My favorite new Internet search engines is LeapFish. This new tool brings together the same mix that you might find in Google, but in a better layout. It’s like blended search on steriods.
January 7th, 2009
Local Price Update
I thought I would take this time to update everyone on Local Price as it’s grown a lot in the last few weeks. We’ve added over a dozen advice articles with information on everything from dentist to hardwood floors. Each article has been designed to help consumers make better decisions.
Right now the site is in beta testing for the metro Atlanta area so if you are looking for an Atlanta gutter cleaner or an Atlanta lasik surgeon you’ll find the best at Local Price. Please tell your friends and family about LocalPrice.com and let us know what you would like to see to make the site better.
December 24th, 2008
Last Minute Gift Idea
If you still need a gift for someone but don’t want to get in the crowds think about a ringback tone. For the person that has a cellular phone – and who doesn’t – this is a fun gift that can be purchased online. If you are looking for a great deal check out my page on free ringback tones where you can learn about what is actually free and where the best place is to find deals on ringbacks.
Make sure to have a great Christmas and take some time to wind down and enjoy the holidays.
December 23rd, 2008
Great Seth Godin Post
I’m a big follower of Seth Godin. I consume his works (blogs, books, and Webcasts) and if you’ve read me long enough you may see where he’s influenced my ideas. I’m not a trained marketer in the traditional sense. I went to school for computer hardware and eventually found myself working in the SEM field and then Website management. Online marketing has become a huge part of corporate Websites so I’ve had to pick it up. Thanks to Godin for making in enjoyable and fun.
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2123/37360708″
December 9th, 2008
We Need What we Want
Sure the economy is hurting but we are still buying. We are just being more selective and we’re looking for deals. We are buying Christmas presents and at the malls as much as ever. We are just looking for deals and sticking closer to our lists. We still have cable TV, eat at McDonalds, and are still driving. If we were really broke we wouldn’t be doing the first two and would be doing much less of the third. Folks believe they need what they want, and they really want what they think they need. Just look at the market for free ringback tones and you’ll see there are plenty that want something for nothing, but in the end will still pay for a ringtone if means that’s what they have to do to get what they want – er, I mean need.
December 3rd, 2008
Wal-Mart Door Nazis
It’s bad enough that I can’t get on a plane without getting strip searched, but it really stinks that I can’t buy a tube of toothpaste without getting harassed by door Nazis at Wal-Mart. Of course the giant retail chain refers to them as greeters, and at one time that’s what they were, but it recent years they’ve become what I call “Door Nazis.”
Wal-Mart used to be a place where you could go to buy lots of fun things really cheap and maybe even run into a few old friends. The checkout process was fairly pleasant and on your way out a nice old man would smile and thank you for shopping. Things have changed.
Now when you visit Walmart you can’t find a basket (they only provide shopping carts because they know you’ll fill them with more impulse items), there are few registers open creating long lines, and when you finally try to leave the store one of their Door Nazis stops you to make sure you are not stealing what you have just purchased (translation: Now Own).
Because of this I rarely shop at Wal-Mart. Even if Target is more expensive I shop there because I’m treated better. I don’t have to wait in long lines at Target and I don’t have to submit to an anal cavity search after my purchase. I understand Wal-Mart trying to reduce shoplifting but I wonder how many millions a year they are losing from customers like me that hate their Door Nazis.
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December 2nd, 2008
Business Ethics
What are the fundamentals of business ethics? My answer is that they are the same as personal ethics. What you do in your personal life shouldn’t be different from business. You don’t steal from your neighbors and you shouldn’t steal from your clients. You don’t trick your family and you shouldn’t trick your customers.
I’ve seen too many times where companies conduct rotten business and get away with it. When a credit card company charges a customer high interest they are just doing business. If a person on the street did the same thing they would be an illegal loan shark. If a company sells your personal information to the highest bidder they are increasing profits. If someone steals your social security number it is identity fraud. Semantics don’t make it right.
Far too often people use phrases like “it’s just business” to justify unethical actions that they would never consider in their personal lives. Treat those you do business with as well as you treat your friends and family and you’ll have succeeded in an important area. Win or fail financially you can sleep at night, and die someday, knowing that you did what was right.
November 26th, 2008
Black Friday
Black Friday is a holiday in itself for avid shoppers. I’m not an avid shopper though. I do like to find deals and like to buy stuff just like anyone else, but I’m not such a hard core shopper that I’ll get up early to get a deal – even a great deal.
This year Black Friday may be weak compared to recent years. Let me know how your Black Friday went and if you found any deals that will make me wish I’d gotten out of bed.
November 25th, 2008
Selling or Buying a Car Online
My wife recently sold her 2002 Honda Accord. We listed it online and had two good prospects within the first day. Both were ready to pay with cash. It was so much easier than dealing with a newspaper or traditional auto sales techniques.
Buying or selling a car online is easier now than ever before. There are several good auto sales online Websites like easyautosales.com that make selling your car, or buying one on the Internet easier than ever. With the Web even finding used cars for sale is easy.
The days of sifting through every local paper in your area and driving all over the place looking for the right car are over. With the new Internet car searching and selling has been simplified.
November 24th, 2008
SearchWiki : It’s Here – It’s Gone – It’s Back Again
Google SearchWiki is back again. I’m tired of talking about this crappy tool. Arrington, over at TechCrunch has a post on how to get rid of SearchWiki for good.
Please tell me Google has something better than this. They can’t be out of ideas yet, can they?
