Credibility and Trust - Keys to Online Success

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-81.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - Credibility and Trust - Keys to Online Success
Whether the visitor ends up making the decision to buy from your business website will always involve establishing your credibility to inspire the prospect's trust. After all, on the first purchase from you, you're a complete unknown and the buyer is being asked to hand over their credit card information, address, and so forth. It can feel risky, even to a sophisticated online shopper.

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Ten Steps to Disciplining a Toddler
Helping a toddler to understand good behaviour is a unique kind of challenge. Here are ten tips for new parents.

~ Humor Article - Kid Magnets
I can't get my kids' attention to save my life. I could literally set myself on fire and dance in front of the television and they'd all tip to their left to see around me. YET...let me pick up that phone and BAM! Five kids have the most urgent messages for me.

~ Recipe - Old-Fashioned Strawberry

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-81.html

Enjoy!

Send me your coupons!

Send me your coupons!

Mom's Market is currently working on a coupon book which will include discounts, freebies, and other coupons from mother-run businesses. This is FREE to all mothers in business, all we ask for is a link in return.

See details and guidelines at:
http://www.momsmarketonline.com/coupon-advertising.html

Coupon books will be sold and mailed to potential customers looking to buy family related products. The books will not be released until we have at least $300 in coupons, so send your coupons in FAST!

This is an excellent opportunity for those wanting free advertising who want to get the word out about their business. Not only will your coupon be included, but your link listed as a participating business.

To submit your coupon, visit:
http://www.momsmarketonline.com/coupon-advertising.html

12 Tips for Writers, Adventures in Learning, and more

12 Tips for Writers, Adventures in Learning, and more
In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-80.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - 12 Top Tips For Up And Coming Article Writers

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Adventures in Learning
Who says learning is dull? Children like having fun, (who doesn’t?) So we need to incorporate more fun into our teachings. There are several ways to do that.

~ Humor Article - Mysteries of the Laundry Pile
Why do my kids need me to wash their favorite sweatshirt or jeans five days a week, but if I left it up to them they wouldn’t change their bed sheets more than once a year?

~ Recipe - Salmon Patties

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-80.html

Enjoy!

Free Products AND Free Advertising

As many of you know, article writing is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website. However, while article writing may come easy to those in some businesses, it's not so easy for some who sell products. Because of that, we came up with an easy idea for those even in direct sales to write targeted articles and have articles written for them as well.

This idea was actually in our Direct Sales Helper Newsletter a few weeks back. Here's the full article:

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Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Here's How!
by Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

We all know that article writing is a great way to promote our businesses AND helps establish us as an expert in our fields. But, just because we know how important it is to our business doesn’t necessarily make us able to do it. It’s often said, “I’m not a writer, I can’t write articles.” Or “I can’t write an article about my
own products without it sounding like an ad.” Do either of these
sound familiar?

Here’s a twist on article writing that can both help and provide a little extra fun. Find another consultant from another non-competing direct sales company. Exchange products with each other and both of you try them each out. Once you have
tried the product yourself, write an article about it. In return the other consultant does the same thing. It’s much more natural for us to be able to write about and recommend someone else’s products. It’s a win-win situation!

The following is perfect example of an article that was written about a gift from another direct sales company rep:
http://www.mommyshelperonline.com/rainy-day-cakes.html

Don't forget to add your resource box to the end of your article, and remind them to do the same. So really you are getting twice the advertising as you would just writing your own article! Not to mention you have a "testimony" that's not an ad and being used as content on other sites.

Pull up your address book and start figuring who you can exchange products with. Try to find others that have similar but not competitive products. Such as if you sell home decor with no candles, find someone that has candles.

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So taking this idea a step further, we decided to set up a group just for products in exchange for reviews. The group is moderated, and partners chosen based on requests for specific products. This is a step above product swaps, since not only is someone new getting the chance to try your product, but they are writing a review for you as well. In exchange you are writing a review for them with their link AND your link in the byline, so it's double exposure for everyone.

The reviews will also be used in other places such as at Mommy's Helper and Mom's Market, and everyone is free to use the reviews on their websites. We do hope that everyone involved will definately see an increase in exposure for their business, and have the chance to really show off their best products.

For more information on the group, please visit:
http://www.momsmarketonline.com/product-exchange.html

Sticky Sites Rule The Internet

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-78.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - Sticky Sites Rule The Internet
Read through the hundreds of forums and bulletin boards on the internet and you will find dozens of threads centering on the lack of web site traffic. All the other remaining threads bemoan the difficulty of getting visitors to return long enough to buy something. Then there are the threads about the complexity of getting listed and ranked well in important search engines.

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Mommy Time Outs
Do you feel tired, beaten and worn down?
Maybe you need a time out...
Have you ever found yourself so wrapped up in work that you have forgotten what it’s like to just enjoy being alive? As moms, we tend to do all and be all to everyone but ourselves

~ Humor Article - All In A Day’s Work
Multi-tasking is not a lost art with this mom. What I used to do well in an office for somebody else, I now do for free at home, but on a higher stress level. Take yesterday for example. While writing up an invoice and taking care of business on my home computer, my two-year old had discovered that mashed banana on laminate flooring makes for a nice skating rink while at the same time his three-year old sister had somehow managed to fall and scrape herself just below her eye.

~ Recipe -
CROCKPOT BEEF TACO BEAN SOUP

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-78.html

Enjoy!