Traditional Advertising Vs Internet Advertising

In the 1870s a devoutly Christian merchant John Wanamaker from Philadelphia, in the US was credited with starting the first departmental stores and price tags. This, he claimed, was to eliminate hassles and haggling about the price because he held that everyone should be equal before God and price. He also became the first advertiser in the modern era by buying space to display ads in local newspapers. Here again, he remained a true Christian by not advertising on Sundays. His precise business acumen coined a witty phrase that leaned more towards the economics of business; his phrase ‘half the money spent on advertising is wasted’ holds true even in the internet era when advertising techniques have been turned on their head.

The global advertising industry crossed the $500 billion mark some years ago; an estimated $200 billion is lost as ‘wasteful advertising’ i.e. expenses towards advertising material that don’t reach audiences and reach the wrong audience. In his witticism, Wanamaker was quite on target.

However, the coming of the Internet Age has perhaps slowed down the trend of this wasteful advertising. Many entrepreneurial firms are selling new tools to businesses to reduce the waste in advertising. Such tools come in various forms but with one common purpose which is to replace the old formulae of advertising with real actions for consumers and measurable values for business advertisers – sharing videos, purchasing a product, clicking a web link etc.

Estimates by independent firms such as Nielsen figure that in the television media, advertisers may pay up to $20,000 for a 30-second spot at a pre-fixed rate, say, cost per thousand or cost per million (casual estimates for the population of an average city). It cannot be said exactly how many television sets will be tuned in to a particular channel at a given time and so the price may really be astronomical, the proverbial ‘atom bomb’.

In contrast, newer advertising models based online or internet advertising are innovative and compared to ‘spearheads’ that people get impaled on. The idea of online advertising is to allow consumers themselves to take the initiative and voluntarily interact online with what they find.

Here the consumer’s “action” is of more intrinsic value to the advertiser than his “exposure” to advertising material.

The credit for the modern PPC (pay per click) advertising insight goes to Bill Gross, an internet entrepreneur who founded Idealab in 1996, a kind of invention factory.

One of the inventive ideas to emerge from this was GoTo.com (later called Overture) that pioneered the concept of ‘paid search’ advertising. A few years later, Gross met the young co-founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page to whom he put across the idea and the offer of a partnership. Google was an upcoming search engine that had not yet mastered the concept of making revenues online and hence the idea may not have appealed; however in less than a year, Google came up with AdWords loosely based on Overture’s concept of advertising links charged for clicks. This was followed by AdSense, a system that went beyond search results and placed sponsored links on the web pages of publishers, online magazines and newspapers that signed up as part of the network of Google. These “contextual” advertising strategies that find relevance to the content on a webpage are paid for by the advertiser only when a prospective customer clicks on the ad links. Google’s revenues from such contextual advertisements nets revenues in the billions of dollars.

How To Choose The Perfect Home Based Business For A Healthier And Wealthier Lifestyle

Taking your first step to a healthier and wealthier lifestyle means you are looking for more out of life. This could include a healthier mind and body, more control over how you earn an income, greater rewards for your effort, and more time for yourself, your family and friends at large.What do most of us really dream of? Is it a new car? A beautiful home in the nicest part of town? Extended vacations with large amount of spending money? Paying off debt that has been hanging around your neck for decades? Better healthcare and wealth?The answer to turning our dreams into reality would be the result of our decisions as our dreams and ambitions differ from one person to the other.Most people would agree with me that the current global economic downturn has made working in the corporate world a struggling ground for bringing home an adequate income that would barely get you by and would never get you wealthy for that matter. This is where a well-chosen home-based business comes to the rescue. After all, we all want to reach our potential by getting some good financial independence, a healthy mind and above all, an unlimited potential for residual income.To choose a good home-based business with little risk and unlimited potential for wealth, you will have to see yourself as a good marketing and sales force for a reputable multi-level marketing company that provides everyone with a better quality of life through innovative products and an unrivalled financial opportunity.It is important to understand what makes a successful multi-level marketing company with a proven track record that shows integrity with every business decision. In choosing your perfect home-based business, you may have to look for such important business practices as innovative, quality products that speak of the credibility of the company and this will reflect on you as the distributor or marketer. You can’t go wrong with a market leader that has a proven track record.The greatest financial benefit of a good home-based business is residual income. You get rewarded handsomely for your hard work and effort on commission basis.Look out for reviews on steady growth charts and sales figures of the multi-level marketing company as these are strong indications that the future of the company is guaranteed for financial stability.Also, your home-based business should have the privilege of working under the umbrella of a reputable multi-level marketing company that has been around for at least 5 years with a track record of growth and strong management. A successful company will offer such multiple income opportunities as profit-sharing, leadership and royalty bonuses.An active customer base is critically important for the success of your home-based business. The only way to build this, is with quality consumable products.The success of your business symbolizes the success of the company. A good company will offer excellent training, seminars, webinars, incentives and a support centre.A key advantage of your home-based business is to involve with a company with international presence across the globe. This is a symbol of stability, growth and large industry experience.Choose the perfect home-based business with a low risk start-up cost. Your first step to a healthier and wealthier lifestyle begins with the freedom and flexibility of owning your own business.

Real Estate Auctions – The New Land Rush

On a sunny afternoon in Florida, an energetic crowd gathers on the lawn of a high end luxury estate. A loud and eager banter between an auctioneer, a group of bidders and bidder assistants fills the air. For several minutes the auctioneer asks for the next highest bid and the bidders respond. Suddenly the bidders grow silent. The high bidder holds his breath in anticipation of winning the auction. The auctioneer calls for one more bid. In a loud clear voice which rolls over the audience he says, “Fair warning, last chance” the auctioneer pauses, “SOLD!” And in less than 10 minutes another multimillion dollar estate has changed owners.

Successful real estate auctions like the one above are happening all over North America and the Caribbean. Recently real estate auctions have been on the rise, the increase in popularity is partly driven by growing inventories and fading buyer confidence. Properties that were selling in weeks using traditional methods are now languishing on the market unable to attract buyers even as seller’s lower prices. Many say the real estate boom is over but savvy buyers and sellers are profiting from real estate auctions.

Real Estate Auctions Work in Up or Down Markets.

Regardless of trends or market cycles, real estate auctions provide an open and transparent process for buyers and sellers. Properly conducted real estate auctions attract ready and willing buyers and motivate them to act now.

The auction method removes the “wait and see” attitude which serves to further depress real estate values. Buyers are always concerned about overpaying. Buyers gain confidence with their purchases at real estate auctions because they can see what others are willing to pay.

When market demand is high and inventories low, real estate auctions can deliver selling prices well above what a willing seller would have accepted in a negotiated private treaty sale. In good selling climates many property owners using traditional real estate methods; negotiating with one buyer at a time, leave thousands of dollars of equity on the table. During up markets real estate auctions are the best way to establish top market price.

Evaluating Your Real Estate for Auction

Not every property or seller for that matter makes a good candidate for auction. First of all sellers must be ready to sell now and for the current market value. Also a real estate auction will not fix problems caused by a downturn in market value of your property, if you owe more than a willing buyer will pay, be prepared to come to closing with your check book.

Properties that do well in real estate auctions have a high uniqueness factor. Ask your self, “What makes my property different from most others?” Maybe you own a resort property or high end luxury home, commercial properties and land do very well at auction. Real estate auctions thrive on uniqueness. If your property is like everyone else’s, the best thing you can do is offer the most competitive price.

Most importantly sellers must be reasonable about setting a minimum bid. A seller must look at the lowest, most current comps and price below that to generate the interest and urgency necessary for a successful real estate auction. Once the auction begins and qualified bidders start competing against one another you can watch the selling price increase.

Locate a Qualified Real Estate Auctioneer

Start by checking with the National Auctioneers Association, the best real estate auctioneers belong to this organization. These real estate auctioneers are well trained and adhere to a standard of practice and a code of ethics. Many attend the annual International Auctioneers Conference where the latest techniques and innovations in the real estate auction industry are presented.

Find out if the company you are interviewing is a full time real estate auction firm. Many real estate agents are getting auction licenses yet have no experience with the auction method of marketing. Conducting a successful real estate auction is nothing like (private treaty) traditional real estate sales. Go with a real estate auction pro.

You’re probably better of with an auction house that specializes in real estate auctions. There are many qualified auctioneers who have generations of experience selling personal property; furniture, dishes, lawn equipment and the occasional rare painting. Selling real estate at auction is a complex matter that should only be attempted by full time experienced real estate auction professionals.

Commissions and fees may vary, sellers must pay all marketing expenses up front and buyers typically pay 10% of the sales price to the auctioneer of which a share goes to participating real estate agents.

Types of Real Estate Auctions

Auctions are effective because they create a seller’s market. Professionally conducted real estate auctions create urgency, a reason to buy today and competition for the property. Terms and conditions of sale are established ahead of the auction. Real estate auctions will follow one of these three approaches:

Absolute Auction

The property is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price- using this process often returns the highest sale price.

Minimum Bid Auction

Seller agrees to sell at or above a published minimum bid price – this method is useful for internet auctions.

Seller Confirmation or Reserve Auction

With a reserve auction, the seller “reserves” the right to accept or decline any bids usually within 48 hours of the auction. Reserve auctions are used when there is a lien on the property from a lender or a court ordered sale with a minimum selling price.