Internet Fax Services – Which One Is Right For You?
Online or Internet fax has become extremely popular in our ever-increasing mobile society and workplace, mainly because with this modern way of faxing you can take your faxing with you, no matter where you go. While it is far too early to forecast the demise of the traditional fax machine, the writing is on the wall. This is one form of \”cloud computing\” that’s here to stay.
Internet fax is often referred to as email fax because you use your email system and your Internet connection to send and receive all your faxes. You sign-up to an online fax service provider where you’re given a local or toll-free fax number. There is no need for an extra fax phone line since everything is handled through the web. Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually in Tiff or Pdf formats.
If you’re in need of online faxing, there are many top-name Internet fax service providers to choose from. Average monthly charges run around $10 a month, but there are cheaper rates and plans out there, especially if your faxing needs are minimum. Since this is an ongoing business expense, it pays to do your homework and shop around. If you choose wisely, you can save significant amounts of money, especially over the long term, .
But which fax service is right for you or your company?
First, you must make a close examination of your own faxing needs. Do you or your company depend heavily on faxing to bring in sales, for contacting clients, or for communicating with your employees? If you need a robust faxing service with thousands of faxes sent and received each month, then you have to be extra careful when picking your online faxing service. Are their services 100% reliable? Can they handle your heavy faxing? Are the rates competitive with using a traditional fax machine?
Now on the other hand, if your faxing needs are very minimum or low, you probably only send 4 or 5 faxes a month and they’re not crucial to your business, then choosing an Internet fax service will require less consideration. Keep in mind, you still want a good quality service but you can probably get a service for under $20 a year if you shop around.
Regardless of which type of service you’re seeking, here are some common points or a checklist of things to look for when choosing an online fax service.
1. Check the monthly fee or charge. The average is around $10 but there are cheaper ones which you can choose. Also keep in mind, some of these services also offer bundled plans which include voice mail, call-waiting, call-forwarding… or a virtual PBX service which may be well suited to you or your company especially if you’re operating a home business. Charges will be higher, but they will be much less expensive than setting up a real system with phone lines and receptionists. Just consider the virtual PBX option, especially if your overall business operating funds are low.
2. Check the set-up fees or charges. Most online fax services don’t charge a set-up fee but there are a few that do. Don’t necessarily rule these companies out because of the set-up fees but just be aware of them.
3. Check the number of Free Faxes allowed each month. The average is around 300 (incoming/outgoing) faxes each month, but these numbers will differ depending on the company or even the fax plan you choose. Also check how much it costs for faxes once you go over the allowed monthly limit, rates can be anywhere from 3 cents to 10 cents per fax. Might not seem like much but like phone bills, these costs can quickly add up.
4. Check if your service is completely scalable for companies. One of the great advantages of using an online fax service, it can be scaled up or scaled down very quickly and cheaply since you don’t have to install extra hardware such as fax phone lines or fax machines. Most of the better known fax services are completely scalable but also check before you sign-up.
5. Check the online storage amount and how long your faxes are stored online. With most fax providers you are given an online account or interface which you can use to check and send your faxes. Your faxes are also stored online here so check for how long and what amount of storage you get with the service. You should also check how exactly are your faxes sent, many companies have a desktop application you can use besides your online account and/or your email system.
6. Finally, check to see if the service offers a 30 Day Free Trial. Most Internet fax services offer this feature and it is a great way to thoroughly test-run the quality of a service before actually buying. This way, if the service or provider doesn’t meet your needs or come up to your standards, you won’t have lost any money.
Finally, if you take into consideration all of the points mentioned above when checking out the different fax services, your job will be much easier. Just remember, like buying any product or service, find one that perfectly meets your needs and you won’t be disappointed. Choose wisely.
About The Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax service. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax services.
Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more of Titus Hoskins’s articles.
How Online Marketing Consultants Can Supercharge Your Sales
Starting out it can all be so overwhelming. But it doesn’t need to be.
We have to get our products or services exactly right.
Then we have to figure out how to explain them to others through our website.
We understand the reasons people should buy what we are selling. But can we successfully explain that to our website visitors in convincing language they relate to, instead of jargon and lingo related to our industry?
Finally, we have to develop an action plan to market online and within our budget, which is often limited when first starting our business.
And how do we develop that marketing plan? Where do we get the information necessary to formulate marketing techniques that will actually work for us? The number of sources out there is simply overwhelming!
This is when getting feedback from a professional outside our own industry can be valuable. You can turn to an affordable Online Marketing Consultants who understands and specializes in small businesses and new business start-ups.
What about Getting Internet Traffic to Your Site?
Some start by using pay-per-click marketing, like Google AdWords. The trouble is that AdWords can get expensive quickly. And it takes a LOT of time to set up and manage over time.
Starting out it may make sense to use AdWords. Plus, it can be a great way to test your keyword search phrases to find out which ones convert best. You can use AdWords for this purpose before beginning search engine optimization (SEO).
But ultimately…sooner or later…most businesses need to optimize for the search engines (SEO).
SEO can provide you qualified Internet traffic without per-visitor costs. Think of it almost as free advertising…well, free after the SEO costs in either time, money or some of both.
You should also utilize article marketing, getting your message in front of article directory visitors and ezine newsletter subscribers. This can generate faster sales, while you’re waiting on your SEO efforts to pay off.
Lastly, for most Internet businesses, they should use blog postings or opt-in email marketing to stay in touch with their prospective buyers, using a soft-sell method, over time. If ALL you focus on are people who make a buying decision the very first time they come to your site, you’re missing out on the great majority of sales you can make!
How Much Traffic Do You Need?
Here are some questions you’ll need to consider when making decisions about AdWords and SEO:
1. What is your monthly sales revenue goal from your website?
2. How much traffic to your website on a monthly basis will you need to meet your sales goals?
3. What is (or will be) your click-through rate, whether from AdWords impressions or organic SEO listings?
You need this number to determine the total number of monthly impressions or search queries you’ll need (for your AdWords ads and your organic SEO listings to be seen by searchers), to arrive at the monthly traffic number you need to your website.
4. What is (or will be) your conversion sales rate from your traffic? Again, you need this number also to determine the amount of monthly impressions or search queries you’ll need.
Especially when first starting up, finding this type of data, evaluating the accuracy of it and then implementing a plan can be very time-consuming and can almost drive a person crazy!
There are a lot of so-called experts you can follow. But how do you know if they know what they’re talking about?
And without having these numbers (at least good estimates), starting AdWords or SEO is like throwing darts with a blindfold on!
Again, this is where talking with 1 or 2 Online Marketing Consultants can help light your path. Your result can be more sales, MUCH faster.
Which Keyword Search Phrases are Right for Your Business?
Think of keywords as the windows or doors to your website. Without using the right ones for YOUR business, your website is like a house without windows or doors — no one is coming in. Kinda the opposite of what you’re going for. 
What makes good keywords for your business?
My advice to clients I coach is your keywords should:
1. accurately match what the search engine users INTEND when they type in their keywords to the services or products you offer (get inside their heads);
2. bring you enough traffic to be worth the AdWords or SEO effort;
3. offer affordable enough AdWords bid prices, if you’re using AdWords;
4. have obtainable first or second page SEO results;
5. contain words in the phrases that suggest a searcher who is ready to spend money (unless you’re offering something that is truly free);
6. CONVERT directly to a sale, a sales lead, a sign-up…whatever your goal is.
Wrapping it Up
Be open to the value affordable Online Marketing Consultants offer you. Someone who has already gone down the road you’re on can help you avoid the potholes along the way. And those potholes can be very expensive…
There are talented advisors out there who understand small businesses and new business start-ups. And they price their services for these businesses.
Using someone talented, you’ll almost certainly make more sales, more quickly.
And following that advice and the other suggestions in this article, your Internet marketing plan should be off to a great start!
About The Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He’s an Online Marketing Consultants expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Search Engine Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.
Read more of Paul Marshall’s articles.
Don’t Destroy Your Online Marketing Results with Bad Website Design
So, you’ve embarked on a search engine advertising program, maybe even SEO. Whether you’re doing this on your own or using an online marketing consulting firm, there are key points to become aware of.
If you miss these, you won’t increase conversions.
What good is a Number 1 organic search engine ranking or AdWords ad listing, if you don’t have increased sales or if you don’t generate more sales leads?
Too often, we get all focused about the Internet marketing — the ads, the offer — that we don’t think the whole process through step-by-step and consider the experience our website visitors will be having.
If we did, we’d be thinking \”big picture\” and we would head off some of these potential problems before they occur.
Overcoming Your Website Visitors Anxiety
When people come to our website it’s natural for them to feel anxiety. After all, look at all the cr*p on the Internet today, all the too-good-to-be-true products and services.
But when you and I offer REAL products or services, we have to overcome that concern, even if we’re treating our site visitors fairly and not making outrageous claims.
So, how can you overcome these anxieties?
1. Offer more than a 1-page website. Credible companies have multi-page websites, including Privacy Policy, Terms of Use | Service and About Us pages.
They also have more than 1 page about their products or services.
I’m surprised by the number of 1-page websites I see from companies using infomercials to advertise their products. Often, they have the purchase form right on their home page, their only page (and often their page isn’t secured for credit card ordering).
Websites that are only 1-page don’t seem credible. And having the purchase form right on the home page comes across as very pushy!
Doesn’t this type of site seem all about the company and NOT about their customers? Why would we want to buy from that type of company?
What kind of online marketing consulting firm did these companies use…or did they use any??
2. Next to any sign up or contact form buttons clearly state that you don’t sell your customers’ private information and link to your Privacy Policy page.
3. Effectively communicate what your Value Proposition is, also called your Unique Selling Proposition. If you don’t know why someone should buy your product or service versus your competitors’, now is the time to figure it out. (And by the way, based on my experience, if you don’t know this, you’re not alone, by any means.)
But our websites have to be about more than just us. They have to be about our visitors. What’s in it for THEM, to do business with us? What unique voids in the marketplace can we fill?
As a Small Business Owner, Personally Relate to Your Site Visitors and Communicate Directly with Them
People don’t buy from websites, they buy from people! So, how can you apply this to your own website?
1. For many small businesses and solo proprietorships, their website text should speak to your visitors directly in first person.
This should be written from the voice of the Owner or President. They shouldn’t use third person, institutional-sounding language, getting rid of \”we\” and \”our\”, using \”I\” instead, speaking first person, in an actual conversation. Don’t try to sound like you’re Microsoft!
And while your at it, be careful about overuse of words about you…whether \”I\”, or those words, \”we\”, \”our\” or \”us\”.
Check out the WeWe calculator (Google: wewe calculator). Make sure to focus on customer-focused words and NOT on words about you or your company.
2. Include your picture on your Web pages.
For a larger small business trying to make that personal connection with their website visitors, try the idea used by the nutritional supplement company Lumina. (Google: Lumina Health Contact Us)
In this execution, notice how Lumina gets you to relate to their customer service department. I still remember it was John I spoke with and that’s been over 1 year ago that I called them!
Again, people buy from other people, not from websites.
For us as small businesses, why should we sound large, pretending to be something we aren’t? And why should we run from our advantage of being small: low overhead, friendly, personal service and accountability, among other advantages.
Make Each Step in Your Marketing a Smooth Handoff from One Step to Another
Whether you’re using AdWords, SEO, or both, make sure your title and description matches the experience your website visitor will have when they come to your landing page.
Quite often when I’m Coaching my small business owner clients or performing online marketing consulting, I find the wording for their organic listing or AdWords ad says one thing and their landing page says something that doesn’t sound the same.
This causes confusion is the best case scenario. In the worst case, it causes a lack of trust. Dangerous!
We should understand our products or services. And we know what we want our visitors to do on our site.
Our potential customers may not understand either. We need to think like them, when we explain what we have to offer them and how to use our website to take advantage of what we have to offer.
And when \”shifting\” from one page to another, we need to hand-off from one page to another naturally and smoothly, like a car with a smooth automatic transmission.
Don’t advertise one offer in AdWords or organic search, only to have your landing page sound like it was written for another advertising offer. I see this problem a lot!
Often times, having an affordable online marketing consulting firm reviewing what you’re doing can offer easy, inexpensive fixes that can yield big improvements in your search engine advertising and SEO conversions.
Your Action Plan
Let’s review what we’ve talked about.
First, overcome visitors anxieties by offering a multi-page website which answers questions about your company and your services or products, while inspiring confidence in your company. Effectively communicate your Value Proposition.
Second, personally relate to your site visitors. Avoid using the wrong words that may put off your site visitors. Use your picture on your Web pages.
Third, hand-off from one page on your website and one step in your selling process to another smoothly and naturally. We should understand what we want our site visitors to do, but they won’t unless we make the process really clear.
Whether your using an online marketing consulting firm or doing the work yourself, if you take these steps, your search engine optimization | advertising plan will convert at a MUCH higher rate, when you take these steps.
About The Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He’s an Online Marketing Consulting expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Internet Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.
Read more of Paul Marshall’s articles.
A Simple Guide To Online Fax
While most people have heard of email, there are many web users who have never heard of Internet or online fax. This is the equivalent of sending faxes via the web rather than through the old traditional facsimile machine in the office.
Like email, web faxing is a relatively new phenomenon which simply means using the Internet and your email system to send and receive your faxes. In order to use online fax you have to sign up for an account with an Internet fax service provider, who will supply you with a Toll-Free or local fax number you can use. Your faxes are sent as email attachment, usually in TIFF or PDF format.
Your online fax service provider acts as your intermediary to handle and process all your faxing. Keep in mind, with an Internet faxing account you don’t need an extra dedicated fax phone line because everything is done via the web. However, you can still send faxes to and from the old traditional fax machine, your online provider will act on your behalf to process your faxes.
With an Internet fax service you are generally given an online site (interface) where you can log-on to send and receive your faxes. This web account will also store your faxes so that they are available to you at all times. How long and the amount of faxes you can store will depend upon which service you choose, so it pays to do a little homework first before you sign up to any one service.
These fax providers will also have different monthly rates but the average cost is around $10 a month, but there are much cheaper quality services you can get, especially if your faxing requirements are very minimum. Some services are as low as $20 a year or you can also get a pay as you go service.
Why are millions of individuals and companies switching over to this new way of faxing?
There are many reasons: online faxing can be much cheaper especially when you factor in the low start-up costs and the cost of a separate phone line. Online fax is paperless so it is seen as more environmentally friendlier than regular faxing. It also uses no inks, toners and there are none of those messy annoying paper jams. No more missed faxes because of busy signals. You can also send many faxes simultaneously. Web faxing can also be much more secure than traditional faxing since your faxes can be encrypted. Plus, all your faxing is completely mobile, you can send and receive your faxes anywhere, anytime – as long as you have Internet access and these days that’s just about everywhere on the planet.
This new way of faxing is much more convenient since you can use laptops, PDAs, cell phones… to send and receive your faxes. It is also extremely easy to use, as simple as using email, anyone can do it. Furthermore, online faxing is seen as the wave of the future, connecting all your faxing with computers and the web.
Plus, we must not forget about the whole concept of competitiveness when speaking about online fax. If your business or company depends heavily on timely faxes for bringing in sales, closing deals or communicating with clients; then having a fax service that’s available 24/7, 365 days of the year (regardless of where you’re located) is a definite advantage to have in your corner. Sometimes it may just be a matter of keeping up with your competition who might already be using web faxing in their own businesses.
Your next obvious questions should be: can your business or company afford NOT to have it? It’s your call!
About The Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: http://www.onlinefaxguide.com Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/internet_fax_service_guide.htm
Copyright (c) 2009 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more Articles written by Titus Hoskins.
12 Nifty Ways To Stream Internet Movies At Home
What if you could watch all your favorite movies and TV shows from the comfort of your home – whenever you wanted to watch them. Wouldn’t that get your pixels firing on all cylinders?
Well, now you can!
Of course, this is nothing new, since one obvious way to do this is through your cable company which more than likely already offers On Demand movies and programs. However, there are many drawbacks to these cable services, with cost being the major concern.
But forget cable services, that’s strictly old school. Right now we are entering the dawn of a new age in home entertainment — heralding the arrival of Multiplex TV.
Mainly because we are seeing the fusion of your TV and computer screen. The marriage of your TV screen with your computer screen is fast approaching, if it hasn’t already arrived. Probably eloped while you weren’t watching; but many smart consumers have already taken note and taken advantage of these two merging entertainment forces.
Although using the Internet as a vehicle to deliver high-quality entertainment to your TV screen is still in its infancy, there are quite a number of services and products out there which will allow viewers to gain access to streaming on-demand TV programs, movies and original online content via the web. These services will greatly expand the level of your home entertainment experience and enjoyment.
So the real question is where and how do I gain access to this vast and powerful online database of streaming media?
There are numerous services you can choose from and some of them are even free, while most are subscription based. Regardless, all will provide you with more than enough content for totally enjoying online streaming media from the comfort of your home.
Here, in my opinion, are the best options available right now and a few upcoming ones you should know about.
1. TVersity
TVersity is a free program you can download for free from tversity.com. TVersity works by installing a media server on your PC that will transmit your media to anywhere you like. In conjunction with a gaming console such as Playstation 3 or Xbox 360, TVersity will open up to you a wide variety of media from the internet. One of the main features that make TVersity so great is that it can convert your files into the correct format for easy streaming. This is very important because certain gaming consoles can only play certain file formats. TVersity eliminates any playback problems, no matter what type of media hub you’re using such as Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, iPhone, PSP, or others.
2. Vizio’s Connected HDTVs (Coming in Fall 2009)
Vizio is planning to have their own Internet-enabled high-definition TV set which is coming out in the Fall of 2009. The details are still in the works, but these Television sets should have the capability to connect to your home internet feed, through an Ethernet connection or a wireless signal, allowing you to access all the online content providers, such as Netflix, Amazon and Blockbuster. If these TV sets actually produce even half of what they are promising, it may be a worthwhile investment and you should hold out until they are released if buying a TV is high on your list of things to do.
3. LG’s NetCast Entertainment Access HDTV (Coming in May and June 2009)
This spring LG is introducing a Television set that has their NetCast Entertainment Access function built in. Perhaps, seeing the potential Blu-ray players have with streaming capability, LG has opted to do away with the box altogether. There will be four internet-enabled TV sets: the 42LH50 and 47LH50 LCD TVs and the 50PS80 and 60PS80 plasmas. All the television sets will allow access to Netflix, CinemaNow and YouTube; eliminating the need for alternative devices by gaining access through an Ethernet connection.
4. Media Mall’s PlayOn Digital Media Server (Price: $40)
Media Mall is a third-party software that lets you watch Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, CBS, CNN, ESPN and more on your TV. Basically, it enhances the streaming functions of your video game console. You can run the program on your Windows PC and this allows your gaming console to access streaming data via your computer, to be displayed on your TV set. Isn’t technology wonderful?
5. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (Price: $199 – $299; $399 – $499)
The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are not just gaming consoles, they also have the ability to be full featured media centers. For example, Xbox 360 is capable of supporting Netflix streaming and Xbox Live MarketPlace allows for the purchasing of movies or TV shows. Playstation 3 has a similar feature, the Playstation Network Store, which you can download video content to the internal hard drive for viewing. Plus, by adding third-party software, your Xbox and Playstation 3 can be made to support internet streaming from Hulu.com, Amazon On Demand and other such movie providers.
6. LG BD 370 Blu-ray Player (Price: $330)
This LG Blu-ray player comes equipped with NetCast Entertainment Access. You can stream video from Netflix, YouTube and CinemaNow. (CinemaNow is similar to Amazon Video On Demand) The LG BD 370 will quickly become a main asset to anyone’s Home Entertainment Network.
7. Samsung BD-P1600/BD-P4600 Blu-ray Player ($229 – $499)
The Samsung BD-P1600 and BD-P4600 allows for Netflix and Pandora instant streaming, you can also listen to great tunes or watch your favorite movies. They are both Profile 2.0 Blu-ray players, bringing you great high-definition quality from using Blu-ray Discs. Connection to the internet is by an Ethernet port.
8. Roku Digital Video Player ($99)
The Roku Digital Video Player is a very cheap way to bring streaming internet media to your Television set. It was released when Netflix launched its \”Watch Instantly\” program. You connect the player to your home network via an Ethernet cable and you can then select from a wide range of standard to high-definition connections to your television set. The Roku player supports Amazon On Demand as well, giving you another great choice on how to watch your movies. You will get more than 50,000 titles from Amazon Video On Demand and Netflix, with many available in HD.
9. Vudu ($149)
Like Roku Digital Video Player, Vudu is a box you connect to your Television set giving you access to over 13,000 movies. Vudu can be a perfect addition to your home entertainment network. You can also listen to music from Pandora via Vudu Labs on your television set.
10. Netflix ‘Watch Instantly’
Netflix subscribers who have plans of $8.99 or more can take advantage of Netflix’s \”Watch Instantly\” program, giving them access to over 12,000 movies. You can access this program through your Windows PC, Intel-based Macs, or a number of other devices such as Roku Digital Video Player, LG BD 370 Blu-ray Player, Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray Player, and Samsung BD-p4600 Blu-ray play.
11. Amazon Video On Demand
Amazon’s Video On Demand has a current catalog of more than 40,000 titles to choose from, including HD movies and TV shows which are available for watching in the comfort of your living room. You can either purchase or rent these movies/TV shows and prices range from around $14.99 to $2.99. It provides a convenient way for you to watch High-definition quality movies and TV shows on your TV, all without ever having to leave the house. Amazon Video On Demand in HD is currently available on the following compatible devices, the Roku Digital Video Player, TiVo S3, the Sony DMXNV1 Bravia Internet Video Link, and Panasonic VIERA Cast enabled HDTVs.
12. Hulu.com
Together, NBC Universal and News Corp have produced Hulu.com which provides full-length, DVD quality internet streams of movies and TV shows for FREE. Of course you do have to deal with a few 15 to 30 seconds commercials every now and then, but the benefits will outweigh this inconvenience for many viewers.
As you can plainly see by the variety and number of different ways you can access streaming movies and TV shows via the Internet; home entertainment is definitely going through a major transition and everyone wants in on the action and potential profits. The ordinary viewer has a whole array of options and choices when it comes to choosing the system that will deliver their streaming videos, movies and TV programs. It makes for a perfect marriage, now lets bring on the honeymoon.
About The Author:
For a more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: blu-ray dvd players. For information on buying Laptop Computers try here: gaming laptops.
Copyright (c) 2009 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Read more Articles written by Titus Hoskins.
How The Internet Has Changed The World…
As most of us sit down at our computers each day, we might realize that we have begun to take this Information Age for granted. What would we do if we did not have 24/7 Internet connections to keep us connected to the world?
Online Bill Pay
When it is time to pay bills, we logon to the Internet, pull out our debit cards or credit cards, and then we get to work paying our bills online. It is no longer the case where we have to sit down at the dining room table with our checkbook, a stack of bills, and a book of stamps.
Back in those dark days of the pre-Internet existence, we were not yet done with bill paying when we licked that last stamp. Instead, we had to jump in the car and run down to the post office to get the checks in the mail. If we had paid our bills close to their deadlines, then we had to sweat whether our payment would arrive on time. If we were really worried about our payment arriving at the other end of the transaction on time, we would take time out of our lunch hour to run to the bill collector’s office to make our payment just under the wire.
Mom Online
Yes, back in those old days, we used to call mom on the phone once a week to check in and catch up. Now, we can logon to our favorite Internet chat client or call her on our Internet phone and talk to mom everyday. We can even share pictures of the kids with mom through our Myspace accounts.
Online Education
Back in those grand old days, if we wanted to learn something of value to our lives, we needed to go to the library or bookstore and check out or buy a book that would answer our questions about the world around us. It was either that or we had to enroll at a nearby college and take classes relevant to our interests.
Today, it is much different. Nearly any topic that might be of interest to us can be learned, after a trip to our favorite search engines. We might have to pay to gain access to the information we want, but in many cases, information is handed out like candy on Halloween, on the Internet.
We could even go further and enroll at a major university online. We can now take classes and get a degree at our favorite university or college, even if we live one thousand miles away from the school.
Local Shopping
Back in the day, in order to find out what great sales were running at the national chains, we had to subscribe to a newspaper for the full week and take the time to review the paper everyday to make sure we did not miss those important sales.
Now, we pop open an Internet browser and navigate to the website of the chain store we are interested and click through to their sales circular page. What does Wal-Mart have on sale? Let’s go to their webpage. What about Napa Auto Parts stores? Let’s go their webpage. How about \”Ace, the helpful hardware place\”? Let’s load up their website. Walgreens — what kinds of specials do \”they\” have this week? We are off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz (also known as Al Gore, the guy who \”invented\” the Internet).
Comparison Shopping
Before the World Wide Web, if we wanted to know the \”skinny\” on a particular product we were interested in buying, we would need to ask friends. For an expert opinion, we would need to subscribe to Consumer Reports, or take our chances by visiting the local store that sold the product and have faith that the salesperson was not loading our brains full of commission-biased opinion.
These days, we can go online to learn all about any single product or service we might be interested in purchasing. Even better, we can look at a cross-section of products under the same classification and make an intelligent decision based on factual research. If we put our minds to it, we could even pull up customer reviews on the products we want to purchase.
The sky is the limit. We can do as little or as much research as we would like to do on a single product or service and be happy with our final decision.
Dig Up In-Depth Product Specifications
Sometimes, we can trust the Sears salesman not to lead us astray in our purchase selections. It is pretty straight forward as to which brand of wrenches will give us the best performance over many years or to find out which 27\” television has the best picture.
But, with other product groups, a cursory glance will not deliver the be-all-end-all analysis that we need to make intelligent shopping decisions. Such examples include insurance products or financial products such as credit cards and loans.
If you have to ask yourself what the difference between a term-life insurance policy and a whole-life policy, then you need to get some really in-depth information to make a good purchase decision. There are insurance websites and information websites that will pass this kind of information along to you. They may even let you apply online for a new insurance policy and give you an instant approval for your new policy.
The same mindset will often accompany your interest in learning about credit card products. With so many choices and options available, it is hard to know which credit card offer or credit card rewards program will be best for your needs.
The beauty of the Internet is that the answer to all of these questions and more are right at your fingertips.
Credit card offers range from gas credit cards, student credit cards, low APR credit cards and even 0% interest credit cards. Among this range of credit card types and special offers, many banks also offer credit card points in the form of airline miles, credit card travel rewards, cash-back rewards programs, and store credit at your favorite chain stores or restaurants.
So, how do you know which credit card will be best for your needs? All you have to do is to start with a plan as to what you would like to gain from a credit card, and eliminate credit card offers that do not match your needs. Then do a side-by-side analysis of those credit card offers that remain to see which one will deliver to you the best value for your dollars.
Don’t be afraid to dig in and get the facts on any product you may be interested in buying. I have learned a lot on the Internet about insurance products, credit card plans, and high-definition televisions. Even when I had questions that the Circuit City salesperson could not answer, I was able to turn up that important information on the Internet.
Longing For The Old Days
No, I don’t really long for the old days anymore, except when my Internet connection is down for more than just a few hours.
If I want to add a credit card to my wallet, I only need to decide which one I want and then fill out the online credit card application. If I want to buy car insurance, I can shop around for the best policy and buy it right then online, without having to go to an agent’s office. If I want to shop for a better price on my next software purchase, all I have to do is to go to a shopping website and compare prices.
The Internet has improved the experience of my life one-hundred-fold, and I do not want to ever have to return to those days before dial-up. Before I came on the Internet, I did not even know why I would want to buy more than one type of home insurance. Now, I sweat if I might miss my payment.
If you take the time to search and research the Internet for the information that will help you to make better shopping decisions, you might just find as I have that the Internet is something that you never want to live without ever again.
About The Author:
Braxton Heitz writes about family finances and the struggles of the job search. If you are looking for a job or looking to change careers in the current troubled economy, then visit the Jobs And Paychecks website at: http://www.jobsandpaychecks.com/
Read more of Braxton Heitz’s articles.
Internet Telephone Calls: VoIP Basics
You’ve seen the commercials and read the news advertisements for telephone service using your computer: very cheap monthly fees; make all the calls you want; keep your telephone number forever; and voice quality as good as a landline. You’ve heard the claims and you’ve heard the term \”VoIP.\” Here’s the scoop.
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it does what the name suggests – it transmits voice data using IP packets over the Internet. It is also called Internet Telephony. It’s easier to understand VoIP if you know a little about our telephone system – PSTN (the Public Switched Telephone Network) and a little about the Internet.
Your traditional landline transmits calls through copper or fiber cables in the ground or on telephone poles with a cable connected to your home. When someone makes a call, one continuous route is made between the two phones and the information flows continuously in this loop. As you know from paying your bills, the longer the route, the more expensive the call.
VoIP works a little differently. It works using the Internet, which is a packet-based network. Packet-based just means that instead of sending one continuous string of information, it sends out smaller packets of information.
With VoIP, your voice is converted into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. There are three ways that this can be done: 1) using a VoIP telephone; 2) using a computer with speakers and a microphone; or 3) using a regular telephone with a VoIP adaptor. Because the IP packets are tiny by comparison, unlike downloading files, this all happens in real time, just like your regular phone.
Advantages of VoIP
Because VoIP provides services through the Internet, once you have the equipment in place there are a number of benefits.
The main reason for VoIP’s popularity is its cost advantage. With regular phone service, you usually pay a monthly flat fee for your local calls and a per-minute charge for long distance calls. Internet connections are charged using a monthly flat fee only. Because VoIP doesn’t charge a per-minute fee for long distance, you wouldn’t incur those charges. If you make long distance calls, VoIP most certainly will save you a lot of money. If you used the Internet for both your data traffic and voice calls, you could get rid of one monthly payment.
The other cost advantage is that since it uses a broadband Internet connection, it efficiently uses the existing infrastructure you already use with your computer. There is only minimal software and hardware to buy.
Disadvantages to VoIP
There are a few disadvantages with VoIP. A major one is QoS or Quality of Service. Since there are packets carrying your voice information instead of a continuous flow of information, there could be delay problems, weird sounds, echoes and noise. VoIP quality depends on many factors – your broadband connection, your hardware, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the destination of your call, just to name a few.
While VoIP has made substantial progress over the past 5 years in terms of Quality of Service, it still has a way to go.
Another disadvantage is that in the event of a power failure, you will lose the ability to make and receive calls unless you have a backup battery for your computer. With traditional phone service, the cables are directly linked to the phone lines and the phone company provides power independently of your home or company’s electrical power system. Thus you normally do not lose a phone signal due to loss of power with traditional service.
Another criticism of VoIP service is its historical problems with 911 emergency services. With traditional phone service, the 911 system can identify the location and number of the call because it is connected and routed locally. With VoIP, you are calling through the Internet and the actual signal may travel substantial distances before being routed to a local 911-service center. Thus geographically, the 911 system might have trouble identifying your location. Most VoIP services today include what is known as enhanced 911 service. This is a process by which the signal traveling through the Internet carries with it a physical address for the calling location. At present VoIP equipment providers may charge an additional fee for this service.
Businesses that may want to use VoIP to save money need to consider any security issues that exist. This is because with VoIP, information is sent through the Internet. Just as with any computer connection, it is possible that a hacker can intercept the information being transmitted. It is important to investigate the VoIP equipment provider’s network to determine how they route data, what firewalls or other protections are afforded for security purposes.
If you are ready to look into VoIP for your phone or fax service, you can visit electronics retailers, large discount retailers and search online for information. There are a variety of VoIP providers at present. The equipment that is used, the cost of the equipment, the cost of accessories, and the cost of any enhanced services can and should be compared.
You should purchase the system and use the provider that you feel would work best for your needs in terms of how many phones you want to connect to the system, what type of security you require and the cost of purchasing the equipment and the service.
You may want to use a telecom management service for a cost analysis to see if VoIP will be a good fit for your company.
VoIP is still a new technology and hopefully there will be more and more improvements and innovations in the coming years.
About The Author:
With more than twenty-five years of experience in planning, implementing, managing and consulting on telecommunications projects, Nermine Shaker has generated tens of millions of dollars worth of savings for her clients. She is a Partner at The Sygnal Group, a Telecommunications Management Company that offers unbiased reporting, analysis and implementation of telecom strategies to businesses of all sizes. http://www.SygnalGroup.com
Nermine Shaker has generated tens of millions of dollars worth of savings for her clients. She is a Partner at THE SYGNAL GROUP, a Telecoms Management Company that offers unbiased reporting, analysis and implementation of telecom strategies to businesses of all sizes. http://www.SygnalGroup.com
Read more Articles written by Nermine Shaker.
