Technology Toolkit

Online vendors have recently found a gold mine located just south of Mongolia. The most populous country in the world, China has certainly made a name for itself manufacturing products in bulk, and selling them to the western world. Wholesale electronics suppliers in China face such fierce competition that they continue to offer more features for lower prices. This is good news for those looking to sell Chinese manufactured products in countries around the world. Suppliers are eager to export, and prices are low. However, this does not mean that any uninformed person can make a killing reselling Chinese manufactured electronics. It is important to know what to look for from suppliers.

First, make sure that the supplier you plan to work with is a legitimate wholesaler. If all you know about a company is that their website looks very professional, learn more. Many very sleek looking websites belong to “companies” that are actually scam artists. Do not be fooled by companies that ask for an initial membership fee to do business with them. Be sure to read user reviews of each company, and employ the help of a GOOD wholesale supplier directory e.g Yahoo directory. Do your research! Many companies that claim to be wholesalers are actually retailers, charging much higher prices than a true wholesaler. Once you feel confident that you will get the lowest price for the goods you wish to sell, there are more things to consider.

Check to see if the supplier you are working with offers a dropship service, as described at http://www.bigboxstore.com/dropship-service. If not, you should probably look elsewhere. Wholesale dropshippers offer to ship products to your customers at no extra cost. You simply submit the information of your buyer to the dropshipper, and the product goes directly to them. You never have to see, let alone store, the product you sell. All you see is the profit. This saves the cost and risk of storing goods that haven’t been sold yet, and is a necessary prerequisite for doing business with a Chinese wholesaler. The next thing to check is shipping speed.

One thing that can make or break your new business is the length of time it takes for your goods to reach buyers. While dropshipping is certainly quicker than buying from a manufacturer and then shipping goods to your customers personally, it can still be a lengthy process. Check to see if the company mentions a guarantee about how quickly they package and ship all orders. Verify that they have followed through with this in the past by reading user reviews. You may also want to try out a couple of companies, ordering a few products for yourself, and seeing which arrives in the most timely manner.

Another final thing to check is the company return policy. Consumers know that electronics manufactured in China are likely to be lower quality than those from brand-name companies. A return policy makes them feel much more secure. They feel confident that even if the product turns out to be a dud, they will get their money back. If your supplier has a 6 month - 1 year return policy on most goods, you wont get stuck holding a broken mobile phone that your customer didn’t want. There are Chinese wholesale dropshipping companies with reasonable return policies. Once again, you can learn a lot by reading the reviews written by previous buyers.

There is certainly money to be made by retailing electronics manufactured in China. Just make sure you pick a good supplier to work with. Your business partner should offer a speedy dropship service for wholesale priced goods, and should not ask for any additional fee to do so. They should also be willing to replace defective merchandise. Once you find a company whose user reviews reflect these elements, you are well on your way to becoming a successful electronics retailer.

Having a website is one thing, but having no visitors is another. Many Newbies create a good looking site,but have no idea how to get traffic. There are many methods of driving quality traffic to your site, and if

you have very little to no money to spend on paid advertising, then your only option is to find free methods of advertising. Here are the best ways to drive quality traffic to your website:

* Blogging

Starting a blog is a very good way to drive free traffic to your website. Blogs are very easy to setup, and as long as they are informative, you will see people making posts. Remember, the more visitors you can get to read your blog and comment on, The higher it will rank in the search engines which is exactly what you want. It is important for a blog to be keyword rich, Which also contributes to SEO greatly.

* Submitting Articles

Articles are an excellent free method of driving traffic to your website, The great thing about writing articles is that it is a “Set and forget” type of marketing. The more people that read your article, the higher it will rank in the search engines, and the more articles you submit to article directories, the more exposure your website is going to receive. Your articles must be helpful to readers, and in turn are more than likely going to visit your website for further information.

* Email marketing

Once you have a list of targeted leads, you can then start sending each one helpful tips and info and a provided link they can click on to your website. Do not send emails that are spammy in any way, They’re just going to delete it, just keep your emails to the point and informative and you can’t go wrong.

* Video marketing

This has become increasingly popular over time, and one of the best ways to promote your website. A Video Site such as YouTube for example is an excellent place to start. If your video is unique, you will get lots of views, and in turn, lots of clicks.

* Social Networking

Social Networking sites require a certain method to be effective. Remember this is your website you are going to be promoting so be professional about it. Don’t start sending out spam otherwise your going to get a bad name for yourself and possibly have your account suspended or terminated.

* Offline Marketing

This is probably the most under rated methods of free traffic generation. Even if you have no money to spend on business cards or professionally designed advertising, just talk to people. The word will soon spread. Word of mouth is very effective. Another way is to print out or write up a heap of flyers and deliver them to letter boxes.

Even if you have money to spend on paid advertising, Always utilise the free methods first. There is really no limit to the amount of traffic you can get. All you need to do is think outside the box and you will see results before you know it….

This is not some new marketing fluff or propaganda to get companies involved in social networks. Social networks provide a rewarding environment for companies to connect with great talent before they hit the payroll. Companies using viral content in social networks will be the first to get Gen Y’s attention and the pick of the talent crop. In the Web 2.0 world creativity, content and community rule and companies need to dance to the new beat.

Before Web 2.0 and social media networking companies used their websites and job boards to attract and recruit talent. Many were ignorant to social sites crammed with some of the best corporate talent and suffered the penalty. Until now.

Social networks house large, precious databases have massive popularity and very low implementation costs. But the swing to Web 2.0 technologies by corporations has been painfully slow, even though it makes sense to use to these sites for their next corporate hire and lunacy to ignore them.

Gen Y, the early adopters of social media networking, are now 88 million strong. Neglecting, even throwing away opportunities to get the best talent money can buy without paying ludicrous hiring or transfer fees is counter intuitive.

Companies wanting top candidates to join their ranks should advance recklessly towards Web 2.0 strategies, embrace social networks and grab hold of the wealth of talent roaming the landscape. And it’s absolutely free.

Positioning themselves where their potential employees spend time and learning the local language is a necessity. Anything else defies common sense and would be a mistake. That means developing and exploiting links in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or blogs. It also means becoming social media literate, understanding Gen Y’s recruiting goals, being generous with time and information and participating in a meaningful way. Just getting social network accounts not only isn’t enough in fact it would look trivial and shallow. If companies want Gen Y to arouse interest in them they need to be active.

Company pages in Facebook pages and Twitter accounts should bring companies to life. This should include videos of employees being transparent about their daily corporate lives, their failures, successes and eccentricities. More like in-house diaries and less like scripted advertisements. The best way to connect with Gen Y is by engaging in conversations already happening online.

Web 2.0 and social media networking have blasted the doors wide open for companies to get creative. People want more than ever to connect with others with the same values and interests. Even in the current downturn talent still needs to be won. Web 2.0 is the perfect place to meet without putting resumes or reputations on the line.

It’s not a trick. Becoming peers through social networks is an unexpected and invaluable way to connect to elite talent. Companies with viral videos and ripping good content for Gen Y will get their attention and will work for them. In this new digital frontier, creativity, content and community will triumph.

A major challenge of the internet is how to use it to get all the free Web 2.0 traffic everyone keeps talking about. You can instantly dominate free traffic without spending a cent when you know how to use Web 2.0 and social media networking sites. Online communities contain hundreds, thousands and even millions of likeminded people who collect and share information, experiences and data that they identify as valuable, even crucial, to their niche or special interest category.

Used cleverly social media sites can slash into a target market and mine highly valuable traffic all meeting in the one location. Social bookmarking and networking have become secret codes for internet marketing success. Blogs, web sites, and even affiliate pages are pieces of the easy to implement puzzle helping internet marketers.

Driving web site traffic is easy once you know how. And it’s free. Do you have a web site or blog but no traffic? Web 2.0 can redirect targeted visitors to your site. But how do you get pockets of easy traffic from YouTube, Friendster, Zimbio, OYAX, Ask/Jeeves, Xanga and MSN Spaces?

Got a pen? First, make a list of five high-traffic forums that relate to your niche. Google or Yahoo or MSN can help you find the top five forums in your niche. Next, submit fresh content to these forums regularly. You need to become well known. Start stockpiling some trust with forums members, and don’t forget to sign off with an enticing signature ear-marking your website. Invite people to visit with an offer a free gift, mini-series or e-book. Traffic will come. But will it be sooner or later? That really depends on the quality of what you have to say, how you say it and what’s to eat or drink at your place since you’re doing the inviting.

Next, submit high quality videos to YouTube and Google Videos. This is another easy way to get the attention of absolutely f.r.e.e. traffic to your web site. But it doesn’t stop there. Create unique articles and submit directories and free online e-zines. Remember, the word is unique.

Search engines boost quality informational content over “sales” websites everyday with their rankings. Get a blog if you don’t already have one. They rank very well with search engines and the higher your ranking the more exposure you’ll have to searching traffic. Your blog will need lots of postings with strong articles using your niche’s or target markets keywords.

The emphasis is not necessarily on ‘long’ copy but unique or fresh copy. Every method you use to get your name out there is a trail back to your site. The world is a circle and the internet is no different. You start in one place and before you know it you’re back again – posting more content and a few more friends. Rinse and repeat.

Remember, only must read or see content will generate free web traffic. Without it visitors may visit your site once but they’ll quickly lose interest and chase some other shiny object.

Don’t forget your offer. Sites often get visitors and forget a call to action. Visitors at your site must be clear about why they’re there. If you want them to “Bookmark this site now”, “Enter Your Email” or “Click Here for Your Free E-Book”; tell them, you may never see them again. Blow their minds with shortcuts, valuable content, free stuff and hidden tools and before you know it you could have a virus on your hands, lots of visitors and faithful followers.

If traffic is visiting your site; pay attention. Keep an eye out for what people are talking about the most. Look for themes and trends and deliver content on those themes.

Write for humans first, computers second, and connect with your audience.

The sooner you get plugged into Web 2.0’s social marketing the faster you’ll have amazing amounts of traffic coming to your website.

Hacker attacks on Web 2.0 social media networking sites are likely to come more often and be more creative and complex. This couldn’t come at a worse time for corporations who are finally open to joining others in the Web 2.0 social networking media world and reap the benefits from all Web 2.0 has to offer.

Hackers and cybercriminals commando skills are increasingly leveraging the Web. Their aim is to maim Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites. Organizations waddling into the Web 2.0 stratosphere need to listen up and re-assess their defensive mechanisms to protect users from hidden threats lurking on legitimate sites.

Hackers are driving and distributing unrelenting malware perpetrating identity theft, financial fraud, and corporate espionage. As a growing number of Web 2.0 applications are routinely adopted into the business world they bring with them confronting security concerns.

Unless these are addressed many corporations will continue to live outside Web 2.0 cut off from membership sites, crowdsourcing benefits and marketing benefits.

Almost two-thirds of businesses use at least one Web 2.0 application while in constant dread that Web 2.0 could lead to data loss from hackers gaining access through the back door. Easy and inexpensive Web 2.0 applications implementation make it a natural shortcut to high consumer demand for more transparent and smoother on line experiences.

The tremendous popularity of Web 2.0 social media networking has virus writers and hackers crazed with hunting down and claiming popular and valuable Web 2.0 sites, targeting the greatest number of users as their own. With so much money at stake Web-based attacks are becoming more lethal, malicious, and crushing. The challenge to protect confidential information will become the greatest threat to enterprise security.

Hungry hackers and malware developers have ‘drive them insane’ tactics ready to compromise and devour popular Web 2.0 sites and install intimidating code to dupe personal and business confidential information out of users and systems alike.

Likewise spam, combining spyware, viruses, and other malware are on the rise. Web 2.0 social networks are further threatened with the chilling use of encryption to gain access through the back door without being detected. Seeds of doubt around security grow like weeds as spyware flourishes as constant security and management threats.

Improvised and focused theft of private information, disarmed desktop, increased downtime, chewed up bandwidth and fanatic help desk calls are overwhelming call centers and IT departments.

On the other side, security companies are riding the wave of Web-based attacks into greater market share for their white knight services. Cynics are even citing that these attacks are originating from security companies themselves as a way of pocketing easy money. Don’t laugh. Who’s to say it’s not true. After all, who would be more equipped to put out fires than those guarding the matches? Everyone has budgets.

Businesses eager to simplify security and all the associated costs of hardware, administration, management reporting and call center headaches may soon abandon ‘old ways’ and run to ‘cloud’ technology without fuss or fanfare if they can finally figure out issues around cost, security and delivery and before they’re totally unhinged by hackers.