The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping in Touch. A big, warm 'hello' to all our new subscribers.

WOW! What a weekend! I spent all day Thursday making sure I had everything backed up. On Friday I roped my husband, Jimm, into helping me reformat the computer. Putting everything back on of course takes all day. On top of that, my mail wasn't downloading so when everything was set up again there were over 4,800 messages waiting for me!

Reformatting a computer is not one of my favorite things. I decided this time to challenge myself to the task and find some benefits to the whole process. First, I didn't have to do it alone. I also decided to give some thought to Linux so I now have a dual boot setup with Windows 2000 Pro and Linux. Therein lies the next advantage. You can set everything up the way you want to and install the programs you want. Nothing more and nothing less. I've also taken another leap of faith and have chosen to install OpenOffice.org 1.0.1 and give it a try. I'll give you a progress report from time to time. :-) If you aren't happy with your current software, then give some thought to trying a different approach. You'll find it here:

What Separates the "Haves" from the "Have Nots" Online? is today's Feature Article. Merle covers the most important issues to deal with when creating or updating your website. I'd like to make a suggestion for those who haven't started a website yet. First, figure out why you want a website. Then figure out the most important product or service you want to offer. Then start writing it out. If you have a drawing type of software you can use that but I've done it on paper. Be sure you understand the different sections of your website and what you want to link from there. Make it easy for everyone to go from one page to another. Sometimes, just making that map will keep you from making a mistake or two that you might not otherwise notice until it will cost you loads of time and effort to fix.

Sometimes You Have To Take A Step Back Before You Can Move Forward comes to us from John Colanzi and is our Special Feature today. One of the most important things you will learn when you run your own business is how all-consuming it can become. You want that traffic. You want visitors and customers. You need to advertise and rank with the search engines. Before you know it, you've just put in ten, twelve or fourteen hours in front of your computer. The sad part is that is not productive time. You and your body need a break every now and then. Oh, I'm not one to talk -- I have to add the self-care part into my daily task list in order to accomplish them but they are important.

Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT and KIT Klassifieds
Contact Me http://www.home4success.com

Who says life is fair? Just as in the "real world," there are those online who just seem to have it all together. Their sites look good, they have brisk traffic,and their customer service is top notch. You can spot a site like this instantly when you stumble across it,as you stand in awe and admiration of one of the Internet "Haves."

So what qualities does a site need to cross over to the "Haves" elite group? There are a few standard components they all share, so pay close attention, and I'll clue you in on their little trade secrets.

1) Good Design and Layout: OK, this may seem like a no-brainer but if you browse around the Net for any length of time, it's obviously not. Many people buy a copy of Front Page and voila -- envision themselves web designers. Many of these sites look like they were put together by a 5-year-old having a bad crayon day. If you don't know enough to put together a decent looking site, please hire someone to do it for you. Nothing will turn your customers off faster then a bad looking site.

Remember to leave plenty of white space, and don't place white type against a black background, please. Don't use more than two or three colors for the entire site,use plenty of catchy titles and headers and keep your paragraphs short, as people read differently online than off. Most just scan pages instead of reading fine detail. For help with your site,check out Web Monkey.....

2) Good Navigation: You might not think this is too difficult, especially if your website is small. But it can become a real problem as your site continues to grow.

If you use Javascript for your top menu, make sure to include a text link menu at the bottom of each page. This makes it easier for the search engines to index your paqes and for your visitors who may not want to scroll back to the top of the page just to make a new selection.

Make sure you put a title or some other form of indicator on each page or within the menu itself, so your guests know where they are at all times within your site. Keep your menu consistent across all pages of your site (in other words, don't get them lost).You may even wish to include a search function to allow your visitors to find exactly what they are looking for quickly. A good free one is ... http://www.fusionbot.com/

3) Opt-In List: I'm going to say this one time, so listen carefully. If you're going to be doing business online you MUST HAVE a way of collecting your visitors' email addresses and build your own opt-in list. Usually this is done in the form of offering an ezine. An ezine is an electronic newsletter dealing with the topic of your website. For example, someone who sells pet products might start an ezine on pet care tips and tricks.

If an ezine is too much of an undertaking for you, just start a list to notify your guests of updates, sales or specials. Most visitors will not buy from you the very first time they visit your site. You must have a system in place to collect their emails and contact them down the road for a future sale. An ezine helps you to "build relationships" which will lead to increased sales.

4) Update It: If you have graphics, links and forms on your website, make sure they work. Nothing looks more unprofessional then a site loaded with dead links and broken graphics. Keep your site fresh and updated on a regular basis. To check your site for broken links try http://www.lithopssoft.com

5) Contact Info: This should be simple enough but many times is overlooked. Nothing makes you appear as if you've got something to hide than not including some form of contact information on your site. Try to avoid PO Boxes, as many times they may make people suspicious. Try to offer more then one avenue of communication like an email, phone or fax number. Answer all of your email within 24 to 48 hours or you'll lose customers.

6) Fast Loading: Whatever you do, don't load your site with heavy bloated graphics that take forever to download. Also, take it easy with Flash and animation. Don't make your guests seasick with too many things that shake and move; it's cheesy and makes you look unprofessional. There are many services to help you compress your graphics, like http://netmechanic.com/accelerate.htm or http://www.jpegwizard.com

7) Who Are You?: One of the biggest mistakes I see site owners making online is not telling your guests who you are and what you do right up front. Web surfers are in a hurry with many places to go and things to see. Tell them in your opening site paragraph what you're all about. They'll appreciate the info and won't scratch their heads wondering what on earth you do. Tell them and tell them fast.

So there you have it. How many of these faux pas are you guilty of? These are basic principles for any successful website. By implementing these qualities into your own site, you too can join the "Haves" of the Internet Community and leave the "Have Nots" behind. And that's one move certainly worth making.

Merle http://www.EzineAdAuction.com "Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made" Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting! Publishers sell off your excess inventory and Buyers pick up some Fantastic bargains. Free E-book on how to write "glowing" ezine ads.....Download Now at
http://www.ezineadauction.com/ebooks/greatezineads.pdf

Are you ready to start making more money from your website?

Have you considered affiliate programs for their many advantages ... but found you barely make enough to take home a commission check every month?

If this sounds like your situation, there is a great new resource that will show you how to change that situation:
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The guy behind that site has created a very successful affiliate program directory, and with over 5 years online, has tried just about everything you can think of.

Find out what works and what doesn't work when trying to make serious money from affiliate programs.

Have a look today and find out how you can start taking home the kind of commission checks you've been waiting for:
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Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
- Arnold Bennett

I wish for you a life of wealth, health and happiness; a life in which you give to yourself the gift of patience, the virtue of reason, the value of knowledge, and the influence of faith in your own ability to dream about and achieve worthy rewards.
- E. James Rohn

To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

I don't know about you, but every so often I find myself getting too close to my business.

I start spending too much time promoting and advertising, and not enough time relaxing and letting nature take its course.

My view becomes more and more microscopic and I get bogged down in details and miss the big picture.

It's as if I'm sitting on a beautiful beach and instead of taking in the panoramic view of the ocean, the warm sun and the waves gently rolling against the beach, I'm obsessing on a single grain of sand.

It doesn't happen all at once. It's a gradual process.

I don't really notice it until my brain begins to rebel.

I start obsessing. My mind begins to freeze and I start wondering how I let myself make the same mistake again.

Why did I spend too much time at the pc?

Why did I keep pressing, when it's so much better to relax and soar?

Time to sit back and give my mind a rest.

It goes against the "nose to the grindstone" ethic, but working harder isn't working more efficiently.

Sometimes we need to give it a rest and allow our minds to rest. Even championship body-builders know that their muscles grow during the rest periods.

The same applies to your business. Sometimes you need to step back before you can see the big picture.

The Internet has changed business forever, but along with all the time saving promotional devices, has come the ability to spend too much time online.

You can just push a button and you're at work.

That's a double edged sword. Better than commuting to work, but oh so easy to lose sight of the big picture.

If you're finding you've hit a rut, or your business has fallen into a slight slump, maybe instead of pushing harder you should take a step back.

Cut yourself a little slack.

Give your mind a rest.

Hey, take some time to smell the roses.

Take a step back and you'll come back stronger than ever.

Wishing You Success,
John Colanzi
http://motivational.internet-profits4u.com

Copyright (c) 2003 John Colanzi. John is the author of "Motivational Magic." "Motivational Magic" will help you discover how to get more done, overcome obstacles and accomplish anything you want in life. To find out more visit:

http://motivational.internet-profits4u.com

If you've been following the latest on Habeas, Inc. you know the day is coming where you could be required to pay for the email you send - if you want it to get through, that is. Can you even imagine the nightmare this will cause?

You've already seen the lengths that publishers of ezines you have subscribed to have to go through to do everything possible to ensure that you receive what you have asked for by subscribing.

Please, please - if you haven't taken the time to read about Habeas, Inc. and their intentions, then go to jl scott's site and read it now. This is important to your business.

jl has done an remarkable job of keeping all the details together here:
http://www.i-Cop.org/habeas/

The Whistle Blower is a great sources of information put together by jl scott so when you're on her site, do yourself a favor and sign up for it.

You'll find the interview with the creator of Habeas, Inc., the opinions of people like you and me as well as what the Habeas header looks like. I noted the Habeas header in an ezine I used to subscribe to called InfoPackets. He was advocating the header. With a readership of 46,000 this is a dangerous move on his part. I unsubscribed. I will continue to unsubscribe to anyone who operates their business this way. Don't forget, Habeas, Inc. isn't out to make your email safe, it's out there to make them money. Loads of it. Make sure you understand how they determine what to charge you for a licence fee. It will be coming out of your pockets.

Here's the link for the Petition that has been prepared so that our voices can and will be heard in Washington. This Petition is International. Take a stand for the small online business. Take a stand for your business.
http://i-Cop.org/habeas/petition.htm

This program is for publishers who understand the power of e-zine swap advertising and who are fully aware of the benefits of a large subscriber base to its own publications.

Want Fresh Ebooks and Software?
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As you may already know, we've been experiencing some major software conflicts. The mail is working again which means I have thousands of messages to go through, clean up and create new filters for. There will be a temporary hold put on KIT Klassifieds until further notice. If you have a suggestion for an easier ad solution -- especially one that would get your ads up on a more permanent basis, send those suggestions in using one of the following links.

Serious thought will be given to these suggestions. And don't forget that I'm working with people who are attempting to make this program a thing of the past. We let you know more as we get closer to the solution. It's one filled with promise.

This awesome trio of e-books will be used by you over and over again.

• master the design
• reference guide
• cgi script
• java scripts
• cascading style sheets

See for yourself!

Legal Stuff ...

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content, profitability or legality of any published articles or advertisements contained within KIT.

And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before responding to any offer.