but they don't really need to know "exactly what the manipulation to get the addition was" for it to look manipulative.
When you crop up on a list generated by a work-study student who calls every business, there would likely be a larger "churn" or addition made to the page(s) with the links than a single link being added after a phone call.
One addition on a University site from a phone call offering them/students a discount would likely not be algorithmically detectable, but the link being added to a number of different University's sites without a "triggering event" (like a highly prominent news story) other additions (or churn of links) on their pages seems like it would be fairly easy to detect as "manipulation" of some kind.
Student gets a list and calls a bunch of businesses and yours happens to be one that gets added to the page. The page and linked sites likely change quite a bit on the day(s) the calls are made or when it's updated, meaning there's more than a single link different between the before and after version of the page. (This one would likely appear natural, imo. Website page was updated. It happens.)
Business calls 30 Universities and get's 25 links out of the deal and nothing else changes on the pages containing the link or there are some limited changes to some of the pages and it's the only change on 18 of them. (This would likely appear manipulative, imo. 25 additions of one site by Universities when the site's never been linked from one before and it's not "gaining links all over the place" from a news mention or some other "link triggering event"? Just doesn't seem like it would happen naturally, to me anyway.)
Msg#: 4566334 posted
6:27 am on Apr 21, 2013
(gmt 0)
Would Google consider it an unnatural link? Probably, if they detected it, and especially if it's not really relevant to your site. Which it sounds like this would not be, based on what you've said.
Would Google succeed in detecting it? That's a much harder question. The algo can't guess right every time, so you have to try to guess what factors it's looking at. Which is why I brought up relevancy. I'm surprised Google hasn't already devalued or penalized these links, since it sounds like there's a relevancy issue. But it sounds like their "trust" in an edu domain may be trumping their concern about relevancy. So you may be perfectly safe to do what your competitors are doing, but unfortunately there's only one way to find out.
Msg#: 4566334 posted
1:16 pm on Apr 21, 2013
(gmt 0)
I suspect the links get an initial pass just because of the source, but once it sets off a pattern that is discernible by Google, they get whacked. Google certainly trusts .edu domains - but not as much as they used to because people figured that out.
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text:
ShopAtHomeSelect is a Winsock 2 Layered Service Provider that redirects visits to merchant sites in order to take the affiliate fees from them automatically.
Also known as: Shop At Home, Golden Retriever, sahagent, sahbundle
Using Spyware Doctor to detect and remove ShopAtHomeSelect AUTOMATICALLY!
There should be an entry in the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs entry for 'ShopAtHomeSelect Agent'. Use it to remove the software then restart the computer.
You can delete the damaged '{30402FF4-3E71-4A1C-9B4B-1CD3486A9FB2}' entry inside the 'Downloaded Program Files' folder, the 'SAHUninstall.exe' file in the 'Windows' folder and 'SahAgent.log' in the root of the C: drive to clean up if you like.
If the entry for ShopAtHomeSelect remains in your Add/Remove Programs even though the software is uninstalled, you can get rid of it by opening the registry (Start->Run->regedit) and deleting the key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ShopAtHomeSelect Agent'.
Manual removal
As with all software that uses Winsock2 LSPs, you should be very careful removing ShopAtHomeSelect by hand: if you slip up you may lose all networking ability.
First, open the registry (Start->Open->regedit) and find the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run . Delete the 'SAHAgent' entry.
Next, run 'regedit' and find the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2\Parameters \Protocol_Catalog9 . For each key in Catalog_Entries, open the 'PackedCatalogItem' value and check if it starts with 'lsp.dll'. If it does delete that entry. Renumber the remaining keys so that they count up from 000000000001 one at a time, and set the 'Num_Catalog_Entries' value in Protocol_Catalog9 to the highest key number you have. See, I told you it was a lot of effort.
Next, open a DOS command prompt window (from Start->Programs->Accessories) and enter the commands:
cd "%WinDir%\System" regsvr32 /u "..\Downloaded Program Files\WEBinstaller.dll" cd "..\Downloaded Program Files" del WEBinstaller.dll del SAH*.exe
Restart the computer and you should be able to delete the files 'tracking.tmp', 'vg.dat', 'v.dat', 'lsp.dll', 'SahDownloader.exe' and 'SahAgent.exe' from the System folder (inside the Windows folder; called 'System' on Windows 95/98/Me or 'System32' under Windows NT/2000/XP). You can also delete the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VGroup to clean up if you like.


text:
Do you need a credit card payment processing functionality for your online business so that you can accept payment from customers for your products or services? Do you want help figuring out whether it is better to open your own merchant account, or use a third party online payment gateway? NicheLabs has the expertise you need to make the right choices in shopping cart and payment processing technologies for your specific business needs.
There are several things you will need to know before you select a shopping cart and internet credit card payment processing service. Among the things NicheLabs can give you guidance on are:
You want your eCommerce site to be equipped with efficient and fast credit card payment processing. The eCommerce environment is very competitive, and online shoppers are pretty savvy. They expect a fast, easy, and secure transaction. A poorly designed shopping cart with a slow financial transaction is an inconvenience for your customers, and it can result in lost sales. Considering today's fast-paced internet environment, you cannot afford to have poor quality internet credit card payment processing.
Payment processors allow you to have payments immediately deposited into your bank account, and they add an extra layer of protection against fraud. Major credit and debit cards, electronic checks from bank accounts, gift cards, and bank transfers can typically be accepted from your customers. Many processors also handle sales tax computation, serial number generation, and annual reports.
While it is possible to conduct business online without a payment processor, having a payment processor allows your customers to pay immediately and easily -- without the hassle of writing out a check or money order, or the risk to you that the customer will change their mind and not write that check or money order at all. Rather than having to enter orders manually through a terminal, call in orders over the phone, or run checks to the bank, wouldn't it be easier to use a payment processor so that your sales transactions occur quickly and seamlessly through your website?
Contact NicheLabs today to see how we can help you with internet credit card payment processing.