But Amazon also is popular with website owners, who can make money through the retailer’s Amazon Associates program.

It’s a simple concept: You place links to Amazon products on your site, and Amazon gives you a cut of the money spent by shoppers who follow those links. The amount you get depends on the number of sales you refer to Amazon, starting at 4 percent and going up to 8.5 percent.

Linking to Amazon

Amazon has an easy tool to help you customize product links.

Building Amazon Associates links is easy. Once you sign up, every time you visit Amazon you’ll see their “Site Stripe” at the top of the page. Just navigate to the item or category you want to promote, and click “link to this page” on the stripe. Then you’ll get the HTML code to add the link.

But links aren’t the only way to earn money through Amazon Associates. The site also offers widgets (interactive blocks that you can feature in your site’s sidebar, for example) and the aStore, which lets you “sell” Amazon products on your site.

First, widgets. Some are personalized, and let you hand-pick products to feature. Others can showcase Amazon’s daily deals or a search box. There’s also a widget that automatically chooses products to display based on the content of your site. The widgets come in many sizes so you can use them wherever you want on your site.

To spotlight even more products, you could set up an aStore. You can define categories, choose products and customize the look and colors to match your site. Plus you can add widgets to show things like your customers’ wish lists or related products.

Getting paid

The 'daily deals' widget is one option for referring your site's visitors to Amazon.

After your site’s visitors buy on Amazon, how do you get paid? You have a few options. You can choose to receive your earnings as an Amazon credit, or get money through direct deposit or check. Payment is issued monthly.

The Amazon Associates site has detailed reports so you can track your earnings, as well as see what your site’s visitors purchased.

Who should use Amazon Associates?

Most people who publish online can find a way to monetize their site with Amazon Associates.

If you’re a new mom who blogs about raising a baby, you can include links to the products you find helpful. Or if you’re a movie or TV buff with an entertainment site, you can send your readers to Amazon to buy DVDs.

But it’s not just bloggers who can benefit from Amazon Associates. Take, for example, a small business that does in-home computer repair but doesn’t have a retail location. The business website could include an aStore of software or accessories that the owner finds helpful. Or, a school could use an aStore to sell summer reading list books, school supplies (organized by grade level), musical instruments for band members or even uniforms. The school could also share its “wishlist” and allow parents and others to donate books, supplies or other needed items.

A step further

Amazon Associates is an easy way to start making money with your website, but Amazon has other tools you could use.

You can sell your items through Amazon, either as a professional or individual. This is like the reverse of Amazon Associates; you provide the product, and Amazon takes a cut of the sale.

An affiliate program with audio book website Audible (an Amazon partner) lets web publishers make a commission on each person who signs up.

You can even use Amazon e-commerce software to set up your own web store.

Empire Avenue is The Social Media Stock Market. Launched by a Canadian team of designers and developers in February of 2010 as an invite-only service, the last few weeks have brought a surge of virtual shareholders from all over the world. On some level, Empire Avenue is more than a game; it’s also a social media tracker and tool that can be used to improve one’s social media skills and etiquette, or make attempts at social media experiments.

When first signing up for Empire Avenue, it strikes anyone familiar with social media as nothing new. You’ve got your avatar, your ticker symbol (which works as a delightfully interesting take on the username), your bio, and links to your other social media accounts. What’s truly different is how you interact with users on the site. Unlike Facebook, it’s not about who you know. Unlike Twitter, it’s not about what you say. With Empire Avenue, it’s about what you do.

Your share price is directly related to how you interact with others over the web, and how they respond to you. Not only are internal actions on Empire Avenue rewarded, but actions of those in your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flikr, and LinkedIn networks are beneficial to you as well. Obtaining new followers, uploading and rating videos, getting likes, comments and @replies all help your stock price.

The goal of Empire Avenue is to amass wealth in the virtual currency of Eaves while increasing your own stock value on the site. Like the real Stock Market Exchange, prices and value of stock are subject to change, and often. During the learning curve, don’t be surprised if your stock value seemingly plummets despite your social media activities. What’s the trick to keeping that stock on the rise? After a month of experimenting with the game, I think it’s safe to say that consistent, valuable interaction with Facebook friends, Tweeting and Re-Tweeting, and investing in other Empire Avenue users is key. In the beginning, I found that I was prone to going “off the grid” every weekend and then returning to my regular updating and posting routine at the beginning of the week, and that seems to have hurt my share price. Just keep in mind that it’s an experiment, and it’s something that can add an extra element of fun to your social media experience.

As for the conversation aspect on the site itself, I find that there are two extremes:  the polite silence of investing and/or recommending another user, or mass amounts of notifications through the Empire Avenue communities and their highly populated chat rooms. There are the occasional wall-like shout outs; however, it’s not so much of an ongoing conversation between users as it is a social media timeline of your activity across other sites. After a day or two on Empire Avenue, it seemed as though the context of interaction between investors is not wall-driven, and mainly consisted of buying and selling virtual stock.

I mentioned that Empire Avenue may also turn out to be a great tool for training users in social media etiquette. Spammy users with tweets of “buy me! buy me!” do not get bought. The group as a whole virtually punishes other users for acting inappropriately. Sure, it is courteous to purchase shares in someone who just invested in you, but expecting that they automatically do so or passive-aggressively reminding them with a shout out on their profile to “invest in me, too,” comes across as rude. In fact, posting such updates seems counter-intuitive to the game itself. Begging people to buy your stock does not add value to any of your social media interactions, nor does it prompt a discussion. But tweeting about a blog entry for Empire Avenue…now there’s a thought.

In my opinion, Empire Avenue serves mostly as a gauge for your social media interactions and a reward system for valuable content rather than an actual arena for discussion. It’s more like a network that facilitates finding people to interact with over other social media sites . That being said, our entire office finds  it to be highly entertaining; we are hooked! Check it out for yourself to get in on the fun! If you create an account, give us a shout–we’re always looking for new ventures to invest in. A few of their recognizable brands include Ford (e)FORD – Ford was one of the first and soon to release a virtual product for sale -  Rackspace Hosting (e)RACKSPACE, AT&T (e)ATT, as well as Dell, Inc. (e)DELL. And if you’re curious about the more in-depth rules of Empire Avenue, check out their rules and FAQ pages.

The news from this weekend is unprecedented in 9 1/2 years, as is how a majority of the world accessed that news. Social media replaced main stream media for one of the most high-profile breaking news stories ever. In fact, according to Business Insider, several tweets broke the news: one, an unofficial and stunned update from Keith Urbahn, and a handful of others who live in Abattabad that were tweeting about the events in real time without knowing their significance.

From a personal point of view, after I received the initial text about the news, I relied heavily on Huffington Post, Twitter and Facebook for my updates. It didn’t occur to me that some might find that unnatural; I didn’t want to listen to the banter of newscasters and anchors as they groped for information while we all waited for the President to make his announcement. Social media provided the ability to effectively filter out news from banter as people posted links and updates while allowing people to participate in an ongoing conversation with their networks as the events unfolded.

Not only did social media provide users with a friendly filter, it provided us with a direct connection to each other. Seeing how others reacted to the very same news created a sense of virtual connectedness. Tweets and Facebook updates ranged from conspiracy theories, comedic commentary, tearfulness, and cynicism. There was an outpouring of gratitude to our military, a sense of wonder about how this was pulled off undercover, and of course the class clowns demanding a “long form death certificate.”

We were able to live-stream the President’s announcement, and then we turned to our friends and networks with shock, thoughtfulness, and/or criticism. Not to mention that this flurry of activity occurred when most of the working US was getting ready for bed! We didn’t have to wait for the morning edition or the hot topic discussion around the water cooler. We had access to entertaining, informative and witty banter almost instantly after the event. As Matt Zoller Seitz pointed out on Salon.com, even in the streets at Ground Zero and the White House, attendees were tweeting, Facebooking, texting and sharing news updates with their fellows via smartphones and iPads.

We have already observed social media “in action” during other major world events such as Egypt’s revolution and Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. Watch out Main Stream Media:  We might not have time for pundits we don’t know when our friends can become the pundits we trust. Do you think we’re one step closer to becoming a global network of reporters via social media?

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In the perfect marketing scenario, this is a fate reserved only for spam emails. However, if you’re not careful with your subject lines and how often you send your emails, your well-intended marketing emails could look no different from those dreaded spam emails to servers and readers alike.

This doesn’t just happen overnight, however. If your business emails are perceived as spam, there is a large series of events that could lead up to blacklisting. Read on for a few pointers on how to avoid readers and Internet Service Providers from flagging your emails as spam.

Mail and Newsletter Frequency

When creating a new email list or planning for an established one, it’s best to pick a frequency for sending those emails and stick to it. Too many emails in a week or month could lead to the readers themselves flagging your emails as spam. If you are going to send emails to your mailing list weekly, once a week should be perfect. Information can always be stored for next week; it’s all about prioritizing your content. Once a month is good for businesses that have a lot of spread out events, and once a quarter is great for those that just want to update their customers on what’s going on with the business in general. The bottom line:  pick a frequency that you can deal with, and one that your readers will appreciate, rather than dread.

Subject Lines

Many times, readers will decide what to do with your email based on the subject line alone. Short, sweet, and relevant are the three big keys to remember when writing your subject line. Keep all of these in mind when developing your subject line.  In many ways, the subject line should receive just as much attention as the content of your email. Creative subject lines are good, but those with relevance go farther in the long run. If you can blend the two elements of creativity and relevance, then all the better. However, if it’s going to be creative, it needs to be relevant to the content of your email, not just a stand-alone, catchy subject line. A subject line that doesn’t match with the rest of your email content will more than likely disappoint your readers.

In addition to the construction, creativity, and relevance your subject lines need, there are always a set of words that you should avoid, no matter what. Think of what spam looks like; they’re trying to sell you something, right? Or there’s always a catch.  You may say, ”But my content is different! My readers can use context clues and figure out that I’m not a spammer.” That may be true of your readers, if it gets that far. Machines don’t use context clues to sort your emails from spam:  they use keywords. At all costs, avoid the following:

1. Free. This includes phrases such as “free offer,” “free gift,” and “free consultation.” You might be offering something free or free with purchase in your email, and this may be relevant, but there are more clever ways to say it. These days, people take the phrase “no such thing as a free lunch,” to heart, and “free” sounds more like a trap than a good deal.

2. Brand new. Nope, no, it isn’t. Even if it’s a brand new deal, even if it’s a brand new center or location you’re advertising, anything–do not use brand new. It’s very tempting to use, especially if it’s true, but just avoid it. Instead, try “Company announces renovated location.” The phrase “brand new”  just leads to skepticism–and the spam folder.

3. Profit, investment, gift certificate, offers, savings. Basically, if you would see it in on a piece of junk mail, don’t put it in your subject line.  Again, you may be offering all of these things to your readers, but your subject line is not the place for these announcements. It’s fine to have this in your content, but for subject lines, try something such as “Company says thanks during customer appreciation week.”

4. Exclamation points! This is one of the biggest triggers of spam email! Yes, if you’re announcing something exciting about your business, it can be tempting to add an exclamation point to the end of your subject line. It’s best to avoid the punctuation; if something is exciting, then your readers will understand that through context. That being said, definitely stay away from the use of multiple punctuation marks or symbols as well. Email subject lines with !!!, $$$, and ??? are dead giveaways for spam–make sure that your marketing email doesn’t fall into this category by avoiding them.

Here are two lists of spam keyword triggers that we have found through a little bit of Internet research. Feel free to print these out and keep them handy when crafting your subject lines.

THE WORST OF THE WORST

THE “PROBABLY SHOULDN’T USE THESE” LIST

Remember, when in doubt about whether or not an email could be flagged as spam, use your instincts. Sometimes we can get bogged down in business lingo that we don’t realize we could look a little “spammy” to a potential customer or client. It’s always best to re-read and get a second opinion (especially where subject lines are concerned). What do you think? Is there anything you can’t stand about spammers that you would add?

Look for an update in the next few weeks regarding building, growing, and maintaining your readership!

The experiences the user has while interacting with your website, email marketing, social media page, mobile site, or web application often directly determines the success of your advertising and marketing. If the user finds your information layout inconvenient,  slow, or unhelpful while interacting with it, chances are they will quickly move on to a company that has a site that is simple and easy to use even if you are the best option. The effort to stay on par with your competitors and convince users that you truly are “the best in the business” hinges on how you implement the term “The User is King” within your internet marketing strategy.

Some businesses might say that they have no need for this type of strategy because they don’t advertise on the Internet, but they neglect the fact that their website is a marketing and advertising tool in and of itself. A business’ website is the main portal for their customers and clients, and if users can’t get what they need from the site quickly and easily, it’s not doing its job. So if your company has (at the very least) a website, here are 3 things you must do to stay competitive:

Thou Shalt Understand Thine User Experience

When browsing through your website, it’s important to think like one of your customers. If you don’t enjoy spending time on your own website, chances are users do not either. If you’re not sure whether or not your site is user friendly, try asking yourself some critical questions. Is all of the information easily accessible? Is the layout confusing or does it encourage a natural flow? Is contact information easy to locate? Do all of the links work? These points may seem like common sense, but it’s easy for them to be forgotten in the foray of getting your message across. If these questions and answers aren’t getting attention, neither is your message that you want your visitors to receive. Take a moment to look at your site with a critical eye to find where improvements can be made.

Another large part of user experience is providing opportunities for the user to interact with on your site. A mass of static pages can be overwhelming and does little to keep visitors on your website. Installing plugins and widgets on your site can encourage users to find what they need easily and prove to your customers that your website is relevant to their needs. When your business give users reasons to find your website useful, they in turn will ultimately share their discoveries with others which turns them into marketers for your company.

Think user experience isn’t all that important?  Tell that to Digg.  They were kings of social news until they completely overhauled their website, but forgot to think about what the end users wanted and enjoyed about their original design.  As a result, a vast majority of Digg visitors went elsewhere to find what they wanted because Digg’s redesigned site no longer served their needs or added to their enjoyment of being on their website.

Thou Shalt Remain Accessible

In addition to user experience, it’s important to think about how accessible your site is to visitors. With the advent and popularity of smartphones, it’s critical to know how compatible your site is with mobile devices and multiple web browsers. With extensive reports coming out that in five years web access will be almost completely dominated by mobile platforms, it’s important that you don’t get left in the dust. More and more people want their information on the go, and if you’re not giving them the ability to access your site from anywhere, they won’t be giving you their business.

If your site can’t be viewed or takes too long to load on a mobile device or a popular browser, chances are that user is going to move on to a different site out of convenience. If you haven’t looked at your own site on your personal mobile device lately, now is a good time to check it out. Put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask:  Can I easily find the information the visitors are looking for? Is anything broken or not working on the mobile platform? Is it easy to navigate from one area of the site to the next? If any of these questions are difficult to answer, it’s time to develop legitimate mobile version of your website.

Not only should your mobile website have what people are looking for, but if you’re advertising your business you need to use unique landing pages for every ad creative. Whether you’re advertising on the radio, tv, in print, or around the web, you can incorporate the use of unique landing pages in your ad campaigns. Creating these pages for your site allows visitors to access exactly what they’re looking for from the ad that brought them to your site.  Landing pages offer specific information without the hassle of sifting through multiple pages of unrelated subjects.  No sales pitch would make customers dig for information; and neither should your website when used in advertising.

To Thine Own Customers Be True

This year, it’s customer service that is going to set you apart from your competitors. Service is one element of cyber business that can easily be lost behind a computer screen, but don’t let that happen to your company. Elements of customer service in the real world easily translate to the digital aspect of business.  It’s important to remember old school customer service etiquette when dealing with web-based clients.

Using sites such as Facebook to connect with your customers is a great way to provide top-notch service.  Whatever comments are made, good or bad, use the opportunity to respond to your clients in a positive and helpful manner.  Doing so will show your transparency as a company and build brand loyalty.  Dealing with negative feedback in a positive way is a mark of strength for your brand or company. Customers appreciate prompt and courteous service, and now more than ever, it’s easier to oblige them.  Doing so without criticism will definitely help your company grow.

You can also reach out to your customers via e-mail newsletter. This medium is now the most convenient way for many people to access information about your company, deals, and events.  Embracing e-mail marketing may be the best thing you can do for the promotion of your business. Not only do you stay in the forefront of your customer’s minds via their inbox, you give them the opportunity to forward that e-mail to potential customers as well.

Does your business lack brownie points in any of these areas? 2011 should be the year to consider making these things a priority.