Anna's Blog

Free Business Resources.......Part 3 of 3

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:34:30 -0500

Well, since we all are trying to survive in this market.....no matter what real estate service we're providing, we all need to save money. I've created a list of some free services that I've used and some I haven't used.

Google Calendar - An online calendar that is easy to update, read, share, and access from any computer or your mobile phone.http://www.google.com/calendar

Tiny URL - Shorten a long URL into a tiny URL that will never expire. Free, easy, and useful service.http://tinyurl.com/

Screen Hunter - Capture any part of a window, screen, or desktop. The captured area can be pasted and saved in different formats.http://www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter.htm

Ring Central - Virtual based phone and fax service that allows you to check messages and receive faxes via phone or email. Multiple phone service options serve businesses of all sizes. Toll Free and local numbers available.http://www.ringcentral.com

Active Words - Allows you to navigate your computer files and the internet even faster. Type "excel" into the toolbar and it will launch. Type the name of a folder or document, and it will open regardless of where it is stored. There are many useful, time-saving features available. http://www.activewords.com

Free Business Resources.....Part 2 of 3

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:59:33 -0500

Constant Contact - Popular, user-friendly service that allows you to choose from many templates for e-newsletters and email campaigns or you can design your own with HTML. http://www.constantcontact.com

Free Conference Call - A free conference call service that allows up to 96 people on one call. There are other complimentary services available on the website, including call recording. http://www.freeconferencecall.com

VM Direct - Send video embedded in your emails or have live, streaming video on your website. VMDirect allows you to incorporate video to enhance your business practices. http://www.vmdirect.com

E-Fax - Send and receive faxes anywhere you have internet access - no fax machine needed.
http://www.efax.com

Skype - A service that allows you to make and receive calls to ordinary phones on your computer. It is always free to talk with other Skype users, and rates are competitive for domestic and international calls.
http://www.skype.com

Free Business Resources....Part 1 of 3

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:08:31 -0500

Toll Free Live - Toll free phone numbers and service options to suit businesses of any size. http://www.tollfreelive.com

IBackup - Online backup and storage for your computer files. Allows for sharing files with multiple users. http://www.ibackup.com

Audio Acrobat - Enables you to record and upload audio, video, podcasts, etc. Great for consultants, coaches and trainers. http://www.audioacrobat.com

Vertical Response - Many options for creating classy or flashy email campaigns. They only charge for the number you send, and have excellent customer service. http://www.verticalresponse.com

Jott - This free program allows you to make a phone call, leave a message for the chosen recipient, and automatically have the message transcribed and delivered to their email inbox. It's a great tool for leaving reminders for assistants, family, or yourself! http://www.jott.com

Google......More Than Just Web Surfing Part 7 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:08:54 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their latest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 7 of 7 googleware resources that are well worth investigating.

Google Web Accelerator, is an application that uses the power of Google's global computer network to make web pages load faster. Google Web Accelerator is easy to use; all you have to do is download and install it, and from then on many web pages will automatically load faster than before.

How does Google Web Accelerator work?

Google Web Accelerator uses various strategies to make your web pages load faster, including:

Sending your page requests through Google machines dedicated to handling Google Web Accelerator traffic.
Storing copies of frequently looked at pages to make them quickly accessible.
Downloading only the updates if a web page has changed slightly since you last viewed it.
Prefetching certain pages onto your computer in advance.
Managing your Internet connection to reduce delays.
Compressing data before sending it to your computer.

Google.....More Than Just Web Surfing Part 6 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:58:02 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their latest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 6 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Google Earth. Want to take a trip to see cities without leaving your home or office? Well, try Google Earth 4.3. You can see buildings in 3D faster and in more cities like Orlando, Munich, Zurich. Use the swoop navigation that takes you from outer space to street level and leap from one building to another. You can even go down your own street if you like.

Google......More Than Just Web Surfing Part 5 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:51:57 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their latest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 5 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Photos. Picasa 2.7, Google's free photo management software has improved since I last used it around April 2006. You can use this PC-based program to find, organize, eliminate duplicates, rename and enhance the endless images populating your PC, especially if you upload photos to add to your website lisstings.

Google....More Than Just Web Surfing Part 4 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:03:18 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their latest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 4 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Docs. Google Documents is a free Web-based word processor, spread-sheet, and presentation suite. Use it to create and share online with others by collaborating with clients, prospects, company personnel, and friends on proposals, renewals, or other projects.

Google.....More Than Just Web Surfing Part 3 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:02:19 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their labest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 3 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Email - everyone should have at least one gmail email account. The free version includes over 6GB of storage space plus archive and search capabilities that are accessible from any PC with a a Web browser. There is also a fee-based version with extra capabilities and support.

Google...... More Than Just Web Surfing Part 2 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:46:44 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their labest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below is part 2 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Analytics. If you are still relying on an archaic hit counte to track your Web site's poplularity, then Google Analytics is ideal for you. It's a free and easy way to learn which of your pages are the most popular, the sources of your traffic, the search terms used to find you, and much more. To install it, you need a Google gmail account. Then simply paste in some HTML code (provided) onto each Web that you wish included in your stats. The resulting information helps you to better understand your Web presence and how to enhance your online popularity.

Google......More Than Just Web Surfing 1 of 7

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:27:32 -0500

If you havent't explored Google.com lately, you are missing out on some very practical Web and PC based tools for your personal and business life. And no, this is not an ad for the company; Google doesn't need our help. But they can help you to do more than you might imagine. Visit www.google.com. Then select more and even more, from the menu at the top of the page, for a full list of their labest offerings. Most are free. Click any item for further facts and a direct link to the software itself. Below are 1 of 7 googleware resoures that are well worth investigating.

Street views. Imagine if you could conduct an initial insurance drive by inspection of a prospect's home or place of business without ever leaving your PC. It is possible by using Google Maps street view capabilitiy which is now availalbe in a growing number of cities and suburbs. Simply type in an address and click on the "street view" link (if it appears as an option). Then take a virtual walking tour of the area and view the exterior of the property itself. Also explore from the sky using the "satellite view" option or fire up Google Earth, a free standalone program, for an interesting variation.

Things That Should Not Appear on Your Business Card

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:15:33 -0500

Consultant, inventor, entreprenuer, or in betweeen things
Imports/Exports
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Dare to dream big
Condi is my copilot
A photo of your pet, or of you holding a martini
Icon of a lightbulb or a quill pen with inkwell
A questionable email address, such as isit420yet?@hotmail.com
Compliments of Kinkos

Just my opinion, what have you seen on business cards that you think shouldn't be?

Cancer Insurance...Would Your Finances Survive

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:53:34 -0500

No one likes to think about getting cancer. But it will still affect 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women. Cancer may not be preventable, but you can protect yourself from some of the costs. Cancer insurance can help you: Manage the high expenses of treatment; Preserve savings; Protect your family from financial hardship; Concentrate on getting well.

Our cancer insurance pays you benefits that can be used for non-medial cancer-related expenses that health insurance might not cover.

The policy is guaranted renewable for life, subject to change in premiums by class.
Benefits paid directly to you unless assigned.
Benefits paid in addition to any other coverage.
Individual or family coverage.

Call our office for more information:

Anna Person Insurance Agency of Allstate

301-562-4900

Internet Advertising Promote for FREE

Anna Person (Weichert, Realtors) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:43:43 -0500

So you want to entice fresh prospects to your site but only have a small budget? No problem! There are many ways to attract hits without spending a dime. Keep in mind that free only means that you don't have to invest extra cash to take advantage of these promotion ideas, but you'll still have to invest some time. There's no such thing as a free e-lunch.

Tell callers about your website on a custom on-hold phone message. But don't just mention the URL. Also tell them what to expect when they make the effort to visit you online.
Include your URL in outgoing emails to insureds, prospects, and others. It's easy. Simply include your web address as part of the "email signature" at the bottom of the email.
Add your URL to all stationary including letterhead, business cards, post-its, scratch pads, memos, envelopes, policy stickers, agency checks....
Include page-specific URLs in your agency brochure. This gives you unlimited space to deliver your message and attracts quality visitors.
Taste at Double-Dip URL. If you are having trouble coming up with a good website domain name for your agency, look no further than your main office phone number. One advtange of using the digits as your domain, is that it's sure to be available. Another is that it has double-dip power, because people who see your numeric URL may be closer to their phone than to their PC. It's an inexpensive and doubly effective promo.

Anyone else have any free ways they promote their website?