Author Archives: Tom Antion

What Does a Career in Internet Marketing Look Like?

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Compared to other careers such as computer programming, accounting or even plumbing, Internet Marketing is relatively new. Many people are unfamiliar with the extant of what it truly means. Yes, you may have heard of making money online or ‘get rich quick' schemes with television commercials featuring bikini-clad women on yachts. But that's not what Internet Marketing is all about.

Take away the word “Internet” and concentrate on just the word marketing. Now think of all of the websites you visit and all of the ads you see online promoting products and services. It's very similar to ads in newspapers and on television except they are more dynamic and interactive: flashing banners, enter your email for a chance to win, printable coupons and links directly to stores where you can make a purchase. All of these ad tactics are a part of marketing – just done on webpages instead of television. This is the world of Internet Marketing. And nearly every business on Earth is getting in on it, because it works.

For the coming year of 2012,businesses will increasing their spending on Internet Marketing because they are getting more bang for their buck than with traditional marketing. Yes, they will still market like they used to: television, radio, print, billboards, etc… But the Internet offers an opportunity to reach more people for less money. Using Youtube, Facebook, email and Google to reach their customers, you can see the power of the Internet and why businesses take it seriously. The big question that these businesses will face for 2012: where will they find enough skilled employees to fill the rising demand?

This is just a small example of why Internet Marketing is a serious career choice. One that not many people may be familiar with, but one that will play an important part in all of our lives. Do you think you have what it takes to be a part of this ever growing career?

2012 Challenges for Business – An Ever Growing Presence on the Web

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2012 will be a lot like 2011 in terms of business practices. Retail, manufacturing and service oriented companies will be scaling down expenses and offering various new services that can be accessed in alternative ways. Doing business as usual is over. Many companies will be turning to the web to increase revenues and cut costs in advertising. The Internet gives businesses a cost effective way to reach their target market over traditional marketing channels. The ever-present issue with the web is finding enough skilled employees that not only know how to work with the new technology, but are able to keep up with emerging trends that may be the ‘next big thing' and how to leverage those technologies with their business.

Failed attempts to keep on top of the ever changing Internet landscape have left companies high-and-dry in terms of using these new techniques to make sales and build profits. Outsourcing these marketing techniques have left businesses weak and behind the times, or at best, not taking full advantage of the technology available to them. The solution is an educated workforce. One that understands how the technology works on a basic level and how to affect the buying public's decision making process. Social media, interactive video and user-friendly apps and website experiences are just the tip of the iceberg. Acquiring the skill set to manage this kind of marketing is only a click away.  

What talents do you possess? How can use the gap between supply and demand to carve out a new career for yourself? At the Internet Marketing Training Center, we are searching everyday for the most up-to-date skills that employers don't even know they need and arming our students with the know-how that makes them valuable… ahead of their time.

But time will catch up. When businesses raise their voices to make the plea for competent workers, IMTC grads will be there to answer the call.

Changing Jobs in 2012 – The Skills to Make it Happen

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Are you thinking of changing your job next year? Or even switching careers completely? Before you make a move, research carefully what skills employers will be looking for over the next couple of years.

Of the highest in-demand skills for 2012: computers, the Internet and information marketing. All the skills we teach at the Internet Marketing Training Center. Here at IMTCVA, we know that marketing on the Internet: blogging, website design, online video, e-commerce and more, will be growing each and every year. Businesses look towards Internet Marketing as a cost-effective and powerful way to reach their customers. Compared to traditional marketing: television, radio and print, the Internet gives companies a huge advantage of reach without blowing out their budgets.

The problem with marketing on the Internet is that businesses are having a hard time finding enough qualified people to do the work. Internet marketing is relatively new. Because of that, few people possess the exact skills and training to do the job. What that means for the ones who know how to do it is a huge in-demand skill set. You could even work for a number of businesses from the comfort of your own home. That's what we call a “virtual assistant” and there is no shortage of work for those who know how to do it. In fact, we believe that “virtual” jobs and “tele-commuting” is the wave of the future.

Where can you learn everything you'll need to know to be in high demand? Well, right here of course. Check out or free downloadable career guide and list of the classes we teach. You'll be glad you did.

Setting Up Your Website With WordPress

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Setting Up Your Website With WordPress

Setting Up a WordPress Website

Setting Up Your WordPress Website

If you are new to WordPress you may find it to be a bit overwhelming to understand. This article will help you get started with setting up your WordPress website.

First off, WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables you to create a static website or blog. The WordPress software is free and can either be downloaded from WordPress.org and manually installed on your server, or you can install it directly from within your hosting account.

Setting up your WordPress site is fairly easy and should only take several minutes to complete. Here are the simple steps to take:

  1. Register your domain name.
  2. Set up a website hosting account.
  3. Install the latest version of WordPress.

Register Your Domain Name

There are two places you can register your domain name. One place would be a domain registration company, and the other would be your hosting provider. It would be much simpler to purchase your domain from your hosting provider versus a registration company simply because you eliminate the extra steps of having to change the Nameservers. And most new website owners don't have a clue of what a Nameserver is.

At the moment you can find a domain name for under $10 per year.

Sign Up With Website Hosting

Next you will need to purchase a web hosting account. You can find reliable and cheap web hosting for under $7 per month. An excellent place to start is by visiting GreatInternetMarketing.com. The majority of web host support WordPress, but be sure to check before signing up for their service.

Installing WordPress

You have two choices when installing WordPress to your host, an automatic install or manual install. The easiest and quickest way is by using the automatic installation wizard your host provides. If you choose to install manually you will have to download the WordPress software, manually setup your database, then upload all the files for installation.

Upon completion of the installation you receive a link to your WordPress administration login page. Here you will be able to login, access and manage your website or blog. You will be able to change your websites design layout, theme and add content to your pages.

For more complete information on setting up a WordPress website, I encourage you to visit the Internet Marketing Training Center of Virginia – http://imtcva.org , and please don’t forget to download the FREE career brochure!

Factors and Trends of SEO

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A Few Factors and Trends of SEO

Factors and Trends of SEO

Factors and Trends of SEO

The world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an ever changing environment. The purpose of this article is to identify some of the main factors that could in fact alter your SEO strategies, and eventually your search engine rankings. I'll also explain some good points, and a few of the bad points of these changes.

Google Local Search

If you throw together organic and local search results you get Google Places. Since the merge of these search results the layout and the rankings have changed quite a bit. For example, if you typed in “Sushi Bar” you would find several high page ranked websites, as well as local neighborhood listings. The same applies to mobile device search results, Google now uses the mobile user's geographic location.

The positive side: Since Google's merging of local search engine results, many businesses has had the opportunity to reach higher rankings. Also, if you have the taste for Sushi you can read restaurant reviews, view photos and pinpoint locations in one shot!

Social Indicators

Both Google and Bing validate that social indicators are in fact used as part of their ranking system. For some time many believed social media to be just that, but now its a fact that Facebook ‘likes', Google's ‘+1' and such are used to influence rankings and may at some point become equivalent to back links.

Google's Branded Search Results

At one point in time Google would only allow up to 2 search results from any given domain to appear in the search results. But, now Google is recognizing brands and has changed their restrictions allowing multiple results to display from the same domain, if they feel the user's intent is in search of a particular brand specifically.

The positive side: If your a known brand you will benefit greatly because this can in fact affect your rankings in a positive way.

The negative side: If your an affiliate of some sort selling third party products it may be extremely difficult to rank for these keywords any longer.

Speed of Your Website

Back in 2010 Google confirmed that the speed of websites will be a factor in determining their rankings. There are several elements of a page that can actually slow down a website such as, videos, images, audio and maps. Other things such as your server size, page code and errors may also slow down your website quite a bit.

The positive side: This gives you an advantage to outrank your competition if your website speed is optimal. Also, this will force many website to optimize their slow pages giving users faster search results and a better browsing experience.

These are just a few factors and trends that can affect our SEO strategies.

If you would like to learn more SEO factors and strategies I encourage you to visit the Internet Marketing Training Center of Virginia – http://imtcva.org , and don’t forget to download your FREE career brochure!

Internet Marketing Careers – WordPress Website Creation

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There has been an explosion of WordPress websites for business in the last 18 months. Almost everywhere you look, companies large and small, plus individuals, are using WordPress software to create their websites. Why? Because compared to traditional websites, WordPress is cheap and easy to make. That doesn't mean that just anyone can build them. On a basic level, most beginners can create something simple. But ad in a custom header, special widgets, plug-ins, opt-in forms and simple HTML code and you'll have a mess on your hands if you don't know what you're doing.

That's where the training in WordPress creation and management comes in. At IMTC, we teach you the advanced techniques for quickly and easily building a WordPress site for either yourself or a business. This is a high ‘in demand' service because of the explosive popularity of WordPress. There are more businesses who need help in managing their sites than there are people who know how to do it. This is a BIG opportunity for you to make money with your knowledge.

And it doesn't stop there. Your customers will still need consultations in keyword placement, image management and much more. At IMTC, you'll learn all of that too. This really is the career of the future. The work will only grow in its demand, and armed with the knowledge from IMTC, you have all you need to take this new career by the horns. Check out all of the classes we offer and download our career brochure too. See you over there!

Internet Marketing – Ingredients For Success

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Internet Marketing – Ingredients For Success

Internet Marketing - Ingredients For Success

Internet Marketing - Ingredients For Success

Becoming a full time Internet marketer is a growing trend nowadays, but too many individuals fail to implement the key ingredients that make up successful Internet marketing. Below I will point out a few important tips when beginning an online business.

  1. Find Yourself a Mentor – Just like any business not having the proper training in place is detrimental to its success. By finding yourself a quality Mentoring program that provides online marketing training will greatly increase your chances at running a successful Internet marketing business. Not only will a Mentor guide your business in the right direction, they will also save you from the common pitfalls that many new marketers face on a daily basis. They say learning from experience is the best teacher, but in this case learning from an experienced Internet marketer is the better teacher.
  2. Functional & User Friendly Website – Whether selling products or services your website must be fully functional, user friendly and easy to navigate throughout the entire site. Your website should also be attractive to the eye, drawing visitors to explore more of your content. Also, you should always have your products or sales page just a few clicks away, this makes your visitors buying decision easier and convenient, plus it improves your conversion rate.
  3. On-Page Optimization – Your website should consist of multiple keyword optimized pages. This is one of the most important tips when attempting to rank well in the search engines. These keyword driven optimized pages will be the gateway to your website via the major search engines. By doing thorough initial keyword analysis and applying the proper on-page optimization will result in higher visibility, and in turn will drive more traffic to your website.
  4. Off-Page Optimization – Off-page search engine optimization works similar to on-page optimization, but it uses other high page rank sources such as blogs and article directories to help with search engine rankings. Not only will your off-page content rank fairly well in the search engines, they will also provide you with relevant backlinks to your main website.

Here are a few off-page optimization resources:

  • Web 2.0
  • Blogs
  • Social Media
  • Article Directories
  • Social Bookmarking Services
  • Directory Submissions
  • Press Releases
  • Forums
  • RSS Submissions
  • Video Submissions

These are just 4 important tips out of many when beginning an Internet marketing business. If you would like to learn more regarding the proper techniques, tricks, and strategies I encourage you to visit the Internet Marketing Training Center of Virginia – http://imtcva.org , and don’t forget to download your FREE career brochure!

Shopping Cart and Auto Responder

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Things to Consider When Choosing the Perfect Shopping Cart and Auto Responder

Shopping Cart and Auto Responder

Shopping Cart and Auto Responder

For all successful Internet marketing it's important to have an advanced shopping cart and auto responder for your email campaigns. There are many shopping carts and auto responders available for free via web hosting services, but unlike advanced ones they are fairly basic and lack the power.

Before choosing a cart and auto responder you should take into consideration several factors. Below I will discuss several features and options to look for that will benefit you the most.

  1. When sending automatic emails to your opt-in list it's effective to have the option to send personalized messages. Sending a message with the subscribers name automatically added to the email makes it personal, and can psychologically have an impact on them to become a buyer. Therefore, being able to send personalized messages is one of the biggest factors when choosing an auto responder.
  2. The next feature to look for in an auto responder is having the ability to send follow-up messages. Most auto responders from hosting services only allow you send one follow-up message to your subscribers. It's important to have the ability to send multiple follow- up messages because this helps to boost sales dramatically on auto pilot!
  3. Another key feature you should look for is having the ability to update or add new messages to your email campaign. This gives you the power to inform your subscribers about new products or opportunities you may offer, which can increase your earnings.
  4. Having the ability to track your adverts performances is another option to look for in an auto responder. This enables you to track your marketing campaigns and performance, letting you know what's working and what needs improvement.
  5. If you plan on selling digital downloads make sure you choose a shopping cart that has the features to handle automatic digital downloads. The cart should have the ability to create automatic downloads and expiration’s.
  6. Recurring billing is an important feature if you plan on selling products or services that have monthly billing. This feature has an automated recurring billing system built in that automatically bills membership or recurring products.
  7. Another excellent feature to look for in a good shopping cart is having the ability to upsell. By adding post-sale upsell options to your campaign can dramatically boost your sales. You can create upsell funnels to display different offers to each customer.
  8. Multiple Shipping options is another feature to look for when purchasing a good shopping cart. It should support different shipping methods, have the ability to offer free shipping, real-time UPS/USPS shipping calculations, international shipping, ship by quantity, price or weight and much more.
  9. You should also purchase an auto responder that offers support or some sort of training. By having training videos and tutorials helps you to learn and become more familiar with its features 24 hours a day.

These are a few important features to look for when purchasing an advanced shopping cart and auto responder.

To get more information visit the Internet Marketing Training Center of Virginia – http://imtcva.org , and don’t forget to download your FREE career brochure!

Internet Marketing Careers – Affiliates Working From Home

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http://www.imtcva.org

Did you know you can make a generous living selling other people's products from your home computer? At the Internet Marketing Training Center of Virginia, you can get a dedicated certificate in as little as six months and be on your way to your own home based business. Visit the site to download your free career guide.

Certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

Working for a Company with an Online Business

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I can't tell you how convenient it is to work with a company that is not only in the office but most of my work is on a computer.  I am a mother of 3 children in which I home school too.  Your probably thinking I am crazy to work a full-time job and home school my 3 children.  Well, lucky for me just like everything else in this world my children do most of their work on a computer.  Technology has changed this world we live in today even from what we were used to 5 years ago.

I am able to keep all of my files on a password protected flash drive which I back up daily and I can use in any computer.  Internet Marketing Training Center also uses programs and software that all employees can log into at any computer in any part of the world.  So I am able to access all of my work from my flash drive and log into our different data bases.  When my children are sick, a day I need to stay home with them, or I have appointments to go to for the day that doesn't stop me from getting my work done.

My point to all of this is that having an online business in our world today is considered to be “Normal”  If you do not have a website and profiting from it then you need to have the proper training to have a successful website and more.  That will give you the convenience to work from anywhere and take care of your personal needs as well. 

Another point is that you may be working for a company that does not have a website or they do but it's not that great.  With receiving the proper training you could make yourself more valuable to the company.  You could quit and start your own.  There are tons of possibilities you would have from the training that IMTCVA.ORG provides.

Get started today so that you can have more time for your family and work from anywhere in the World… Including on a beach in Bahamas;)  If you have a device to get online then you can work from where ever you choose.