Captive Mommies

by Denise Willms

If you’ve been working online for any length of time, you have likely heard of the importance of good, relevant content. If you market products or services to moms, content is crucial. In fact, a recent survey indicated that when American moms need information, 70% of them go to the Internet first.

In other words, if you have the content they need, there are moms online looking for your website right now.

Unfortunately, many mom and WAHM (work at home mom) websites simply aren’t taking advantage of these money-making opportunities. That’s because they don’t have the right content, and they’re missing out on visitors and sales because of it.

But that doesn’t haven’t to happen to you. Here are three common content catastrophes, and how your WAHM website can avoid them.

1. One common problem among mom and WAHM websites is having little content, or no content at all. A “brochure” type website that only describes your products or services is not going to help you build relationships or win repeat visitors.

Describe your offering, certainly, but also give your visitors information they can use to make good decisions about your products or services. Publish articles and other information that will give your visitors the answers they’re looking for.

As a mom and a business owner, your time is limited, but supplying your visitors with information doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You can look for quality reprint articles that help explain your industry, or write short articles that answer frequently asked questions.

Many website owners are reluctant to use reprint content. They argue they don’t want to promote someone else’s business on their website. But if your visitors are looking for information, you’re better off giving it to them instead of watching them go somewhere else to find it.

You can also use reprint content as a temporary measure, until you have time to create your own original content on the same topics.

2. Using reprint content is often a wise decision, but using only reprint content can damage your credibility. If you only regurgitate the same content everyone else has, why should your visitors come back?

For that reason, it’s important to use reprint content wisely. Choose articles that will interest your readers. It’s also a good idea to add a paragraph of your own before the article, to share your own ideas about the information in the reprint article - kind of like an editorial. Paragraphs like this are easy to write, and help your readers get to know and trust you, but the main source of information is still the reprint article.

3. Outsourcing content can waste your time and your money. In order to develop original content and still save time, many WAHM business owners try to outsource their content. However, if you’re not careful, this can lead to the worst content catastrophe of all: Wasting your time and money and leaving you with nothing to show for it.

Hiring a ghostwriter to create your content can be a very good idea, and can get you the content you need for a reasonable price - so long as you do your homework first.

When you’re looking for a ghostwriter, ask other WAHM business owners if they can recommend someone. Once you find a service you think would work for you, don’t rely solely on the testimonials on the sales page. Do your own research. Ask the writer or writing service for referrals, then contact those referrals directly.

It’s also recommended that you pay your writer only after the work is completed to your satisfaction, or use a third party payment solution like PayPal so the writer can’t just disappear with your money and your content.

Moms want information. If your business sells products and services to moms, ignoring their need for content can lead to catastrophe. Follow the guidelines above and start giving your market exactly what they’re looking for.

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Would you like to add quality reprint and original content to your website? Visit
http://www.wahm-articles.com for reprint articles moms want to read. WAHM Articles also offers a writing service that specializes in creating original mom content.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

by Colleen Davis

Advertising is both an art and a science. Both content and means of delivery can vary widely. Today’s advertising can entail anything from brochure printing yielding quality full color brochures all the way to the most cutting edge interactive social networking stealth campaign. There are many tricks of the trade employed by advertisers that have been developed over the years.

The first is associations. Advertisers seek to associate their product with another non related attractive entity. This explains the commonality of pretty females in advertisements. Advertisers seek to associate their product with elements representing success and glamour. Celebrity endorsers are obviously used significantly to this end.

Another trick is expert association. We have all seen many commercials with an actor wearing laboratory outfits or other authoritative garb. Advertisers seek to utilize a facade of a trusted image in order to vicariously gain the viewer’s trust in their product by association. One must be very careful, though, of any tangible claims made whether by an actual or actor expert. All must be able to be backed up in reality.

Many advertisers employ optical techniques. However, the urban legends regarding subliminal advertising using hidden words are mostly untrue. The full color brochures you receive do not have hidden hypnotic text. However, the sizing of images and text are highly scrutinized by advertisers to be geared to innate psychological triggers within the human psyche.

The ad copy itself is obviously very important. Certain words are used often while others are avoided at all costs. Tonality of given words is analyzed to ensure it creates the right feeling. There is a deep pool of research behind advertising copy decisions. Different products require varying pitch types.

Unless the subject matter disallows it, most advertisements seek to entertain. A commercial with great copy and associations is worthless if it has a boring presentation. Copy and images only have effect if heard and seen. To that end, advertisers seek to entertain while effectively delivering their desired message.

Regional cultural preferences must be taken into consideration. The famous story is the introduction of the Nova car in South America. The car company failed to realize that “no va” in Spanish means “doesn’t go”. Needless to say, the Nova was not well received in the local marketplace. It is imperative that advertisers do localized market research and take heed of regional customs and preferences.

Market research is a needed first tool for all advertisers. Sophisticated focus group technology now exists, allowing advertisers to gauge response prior to a full scale roll out. Different tricks work with different market segments. Deciding which combination of techniques to use for a given product sold in a given locality is a task which often perplexes even the most seasoned ad executives. When dealing with the human mind, nothing is ever certain.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

by Angie Wenke

Google Ad Words is a good marketing tool to bring targeted traffic to your site if you can afford the added costs. I know a lot of small businesses cannot afford the additional costs of paying for Google Ad Words each month. With a reasonably small amount of work and effort you should be able to raise the number of unique visitors and sales from your site.

Ad Words is simply based on KEYWORD. Basically people run a search through a search engine for keywords if one of your keywords was chosen your ad will be shown. And you will charged according to your agreement with Google Ad Words. For Example if I was advertising Heartland Marketplace on Google Ad Words one of my keywords might be Craft Mall so every time someone typed in Craft Mall my site would show up in the ads therefore driving customers to my site.

Ad setup is VERY simple:

Headline no more than 25 characters
Line 1-No more than 35 characters
Line 2-No more than 35 characters

The most important part is to get the most content in those two small lines! Second most important part is to hit on every keyword that may pertain to your site. You want to make sure your ad is eye catching, that you gave enough information to spark their interest, so that people will click on your ads.

Here are some links you will need when creating your ad for Google Ad Words

1-Google Ad Guidelines
2-FAQ section
3-Good Overview of the Steps

Once your ad is ready you will want to create a account. You also will need to decide how much you are willing to pay PER DAY to have Google display your ads. They suggest $5 a day but that can be very costly so I recommend start low and see if you see any difference in your targeted traffic before you go for $5 a day or more!

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Angie Wenke is a WAHM who is the proud owner of
Heartland Graphics and owner of a
WAHM podcast Frugal WAHM’s Talk Radio.
Angie is a Married mother of two who lives near St Louis, MO and loves writing
new articles and helping her fellow WAHM’s on their dreams to own a successful
WAHM business.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

by Jill Hart

Work-at-home moms face many different challenges. From learning to accept help when needed, to building confidence in ourselves, to remembering the reasons why we chose to work from home. Below is the first in a series of tips to help work-at-home moms in the simplest of ways – the ABC’s.

A = Adjustments. A work at home mom must expect the unexpected. She must be prepared to adjust her schedule at any given moment for any number of reasons - a sick child, a backed up drain, or an upset client. A mom who learns to welcome these moments as a chance to show love to her family and concern for her clients will be ahead of the game in the end. Approach these “interruptions” with a great attitude and see what a difference it makes.

B = Better. Works at Home Moms have to be on top of their game. To run a business as well as manage a household takes determination and scheduling. You may not feel like you have a schedule, but take a look at your day/week and see how you are spending your time. Next, think about what you can do better, what you can delegate and what would be better off removed from your schedule to allow you to spend your time in a better manner.

C = Confidence. You wouldn’t be a work at home mom without it. Take time to celebrate each success no matter how minute it may seem. Each success will help grow your confidence and turn you into a savvier businesswoman.

D = Dry - Don’t let things dry up. Keep content fresh, offer new products and services whenever possible. This will keep you motivated and keep customer returning.

E = Effort - Don’t kid yourself. It takes a TON of effort to make a home-based business successful. Don’t give up with thing get rough. Keep plugging away - it will pay off

F = Feisty - Every work at home mom has to be at least a tad bit feisty. Stand up for your business when need be - don’t be afraid to say no when necessary.

G = Generosity - When I fist began my business I sought advice from many successful work-at-home moms. One of the best pieces of advice I received was that what I gave to others would come back tenfold. I’ve found that to be very true. Helping others is as much a blessing to me as it is to others.

H = Help - There will come a time that you’ll need help. You must be willing to accept it, to allow others to do for you what you cannot. In turn, try to be a help to other when they are in need.

I = If - If you don’t do it, who will? Mothering is such an important role that gets overlooked so often these days. Always remember that being there for your children is the BEST gift you can ever give them.

J = “Just for you” - Take a little time to do something just for you each day. Even 5 minutes of doing something you enjoy can revive a tired mommy.

K = Keep - Keep your chin up. It will get better. Don’t let a lag in business growth get you down. Find some creative ways to get the ball rolling again.

L = Laugh - Take time to laugh with you kids each day. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself when need be.

M = Mommy - Remember, the reason you do all that you do is for those little ones who call you “Mommy.”

N = No - Work at Home Moms need to be able to say “No” when the situation calls for it. Don’t be afraid to stand up for your business or to choose NOT to work with a customer who is more trouble than it’s worth.

O = Office - As Work at Home Moms, we usually put ourselves last on the list. However, when we’re in business it’s important to have some room (even a corner) that is set aside strictly for business.

P = Priorities - It’s hard to keep your priorities straight when raising a family and building a business. Take some time each week/month to sit down and evaluate your priorities and cut out things in your schedule that don’t fit in.

Q = Quiet Time - It may seem impossible to find a time to sit, relax and be quiet when you have so many demands on your time. However, it’s more important than ever that you take a little time for yourself to rejuvenate and renew when you grow weary.

R = Respect - Like the golden rule says, it’s important to treat others as we’d like to be treated. This is so true for work at home moms - we must show the utmost in professionalism and treat even the most difficult clients with respect.

S = Significant Other - As work at home moms it’s easy to get wrapped up with our business, our kids, ourselves. Don’t forget to take the time to appreciate your husbands!

T = Time - As work-home-moms time is the ultimate enemy. Learn to prioritize and delegate whenever possible. Take time out for your kids each day - you’ll be glad you did!

U = Unique - Your business needs to be unique to stand out from the crowd. Even if your product isn’t unique you can always find a unique way to approach marketing, customer service, etc. Get creative and stand out from the rest!

V = Vision - It’s so important to have a clear vision of where you want your business to go. Sit down and make a list of where you’d like to be in 5 years, in 10 years, etc. Without goals you won’t get anywhere.

W = Wisdom - It’s important to seek wisdom when running your own business. You won’t always know the answer, so you need to find others that you trust that you can turn to when these things arise.

X = eXcitement - Celebrate each success! Keep yourself motivated and excited about your business. Try to share your business with someone new each day. Just telling someone about what you do can bring back that “spark” of excitement about your career!

Y = Yes - Yes! You CAN do it! Each of us started with a dream, a vision and the faith that we could make it happen. It takes hard work, determination and a “Yes!” attitude, but it CAN be done!

Z = Zoo - Yes, life as a work at home mom really is a zoo, but it’s worth it! Being at home to see your child’s first step, hear their first word - it just doesn’t get better than that.

Working from home can be difficult, but it is well worth the effort. By keeping things in perspective we can reduce the stress that we put on ourselves. Remember these ABC’s and you’ll go far in your work-at-home career.

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Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Hart is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Home Based Blessings, due out in November 2006 for Christian moms who want to work at home. Hart and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

by Alyssa Dees Avant

In a world where crime is a constant and fraud is done everyday, we long to find people that we can trust and opportunities to work together where we do not feel threatened or scared of the outcome possibilities. As a business owner, we want to put our best foot forward and ensure that our clients see us as being “different from the others” in one way or another. Having integrity in your business can set you apart from the pack very quickly.

There are many ways to show your customers that you have integrity. Here are just a few of them:

1. Be passionate about your business. It is important that we are in a business or career that we love in the first place, if you are, it makes it easier to show your passion. So, do a heart check before going into any given business opportunity and make sure that you can be truly passionate about it, so that the passion you have will shine through to the customers.

2. Be upfront. Share information with your customers or clients from day one. Do not withhold information from them because you are afraid you’ll loose a sale, or not make as much money in the end. You need to want more than anything, to do what is right, not only for you but for your client as well. Withholding the truth will only serve you poorly in the end.

3. Appreciate your clients. Showing appreciation can go a long way in helping your customer to see that you are genuine, and can be trusted. Give your customers extra to show your appreciation, not to bribe them into doing more for you, or spending more money with you. Just give back to them to show that you are grateful for their business and loyalty.

4. Be personable and available. You might be the boss, the head honcho, or the CEO, but that does not mean that you should hide away in your office never to be seen by anyone but your employees after all the clients and customers are gone. You want to be seen by everyone as someone who truly cares, you want to be available to help meet the needs of your clients. Availability to others also shows your integrity.

5. Take responsibility for your mistakes. Let’s face it we all mess up. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes. When you do take responsibility and try to make things right. Your clients will appreciate you for it and will be more likely to forgive your mistake than if you tried to cover it up and not tend to it.

These are just a few of the ways that you can show integrity in your business on a daily basis, helping others to trust you with their time and their money.
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Alyssa Dees Avant is a Christian author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and business owner, when she is not speaking to audiences of young girls and their mothers, she is writing as a freelance and ghostwriter. Whether she is sharing her passion with girls on the topics of beauty, modesty, and etiquette or with their moms on time management and organizing Alyssa has a true passion for helping others. Visit her on the web at http://beautybydesignonline.com or http://organizedlifebydesign.com
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com