Most of the online marketing training that I have been exposed to makes a point of mentioning the importance of backups at least once. The main backup that is mentioned is the database backup, and yes, this is important. With the availability of the WordPress Database plugin, which is free to use, and a free Gmail account, you have the ability to send a copy of your database to yourself on a daily basis. Once setup, this is virtually a hands free and cost free process, so there is no excuse for not having your database for your WordPress blog backed up.

Another needed backup that is frequently mentioned is that of backing up the files on your actual website. More than one online business has faced irretrievable loss when a hosting provider has gone out of business or suffered a major server side glitch and all files have been lost. Does this take time? Of course it does. But it is nothing compared to the time you would spend trying to recreate your website or blog from thin air. So, if you are not already familiar with using your ftp, it is time to learn how to work with it and take a full copy of the files that make up your website.

So now we have covered the database and files, what about the settings? If you manage your website yourself as many of us do, you have invested a significant amount of time in how your site has been setup. Would you be able to easily recreate those settings? Or would you have to once again go through the process of investigating what each means before implementing? Do you know what is all listed under links? Have you made reciprocal link deals with any other sites? This information will not necessarily be available on a restore. It should, but what if it is not? Do you have another means of recovering this information?

As I mentioned above, the release of WordPress 3.0 prompted an overhaul for this blog. This happened for two reasons:

1) The theme I was currently using did not migrate well. And…

2) I had too many blogs with too many different themes, which effectively doubled the work load.

So, I decided to use the Magazine Basic theme as the default for all of my blogs.

To do this effectively, I set up a testing site, (with search engines blocked), under my default blog and installed WordPress 3. I also took this opportunity to setup clean databases and name them in a manner that reflected which blog they referred to. So, importing the database was not an option here. Fortunately, there is a plugin called WordPress Importer that allows you to export all of your posts and pages and re-import them to a new installation. I had to do some tweaking with the Categories and Tags, but overall, this was a definite plus as my intention was to wipe out the original blog once the test one was setup to my satisfaction.

It was at this point that I realized just how much was missing. All of the links had to be manually redone, as well as the basic settings, user accounts, specialty settings, plugin setups, analytics settings, menus, and of course any redirection links that had existed in the original blog.

Now most of you will be able to re-establish your website without having to do all of this , simply because you do have a valid database backup on hand and a copy of your website files. If you are not techy enough to restore it yourself it should be relatively easy to find someone to help you with it. However, if for any reason your database backups are unusable, having a listing of your website settings and an export of your posts and pages will help you to get back up and running.

A further unseen benefit occurred for me just a few days ago. Having setup the testing site for one of my blogs, I had thought to remove it at a later date when I was comfortable with the new setup. Of course, there never did seem to be the time to do this, and in this case, that was a very good thing.

You see, I added a new plugin to this other blog and upon activation, my customized home page disappeared. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I realized I still had my test site running and was able to use it as a reference while troubleshooting the effects of this new plugin, which did not disappear when the plugin was deactivated.

After a bit of time and a great deal of head scratching, I found that a new redirection had been implemented when the plugin was activated and so everytime I tried to go to the home page, it redirected me to the page associated with the plugin. Once this redirection was removed, I confirmed that my customized home page was the one set in the Settings areas and all was back where it needed to be.

This is just one small example of how having a testing environment available saved the day. And I admit, had I used the testing environment to test the addition of this plugin instead of my main blog, a lot of grief could have been avoided. I have learned my lesson with the above experiences and I hope that what I have learned will benefit others in the future.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

At that time, I would have the opportunity to provide proof that the music was used legitimately. For now, the notice from YouTube says that nothing needs to be done on my part.

Knowing this can be a bit disconcerting, particularly when you have taken steps towards avoiding copyright infringement. I find the process used to be a bit one sided to say the least. Basically, if I understand their instructions correctly, I am to do nothing until such a time as my video is removed due to a complaint by whomever is claiming rights to the music being used. At that time, I can file a counter-notification to prove my use of the music is legitimate and if I prove I am in the right, the video will be restored.

Since I purchased the rights to the music used, I took the required steps necessary for avoiding copyright infringement with my video. I have a copy of the license and the bill of sale and rather than wait for someone to yank the video, it would be a lot less stressful to just upload this proof and have the matter cleared up.

While I recognize that YouTube is rightfully doing everything in its power to comply with copyright laws, the folks that upload the videos in the first place are what makes it the great site that it is. Having a simple link under the notice that says “matched third party content,” that says click here to submit your license agreement, or something along that line, would clear the matter up immediately.

The addition of AudioSwap is a step that YouTube has taken to pro-actively help uploaders with the issue of avoiding copyright infringement. AudioSwap allows the uploader to choose an audio file to be played along with a video. These audio files are provided by YouTube for this purpose and can be used without issue. The only problem I have with this way of doing things is that the audio files are only available after the video has been uploaded and then only by opening the video to the audio editing process.

My reason for this is that I would like to have the opportunity to match the audio to the video a little earlier in the process. I have no issue with someone having to be logged in to browse this database, but it would be easier to make the decision to use this feature if the audio files could be browsed ahead of time, without opening one of your videos for edit. I must have listened to close to a hundred audio clips before I found one I liked.

Currently, you will find this option once you have uploaded a video. Log in to your account – go to the My Uploaded Videos section and look for a drop down arrow beside the word Insight. Here you will see the option to go to AudioSwap. One word of caution. If you do decide to use this feature, your video will be changed so that any audio previously used is replaced by the file you have selected from AudioSwap. This change can not be undone, so be sure before you select the process button.

So, how do you go about avoiding copyright infringement? You begin by having clear, written permission to the use of any content you use. There are many sites where royalty free content can be found. This content may be available for free download, or it may have a cost attached. You should be carefully reading the license agreement before purchasing and downloading content as there may be restrictions on what you are allowed to do with it. In the above example, I was careful to make sure the audio I used specifically stated that it could be used in a YouTube video. Yes, there was a cost for this license, but it wasn’t an unreasonable cost. The website I found my track at is called LoopSound.com.

Just as there are many different websites for royalty free music, there are also websites for royalty free images and video clips. IStockPhoto.com is one website that comes to mind.

Another item that you should be keeping in mind to help you with avoiding copyright infringement, is to never use the content or graphics of another website without written permission. If you are thinking about being an affiliate for a product, use the contact page to make your request. This will result in a written reply that either allows or disallows the use of that website’s content and graphics.

Now I grant you, I may not be totally clear on the dispute process used by YouTube, and I am open for correction in that regard, but I am clear on the need to have a clear license to use content of any nature in all matters pertaining to online promotions. So, I would like to start a list here of your suggested websites for obtaining royalty free content.

Royalty Free Audio Sites:

• LoopSound.com
• FreePlayMusic.com
• MusicRevolution.com

Royalty Free Image & Video Sites:

• IStockPhoto.com

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

A lot of buzz has been created on the Internet surrounding the implementation of the new FTC rules, which came into effect on December 01, 2009. While these new rules have resulted in a lot of work for an untold number of Internet marketers, in the end, they should help to bring back a bit of the trust that has been missing in the industry for quite some time now.

One of the practices that some Internet Marketers use that really makes me angry goes something like this.

They place an ad that is eye catching for people that are looking for a way to make an income on the Internet.

The website they land on generally gives them the opportunity to receive a free “trial” cd, dvd or kit. This is a physical item that must be delivered and the customer is required to only pay shipping and handling. But, of course there is a catch.

On the surface, this looks like a pretty good deal and many Internet marketers do use this type of promotion. The majority of those that do, also use good practices as well. Then there are the ones that don’t.

The ones that do not use customer friendly practices will add a catch that goes something like this.

• Once the customer has ordered the “trial” product, they have also given their payment information. This type of marketer will generally not use a service such as Clickbank or PayPal, so they then have the credit card and address information of that customer.
• Along with the sending of the “trial” product, there is a clause that many fail to notice. That clause says in one form or another that the customer will have a given time period to review the product, after which, they will be billed for an additional amount and often, that billing is set up to re-occur monthly.
• The “trial” period is very short. Often 7 or 14 days, which may or may not be long enough for the “trial” product to actually arrive so that it can be reviewed by the customer and an informed decision made on whether to continue with the automated payments.
• The marketer gives the customer very little, if any contact information with which the customer is able to opt out of future charges. Some even give bogus contact information.

One result is that often the customer has forgotten signing up for this “trial” offer and is surprised when it shows up. This is particularly true if they have visited multiple opportunities. The “trial” product may or may not arrive within the time frame of the trial. Usually if it does arrive within that time frame, there isn’t a lot of time remaining. Life being what it is, the customer may get to opening the “trial” product in a few days.

In the meantime, the “trial” period expires and all of a sudden the customer notices a charge on their credit card. It may take them a bit of pondering to realize where that charge came from, and when they do, they start looking for a way to get their money back, however, they are unable to find any contact information to do so.

I’ve received a number of emails from people who have been caught up in a marketing promotion of this type. It goes with the territory of Internet marketing and each time it happens I get angry.

• I get angry because these customers have essentially been taken in and that makes all Internet marketers look bad.
• I get angry when someone knowingly abuses another person’s trust.
• I get angry when these people end up emailing me for answers on what to do and the only thing I can tell them is to contact their credit card company and have the charges stopped.

I will not knowingly promote or recommend a product or service that uses these tactics because my customers trust and respect are valuable to me. My good name is also valuable to me as it should be to any person conducting business of any nature. If someone has an issue with a product I have promoted and they have subsequently purchased through my affiliate link, I will do whatever I can to see that they are able to get their money back. Unfortunately, for those I mention above, as I was not involved with their purchase, there was little I could do to help.

Some things to look for to avoid be taken in by this type of promotion are:

• Contact information – legitimate affiliates and marketers will make sure that the customer has the opportunity to contact them and will post their contact information on their web pages.
• Read the fine print. If it says you will be charged after a specified period of time, you can be sure that you will in fact be charged.
• Is the “trial” period a realistic one? Is there sufficient time for this product to reach you and for you to review it before the “trial” period expires.
• Know what steps are required to decline further charges before handing over your credit card information. If they give a phone number, call it and make sure it is their legitimate number. I’ve run across products that list the contact information for another company, rather than their own.
• If a company name is given, try Googling it.
• If it is a re-occurring billing transaction, are they using a service such as PayPal, Alertpay or Clickbank? These services add an extra layer of protection for the consumer in that you always have someone you are able to contact. Make sure you investigate any company that does not use a service of this type thoroughly.

If you do sign up for a promotion of this sort, take note of the web site and any pages you are directed to. Also note any contact information, the terms of the “trial”, and keep a copy of the receipt given for the shipping charges so you have a record of the date of the transaction.

Should you decide to discontinue whatever you are being asked to pay for, and you are unable to contact the seller, you generally have 30 days from the date of the transaction to contact your credit card company and request a charge back if there is no means for you to contact the seller and opt out of future charges. The credit card company will want to know all of the steps you have taken to work the problem out with the seller, so make sure you have documented everything.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this rant, there are many marketers that use a form of the “trial” type of promotion, most of whom run legitimate businesses and have trustworthy reputations. As with many things, there are also some that are less than above board and their actions result in everyone being tarred with the same brush. By taking a bit of time to check things out before you hand over your payment information, you can generally avoid being taken in by this type of marketer.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com

Those that are easily offended should not watch this video.

I am not in agreement with all that Gary says, or better said, I would temper some of his passion as it is not tempered here with the other side of the coin, such as the need to take time away to avoid burn out. Obviously, if you are just starting out building your business and you also hold a full time job, you’re time must be focused on what you are capable of doing in the time you have. One of the online marketing realities is that you will need to learn the various aspects involved. It takes time to learn the various components.

Another of the online marketing realities is that there are times in life that we will hit a brick wall when it comes to the amount of time we have available to devote to our business building efforts. For myself, my IT job has gone from the standard 35 hours a week to unlimited hours required as the company I work for moves to another location. However, I know that this will be a finite time period and I still do as Gary suggests and eek out every spare moment available to devote to my own business. I can count on one hand the number of hours I’ve spent watching a show on TV in the past months.

I have to be aware of the signs of burn out, and listen to what they have to say. And quite frankly, once you establish a routine for working on your business, you will have a harder time giving yourself permission to take time off. Even so, not doing this periodically can hinder your progress, you accomplish more when your brain has had the rest it needs.

Gary is very real about what it takes to make it online. He shares his own passion for his life choice with you in this 15-minute video. Take his words to heart and drive your efforts based on your own passion and have the patience to recognize that there are online marketing realities that you must work within to succeed.

To Your Success,

SherryD
http://www.wbobr.com