Take Off & Landings

I live somewhat near the airport. It's a comfortable distance, not so close as to have the cabinets rattle when the planes go over but close enough to know that people are traveling.

All these take offs make me think of the many places people are going for business or fun. And with the Labor Day weekend coming up there will be much more travel. But thanks to the internet we don't have to go far to see a lot.

A recent survey by Pew & Associates found that 49% of the people who use the internet are using search engines daily. From the "surfing" point of view, search is the way to get from here to there, the virtual journey through the airways. From the website owner's view, these searches are the gateway to more business.

When found through search, your website is uniquely positioned to be the destination of choice for the searcher. Think about it, how often do you click a link with absolutely no intention whatsoever? Whether you are browsing for information, entertainment or to make a purchase decision, every click has a purpose.

Before you "take off" for the weekend take a few minutes to look over the destinations on your website. Giving a little attention to these "landing" pages could be just the ticket to giving you a better rate of return on your site.

A little enthusiastic inspiration. . .

This week I was asked by a web entrepreneur which markets he should get into, which products or services should he sell online. My answer was: Only those things that you are passionate about.

If you are to be truly successful, you must be enthusiastic about your undertaking. Enthusiasm and passion go hand in hand.

If you look at the companies or ideas that were truly successful you'll find an enthusiastic person behind them. Think of Thomas Edison - he says that his early attempts at the light bulb were not failures but successes in knowing how *not* to make a light bulb. Think about Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple, and even Larry Page and Sergy Brin of Google. These people were as enthusiastic when they undertook their project as they are today!

That is why doing something you love is so important, you won't always succeed right away but having the enthusiasm and passion about what you are doing will help carry you through. It is difficult to muster enthusiasm for things you don't enjoy. If you aren't excited and driven by your idea, it won't go far.

So whether you want to write a book, a blog, a business idea or anything that you want to commit your time, effort or money to be sure it's something you are really passionate about.