Saturday, May 06, 2006

Web usage grows around the world

We know habits die hard, but they are so easy to create, especially the bad ones.
I notice the majority of my clients and colleagues use the same web sites over and over, and can go MONTHS without exploring a new site. So, I often remind people that it is the "world wide web," not only local or U.S. based content.

I occasionally find interesting news in European columns online and web sites, and when I share them, people say: "Gosh, how did you find that." Well, the world is big and the web puts it all within our reach. As I say in Computer Ease - go exploring.

So where are the greatest number of Internet users? Here are the statistics from World Opinion News:

694,260,000 Worldwide total, users age 15+, as of March 2006
152,046,000 United States
74,727 ,000 China
52,100,000 Japan
31,813 ,000 Germany
30,190 ,000 United Kingdom
24,645 ,000 South Korea
23,884 ,000 France
18,996 ,000 Canada
16,834 ,000 Italy
16,713 ,000 India

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Glenview Chamber Tech Talk

We had an interesting presentation at the Glenview Chamber this morning. I posted a draft of the Tech Talk, but due to a connection problem, it didn't post. So here's a more thorough update.

We discussed the importance of gaining visibility & credibility -- two important no-cost ways to grow business. Our session included:

1. Appropriate use of email for sending BCC (blind carbon copy) email messages to clients and prospects.

2. Publishing a free blog, here at blogger.com, or typepad.com or wordpress.com. It's like getting a web site for free since you control the content and invite your clients & prospects to read updated articles you post. Be sure you always have something of value to say, be concise, and make your goals clear. If you use Google Adsense, you can also gain advertising revenue if people click on ads posted on your site.

3. I want you, my readers, to be comfortable sending email, and try your hand at a blog. But if you business is ready to move beyond that, use email as a marketing tool by sending email newsletters. Your subscribers have to opt-in so you are not allowed to send spam, they will expect and appreciate the newsletter because they actively subscribed, and they can print or forward it on to others.

To see some back issues of my Clarity Connection newsletter, click this link on my site:
http://www.cclarity.com/page4.html.

To try an email newsletter for your business, visit mailermailer.com or constantcontact.com and take a test drive. All you have to lose is postage costs !

If you have questions, email me at Helen@cclarity.com

Cheers,
Helen Gallagher