The BluePrint is a platform on which developers can create mobile websites. It uses simple XML, and is the same technology Yahoo used to build oneSearch and the Yahoo.com mobile home page.

"This is a huge step for the platform offering, since it makes your mobile sites available to potentially every user, regardless of which phone they are using," says the company. "A mobile site developed with Blueprint can now be displayed with an wonderfully rich UI not only on iPhones, the Palm Pre, Windows Mobile phones or Series 60 3rd edition phones, but also at the same time – without you having to change any code – on amazingly popular devices (think Blackberry Curve, Nokia N70, Blackberry Pearl, and even the Motorola RAZR V3i) that do not come with highly sophisticated browsers."

Here are some examples of the same Blueprint-created page on different devices (courtesy of Yahoo):

Sony Ericsson W810i

iPhone:

Blackberry 8800

Palm Treo 650 (Palm OS)

While Yahoo Blueprint supports most mobile devices, the company says there are some exceptions. These are mainly limited to handsets that only support WML pages, can’t handle or support images, or have strong memory restrictions.

With Blueprint, developers can keep their own domain names and get user statistics via the Blueprint Management Portal. More information can be found here, and at the Blueprint DevCenter here.

Blueprint was aimed at a younger group of women than the typical Stewart crowd, so the change of plans might be considered a proper adjustment, rather than an admission of failure.  That’s certainly the way Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is looking at the matter.

“The moves enable MSLO to redirect a portion of its investment dollars into other high-potential digital media initiatives, expand its weddings franchise and create efficiencies in its Publishing business,” states a release.

Still, a number of people have lost their jobs over this, and the New York Post puts the financial harm at $10 million.  In light of the current economic conditions, Blueprint’s failure looks somewhat justifiable, yet it won’t help the “old media” side of any argument.

Now we’ll just have to wait and see if it’ll do the new media side any good – there’s no reason to believe that the Blueprint site’s long-term success is assured, either.

The man didn’t state his name, but wanted to speak to the person in charge of the Google AdWords campaign, and seemed rather surprised that that person also answered the phone.

LaFata, who owns the small company too, was polite enough not to seem surprised that the director of Blueprint was making sales calls.

Instead, the real trouble began because of LaFata’s difficulty understanding the British man on the other end. Part of this may have been the accent, but LaFata says "profound" hearing loss is another factor.

When he told the caller he was having a hard time understanding, the caller asked him if he understood English, called him "rude" and "stupid as George Bush."

Ouch.

At this point in the story, you expect a quip like "needless to say, he lost the sale," but the caller really didn’t leave time to lose it. He hung up after sending a tongue-lashing across the pond. Had he not hung up so soon, LaFata may have had time to tell him he was being recorded.

You know, for quality assurance purposes. You can listen to the call at LaFata’s blog, and read a transcript at Daiv Russell’s Small Business Marketing blog.

LaFata says Blueprint Marketing called to assure him that the man on the phone was not a director of the company, and they were investigating internally.   

I contend that we also have a “writing blueprint” that guides the way we write as adults whether we’re writing reports, articles, books, white papers, sales letters, web copy, or whatever. The blueprint comes mainly from our educational background.

Those who studied, for example, law or medicine or IT will have a tendency to write in a certain academic or technical way, at least when the material they’re writing is work related. Those who studied English literature will tend to write in different ways from those who studied journalism, etc. etc. We tend to develop by osmosis and over long years of practice a writing blueprint that defines our field of endeavor.

So it will come as no surprise that some writing blueprints don’t cross over from one genre to another.

For example, we’ve all visited sites where the jargon was so thick you could cut it with a machete. Where sentences run on and paragraphs are so long they span several screens. Where ideas (or products) are presented in thesis-like complexity.

Nothing wrong with that sort of writing blueprint – if it’s a thesis. Or a technical spec sheet. Or a legal document. In those cases, you’re writing for an audience that speaks your lingo. You’re preaching to the choir.

But if you’re writing web content to promote, let’s say, a software development company, you first of all need to understand exactly who will be reading it. If your target market includes those in the business food chain who don’t speak fluent geek (for example a customer service manager looking for CRM software), at least some portions of your copy need to tone down the IT jargon. Because your words need to be crystal clear to everyone who reads them or the whole persuasion premise falls apart very early in the sales funnel of your site.

Whether you write your own copy or outsource it, the first order of business is clarity. Sure, feel free to use any tone you feel is appropriate: conversational, businesslike, formal. As long as the words you choose don’t cause any segment of your prospective market to stall and sputter out before reaching the finish line.

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Michael Pedone is the President / CEO of eTrafficJams.com, a search engine optimization and website marketing company <http://www.etrafficjams.com> located in Clearwater, Florida that specializes in getting targeted, eager-to-buy traffic to your site. You can catch him blogging at: <http://www.etrafficjams.com/blog/>.

Read Neville’s comments

I’ve taken my own stand, so to speak, in castigating our professional associations – notably, IABC and PRSA – for their lack of taking a stand on something that is fundamental to the credibility, trust and respect that we as communicators, as well as others, hold of the profession.

When Ketchumgate blew up in the blogosphere in January, led by a hefty swipe at PR bloggers by US journalist and writer Jay Rosen, there was lots of opinion and discussion in lots of blogs. Ultimately, everything died down and nothing changed.

But we could have some traction building now, a couple of significant steps along the road to getting this subject on the agenda in order to create an effective framework for a meaningful discussion about ethics in the profession. Such discussion could lead to the creation of a universal ethics code for the profession.

Fanciful? I don’t think so. It’s not yet the tipping point but it looks like it could be moving that way.

The first step happened earlier this month when Richard Edelman – one of the profession’s most authoritative voices – posted commentary in his blog about British publicist Max Clifford and how PR is being defined by a lowest common denominator. His post included this call:

We need a code of ethics and we need to be prepared to live by it. Violators of the code should be exposed and subject to some form of sanction.

Then last Thursday, Warren Bickford (IABC’s incoming chairman for the 2005-2006 term), posted the full text of IABC’s code of ethics in the IABC Cafe, IABC’s relaunched chairman’s blog.

What I find most interesting about this is that Warren posted the text in response to a discussion that’s rapidly developing in the comments area of another post on that blog to do with the type of advocacy role a professional association like IABC should adopt, on what issues, and how it should do it (I suggested there that ethics is one of those issues).

This is by no means a minor matter for IABC. Historically, IABC has never assumed an advocacy role on anything outside its membership focus. Now, there is a healthy discussion going on that, if progressed to a conclusion, could see a major shift in how IABC behaves and acts as a professional association.

As I’ve said before, one of the simplest ways for an association like IABC to take a stand on ethics is to visibly and actively promote (advocate) its own existing ethics code. In posting the full text in the IABC blog, Warren has made a start on doing precisely that.

Let’s not ignore such steps forward nor allow them to wither on the vine.

If you’re a communication professional with an opinion, add your thoughts to the debate.

And for your convenience, here is the IABC code of ethics (including additional content on enforcement and communication):

IABC Code of Ethics

Preface

Because hundreds of thousands of business communicators worldwide engage in activities that affect the lives of millions of people, and because this power carries with it significant social responsibilities, the International Association of Business Communicators developed the Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators.

The Code is based on three different yet interrelated principles of professional communication that apply throughout the world.

These principles assume that just societies are governed by a profound respect for human rights and the rule of law; that ethics, the criteria for determining what is right and wrong, can be agreed upon by members of an organization; and, that understanding matters of taste requires sensitivity to cultural norms.

These principles are essential:

- Professional communication is legal.
- Professional communication is ethical.
- Professional communication is in good taste.

Recognizing these principles, members of IABC will:

* engage in communication that is not only legal but also ethical and sensitive to cultural values and beliefs;
* engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understanding; and,
* adhere to the following articles of the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators.

Because conditions in the world are constantly changing, members of IABC will work to improve their individual competence and to increase the body of knowledge in the field with research and education.

Articles

1. Professional communicators uphold the credibility and dignity of their profession by practicing honest, candid and timely communication and by fostering the free flow of essential information in accord with the public interest.
2. Professional communicators disseminate accurate information and promptly correct any erroneous communication for which they may be responsible.
3. Professional communicators understand and support the principles of free speech, freedom of assembly, and access to an open marketplace of ideas; and, act accordingly.
4. Professional communicators are sensitive to cultural values and beliefs and engage in fair and balanced communication activities that foster and encourage mutual understanding.
5. Professional communicators refrain from taking part in any undertaking which the communicator considers to be unethical.
6. Professional communicators obey laws and public policies governing their professional activities and are sensitive to the spirit of all laws and regulations and, should any law or public policy be violated, for whatever reason, act promptly to correct the situation.
7. Professional communicators give credit for unique expressions borrowed from others and identify the sources and purposes of all information disseminated to the public.
8. Professional communicators protect confidential information and, at the same time, comply with all legal requirements for the disclosure of information affecting the welfare of others.
9. Professional communicators do not use confidential information gained as a result of professional activities for personal benefit and do not represent conflicting or competing interests without written consent of those involved.
10. Professional communicators do not accept undisclosed gifts or payments for professional services from anyone other than a client or employer.
11. Professional communicators do not guarantee results that are beyond the power of the practitioner to deliver.
12. Professional communicators are honest not only with others but also, and most importantly, with themselves as individuals; for a professional communicator seeks the truth and speaks that truth first to the self.

Enforcement and Communication of the IABC Code for Professional Communicators

IABC fosters compliance with its Code by engaging in global communication campaigns rather than through negative sanctions. However, in keeping with the sixth article of the IABC Code, members of IABC who are found guilty by an appropriate governmental agency or judicial body of violating laws and public policies governing their professional activities may have their membership terminated by the IABC executive board following procedures set forth in the association’s bylaws.

IABC encourages the widest possible communication about its Code.

The IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators is published in several languages and is freely available to all: Permission is hereby granted to any individual or organization wishing to copy and incorporate all or part of the IABC Code into personal and corporate codes, with the understanding that appropriate credit be given to IABC in any publication of such codes.

The IABC Code is published in the association’s annual directory, The WorldBook of IABC Communicators. The association’s monthly magazine, Communication World, publishes periodic articles dealing with ethical issues. At least one session at the association’s annual conference is devoted to ethics. The international headquarters of IABC, through its professional development activities, encourages and supports efforts by IABC student chapters, professional chapters, and districts/regions to conduct meetings and workshops devoted to the topic of ethics and the IABC Code. New and renewing members of IABC sign the following statement as part of their application: “I have reviewed and understand the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators.”

As a service to communicators worldwide, inquiries about ethics and questions or comments about the IABC Code may be addressed to members of the IABC Ethics Committee. The IABC Ethics Committee is composed of at least three accredited members of IABC who serve staggered three-year terms. Other IABC members may serve on the committee with the approval of the IABC executive committee. The functions of the Ethics Committee are to assist with professional development activities dealing with ethics and to offer advice and assistance to individual communicators regarding specific ethical situations.

While discretion will be used in handling all inquiries about ethics, absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Those wishing more information about the IABC Code or specific advice about ethics are encouraged to contact IABC World Headquarters (One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA; phone, +1 415 544 4700; fax, +1 415 544 4747).

[Source: http://www.iabc.com/members/joining/code.htm]

Neville Hobson is the author of the popular NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.

Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson’s blog: NevilleHobson.com.

“95% of small business start ups fail within 5 years. Two-thirds of new employer firms survive at least two years, and about half survive at least four years.” (Source: Small Business Administration 2004).

How can this be when the same US Government source claims that small firms represent more than 99.7% of all employers? Why is the failure rate so high? Here’s why. 95%of all start ups have no masterplan in position at the outset and in consequence flounder and sink without a trace. What’s more, this alarming fatality quotient applies equally to offline and online enterprises. Even worse, tens of thousands more start a business every day and follow exactly the same route to disaster.

Fact: Google lists in excess of 12,000,000 web sites offering advice on how to start a business – but how many I wonder emanate from people who’ve actually done it for themselves. My site does. I’ve founded, owned and operated dozens of small businesses – and I’m still doing it. I’ve also authored two widely-acclaimed bestselling hard copy books on the topic, Starting Your Own Business’ (How To Books ISBN 1-85703-859-2) and Starting an Internet Business at Home’ (Kogan Page ISBN 0-7494-3484-8); titles that sell in big numbers online at Amazon.com and offline in bookstores throughout the world.

Now I’m unzipping my case notes spanning forty years of successful independent commercial activity to present you with an all-in-one masterplan to ensure success before you start a business – and to maintain momentum in tandem with your endeavors so that you don’t end up in the same place as 95% of start ups: the dump truck.

The All-in-One Start a Business Masterplan doesn’t simply focus on getting you up and running. As the Ultimate Start a Business Compendium it goes deeper, much deeper. In its 4 individual tutorials it aims at the creative heart of operating a small enterprise: how to start a business with failsafe offline and online strategies, how to avoid the crucial mistakes that cripple 95% of all start ups, and how to sustain progress with tried, tested, proven stratagems.

BLUEPRINT FOR FULFILMENT BEFORE YOU START A BUSINESS

The All-in-One Start a Business Masterplan will empower you to conceive your own exclusive blueprint for a happy, successful and rewarding small business operation. Plans are great things. They show you where you are going, what to do, and how to do it when you get there. Make no mistake though; you will not be creating this blueprint just to get you started. It’s going to be around for a long time and you will want to review and update it regularly to take account of twists and turns along the way. That’s the beauty of it. When you have a blueprint for success, you can legislate for change. Without one you cannot; you’ll be like the explorer in the jungle without a map.

THE ALL-IN-ONE START A BUSINESS MASTERPLAN

What this is not is a hotchpotch of miscellaneous lame-brained notions and opinions cobbled together to create a sycophantic litany. The All-in-One Start a Business Masterplan is the genuine product of my own personal experience as a successful small business owner offline and online. It consists of 4 comprehensive tutorials, 60 full blown chapters, 555 pages, and covers every aspect of single-minded entrepreneurship: galvanizing into initial action, getting started on your plan, settling on an idea for your enterprise, tackling initial teething problems, overcoming the threatening scenarios everyone encounters along the way, and setting the course for a lifetime of fulfilment and enrichment. The good, the bad, and the in-between are all recorded: where I hit the target plumb center, where I screwed up, and how I put it right.

Jim Green is an online enthusiast and bestselling author with an ever-growing string of traditionally published niche non-fiction hard copy titles to his credit. View his test marketing experiment at this website:

http://howtobecomefamousonline.howtoproducts-xl.com

Discovery is defined as examining where are you now and where are you going. It helps to look at everything as if you were a beginner. Always know why you are in the business of your choice. If your strategy is not clear, you won’t recognize the destination when you get there. This is the time to bring in your outside Vision Team.

Vision is who you are about and what your life is about. This is where you determine values you need to experience on a continuing basis. Vision is also where you become the expert in your field and decide the purpose of your business. Remember, the smaller the niche, the larger the reward. Abandon any preconceived beliefs you have about this or any other business. They can restrict your thinking. Live out of this new vision, not your past comfort.

Planning creates the strategies that help you arrive at your destination. A simple system is to – Show Up, Be on Time, Keep Your Word and Tell The Truth. It’s like riding on that train, sometimes there are hills to climb; sometimes there are curves and other times you’re flying rapidly down the mountain to your destination. In any instance, you must remain focused on what you want and where you are going.

Benchmarking helps you stay on track. Once focused,you set up a system for accountability, self-management and self-renewal. You can create goals or optimum wants that may be on the outer edge of possibilities or a goal that is far bigger than you think is attainable. Going into new territory can unlock your potential and increase your development. When goals or optimum results are achieved, you can acknowledge success and learn to be satisfied. Again, put it in writing; the goals, the results and the acknowledgement.

Rules require exceptions, so even if you follow the above and create a strong foundation, you must be prepared for chaos. Chaos can aid in your personal and business development if you have eliminated all toxic people or commitments from your life.

Chaos can then become the opportunity to progress rapidly into new territory. You can be the architect of your own life.

Build a strong foundation and you can always remodel.

“Joanne- thank you for the most truthful moments of my life.”

Joe Glazier, Entrepreneur

2001-2003 Joanne Victoria, All rights reserved.

Joanne Victoria, Sausalito, CA, US
joanne@joannevictoria.com

http://www.JoanneVictoria.com

Joanne Victoria, owner of New Directions, is a Northern Calfornia based writer who speaks to associations, professional organizations and small business owners on getting more control of your time and life; creating a market position that builds momentum; and taking the right action steps inside a personal plan for progress.

telephone: (415) 491-1344

But what little things you learn here will clearly be beneficial, IF you have not utilise this method of email marketing before.

As an internet marketer or home business owner, It’s vital you know marketing is a process, not a one-time, “thank you and goodbye” effort.

Turn your prospects into profits by giving them quality information that they want. Follow-up to build the marketing process.

An easy way to do that? Try an ecourse!

What’s An eCourse?

An ecourse is simply what its name imply – an electronic course.

Subscribers receive the ecourse via a series of follow-up emails within a specific timeframe, like a week for instance.

Lesson one in day one, lesson two in day two, lesson three day three…you get the drift.

Ecourses are excellent internet tools – for yourself and your subscriber. It’s a natural extension of the ‘two step marketing’ approach which works very well, both online and off.

We’ll see why in a second…

Why An eCourse?

Three basic reasons WHY you should use ecourses as an integral part of your marketing and selling strategy…

1. Value-added : An ecourse is essentially a learning tool for the subscriber. It provides value in the form of a f’ree education to him or her, and this is a very real benefit.

2. Better Response : Subscribers opt-in to the ecourse because they want whatever they can learn from it.

They want, expect and desire your ecourse follow-up and email!

3. Better Conversion : ecourses are one of the best selling tool for the marketer. First, there’s a series of follow-up emails to help promote whatever products you’re offering.

Secondly there’s much less resistance in the prospect’s mind to your offers (provided that they are quality, helpful resources that is

Where To Get Your eCourse

Here’s the fastest way to set up your ecourse, short of writing your own.

Use ready-made ones, and make profits at the same time : ) let me explain…

There’re many affiliate programs that offer f’ree ecourses as part of their affiliate tools.

Find out from your favourite affiliate programowner if such ecourse promotional tools are available.

For instance, 2 excellent affiliate programs that I’m dedicated to provide a wide spectrum of marketing tools for their affiliates…

This include powerful ecourses in-built with YOUR own affiliate links to give away!

See this in real action by sending an email to -

“5 Simple Steps To An Internet Cashflow For Newbies” internetashflow@freeautobot.com

“Affiliate Masters Course” Become a high-earning Affiliate Champion! tamsewen@sitesell.net

Setting Up Your eCourse

After you have your ecourse ready, all you need to do is to set it up in an Autoresponder to deliver the ecourse instantly and automatically to those who request it.

Ecourses and autoresponders work hand in hand, much like butter and bread ; )

Here are 3 of different autoresponders available for your web marketing use:

http://www.FreeAutobot.com
http://www.SendFree.com
http://www.RealReply.com

Getting Subscribers To Your eCourse!

This is not as difficult as you may think…

You will get subscribers IF you’re giving quality ecourses, like those mentioned above.

Try out these 2 promotional techniques to help generate massive sign-ups to your ecourse.

1. Use an Attention-grabbing doorway page!

Create an attractive and compelling doorway page on your website promoting the ecourse.

Make use of powerful headlines, sub-headlines, benefits, images, etc. to encourage sign-ups.

Here’s one that’s simple but highly-effective : )

http://www.AllWebMarketing.com/cbcourse.htm

Promote your doorway page aggressively.

Make use of pop-up, pop-under, startpage exchanges, auto hits programs, search engines, etc!

2. Ezine Advertising

Ezine advertising can perform very well if done right!

Here, it is enough to place strategic ezine classified ads to pull in targeted subscribers.

You don’t need a solo ad for this, a top sponsor ad will do just fine.

Advertise your ecourse in the ads. Get them into your autoresponder to capture their emails for effective follow-up and profit building!

The above acts as a general introduction to ecourse marketing and why you should use them in your internet marketing plan.

To learn more about the topic, download our f’ree ebook “eCourse Power Pack!” for more powerful, proven tactics.

Click to start download here :

http://www.allwebmarketing.com/EPP.exe

Talk to you soon!

Ewen Chia is an expert information
publisher and marketer with a fiery
passion for creating unique quality content
fellow internet marketers can benefit from.
Visit his websites today:

http://WebsiteConversionSecrets.com
http://InstantMarketingSecrets.com

http://www.Marketing-Make-Money.com

1.) Secure Six National Magazine Writeups

National magazines are created months in advance. Submit your press releases to them now. Select six magazines you would like to be featured in. Study the articles closely. Contact them to request their editorial calendar and writers guidelines.

2.) Monthly Local Writeups and Spotlights

Watch your local news and read all of your local newspapers. When you come across a news item that you can tie in with your business, fax a quick story suggestion to their news room. Make a list of the contact names along with their fax numbers. Keep it near your fax or computer.

3.) Syndicated a Column

Create a Q&A business or consumer column. Syndicate it. Offer it as free content to publishers. Remember to stipulate that your resource box — 3 line bio along with contact information — remains intact. Copyright your column.

4.) Publish an Ebook

Share your knowledge by publishing an ebook. If you don’t have enough time to crank out a masterpiece with endless chapters, publish an ebooklet or release one chapter every month.

5.) Get a Professional Media Kit Designed

Make yourself and your site media friendly. Reporters are busy people. They really appreciate it when you make it easier for them to develop their stories. Hire someone to design a professional media kit that spotlights your expertise . Whenever you are contacted for an interview, offer to send your media kit to help the reporter develop their story angle. Place the contents the media kit on your site. Reporters are always surfing the web for innovative entrepreneurs to profile.

6.) Repackage Your Products and Services

Revamp your products and services every three months to emotionally appeal to your target audience. “Package” two or more of them to fill a particular need or want. Give the “package” an attractive name based on the need or want that it satisfies. Create a press release to announce your new “package”.

7.) Partner with Three or More Businesswomen to Create Joint Press Releases

Open yourself up to several new audiences by partnering with three or more businesswomen to write joint press releases. Select noncompetitive businesswomen who cater to your target audience. Report niche online news related to interest to your target audience. There are a lot exciting news happening within the online women’s community. Share it with the offline world.

8.) Create an Online Award to Boost Traffic

Offer your visitors the chance to win an online award — the most resourceful site; online volunteerism; best site design; etc. Stipulate that the graphic award must be linked back to your site. Craft a press release to promote your award program.

9.) Develop a Monthly Tip Newsletter

Experts give away tips to demonstrate their skills. It keeps their business on their target audience’s mind. Put out a quick one paragraph newsletter every month.

10.) Turn Your Web Site into a Community Resource for Your Target Audience

PR savvy businesswomen build an audience of followers around them who need their products and services. They might not need you today but one day soon they will need to hire you. Offer them real membership benefits — networking, discounts, newsletterd, advertising, etc. — on your site.

Jerrilynn B. Thomas, owner of the Women’s News Bureau
(http://www.womensnewsbureau.com) and Women’s Media Desk
(http://www.womensmediadesk.com), specializes in PR makeovers. If you would
like a PR makeover to make yourself more newsworthy, contact her at
jerrilynnb@w… . Businesswomen are invited to
submit their news and articles to the Women’s Media Desk.

Copyright 2001 by Savvy Atlanta Female Entrepreneur