Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Free Link Cloaker May Cost You a Pretty Penny

Although you may be tempted to use a free link cloaker, it is prudent to be aware that they are known to have several disadvantages.
Free cloakers have grown in popularity recently, yet they still lack certain features. Many times the disadvantages that they have could actually mean that you're going to end up worse off than if you had not even used them.
Even though there are many free cloaking tools available, you really should be careful when using them, or you end up falling victim to the problems they possess.
Here are a few disadvantages of using a free cloaking tool:
  • A huge disadvantage of these tools is their popularity.
  • Your important free "cloaked" affiliate link may go dead.
  • Free link cloaking services may not be too trustworthy.

Let's discuss each of the above disadvantages.
Free Link Cloakers are Very Popular
Currently, all marketers seem to want to hide their links. Most people wish to hide their links for legitimate reasons (keeping affiliate commission thieves away). Yet, there are many people who wish to cloak their links for other, less noble, reasons.
Some people hide links because they point to adult websites, negative links, or even links to malicious websites.
Using a free tool may lump you into the pool of unsavory characters because of the "bad" name and reputation they have garnered. This is the reason why many free cloaking services get shut down after a short span of time. If you are using one that gets shut down, your links go dead.
Your Free "Cloaked" Affiliate Link May Go Dead
Going along with the above reason for not using a free link cloaker, the links you obtain very often turn out to be NON-permanent. If you are relying on these hidden links to bring you sales and commissions, you are going to find that you may need to update them frequently, so that they do not end up going dead on you.
What is worse, is if you "forget" about checking them, and they go dead, you could go weeks or even months without knowing about it, and lose massive amounts of sales and commissions!
Free Link Cloaker Services May Not Be Too Trustworthy
The third disadvantage we would like to discuss is about trust. Do you trust the person behind the free service? Or, could they actually be altering your links to show their Own affiliate ID? This is showing up more and more - don't be a victim of this swindle!
Free link cloaking tools really do carry a hefty price. They may cost you $0 to use, but you are going to end up paying one way or another when they actually collapse and take all your links with them. This could cost you far more than the few dollars it takes to purchase you own software.
Ask yourself, is really worth risking the loss in sales in order to save a few dollars by using a free affiliate link cloaker?
Learning that nothing is really free can be an expensive lesson. Although a free tool may seem to be a good money saving choice, they definitely have their downsides.
Now that you know the disadvantages, we hope you will steer clear of them. We do realize not all of them have the disadvantages, yet, do you really want to take a chance?
It is important to use one of the best link cloaker tools to hide your affiliate link's id and stop link hijacking in its tracks. By doing so, you increase your chances of all your hard earned affiliate marketing efforts are not wasted on thieves. Learn more about the link cloaker tool at http://www.linkcloaker.org/
Elizabeth Jonas, Copyright 2010

Pretty Plus Size Prom Dresses: A Winning Tactic for Being the Star of the Night

Wanting to be the prom night star, yet so worried about being flabby? Feeling frustrated about your first prom dress? Years ago, it was really difficult for plus size women to find for prom dresses that fit them well and was stylish at the same time. Worry no more. Ladies don't have to hide those curves in ugly tent dresses. Even a full figure gal deserves to be a prom queen. Here are some tips and ideas that can be of great help in finding pretty plus size dresses.
Finding the best, right and pretty plus size prom dress may seem like a daunting task. But that was years ago. Nowadays, there is a wide array of pretty plus size prom dresses available. And one of the best resources for great clothing for plump women is the internet. From a gothic prom dress down to a formal prom dress, there are lots of plus size alternatives that maybe offered to you. Some of the known fashion designers and fashion brands known in specializing plus size dresses are Cassandra Stone, Xcite Plus Size Prom, Faviana and Scala. Each of them can offer a rich and wide variety of masterpieces to choice from.
For instance, Cassandra Stone has been popular for her classic and elegant looking prom dress for flabby women. Her plus size collection ranges from 14W-30W and usually comes with a scarf and shoulder straps to accentuate. On the other hand, Xcite Plus Size Prom is one of the leading designers of today for gorgeous looking pieces. Styles range from a simple elegant prom dress to an extraneously beaded prom pieces. Best types of fabrics are used in the collection like satin, silk, organza and tulle. Sizes are also available in 14W-30W. If looking for a stylish and sophisticated look, you can check Faviana Plus. Faviana is knowned for its innovative style, exceptional fit and meticulous attention to every detail like beadworks, embroideries and jewelry details.
Fit, price and comfort are essential factors in their works. Each dress is usually prices for $120 to $500, with sizes ranging from 14W to 24W. Also, you can check Scala. Scala offers plus size prom dresses in contemporary stylesrom dresses in vivid colors are its best sellers. Known in USA, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and Canada, Scala is a combination of modernism, superior quality and reasonable prices. When it comes to styles, ball-gown prom dresses have always been popular. With their long, flared skirts, they look great for plump gals for they elongate their torsos, define a woman's waist and emphasize their curves too.
You can also choose to personalize each by having a sexy haler- top or a demure looking strapless sweetheart neckline. Grecian column dresses may also be an option. They can make a lengthening illusion and focuses on accentuating area like bust, shoulders and face. These pieces will sure make an exceptional look when paired with long earrings and scrunch gloves.
Through all these things, finding pretty plus size dresses isn't that difficult at all for such a big selection shops can offer. Play with you strengths in choosing one. You can also use some accessories to complete a total knock out look. So celebrate with your lumps! Style up! Stand out from the crowd! It's only a once a year event you should not miss at all. So start shopping and be on your best tomorrow!
Are you looking for more information regarding pretty plus size prom dresses? Visit http://www.prettyplussizedresses.com/ today!

Batista May Retire Pretty Soon From Wrestling

Dave Batista has a plan to retire from the wrestling business pretty soon. The news is certainly a big shock for the fans of sports entertainment, but it seems that the speculations are true. Big Dave, indeed, has plans to call it a day sometime in 2010 and WWE will not be happy to announce it for the fans as he is surely one of the most dynamic WWE superstars of this time. His contract with WWE will end soon and Dave is not interested in a renewal. The fans show the retirement of Heart Break Kid only a few months ago and the retirement of another big star in business in the same year may prove to be a severe blow to the company and the ratings.
But for Dave, it's a smart decision, particularly health wise. In a recent interview, Dave Batista said that he wants to bid a good bye in his prime. He is not interested to hang around even after his body surrenders to take anymore beating. He has several career threatening injuries in his life and his 40 year old body may not be able to survive further damages. The fans always enjoyed his feuds against John Cena and Batista too wishes to involve in another Cena-Batista rivalry before he calls it a day. In recent times, we experienced a similar rivalry between these two superstars. "Over the Limit", the last WWE Pay-Per-View, brought an end of a Cena-Batista rivalry. But is this also the end of "The Animal?" Only time will tell.
As a wrestling fan, we can only hope that Batista makes a decision change. But, if you are interested in wrestling news, make it sure to visit Wrestler Speaks. You can find some very good information about WWE's latest wrestling stories from there as well.

A Close Shave With Death - The Real Truth About Those Pretty Shaving Mugs

In the last few years, increasing numbers of collectors have been taken by the beautiful variety of shaving mugs that used to grace barber's shelves by the dozens. Of particular interest are the so-called "occupational" mugs - those that depicted the various occupations of the people of the town. There were mugs for the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker, each featuring images that illustrated their occupations and often their name. There were also mugs for lawyers, train conductors, tailors, chimney sweeps and even baseball players. Those mugs without pictures often had the name of their owners proudly painted across the pure white or otherwise decorated surface. Some of these styles of mugs are worth just a few dollars. Others, especially the occupational mugs, can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars from serious collectors.
Typically, these mugs sat on a shelf in the barber's shop, yet they were the property of the owner of the mug. In fact, when the mug's owner died, the mug was returned to the family by the barber.
While we are on the subject of death, I wanted to pass along a bit of shaving history that is slightly macabre...and the REAL reason for those cheerfully decorated mugs - fear of the Grim Reaper.
Since it is likely that you weren't born in the early 1900's, you might not be aware that it wasn't until 1928 that Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. And it was a good ten years before it was widely used. If you were unlucky enough to get a nasty bacterial infection prior to Fleming's discovery, you just had to ride it out and hope for the best.
So those gentlemen who could afford them, bought their own mugs primarily to avoid catching another customer's blood-borne bacterial infection. It was THEIRS and could never be used by another customer. Those who could not afford their own, took their chances that the barber washed his common mugs carefully between shaves.
In truth, if the barber employed even the most basic hygiene methods, like a good scrubbing with soap and water, the chances of passing along an infection would have been nearly zero; but it does say something about the tenor of the times before antibiotics were commonly available.
Anyone for a nice personalized shaving mug?
John Tischler is a straight razor enthusiast and owner of The Vintage Shaving Shoppe, LLC. He sells shave-ready vintage and antique straight razors, barber's items and skin care products. He is a frequent contributor on his blog, which can be found at http://vintageshavingshoppe.blogspot.com/. He sells razor both privately and on eBay.com at http://www.vintageshavingshoppe.com/.

A Pretty Watchful Destination - Khartoum

If you want to travel all across the world then you will come to know while exploring some of the famous destinations that some regions and territories in this world have their unique characteristics, whether you are traveling across Asia, Australia, America or any other continent or specific destination in these regions you will find at least something new in all these regions. These destinations represent several offerings and fabulous fun utilities which are considered a major source of recreation and enjoyment for foreign travelers and tourists. Similarly there are many destinations in Asia but if we talk about the region of this fabulous city, we will find this destination quite lucrative and interesting place quite popular all over the world and Khartoum flights are always required.
To seek pleasure, comfort and satisfaction a human being puts best of his efforts as he wants to explore the world. The success and desire to achieve the goals and aims makes him to put his best efforts and these plentiful efforts of a human being inspires him to discover the truth and to observe reality to get maximum out of minimum. Sudan has been a very well developed and lucrative destination after gaining independence and thousands of passengers book their flights to Khartoum to explore this new world.
The Khartoum city is a pretty watchful destination in the Arabic world and has many brother relations with many other Arabic countries of the world like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and many more. Quite similarly Sudan is among those places of the world which has many of the world's most hot places but still offers many things to be done and thus tourists who want to spend their holidays seeking for pleasure, comfort and mental satisfaction book their cheap flights to Khartoum Apart from that quite similar to other countries the traditional culture, heritage and civilization of this famous destination is also one of the tourist's attractions and the basic norms and values through which those people are recognized for and so many other things as well.
This article is written by Awais Yawar marketing Manager at flights to Khartoum The beauty and vastness of the falls is inexpressible in words, so take a glance yourself.

Communicating Or Just Making Pretty Shapes?

Do your prospects and customers find your messages hard to take in? It sounds crazy - but it happens most of the time.
Have you ever asked yourself why you communicate? Let's face it: unless, like a politician, you suffer from a constant need to bore other people, you must have a purpose.
Maybe it's to sell something: your product or service, or firm. Perhaps it's to make something happen, or prevent it happening. Possibly it's to clarify a misunderstanding or put over your point of view.
You may have many objectives. But whatever your purpose, I imagine you would agree it is, above all, essential that your audience understands what you are saying - quickly, easily and correctly. Otherwise, how are you to achieve your purpose?
Yet you may be surprised to know that many, perhaps most, printed commercial messages are ill understood by readers. The chief reason is that those who prepare them - writers and designers - know astoundingly little about what makes things easy to read.
For the most part, they rely on their own taste and judgment, or what is fashionable in "creative" circles. I put quotes round the word creative because, although the word implies originality, most slavishly follow whatever the current fad may be.
Slavish followers of fashion
Thus, if the fashion is for sans-serif type, or emphasizing words regardless of their importance, or using certain words or phrases - like "strategic" or "key issues", you will find many writers and art directors use them regardless of their suitability or how well they get your message across.
We can all have opinions about what we like, or what we think is tasteful, clever or well-arranged or visually exciting, but what really matters is, how well is your message conveyed? And oddly enough, a simple look at any daily paper reveals most of the principles.
The fundamental thing to recognise about words, type and layout is simple. They are tools to convey your message as clearly and quickly as possible. As the great typographical authority, Stanley Morison, noted: "Any disposition of type which, whatever the intention, comes between the reader and the meaning, is wrong".
As you will see shortly, if you rely on taste, opinion or fashion the result is often disastrous; but happily, two men devoted many years to discovering how better use of language, type and layout makes for better communication.
Decades of research
One was Rudolph Flesch, an American, who studied what kinds and arrangements of words, sentences and paragraphs are most easily read. The other, an academic at the University of New South Wales called Colin Wheildon, conceived the idea of learning not whether people liked or disliked certain layouts or type styles, but how well they communicated.
He did this by taking some 200 Australian consumers, getting them to read certain passages laid-out in various ways, then asking them to describe what they had just read. He also asked them how easy they had found a particular piece to read. In other words he wanted to know how well different layout styles and typographic styles worked from a practical, not an aesthetic point of view.
The original research took over two years. As far as I know it is the most extensive and thorough of its kind. It has been extended and repeated over the 20-odd years since, and came out three years ago in a full-length book with the title 'Type and Layout'*. I recommend it if you want to make sure that whatever your message is, it gets through as well as possible.
In addition, since all messages aim to elicit a response - either, "yes, I understand" or "yes, I will do what you ask," a lot of the results of direct response advertising can teach us lessons about what works and what doesn't.
This piece distills some of the main things that have been learned from these three sources but the principal lesson is clear: people's eyes and brains are lazy. If the eye has to adjust or make an effort, it will avoid doing so if possible. The same applies to the brain.
This should not surprise you: after all, how many business ideas - fast food, for example - succeed simply because people are lazy? First, let's look at what has been learned about layout and typography.
A page of copy in serif type was comprehended well by 67% of readers. When the same copy was reset in sans serif, the figures nose-dived to 12%.
Why? Because the little "feet" on a line of serif type help keep people's eyes on that line. So if you use sans serif type, make sure there's plenty of leading - space - between the lines.
Perceived legibility of a series of headlines went down by over 20% when the setting was changed from capitals and lower case to capitals only. Imagine what happens to comprehension when someone sets a whole page in "caps" - which is quite the rage at the moment.
The eye recognises shapes, not individual letters, and a word set in caps has no shape, whereas the descenders and ascenders in caps and lower case give a word shape. What are descenders and ascenders? Well, in the word "shape", h is an ascender and p is a descender.
Good comprehension slumped when type was set with ragged right setting (typically down from 67% to 38%) or, even more so with ragged left setting (67 down to 10 percent).
That's because the eye has to adjust constantly. Often people set long passages "centered" - ragged on both sides. What do you suppose that does to comprehension?
For the same reason constant changes in typeface are not only ugly but confusing. This also applies to the needless changes in type size so fashionable amongst advertising agency art directors.
At least one person in ten has imperfect eyesight. So copy in very small type is usually unwise. And type set over tints or textures or colours so that it does not stand out clearly is fatal.
* Type set in narrow columns is easy to read - the eye doesn't have to travel so far. Around 50 characters per line is about as long as it should go.
* Readers found headlines
laid out in a series
of "decks" or layers
like this were hard
to comprehend.
56% said they found headlines of more than four decks difficult.
Visual elements that point out of the layout - like people's feet, or their sight lines - lead the readers out of the advertisement.
Illustrations that block off a column halfway down the page discourage the reader from travelling further.
Headlines marooned in the middle of the copy destroy the flow of that copy and halve good comprehension.
So do headlines placed under the copy. The reader can't be bothered to look up to the start of the copy.
Long, unbroken blocks of type are daunting. They should be broken up by crossheads, indents, and changes in type. Giving 'shape' to long letters also encourages readership.
* Huge headings take up expensive space you have paid for and only work if you have readers with arms 8 feet long.
When a lot of type is reversed out white on black, it kills response. In the case of one full-page magazine advertisement, response doubled when white on black was replaced with the normal black on white.
Captions are heavily read. If you run a picture without a caption, you lose the chance to communicate.
* Pictures of people's faces gain enormous attention. Use them wherever you can.
Techniques that make for easier reading
If you buy The Wall Street Journal you will see how surprisingly easy the front page is to read. That is because it follows the rules laid down by Rudolph Flesch.
Best sellers and tabloid newspapers adhere to these techniques, as do direct response copywriters. They all have to make reading easy. Otherwise they go broke.
Sentences should be short. An average 16 words per sentence is ideal. The easiest sentence to read contains eight words. The average reader finds anything longer than 32 words hard to take in.
Paragraphs should be short, containing just one thought in each particularly the first paragraph.
* However, vary sentence and paragraph lengths to avoid dullness.
Words should be short and lively, not long and dull: eg, buy, not purchase; free. Not complimentary.
* Never use unnecessary words: eg, "for free" should be "free"; "miss out on" should be "miss"; "male personnel" should be "men".
"You", "yours" and "your" should appear 2-3 times more than "I", "we", "our", "us" and "ours". That's because readers are interested in themselves - just as you are.
Use words and phrases at paragraph beginnings that encourage continued reading - like "And", "Moreover", "That is why" and "What's more". If you put questions at paragraph ends, this helps too. Why?
Because reader wants to know the answer - which is why you just read this sentence.
If you break sentences at the ends of pages and columns, this also encourages continued reading. Put 'Please turn over' or the like at the end of a letter page.
There are other points well worth knowing, but that's all I have room for here. Thanks for reading through to the end; I hope you found it easy - and clear.
Drayton Bird has long been one of direct marketing's best known teachers and authorities. The Chartered Institute of Marketing named him, with others such as Tom Peters, Ted Levitt and Philip Kotler, one of the 50 individuals who have shaped modern marketing. Drayton has written four books, out in 14 languages, and over 1,000 of articles much like this one. He's also worked in over 50 different countries -- including work with Proctor & Gamble, and Mercedes. And today, he's the chairman of four different companies not to mention the founder of a few more.
David Ogilvy once said, "Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world."

Pretty Pretty Princess Cinderella Edition - 3 Differences From the Sleeping Beauty Version

The Pretty Pretty Princess Cinderella Edition board game is the latest in the line of princess dress-up games and has 3 differences from the earlier Sleeping Beauty version. Below you will find out what they are so you can decide which Pretty Pretty Princess game is right for your daughter. Some people have a favorite princess, some just want cool jewelry; find out the differences below.
1. Glass Slipper Playing Pieces: Probably the biggest difference with this game is that instead of moving Aurora around the board, you get your very own glass slipper in either blue, purple, yellow or pink. It's easy to lose these shoes as you know, so be sure every slipper is accounted for before putting the game away. And if your daughter is anything like mine and likes to hide things, don't let these shoes walk away from the board!
2. Get the Clock: In the Sleeping Beauty version the object of the game is to collect all of the jewelry first without ending up with the Maleficent game piece. But in the Cinderella version you need to get rid of the clock and have all of the jewelry in order to win. The game can take awhile if you play by the rules because you are putting jewelry back occasionally if you land on that circle, but that's okay because the quality time with your child is priceless.
3. Silver Crown: This game has a silver crown, while the Aurora game has a gold one; many people have said they much prefer the crown from the original Pretty Pretty Princess Board game, that it isn't as flimsy, but my daughter absolutely loves the one in this game. I don't think the quality of the jewelry is as important to young girls as it is to slightly older woman.
Above you learned more about the Pretty Pretty Princess Cinderella Edition and how it differs from the Sleeping Beauty board game. Instead of Aurora there are glass slippers that you use to move around the board and instead of getting rid of the Maleficent game piece you need to get rid of the clock. The jewelry is pretty much the same, but the Cinderella game has a silver crown while Aurora has gold. Some people think that the jewelry and crown in the original Pretty Pretty Princess board game is of better quality, but young girls typically don't complain one way or the other.
To learn more about the Pretty Pretty Princess game that young girls love to play with their friends and family, visit Pretty Pretty Princess Cinderella Edition.

The Little Pretty