Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

Outstanding PDF Viewer And More

Have you, like I, wondered out loud about how nice it would be to have a PDF Viewer that let me do a little bit more than view?  My need for such a product was brought about by the countless number of PDF forms that I had to download; fill out manually; and fax back.

Holy Cow! Talk about a mix of the modern world and a throw back to the Stone Age of Computing.  A FAX machine?  Who has got one of those laying around? OK. Most of you may still have a Fax/Modem card in your PC. But do you still have a “land line” / POTS to plug it in to? I ditched mine. Why pay for it when we both have cell phones and we’re in a large metro area?  I digress. Sorry. I ramble on sometimes.  There is a lot of knowledge in this head of mine just dancing around and wanting to be shared.

So, anyway, back to our quest for a PDF Viewer that would allow me to FILL OUT ANY PDF FORM AND SAVE IT. Surely, I thought, this must be a common need.  Someone somewhere must have created one by now.  So, off I went with my software sniffing bloodhound in tow.  I check all the usual sources. I tried a lot of ones that came close.  Then I hit PAY DIRT.  When I read the feature list for this incredible tool, I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

Check it out:

• Add Comments and Annotations to any PDF file (subject to security settings) – unlike the Adobe Viewer which requires the PDF creation tool to be ‘certified’ by Adobe !
• Add & apply Custom Stamps from any Image or PDF File and even your Windows Clip board !
  Mark-up pages with text and objects
• Type directly on any PDF page, not just Adobe enabled forms documents – in Typewriter mode.
• Export PDF pages or entire files to any one of the supported Image formats including BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG and many more …
• Extract text from a PDF page/File
• Improved navigation of large or complex PDF files both simple and enjoyable with the extended functionality of  ‘Loop’ and  ‘Pan’ Window tools
• Fill and Save Adobe Forms to disk, email or ‘post’ !
• Full Javascript Engine included
• Updated JPEG2000 Compression support – improving speed.
• Plug-Ins for both MS IE or Firefox Browser’s included
• Integrate seamlessly with your favorite translation software to translate text on the ‘fly’ – including :  ABBYY Lingvo 12, Translate It!, Lingoes.
• Includes comprehensive Help file and PDF Manual – no extra downloads required to add features etc.
• Portable version also available – can be run from any suitable device such as a Memory stick/CD/DVD etc – simply unzip and use – no installation required – just 4MB download !

What’s the price for such an outstanding tool?  FREE.  Outstanding professional software at MY FAVORITE PRICE.

CLICK HERE TO GET IT

PLEASE NOTE: Look at the very top of the page under featured products.  When last I checked it had a rather large DOWNLOAD NOW! button there.  ALSO: They have a very affordable PAID version which gives you even more features.

Outstanding Affiliate Manager

About a year ago, I needed to find some Affiliate Management Software for a client. They didn’t have a huge budget and wanted a fair amount of features.  So, as usual, I began my search with the various Open Source offerings that were out there.  I was not impressed. Then I moved on to the commercial offerings. While there were several out there, they either had a monthly fee, charged by the affiliate or were prohibitively expensive.

I easily looked at 25 different packages between the Open Source and Commercial offerings and was about to toss in the towel in frustration when I found iDevAffiliate.  It had everything I was looking for and more:

• Affordable (Starts at $99.99)
• No recurring fees (You buy it ONCE. You host it. You own it.)
• Multiple ways to pay
  • Per Sale -Flat Rate
  • Per Sale -Percentage
  • Per Click
  • Per Lead
• Multiple Payout Levels (up to 100 Per Payment Style)
• Fully Configurable (lots of options)
• Robust Marketing Support For Affiliates
  • Add unlimited text ads for Affiliates to use
  • Add unlimited banner ads for Affiliates to use
  • Add unlimited Flash banners for Affiliates to use
  • Add unlimited HTML ads for Affiliates to use
  • Add video training
  • Add PDF advertising materials
  • Page Peel Ads (this is really neat)
  • Sample Ad templates in PSD format
• Multiple Language Support
• Outstanding Affiliate Interface
  • Create and Track Campaigns
  • Create and Track Keywords
  • Traffic Logs and Statistics
  • Conversion Ratios
  • Export Tracking Data
• Interfaces to and works with a HUGE number of shopping carts and payment gateways
• Pay Affiliates via a Built-In interface to PayPal or via Hard Checks
• Optional Module to Export Payment Data to QuickBooks
  

Needless to say, I was very impressed. When I had a look at the online demos, I was sold. I recommended that we go with it and the client agreed.

PLUS – Outstanding Support

Setup was easy and went without a hitch.  Shortly after we began using the program, we noticed something amiss. I e-mailed support and was expecting the typical two day delay.  I got a response later the same day.  They pointed out that it was a configuration issue and told me exactly what I did wrong and how to fix it. One the very first try.

About a month later, I found something else that looked amiss. It was a relatively trivial item about the way the graphic charts were displayed to the Affiliates.  Again I e-mailed support and they confirmed it was an issue. Within two days, they had developed a patch and sent it to me and all was well.

I don’t know about you, but my feeling is that there is a LOT of software out there.  To me, what separates the good from the bad is how they handle support.  I’m happy to say that the folks at iDevDirect do an OUTSTANDING JOB!

Oh, and one other thing I discovered is that this software has built-in fraud detection and other outstanding tracking  features to insure accuracy.

Find Out More. See The Demos. Click on the Banner Below.

Ten Tips For A Great Domain Name

Location. Location. Location. That’s the common phrase you’ll hear when it comes to considering a physical location for your business. It’s what will have a significant effect on the price you pay for your brick and mortar business  location, too.

Just as you needed to take time and carefully consider naming and locating your physical business, you’ll need to do the same thing when it comes time to establish a business on the Internet. You will need a Domain Name – the common English representation of your online business. If you’re new to the online world of business, commonly referred to as  eCommerce, here are some pointers for you to consider when naming your online enterprise.

1. Make It Unique

Be sure to make your domain as unique as possible. The more unique your name is, the better it is for branding purposes. Also, make sure that the name is not too close to an existing domain name or does not contain a  trademarked name or phrase. Choosing a name too similar to one for an already established firm is going to work  against you.

2. Dot-Coms FIRST

Whenever possible use only a “.com” extension. This will save your potential customers a lot of confusion. Despite what the originators of the internet intended when creating the various extensions (.com, .biz, .net, .org, .info, etc.) people still make an automatic assumption that all domain names end in “.com”. So use that to your advantage.

3. Think Of The End Result

Search Engine Optimization is a field unto itself – but it simply means doing everything you can to have your website listed at the top of the major search engines for your chosen keywords. These key words should describe what your  website will be about.

Put yourself in your potential customers position. Try to think of what someone looking for the product or service you offer would type into a search engine to try and find it. For instance, if you have a service to help people with their  resumes, they might type (I Need A Better Resume). Your domain name could be something like BetterResume.com or  ResumeHelper.com

4. Make it Easy to Remember

Your domain name should be something that most people find easy to remember. Think of if you have to tell  somebody what your name is. Will they be able to remember it without writing it down.

5. Keep it Short/Simple

Keep your domain name short and to the point. Having a shorter name plays into how easy it is to remember, and how easy it is to type correctly. Remember the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle.

6. Avoid hyphens and numbers

Stay away from hyphens or numbers in your domain name. Domain names can only be letters, numbers, and dashes.  Using numbers (such a 4 instead of for) can add to confusion and lost opportunities.

7. Make it Relevant

Try to keep your domain name descriptive and relevant to your content. When someone hears it, or sees it for the first time, it should give them a general idea of what your website is all about. In other words, your domain name should be  a bit intuitive. This will help people find you when searching for what you are selling.

If you are selling dog collars, a domain like woof.com, while being “in the vicinity,” does not really tell them that you are selling dog collars.

8. Skip Something Trendy

Don’t try to be trendy or hip or catch the latest fad. That is, unless your website is specifically targeting those people who think they are trendy and hip. Or you are selling something related to the latest fad going around.

What passes for hip now will likely fade into the background and work against you in the long run. Remember that your domain name is quite possibly the very first thing your potential customers see or hear of you.

9. Watch for Dual Meanings

Some people have registered and used domain names without really looking into other ways in which they could be interpreted.

therapistfinder.com can be thought of as “therapist finder” OR “the rapist finder”
penisland.com can be seen in two ways as well “pen island” OR “penis land”
madriver.com might be either “ma driver” OR “mad river”

10. Register Using a Major Registrar

Stick with one of the major players when registering your domain name. You might pay a few dollars more for the  name, but those few extra dollars might save you from hours and hours of trouble in the long run. Don’t go to some out  of the way place who you’ve never heard of just to try to save a few bucks.  Your domain name is not the place to try  and save.

Who are some reputable registrars? Places like Network Solutions, Go Daddy, Bulk Register, eNom, HostGator, and  Yahoo to name a few.

There you have it, my tips on creating a long-lasting, great domain name.  If you’d like help brainstorming your domain name, feel free to contact me using the Contact link above.

Open Source Anti Virus

I received this inquiry via Facebook:

Hey Dude, do you know of a FREE Anti-Virus solution for older computers?

I tried AVG like you recommended and it won’t work on this old Windows 98 PC.

Did you know there is a completely Open Source Anti-Virus solution?

Well there’s another old standby in my software ‘toolbox’ called Clam Win.  I discovered this thanks to my co-worker, Mike, when I was a field service technician for Dell and roamed the hinterlands along the coastal Carolinas and deep into the heart of cotton country and NASCAR.  That was back around 2004.

Anyway, I investigated to see if it was still around and I am pleased to report that the project is alive and well and going strong.  My Facebook Friend was quite happy to learn this and tried it.  Just like advertised on their home page ClamWin will work on older PCs – all the way back to Windows 98!  That’s pretty astounding – considering that it will lso work on Windows Vista and the new Windows 7 as well.

So, if you’re in the need of an all around Anti-Virus solution, this is another option as well.

AVG Anti Virus 9.0

Those of you that know me well and have gotten the benefit of my advice in the past, know that I am a BIG FAN of AVG Anti Virus.  I started using it in 2005 – the free version – when good old Norton decided to wreak havoc on my computer with their latest upgrade.

After using AVG Anti Virus for almost two years, I got a great offer for a two year subscription for their paid version.  It was only fair and just that I jump on such a good deal.  Especially since these folks had been protecting me without question or cost for two years.  So, I did and I haven’t looked back.

My favorite Anti-Virus software just released a new version (9.0) earlier this week and I made the upgrade.  There were a couple of little glitches.  I chose the manual install of the upgrade so that I could see exactly what was going on. I’m picky that way, being a computer guy.

During the upgrade, AVG complained about my using Zone Alarm and said it would cause conflicts.  So I shut off Zone Alarm and re-tried the upgrade.  It still went ahead and complained – but I overrode those messages and installed anyway.  It has been working fine ever since.

I wanted to wait a couple days before recommending that you make the upgrade as well. Seeing that my version has performed flawlessly, I recommend you make the upgrade.

I believe that those of you using the FREE versions will need to manually download and install the latest version from the website.  You should be good to go.