Ya gotta love the Internet!

It’s nothing short of a Godsend for those who dream of working from home: Think stay-at-home parents, those with transportation challenges and the self-employed, such as yours truly. 

It can be a dream come true
Where else can you set up a virtual business and do business with anyone in your city, country or on the planet without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home?  It can be a dream come true. 

But what happens when . . .
But what happens when doing business requires you to be social – and I’m not talking Facebook or Twitter.  The social I’m referring to is about face-to-face communications; carrying on real-time conversations with real people in real life.  It may even mean visiting a prospect’s office to demonstrate and persuade why your product/service is best, or giving a presentation to upper management to close the sale.  Or – the horror! – giving a speech to an auditorium full of people.

Hire a communications coach
For those instances, it pays to hire a communications coach. Or at the very least, hear one speak about the art of communication.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ll be doing a presentation at the MagNet Conference in Toronto later this week and, if you’re attending MagNet, I want to rcommend one of my fellow presenters. 

Learn to communicate better
You can learn to communicate your message better - and “Say It With Power” at MagNet from one of Toronto’s best communications coaches, Thomas Moss.  He has a unique approach to helping people overcome their fear of public speaking.  You may want to check out his session.  And you can check out the entire MagNet program at http://www.magazinescanada.ca/magnet/index.php

About Writing Web Words Inc:
Based in Toronto, Ontario, we are a full-service Web Content Development Company that helps small and mid-sized businesses optimize their online presence via SEO Copywriting, proven SEO Services and customized Business Blogs that attract and engage target audiences.

Search Engine Strategies (SES) 2010 is hosting its annual SEO/SEM conference from June 9-11 at Toronto’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Whether you’re new to SEO or just want to brush up on your skills, the conference - now entering its 7th year - is ideal for Search Engine newbies, wannabe’s and those already practicing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Topics being covered include  SEO, PPC, keyword research, social media, local, mobile and link building, to name just a few.

Find out more by visiting http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/about.html

P.S. Those unable to attend can always call someone (ahem!) who knows something about this stuff.

About Writing Web Words Inc:
Based in Toronto, Ontario, we are a full-service Web Content Development Company that helps small and mid-sized businesses optimize their online potential via SEO Copywriting, proven SEO Services and customized Business Blogs that attract and engage target audiences.

Common to northern climes, The Web Expert (TWE) often makes his appearance towards the middle of a web project.  Like a Ninja, he appears out of nowhere.  Often unassuming, he may even be likeable; but be warned: he waits in the wings, waiting to strike.

Usually the son, nephew, or friend-of-a friend’s second cousin, The Web Expert may be called upon to ensure that the web project is going according to plan; albeit with little clue of what the actual plan is.  Upon learning of the project, he’ll offer up his services.  After all, he has a wealth of experience, having developed and authored numerous other family members’ websites.  In fact, he just completed a site about scrap-booking for his mother.  He’s accomplished and quite proficient with FrontPage.

He may not know what you’re paying these so called Professional Web Designers and Web Writers, but intuitively knows that you’re paying too high of a price for all that professional advice.  In fact, he can do the job for far less, or free!  It’ll take a while though, as he’s only available during the summer months: school starts in September. And what’s the rush, anyways?  It’s not like you’re paying for it.

Omnipotent about all things Web, the expert knows about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how to get your website to the top of Google:  He informs you that it’s a simple matter of stuffing keywords on a web page, sitting back and watching the magic happen.  And if that doesn’t work, spam the search engines – they love that!

He asks you why you’re paying for web content when the Internet’s littered with it – and it’s free!  “It’s all about cutting and pasting,” he says.  It’s not really copyright infringement, it’s the Internet.  And besides, nobody reads online.

He knows that in order to keep customers on your website, you MUST entertain them using Animation, Music and Video; preferably all at the same time.  That’s why everybody loves the Circus.

As for professional hosting, why pay extra?  He goes on to inform you that you already have web space available courtesy of your ISP.  As well,  you can save on the purchase of a domain name by piggy-backing on your ISP’s domain.

So what if your Web address appears as www.myisp.com/mybusinessname - it’s free!

You ask him about developing your database, letting him know that you’ll need the ability to make monthly product and service description changes.  He informs you that he hasn’t taken that course yet…

For all you do Web Expert, This Bud’s for You.

Ray Litvak
Toronto Web Writer

I know you’ve heard it before; a new computer operating system is coming to challenge the market share of Microsoft, something so new and revolutionary that Bill Gates is shaking in his corporate boots.

Funny thing about that, it may just have legs this time around.

For decades now, developers have come and gone riding high on the idea that they have something unique and competitive with which to test the supremacy of the Microsoft stranglehold on the world of PC operating systems, a dominance so entrenched and ubiquitous, that ol’ Bill hasn’t produced a bead of microsweat for over 30 years now.

In short, NO ONE has been able to successfully mount a challenge to the seemingly intractable Windows, despite repeated attempts that have all amounted to a bag of beans when it comes to toppling the overlord of OS.

Which makes the recent announcement by Google so interesting.  Interesting because their latest venture is aiming to do precisely that; talk about St. George and the dragon!

Google Chrome OS, initially available for netbooks, but with the ultimate goal of production for desktop systems as well, is described as an open source OS that is the first of its kind to be designed from the ground up specifically for use on the internet.

This in itself is groundbreaking, as previous operating systems had been created from a pre-internet application standpoint, which as anyone online today can tell you, has radically limited their functionality in a world that is increasingly concentrated on the web.

Typical of Google, the new OS is open source, and will be offered for free.

While the concept of an OS maximized for web browsing isn’t a new one, the production of an OS designed as a web based application driven tool certainly is.  There really hasn’t been anything quite like it before, but it may well usher in an entirely new realm for operating systems that takes into account just how much technology and our ability to adapt to it has changed in the years since even Windows XP was introduced in 2001.

The main idea behind Chrome OS is the reality that more and more functionality is being offered by web based applications, rendering the usefulness, especially of traditionally rigid operating systems, increasingly less important and not something tomorrow’s users are going to be prepared to shell out for.

Some of the main advantages for Google’s’ new OS will be its obvious economic savings, increased speed, particularly for tools such as drivers, vastly increased compatibility, built in portability with standards like Gmail, Google Docs and Picasa, and an incredible ability to integrate new applications that will make Windows look like a dinosaur by comparison.

Like any new web based venture, there’s no guarantee that Google OS will immediately take the net by storm.  However, it’s safe to say that with this week’s announcement, the anticipation for this latest foray into the brave new world of online innovation from Google has successfully peaked massive interest in what could very well turn out to be their most popular and essential idea to date.

Written by PJ Ramphal ~ Guest Web Writer

www.writingwebwords.com