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Chamber of Commerce - on the Web logo

=================================================================
                      WEB MARKETING EZINE
                The Human Face of Web Marketing
=================================================================
April 25th., 2002         Issue #187               ISSN 1444-2027


Contents
--------

1. Sponsor's Message
2. First Word
3. Tips, Tools, News and Views

- ClickBank To Offer Online Checks
- Free Business Plan Guide
- See You Later, Gator! Hello, RoboForm!
- Thanks For The Links
- Free Training Course of The Week:
- E-Commerce Term Of The Week:

4. A Touch of Humor: Car Phone Safety: Scream Before Impact
5. Classified Ads
6. Free Training Courses
7. Feature Article: An Open Letter To PayPal
8. Our Companion Ezine 
9. Administrivia

Visit our companion website at http://www.WebMarketingEzine.com

Want to read this online? For your convenience, the Current Issue 
of WME is posted each week at the WME website. Just visit 
http://www.WebMarketingEzine.com/currentissue.shtml


=================================================================
1. Sponsor's Message
=================================================================

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-----------------------------------------------
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-get 4 Instant Sites that Make You Money (start earning quickly)
-get $10 a month on referrals (3 referrals and your site's free!)
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=================================================================
2. First Word
=================================================================


Hi All!

Well, two out of three ain't bad. (Hey, what a great title for a
song!) Last week, we discussed three things involving our 
readers.

The first was to thank you for helping to push WME into the top
0.5% of trafficked websites. We were measured by Alexa.com as 
ranking 94,183. In the week since then, we have risen up the
rankings to 87,930. Thanks again.

The second was to invite WME readers to set up Reciprocal Links
with WME. As you can see, our links are getting more valuable by
the week! This week, we acknowledge the first five- our pioneers!
We'd like to link with YOU, too.

So two out of three. We also invited WME readers to visit Alexa
http://info.alexa.com/data/details/write_review?url=
webmarketingezine.com/links.shtml
and write a review of our 
site. We'll still acknowledge the first 5 to write a review. In
helping WME, you'll help yourself with another link to your site!


Till next week, have a good one!

John


Thought For the Week:
"Learn and grow all you can; serve and befriend all you can; 
enrich and inspire all you can."
- William Arthur Ward

=================================================================
3. Tips, Tools, News and Views
=================================================================


ClickBank To Offer Online Checks
--------------------------------

ClickBank is an excellent service. For those who want to buy
products online, the ClickBank service is easy to use. For
merchants, CliickBank offers a number of benefits. The first is
to provide merchants with a method of accepting credit cards. The
second is to offer merchants the ability to sell their products
through ClickBank's many affiliates. It's an Affiliate Program
for those who don't want to go to the trouble and expense of
running their own. During May 2002, ClickBank will add a
very useful feature to their lineup- an Online Check service.
This is the announcement from their lates bulletin.

"Offering your customers multiple payment options is good 
business. Most online consumers pay by credit card; however, even
in today’s credit-based economy many consumers prefer to pay by 
check. With ClickBank Online Checks, sellers have an opportunity 
to capture this market, and potentially increase sales by as much
as twenty percent or more! Our check processing is reliable and 
secure, and you will have access to all of the same powerful 
reporting tools and customer service you have come to expect from
ClickBank!

For more information in regards to ClickBank's services, visit: http://www.webmarketingezine.com/cgi-bin/a/t.cgi?cb 
(Disclosure: I am a Clickbank Affiliate)


Free Business Plan Guide
------------------------

I've got a new 'day job' as General Manager of a company that 
has developed and sells a wonderful waste water treatment system
based on Nature's own methods. It's not a field that I have
worked in before, but many of the business skills, tools and 
methods I have built up over the years are just as applicable as 
anywhere else. One of the fundamentals never changes- the need 
for a good business plan. As the old saying goes, "If you're
failing to plan, then you're planning to fail."

My desire to put together a good quality business plan led me to
my old friend Google, and a search for good online resources.
Two that I've mentioned before are
http://www.bplans.com and
http://www.planware.org
Both provide free information, a limited free business plan
'wizard', and good products for sale.

What I was looking for, was a good template, or failing that, a
good outline or table of contents for a model business plan. I
could then compare them with real plans I had written, and a 
couple of assignments I had done for university. Just checking
to see if I could improve on what I had done previously.

After a little bit of effort, I was pleased to find a very
useful site, http://www.business-plan-guide.biz The site is
connected with planware.org, and is a really useful resource.

One useful tool is the 31-point Checklist. This lists important
points you need to check before, during and after completion of 
your plan. What I found truly excellent, was the Guide for
which the site was named. I'll leave you to read through the
Guide for yourself, but if you're new to business plans, start at
http://www.business-plan-guide.biz/gcontents.htm where you'll 
find the 'Contents of Plan'. This includes the 'skeleton' of a
business plan as good as any I've seen. You'll get a 'table of
contents' for an excellent plan on one page, with links to more
detail on each area.

Putting together a business plan is definitely an educational 
exercise. You'll learn a lot about your business, your 
competitors, yourself. I recommend it.

Sponsor----------------------------------------------------------
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Every site needs fresh content, it's the reason your users will 
keep coming back, but it requires a lot of time and money to keep
it up to date. Offer your visitors News before it's News. 
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-----------------------------------------------------------------


See You Later, Gator!, Hello, RoboForm!
---------------------------------------

Gator had a good idea. Give people a way of storing all their
passwords in one place, and filling in forms. The benefit was 
easy web surfing; the cost was nothing; the price was tracking of
your shopping habits. That made some people uneasy. In the early 
days of Gator, WME occasionally advertised the service. As we 
became more concerned about possible problems, we dropped ads for 
them.

Gator then truly crossed the line. They started a system that
placed advertising on people's websites, covering THEIR 
advertising, obviously without their permission! To me 
personally, that's not only an infringement of copyright, it 
amounts to a form of theft. Gator was taking advertising revenue
away from the people who worked hard to build a site, often 
charging their vistors nothing. Not nice.

Now, you can have the benefits of Gator, without the downside,
with AI RoboForm. They even provide a 'Gator Converter'! AI 
RoboForm is a convenient web form filler and password manager, 
with some interesting Artificial Intelligence (AI) inside. It 
works as an add-on to Microsoft Internet Explorer ver 4 or 
later, all browsers based on IE, and Netscape 6. That covers
MOST web surfers, but not all. AI RoboForm is a useful tool,
and an easy (and free!) download. To learn more, or download
a copy, visit http://roboform.com


Thanks For The Links
--------------------

Last week, I promised that we'd acknowledge the first five 
websites to use our Reciprocal Links page to link with WME. I'm
happy to be able to thank the following sites.

Boogie Jack's Web Depot at 
http://www.boogiejack.com/

Canadians' Internet International at
http://www.canadiansinternet.com/

Einfonews at
http://www.einfonews.com/

VirtualHelpCenter at
http://www.virtualhelpcenter.com/ and

Web Marketing Unlimited at
http://www.webmarketingunlimited.com/newsletter.html

If you'd like to set up reciprocal links with WME, just visit
http://www.webmarketingezine.com/links.shtml You'll even find a
link to set up your OWN automated Reciprocal Links system,
courtesy of Boogie Jack's and Willmaster. 

Sponsor----------------------------------------------------------
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easy to monitor your search positions & to improve your rankings!
Don't be buried in last place, move up to first place! For a free
download, just visit http://www.webmarketingezine.com/wpg.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Free Training Course of The Week: MCSE Networking Essentials
------------------------------------------------------------

Sure, this one's not for everyone! However, if you're interested
in IT, and want to learn more about Networking, you'll really
enjoy this free ITtutor MCSE Networking Essentials course.

To learn more about this, and many other free training courses, 
visit out Free Training Courses page at 
http://www.webmarketingezine.com/freetrainingcourses.shtml 


E-Commerce Term Of The Week: Scumware
-------------------------------------

Products that alter web pages without the knowledge or consent of
the web site's owner.

-Source: http://www.freegraphics.com/zz-scumware/ 

=================================================================
4. A Touch of Humor
=================================================================


Car Phone Safety: Scream "Aahh!" Before Impact
----------------------------------------------

Cell Phone Industry Group Launches Public Service Campaign 

NEW YORK, N.Y. (SatireWire.com) — Under pressure to do something
about car accidents involving cell phones, the industry-backed 
Cell Phone Safety Council today launched a public service 
campaign urging users to "scream like hell" before impact, 
thereby alerting callers on the other end that there is some 
kind of trouble. 

"It's ironic, but people who can talk forever on a cell phone 
suddenly come up mute when they're about to get into a collision"
said CPSC spokesman Donald Lufrette. "They just get hit, and the
caller on the other end doesn't know what happened." 

Therefore, the safety council suggests users scream "Aahhh!" or 
"Oh God!" or, if there are no children present, "Shit!" just 
before impact. A proper scream, Lufrette insisted, can save your
life, as the person on the other end of the call can then phone 
authorities. 

As an added advantage, a good caterwaul also cuts down on the 
wasted airtime that inevitably follows a crash as the phone, 
still connected, sits amid shards of broken glass on the hood 
of the car. A wise caller, realizing your predicament, will know
to hang up right away. 

"Your hospital bills are going to be bad enough," Lufrette 
remarked. "The last thing you want is a big fat cell phone bill 
on top of it.". 

Sally Anne Rimes, a cell phone user in Garden City, N.J., said 
she welcomes the public service campaign. 

"It's very annoying when suddenly the other person isn't talking 
and you don't know what happened," said Rimes. "You're just 
sitting there going, 'Hello? Hello?'" 

Rimes said three of her friends have been in accidents while 
speaking on cell phones, but only one of them had the sense to 
scream first. "It was so thoughtful of him to yell. I was like, 
'Oh my God! Look, call me back when you're free,' and I hung up.
I saved his widow a ton of money." 

- Source: 
http://www.satirewire.com/news/0007/satire-cellsafety.shtml 

=================================================================
5. Classified Ads
=================================================================
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Web Marketing", at just $20 for four insertions. Just go to
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Article Announce - The Free Writer & Publisher Connection 
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Your own infoproduct? Take the FREE InfoProduct Masters course!
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=================================================================
6. Free Training Courses
=================================================================


Increase your knowledge; hone your skills; improve your results!
Take advantage of some of the finest FREE training courses on the
Web by visiting our Free Training Course listing at;
http://www.webmarketingezine.com/freetrainingcourses.shtml

=================================================================
7. Feature Article
=================================================================


An Open Letter To PayPal
------------------------
by John Payne

Background: On March 1st., I took out a monthly subscription
with an individual selling reprint rights for eBooks. There was 
no committement beyond that one month. My PayPal account was 
charged with $97. On March 15th, I emailed the individual, 
advising him that I wished to cancel the subscription. I would
normally expect that a honorable individual would act on the
written request. Wrong.

On April 1st., my PayPal account was charged with $97. I 
contacted the individual, suggested it was a mistake, and 
politely asked for a refund. I would normally expect that an 
honorable individual would act on that request. Wrong.

The correspondence that followed was so unbelievable that no soap
opera would dream it up. I'm considering publishing an eBook that
simply contains the emails that passed between us over this issue,
and many others. It would be a great 'wake-up call' for the Web
Marketing industry, and anyone who deals with it. Anyhow, the end 
result was that the individual hung onto my money. So! The next 
move was to contact PayPal regarding the fraudulent behavior of 
their Merchant. I would normally expect that an honorable company
would act on that request. Wrong.

A complaint was lodged with PayPal, with great difficulty. The 
response was a form email, which advised me that they wouldn't 
act. I wrote back, asking to speak to a Supervisor. Here is their
response to my email, and my response to PayPal.

"Dear John,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

Although we are unable to give you specific information about the
seller's account, we wanted you to know that the seller's claim 
that you adversely affected his account is incorrect. 

Our records that your claim was concerning the cancellation of a 
subscription. According to our Buyer Complaint Policy, this 
situation is not covered under that policy. Therefore, the seller
received a courtesy email concerning your claim and your claim 
was closed. No further investigation into this dispute will be 
conducted.

We value your business and regret that you have has this 
experience. To avoid similar experiences in the future, we 
recommend that you read our Buyer Complaint Policy located on our
website at: 
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/terms-outside#
consumer_protection

Sincerely,
Sharon
Complaint Resolution Department"

My Response:

"Sharon,

Thank you for the human reply.

Could you please convey this message to Senior Management from 
someone who has been in Sales and Marketing for 40 years?

Your Consumer Protection Policy and Buyer Complaint Policy is so 
severely limited, that you should either update the Policies, or 
appropriately rename them. Under the Policies;

- If I knowingly pay a PayPal merchant for a $1000 computer, and 
they fail to deliver it, I can claim, and PayPal will act.

- If I knowingly pay the same merchant $1000 for software, and 
they fail to deliver it electronically, I can't claim, and PayPal
won't act.

- If the merchant charges me for anything, without authority, 
I can't claim, and PayPal won't act.

To date, I've been proud to be a (small) PayPal Merchant. I've 
believed that you were the best option for merchants, and I've 
been happy to recommend your company.

It is now obvious that PayPal's use of the words 'Consumer
Protection' is pretty hollow, and that your system is unduly 
permissive of dishonest and fraudulent behavior by your merchants
that conveniently falls outside your narrow definition of 
"protection".

I'm saddened that your company allows this to happen, and that 
it's cost me $97. I'll never see my $97 again, thanks to PayPal.
I can only hope that your company really intends to protect 
consumers, and that it amends it's policies to reflect reality in
the future.

It's nice to know "We value your business and regret that you 
have has this experience. To avoid similar experiences in the 
future, we recommend that you read our Buyer Complaint Policy 
located on our website at: 
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/terms-outside#
consumer_protection "

Unfortunately, with your Policy the way it is, the only way I can
"avoid similar experiences in the future" is to refuse to deal 
with PayPal merchants! Under your Policies, any PayPal Merchant 
who has my account details, can charge me for anything he likes, 
and as long as he delivers it, I can't claim redress through 
PayPal. That's a joke! 

The irony is, I'M a PayPal Merchant, selling my advertising 
through you. That means my clients have no protection from PayPal
against any fraudulent behavior on my part. That means they have
less confidence in dealing with me. That affects sales. That will
even affect you commissions! Consumers should be entitled to 
expect more protection from PayPal. I wish they had it.

For all that it matters, this letter will be published in next 
week's issue of my magazine. My $97 is gone, but the principle 
remains. We need more principle in Web Marketing. I sincerely 
hope that PayPal tries to find it.

John"

The message is very clear. Be very careful when you deal with a
PayPal Merchant. In all but one situation, their Consumer
Protection Policy gives you no protection.

=================================================================
8. Our Companion Ezine: A Better Life:ItsYourFuture!
=================================================================

======================= ITS YOUR FUTURE! ========================
Enjoy Humor, Inspiration, Romance, Fitness, Nutrition & Personal
Finance- all aimed at helping YOU to take control of YOUR future!
Subscribe FREE by sending a blank email to:
mailto:[email protected]
=========== BE HAPPY BE HEALTHY LIVE LONG & PROSPER ===========

=================================================================
9. Administrivia
=================================================================

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--------
http://www.WebMarketingEzine.com

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--------------------
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Advertising Information:
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Disclaimer:
-----------
This publication was designed to provide accurate and 
authoritative information with regard to the subject matter.
Subscribers are sent this free weekly e-zine with the 
understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering
legal, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other
professional assistance is required, we advise seeking the 
services of a competent professional.

John Payne does not accept any responsibility for any 
liabilities resulting from any claims in articles or
advertisements published in WME, or the actions of the parties 
involved.

This publication is for informational purposes only.


Copyright:
----------
© Copyright 2000-2002 John Payne All rights reserved.
Web Marketing Ezine may only be redistributed in its unedited
form. You are welcome to forward it to as many people as you 
like, with our thanks. Written permission must be obtained to
reprint or quote original material published in Web Marketing
Ezine.
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         Web Marketing Ezine is published by John Payne 
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