What You Need To Know if Your Company Wants To Produce A Video

Studies show that people remember merely 20% of what they hear, and only 30% of what they see, and an incredible 70% what they hear and see. * With this in mind, it's no wonder why video is such a powerful communications tool.

So your company has decided they need a video. Where do you start? What questions do you ask? How can you make sure the final product is what you are expecting? This article will give you the tools you'll need to have a professional video project you can be proud of.

First, let's talk about money. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Especially with video production, if you make a decision to hire a production company solely by picking the lowest quoted bid, you will probably end up with a video that is much less than what you expected. Remember, this video represents your company. Do you want your video to look like a high school A/V project? On the other hand, there is no reason to go crazy and spend ungodly amounts of money. It's important to find a company that gives a fair bid for the type of video you need and can produce your project in a professional manner.

Two Decisions

To start your video project, there are two decisions that you will need to make. First, do you want to hire an independent producer or a production company? Second, you will need to decide if you wish to receive your bid for production as a "Package Price" or "Piece Meal".

Independent Producer or Production Company?

Independent producers usually work for themselves and do not own any equipment. They generally rely on outside production companies to supply their equipment and crew needs. This means that if you have an immediate need, the producer is dependent on someone else to help service you. However, unless the independent producer is very busy, you should get good personal attention.

By hiring a production company, you can get a producer who is part of the production company that has the equipment and crew resources in-house. They can generally respond immediately to your needs. Depending on the scope of your project, a production company will either use an in-house producer or hire a freelance producer to coordinate your project.

Either way you decide, be sure you have an experienced producer to manage your project.

Two Ways to Hire

There are two ways of hiring a producer or production company to create your video: "Package Price" and "Piece Meal".

"Package Price"

A package price for the entire project is the way many videos are negotiated. For most situations it is the most logical. The client knows exactly how much to budget for, and the production company knows how much money they will have to work with.

If you choose this route, be sure to have a very clear bid with exactly what each side will be responsible for. The advantage for this is if the company requires to do more work than initially planned to finish what is described in the bid, they are obligated to do whatever it takes to complete the project. However, it is very important to understand that if you, as the client, request more than what is described in the bid, you would be expected to pay extra for your request.

"Piece Meal"

The other way to produce your video is "piece meal". Hire your production company by the day, or by the hour. This way, whenever someone is working on your project, you are paying for their time and only the time they are working on your project. Your producer should be able to give you hourly and daily rates and to estimate the total cost for the project according to your needs.

Your Producer

Whether you hire an independent producer or a production company, you should have an experienced video producer coordinate your entire project. Your producer should be available to you at any time to answer questions and to consult with you about any part of the production. Don't scrimp on your producer; they could make or break the entire project, and they should not be learning on your nickel.

Your producer's job is to manage the project from beginning to end. They are responsible for coordinating the scriptwriting, pre-production, shooting, and editing. Depending on where you live and his or her experience, you can expect to pay your producer between $350 to $1000 a day.

Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is usually charged by a finished minute rate. For example, if your script is 10 minutes long and you are charged $200 per finished minute, your cost for a complete script should be $2000. A complete script should include all voice tracks and equally important, the video shot descriptions that match the voice track.

Shooting

Shooting is usually charged by the day. Depending on your needs, your shoot may be as small as hiring one cameraman with gear, all the way to having a complete crew that may include a cameraman, lighting director, audio technician, production assistant, teleprompter operator, make-up artist etc. Rates vary depending on your location, but it is standard to hire a strong two-person news style crew for $1,000 - $1500 per day, including professional camera gear, audio and a lighting package. On smaller projects, the shooter can also act as the producer.

Editing

Editing is almost always charged by the hour. For most all projects, a high-end digital (non-linear) editing system will handle your project beautifully. Depending on the system, you should pay between $100 - $200 an hour for editing, including an experienced editor that can make suggestions on how to make your project even better. Finding a Production Company

Looking under "Video Production" in the Yellow page directories is generally a good way to find a local production company. Remember: just because the size of an ad is bigger for one company than another, it doesn't mean the production company is better.

Personal referrals sometimes are your best bet. But remember that this video will represent your company, so be sure you are referred to a professional video producer with experience and not cousin Billy who has a consumer camera and wants to get into the video business.

You can also search the Internet. One of the best sources for lists of production companies on the web is at http://www.mandy.com. There are many others sites with lists, but this one seems to be the best. Using search engines like Google to find production companies that have a presence on the web is also a very good source.

Awards

Has the production company won any awards for the videos they have produced? There are regional and national awards that producers can enter their projects. If your production company has won some critical acclaim, it's a good chance that they would be a good company to produce your video.

Quality and Format

Other than the producer's expertise, the quality of the final product depends largely on the equipment used to shoot, light and edit the video. For most corporate video projects (marketing, training, communications, etc.), commercials and television programs, the Betacam SP or DVCAM formats are the smartest choices because of their widespread compatibility. There are a number of new excellent broadcast digital video formats, like DVCAM, that are just now emerging on the market. From a client's point of view, Betacam SP or DVCAM or one of the new professional digital video formats (DVCPRO, Betacam SX, Digital Beta) will give you broadcast quality images. Even though Mini DV is quite an incredible format for the prosumer market, it doesn't have quite the quality of the professional formats.

Meeting the Producer

When you initially talk with your producer, be sure to ask some questions. But more importantly, the producer should ask you most of the questions and listen to what you want. This is your company's video and it's up to the producer to try to get in your head to give you a product that you want, not what the producer wants. Be aware if the producer tells you what you need without listening to what you are saying. At the same time, ask the producer for recommendations that would enhance the project beyond your video knowledge.

Set up a time to meet with the prospective producer. Meeting at your location is usually most beneficial. If you want a marketing or training video for your widget, it would be important for the producer to see the widget. Bring copies of videos you would like to emulate and tell your producer what you like and don't like about these videos. Be sure the producer brings sample tapes similar to the project you want to do. Look at past projects your producer has completed. You should also call the producer's past clients to get feedback on their professionalism, work quality, and personality to understand what is was like to work with them.

Q and A

Your producer should listen to what your company's goals are regarding the video, ask a lot of questions, then give suggestions for the best way to produce your video within your budget. Often, your production company won't know anything about your business and vice-versa.

Questions to Ask Your Producer

What can I do to keep my costs down?

A good producer will help you keep the project within your budget. Some of the more common ways to save money are:

o shorten the length of the program,

o use fewer professional actors, and

o keep the shoot days to a minimum.

Holding a pre-production meeting to coordinate the project could save hundreds of dollars. If the shoot is scheduled at your company's location, try to do everything possible to facilitate the videotaping process. For example, if you are creating a marketing or training video for your widget, let your manufacturing line take direction from the video producers and allow disruption of their work.

What kind of experience does the producer have?

The experience of the producer relates directly to the quality of the finished product. Be sure to see examples of video work that the producer has personally produced.

Are there any extra charges?

Ask up front if there will be any extra charges. Some common extra charges: taxes, tape costs, mileage, travel expenses and duplications. It's important to understand that if you, as a client, make changes to the project that require additional work from the production company not originally agreed upon in the proposal, expect extra charges to apply. What will you need from me?

You, or a representative from your company, will need to be an accessible contact person to help coordinate approvals, schedule shoots, and answer questions to help make the production process as smooth as possible.

Questions Your Producer Should Ask You

What do you like and dislike about other videos?

What do you want to achieve with this video?

Who is the target audience?

What do you want the audience to do after watching the video?

How will the tape be shown?

How many shoot locations are there?

Will we be shooting during business hours?

If we are shooting during business hours, are there any logistical concerns?

How long does the video need to be?

Will a company executive need to be on camera?

Do you need a professional on-camera talent or voice-over?

Who will write the script?

Will you need extra graphics or animations in the video?

Are there any other materials that need to be included in the video, such as photographs?

Final Points to Remember

An important point to remember, especially if you are a rookie at using video, is that communications is key to the success of your video. Your production company should be available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Your producer should be kept informed of the project's status and what the next steps are.

Television is a huge part of our lives and we are very accustomed to top quality programming. Today's audiences are sophisticated and expect broadcast quality video productions. If your video is anything less, your message and image will suffer greatly.

Remember to ask questions, be sure you are asked a lot of questions, and go with your gut feeling. Chances are you will end up with a great product and have a fun time in the process.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions. Greg Coon

Eyecon Video Productions

Dallas, Texas

214-368-3932

Toll Free (877) 704-1517

greg@eyeconvideo.com

http://www.eyeconvideo.com

*Source: Harvard Business Review

Greg Coon is the President of Eyecon Video Productions, a professional video production company based in Dallas, Texas.

All About Ad Retargeting

Thousands of sales are lost every month. In fact, researchers estimate that upwards of 98% of visitors leave a website without contacting the company. Typically the first visit someone makes to a website is for research purposes. The visitor isn't ready to make a purchase yet. Studies have shown that it can take up to seven individual visits before a visitor is ready to take that next step.

Simply put - it isn't enough to bring visitors to your website. You have to remind them who you are and what you do. That's where ad retargeting comes in. Retargeting can help transform researchers into prospects and eventually clients. For small businesses that lack the major advertising budgets of large corporations, retargeting offers a cost-effective way to maintain brand awareness.

To give you a clearer picture of what ad retargeting is and how it works, here's concrete example:

The Initial Search Let's say a law firm is looking for a new IT consultant. The law firm's office manager searches for "outsourced IT for law firms." One of the results leads to an IT consultancy with a creative web design that highlights their qualifications.

Don't Let Them Forget The office manager is impressed with the website, but wants to evaluate other options. Like the 98% we had mentioned before, the office manager doesn't take any action other than browsing a few pages. After 2-3 minutes, she's off to another one of the search results, perhaps never to return.

In a Prospect's Consciousness Because the IT consultancy set up re-targeting, the office manager doesn't forget. Retargeting places a cookie in the visitor's browser. The browser "remembers" that the office manager visited. Now she sees ads for that IT consultancy when she goes to websites like CNN, Mashable, and even YouTube.

Top of Mind When They're Ready to Engage The goal of the ad is to remind that office manager of the IT consultancy and how they can help her. Without retargeting, the office manager might forget and never contact the IT consultancy. With retargeting, she sees the ad frequently. After the typical six to seven touches, she goes back to the IT consultancy's website (by clicking on the ad, of course!). When she visits the website again, she sees an offer to download a resource on what type of IT solutions law firms need. She fills out a form to get the resource, and now the IT consultancy has her email address for a direct follow-up.

Retargeting: Maximize ROI of B2B Website A strong website design is only the beginning. Serious firms need to consider how they can draw visitors back and encourage them to take action. Ad retargeting is a great, cost-effective way to maximize the ROI of a B2B website design.

How Collaboration Works Between Marketing Department And Website Development

At this point of time, after more than twenty five years since the internet became mainstream, it is no longer a question whether a company should have a website or not. By default every company, ranging from one person companies to businesses that employ thousands of employees, has a website. The more important question marketing managers of a company should ask is how good or bad is their website. The number of customers who do not seek out more information about the company they are buying products from is a minority.

Customers And Website Communication

With a large number of customers depending on a website for information, it is important that no company ignores the importance of website to their website. In many ways, a website is almost like a salesman who is working round the clock, advising prospective, current and past customers what exactly is the company offering and why they should buy them. A website can be as interactive as one wants it to be or it can be extremely dull out of sheer ignorance.

It is not just about the appearance and presentation of a website that matters. Most customers would not know about the company web address. Of course, website address is printed and advertised on the company products, in ads and of course marketing material and business cards. However, the website address is not really something that people can remember unless it is something that they use every day like Facebook.

Inevitably, every customer turns to search engines like Bing or Google to look up the website they want to reach. Customers start by typing in search words that they think represents a particular company website. So, there must be some kind of a link between the words the customers might possibly use and the website that you have built. This is probably the most difficult part because it requires a fairly heavy dose of research. The marketing department has a tough task cut out for them because if they unable to find those keywords that will link to their website, customers may not find the company website at all.

Search Engine Optimization

This is not the only challenge that the marketing department is going to face. The words that the customers use may be fairly generic and could apply to hundreds of companies in the same industry. So the key job here is to ensure that the customers will find your company when they search for what they want, instead of a competitor company. This process of getting your name right at the top of the search engine results is called search engine optimization.

Linking the words and getting your website on top of the search results is a collaborative effort between web developer and marketing department. Marketing is something that is an integral part of any company. Except for maybe some specific tasks like advertising and content creation marketing management it is within the part of the main company system. However, enormous financial and time benefits can be derived by having a third-party company involved in web development and its maintenance.

When it comes to having your company website built, the choice comes down to freelancers and website development companies. If you are a company then it simply makes business sense that you deal with another company. The key difference is the standard difference you would find between a person and a company. With a person you are looking all the problems that you tied to working with a single person. However, when you are dealing with a company you can expect the same level of professionalism that you would extend to your customers.

The Best Birds to Get When You Have Children

The most important thing to consider about having a pet is that it requires all the care and attention that any living creature needs to be happy and healthy. Since this obligation falls squarely on the shoulders of it's human family, the time and commitment you can realistically give to caring for an animal should be your first consideration.This aspect of pet ownership is the basis on which you decide whether to trade in the artificial pet for a real live one.

Before acquiring a pet it is essential for parents to discuss with their children the responsibilities, time and work required to care for a pet as well as the wonderful benefits. Needless to say children will be focused on the positive and enthusiastically agree to the negative which is why rules should be set before a pet is purchased or adopted. Be aware, though, that no matter how carefully you lay the groundwork, parents must be prepared for setbacks through negligence or forgetfulness and the children will require monitoring and reminding to carry out whatever pet tasks they have agreed to. In the beginning parents should expect to compensate for any failures of the children to carry through with their pet duties but with patience, persistence and instruction a rhythm is established and the pet soon becomes a beloved member of the family. It can be the first step for your children to learn the values of caring and investing in a relationship.

Small Birds Make Good Pets For Families

By even casual observation of birds in the wild one can deduce that they are social creatures as they arrive at the backyard feeder in families and groups of families. In captivity birds readily transfer this natural need for socialization to their human family and easily bond with people who give them time and attention. My family had the opportunity to observe this first hand when my son found a baby bird that he successfully raised.

If you are still reading this article you are probably thinking that a bird would be a good addition to your family. Then the next thing to consider is, among the many species of pet birds available, which would be the best choice for you and your children.

Finches and Canaries require the least amount of interaction and are good birds for very young children who are fascinated by their beauty, lively activity and captivating songs and sounds. Since they are more solitary by nature than other species they are quite content in their cage and require less human interaction.

A good choice for young families, and my favorite, is a Budgie or Parakeet. Though these little birds are very sociable they are independent and can be happy alone in their cage if provided with interesting toys and accessories to keep them stimulated. Because of their small size their cage requirement is minimal as is their daily care. In summary, I would say these sweet, perky little birds are great family pets, especially for busy families including those with young children who have been taught to approach the bird with a quiet voice and to handle it with gentle care.

For older children who really have the incentive to care for birds and learn about them, a Cockatiel is a great choice. They talk, whistle and readily imitate up all kinds of sounds. They will provide hours of fun and entertainment with the cute and silly tricks they quickly learn. They really like their freedom and look forward to times of not being stuck behind bars. Because they form strong bonds with their caretakers they require a great deal of attention. For these reasons the amount of time you have, on a daily basis, to be with your pet bird is a very important factor when considering a Cockatiel for a pet.

Hopefully, this article has been useful and informative as the first step for anyone thinking of acquiring a pet bird. Feathered pets have many unique and endearing qualities that make them a wonderful addition to any family that is willing to love them and is committed to providing for their needs. They, for their part will provide companionship and open a window to the world of nature that no digital pet ever can.

For more information about bird cages and accessories please visit my website.

Hopefully, this article has provided helpful information for anyone thinking of acquiring a family pet and why feathered friends certainly have a lot of enduring qualities to recommend them.

Transform Your Backyard Into a Paradise

After trying for months to sell my house, I decided to tough it out and stay for a while. With the housing market in a slump, I decided to make my home more live-able and appealing so that my family could enjoy staying here. I also wanted a fresh look and wanted to turn something into a new space, so I could feel like I had something new.

I started with my backyard, and began to turn it into a better living space that we could really use. My plain backyard would never be the same!

I wanted an outdoor seating area, first. We had an unused area over by a small creek in the backyard, and I placed outdoor furniture over in a flat area, by the creek bank. I needed a larger item to pull the eye over to the area, so I got an arbor- style swing that created an entry way, beside a tree. This looked really beautiful, but it needed details to finish the look and create space boundaries.

I ordered a raised planter and put fall flowers in it, so that it had bright yellow and burgundy colors. This matched my lawn furniture, too. The raised wood walls of the planter gave it the boundary walls that I was looking for. It was really coming together.

My two last purchases were a centerpiece and lighting. I bought an outdoor firepit for the center of the circle that I created. My lids love roasting marshmallows over it, and they said they feel like they are camping in the backyard, since we use it every weekend. This is really fun for all of us.

To finish it out, I got some solar lights to help us see where we are going, when the moon isn't at its fullest. The trees in our yard block light, so we needed some outdoor lighting. I found some real quality lights at a great price that went right over my flower box. I found some other decorative ones that fit beside my gazebo, and went with its design. These turned out to be great finishing touches.

This new outdoor space is a real paradise for my family. We are always out there, in the warm or cool weather, since the firepit keeps us cozy. During the last meteor shower, we enjoyed the night sky while keeping warm outside after dark. With the solar lights, no wiring was needed and the styles of the solar lights looked amazing by our new yard-scape.

If you are looking to finish a new space in your home, don't forget about the outside! You will enjoy the new area and get a lot of use out of it. Take a look at all of the improvements in firepits, outdoor lighting styles and shapes and patio furniture accessories. You will be amazed at the variety of choices.

Autoresponders For Passive Online Income - How To Write And Set Up Your Autoresponder Sequence

Setting up your autoresponder messages is a part of getting your systems in order to build a profitable online business. Most of us fall down in this area, but I encourage you to take the time to do this properly. I was confused about the difference between autoresponders and broadcast emails when I was just getting started online, so I'd like to clear that up here.

Broadcasts are the email messages we send out to share information that is time sensitive. For example, if I am hosting a live teleseminar and want to invite my list, I will send out a broadcast both the day before and the morning of my call. This allows people to get the details they need so they can make the decision whether or not to attend this live training. We also send out broadcasts to announce a new product or course, or to let people know that something will increase in price at a specific time.

Autoresponders are the email messages that are evergreen, meaning that they will be timely and relevant for years to come. You will want to write these and set them up in your system so that they go out to your list whether you are around or not. This is a magical way to be able to grow your business and increase your income in a passive way. Allow me to explain how this works in more detail.

When someone opts in to your list they are taken to a thank you page. When they check their email they can then receive the first message in your autoresponder series. This message will thank them for requesting the information and give them a link to their free giveaway you have promised. This is the beginning of your relationship with this person, as well as an opportunity for you to build trust and share your expertise on your topic.

Now that they are in your marketing funnel, they will receive email messages from you based on what you have already written and set up. I recommend starting out with ten messages, to be delivered once each day for the first ten days your new prospect is on your list.

During this time you will give them your very best tips and information on how they can achieve success in the area you are working in, links to your blog posts and articles where you go into more detail on your topic, and offers for your own products and those of affiliate products and services that will help them further their knowledge and understanding.

I hope you can see the power of this technique. You have leveraged your time by writing a series of emails that will automatically go out to your prospects without you ever having to do anything else. Over time you will add even more messages, at the rate of about one per week through the first year.

Autoresponders make this business one that gives you an excellent rate of return with passive online income.

My Take - Victor Cruz: Wide Receiver for the 2012 New York Giants

Last year Victor Cruz emerged from nowhere having a breakout season for the New York Giants in 2011. He became a household name with his speed, agility, and salsa touchdown dances. Cruz is easy to root for. He has charisma and a great smile. However, the 2012 season has been a letdown to say the least.

Last year Cruz had 1,536 yards receiving with 9 touchdowns. He hasn't played nearly as well in 2012. Because he is on the last year of his contract, the entire season Cruz has been in contract discussions with the team. He is due to make 490 k this season. This salary is very low for a high end receiver such as Cruz. Some receivers make as much as $16 million a year.

Cruz has had several games with multiple dropped passes in 2012. I contend that his play has declined for two possible reasons:

1) He is worried about getting injured and hurting his future earnings. I have noticed he hasn't been trying to make the tough catches. He seems to be veering away from hits when the ball is thrown into traffic. I worry that he is more concerned about making a few more dollars than helping his team be successful. If that's the case the Giants don't really need a player like that on the team.

2) The Giants main receiver Hakeem Nicks has been injured all season. He has played sparingly this season. Since Nicks has not been 100 %, Cruz has been getting double coverage by the defenders. I don't think the Giants should pay a player big money if he can't find a way to be productive when the defense focuses on him. He seems to shrink when the defense gets in his face and plays him aggressively. His two worst games this season were against the Dallas Cowboys. In both games Cruz had several drops. What made it worse was that the defensive backs grabbed him and intimidated him to the point that he mentally checked out of the games. Morris Claiborne is a Dallas rookie and absolutely abused him in those contests.

I hope neither is correct about Victor. He has become a fan favorite in New York after his 2011 season. However I must say if either is true about Cruz I would not want him on my team. Since it appears that the contract won't get done til after the season, he had better perform if he wants to make the big bucks.

Serious Traffic For Free - 3 Things You Can Do

There are a lot of different things that you can do online to get serious amounts of traffic for free. Even though there are a lot of opinions on the matter, there seems to be some very particular opinions that seem to be working for major players on the net today. If you're going to get serious about online marketing, affiliate work, or just want a big readership to your writing, you'll find that the following will prove to be quite great. Even if you subscribe to a traffic booster, you'll find the following tips will generate serious numbers.

The first thing that you need to know is that there is no need to pay for a lot of services to get serious attention on the web. Sure, you could spend money on CPM or CPC campaigns, but you'll end up going broke before you see any major traffic. In order to change that up, you'll need to invest in 3 strategies.

Strategy number one is going to be odd for some to move forward with, but it will pay off in the long term. Take to the web and find a directory of websites that are about your niche, specifically blogs. Once you've established a long list of websites that are in your particular topic, proceed to visit them all and drop comments in their comment section. Do this across every blog you can find, and make sure the comments are not just random and vapid. If you drop 1,000 comments a week, over time you will have hundreds of links pointed back to your website. From that point, you will have curious webmasters, visitors to other pages, and much more going to your site. Imagine if you left 100,000 comments, and each comment derived 1 visitor per day, you'd see an explosion of traffic that will be free and clear.

The second strategy is one that many people are trying to employ as this article is being written, and that's SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization and it's easily defined as a coding structure that attracts the major search engines around the web to point towards your page. When done properly, you will receive a flood of heavily targeted traffic that will convert for you into sales, subscriptions and more. Doing this the right way can be tricky, but it is currently one of the biggest ways to generate traffic online.

The third way to generate serious traffic is to promote your website through online videos. Everyone has an opinion and is an expert on a variety of topics. Whether you put the camera in front of you or you create other small clips, you will generate serious traffic by simply adding videos to the online video websites that are alive and well today. The top 5 trafficked websites today are social media and video based, so you can rest assured there is a wide audience to reach with your videos, and each one can easily visit your webpage.

Traffic is a numbers game, and casting a wide net is important, but it's when you apply the above 3 strategies that you get very targeted traffic in droves, and for the online marketer, that means serious money.

What Are the Most Notable Benefits of Using Joomla Website Design?

There are almost more than 30 million Joomla websites on the Internet and it is proof of the fact that that the popularity of Joomla websites have soared in the recent years.

Joomla is now being used by many web design agencies when designing powerful websites for businesses.

Overall, websites in the web design and development industry in general have been revolutionised by open source software.

Among the most common open source content management systems out there, Joomla is the number one choice that is used for developing powerful websites at a reasonable price.

Many advantages are offered by Joomla website design that cannot be delivered by traditional websites. Following is a list of some of the key benefits of websites that are designed using Joomla.

1. Tried and Tested, Award Winning Software

Joomla happens to be an awarding content management system that has won repeatedly won awards in the open source category as the best Open Source CMS.

Joomla has been chosen as the best content management system based on numerous criteria, which includes functionality, robustness and usability of the system.

2. Open Source & License Fee Free

Since Joomla is free and open source it can be used for any commercial purpose. Those who use Joomla do not have to pay any license fees.

The code is fully accessible to web designers and Joomla developers. Thus, the code of a Joomla website design can be modified and extended to meet the particular requirements of a business.

3. Complete Control Over Website Content

Complete control over the content of a website is provided by Joomla. Joomla can be used quite easily. The administration interface of Joomla that is used to edit or add content to the website is also quite powerful.

4. Many Built-In Features

Many of the built-in features that are found on Joomla websites can also be found on established websites as well. Some of them include banner ads, contact forms, customer login and private areas. The Joomla feature page contains the full list of features.

5. Web 2.0 Enabled

The second generation of website design with interactive features has become quite popular today are commonly referred to as Web 2.0. Joomla website design is Web 2.0 enabled. Many dynamic features such as a blog style lay-out, content rating, comments and so on are offered by Joomla.

6. Many add-on Features

Joomla has many add-on components and modules. One of the major advantages of using Joomla website design is the flexibility of this content management system.

Along with the default website features, many add-on features are also available with Joomla that are either quite inexpensive or are absolutely free. Although a dozen other modules are offered by other commercial CMS software, more than a thousand third-party add-on features are also available with Joomla.

7. Easy To Maintain

Maintaining the Joomla website design becomes very easy after developing and launching the website. When it comes to managing tasks such as adding or editing content, adding images, updating menu and so on, no technical or web design skills are needed.

8. Multi-Lingual

The fact that multi-lingual functions are offered by Joomla is a major advantage. In fact, Joomla can be implemented in more than one language quite easily. Content can be added in the back-end in the languages and on the front-end, the user will get the option to easily switch between languages.

9. Joomla 1.5 - Improved Usability

The functionality and usability of Joomla has considerably advanced ever since the release of the 1.5 version of the content management system. With the new Joomla 2.5 platform, the usability has particularly improved to a great extent. This way, updating content or images on websites becomes very easy.

Podcasting How To - Audio Marketing at Its Best

So, you are thinking about making a podcast? Host your own online radio show?

Well there is a slight difference between the two of course, and I will outline the two below, and give you some tips on podcasting.

They are both great forms of audio marketing.

First- radio online.

Well, if you go to Blog Talk Radio, you can host your own online radio show in an hour from now, seriously. All the structure is in place there for you, just press a few buttons and off you go! You are live to the world within an hour- and start to get your message out there well and truly. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, and a cheap headset- and you are good to go.

There are even live chat rooms so you can see what people are saying about your performance- or better stated, get feedback- good market research- and instant too! No waiting months for research results!

There is also the facility for people ro ring in and talk to you as well, on an American number. There are premium account options available as well.

Do you want to make your own podcast? Let's be clear on what a podcast is first- it is a small, normally 20 minute long radio show, downloadable, (or time shifted as they say in the trade, because they do like their nice technical words!!) What it means is that people can listen to it any time they want, (or watch it- podcasts can be visual as well!- they are called Vodcasts- another technical term!)

So you would find out what the punters wanted, and create content all about it, which would set you up as an authority in your niche, remember people buy from people they know, like and trust, and podcasting can, and does do that really well.

Why?

Well, in a survey done recently, it was found that 37% of communication was not in the words that we use, but Voice Tone- 37 %- that's huge- only 5% was words, the rest was body language.

The right tone of voice can make or break an interaction- as I am sure you have had experience of in the past.

Voices are trainable as well, if you do not like the sound of your own voice, that is trainable more easily than you think.

Podcasting- an all in one good solution to marketing your wares.

How to Brew Beer at Home

Many people don't realize how easy it really is to produce beer yourself, at your own home. For this reason, many people are missing out on a great opportunity to impress friends, family, and save lots of money. Brewing your own beer can cost as little as $6 a gallon! You can even bottle it yourself and sell it to make a profit.

One of the easiest ways to brew beer is by purchasing a kit that has all the tools you need. Most kits come with a brew keg and tap, as well as the ingredients (usually hops) and possibly containers. It really contains pretty much everything you need to get started! For that fact, it is definitely easy to get started and hard to stop. These kits usually go for around $20 to an upwards of a few hundred dollars. It really depends on how much beer you want to brew at one time, and how advanced you are.

By being able to brew your own beer, you will be able to create a delicious beer that tastes just how you like it, and in addition it's a great hobby to pass on and tell others about. Wouldn't it be nice to come home from work and have a nice ice cold beer, especially one that you have made yourself?

One of the key factors to take into consideration when brewing your own beer is that you need to make sure you follow the directions carefully and ensure that you are taking the correct measurements. Often times, if you measure the wrong quantity of ingredients just by a little bit, your beer can have a totally different taste than the last time you brewed.

If you are interested in taking up the hobby of brewing your own beer, than you should make sure to find a great source of information on how to do it. There are a lot of variables that come into play when you brew your own beer and you want to make sure that you have each one set correctly.

How To Hire A DJ For Your Wedding

Hiring music entertainment can arguably be the most important booking made for your wedding. Guests remember whether or not they had fun at your wedding. What you pay for is what you get is a good rule of thumb. However, I would like to educate the consumer, future brides and grooms, of how to hire a DJ and things to consider. The following are 9 important factors to consider when hiring a disc jockey BEFORE you sign the contract.

1. Who would be the DJ for your occasion? Many DJ companies are a multi-system operation. Be sure to have in writing of who your DJ will be at your event. I would recommend meeting your DJ before hiring the company at a neutral place, like a restaurant.

2. How many years experience does your DJ have with your type of function? Anyone can pretend to be a DJ. If you are having a formal event, does your DJ know how to organize a wedding reception or a grand entrance? The DJ should perform the type of show that you want!

3. Does the DJ get everyone involved dancing or do they just play music? You have to ask yourself if you want a DJ that will get everyone dancing? For example, will the DJ involve guests by playing and conducting motivational dances like the Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, Cha Cha Slide or just play music?

4. Will the DJ be dressed appropriately? Formal means tuxedo or dress. Semi-formal means dress pants, shirt & tie or slacks and blouse. Casual means polo shirt or company shirt. Be sure the DJ is dressed appropriately during set-up and takedown of equipment. Some guests do arrive early and stay late.

5. What is the DJ's fee? How much is overtime? Is a tip included in the fee? Will there be an extra charge for lighting-what does the lighting include? How much is travel to your location? Are you ONLY paying for the time the DJ performs?

6. Does the DJ include a contract? Be sure to have all details of your function in writing. The DJ must know the date, place, and time! You must know each other's names and phone numbers including the DAY of the occasion.

7. Is the DJ company professional? This may sound silly, but does the DJ have insurance? Accidents do happen. It's better to be prepared. Also, is the DJ a member of a national DJ association like ADJA or NAME? If they are, then they care about what they do and are a better chance of being professional.

8. What kind of equipment does the DJ use? Typically, if a DJ is using a brand of equipment you can buy at your local retail store, then that's what you will get. Excellent brand names include: JBL, Community, Denon, Gemini, QSC, Crown, etc. Always, and I mean always, ask if the DJ has back-up equipment WITH them for your function. Also, be sure the DJ brings the right amount of sound for the number of guests expected.

9. What music do you play? How many music selections will the DJ have WITH them? Be sure your DJ takes requests before and during your function. Also, give them a guideline of what you want played. However, this is what the DJ is paid to do. Don't limit the DJ by saying you want all of one kind of music or a list of 100 songs they must play. The best scenario is to play any type of music that gets people dancing and having fun. By the way, it should be understood the DJ does not play any offensive music.

I hope this helps!

Surviving Long Distance Relationships - Keeping the Love of Your Man

Perhaps, everybody is telling you that long distance relationship won't work. You know, this stuff is hard. It can potentially make you out of your mind. Long distance relationship is presently the most difficult relationship that anybody is struggling to survive. I know how painful it is to maintain this type of relationship.

Perhaps, you're thinking from home whether your man out there will cheat on you. Perhaps, you're thinking whether you can still maintain your love to your man. From what I know, the one thing that will ruin your long distance relationship from the beginning is YOUR OWN negative thoughts. Of course, you can't just change your thought in an instant and become a positive lover for your man, right?

That's it. But, it's important for you to make sure that you're not wandering in negative thoughts that will only ruin your trust toward your partner. Let me tell you this way. When you have your man out there, separated from you in a distance, the one most important thing you need to have is TRUST. With this TRUST, you will be able to maintain the strong bond with your partner. TRUST is based on LOVE. If you love your man truly, you will TRUST him. But, if not, you'll simply have wandering thoughts about him doing some affairs with other women.

So, in order to change your thought into the positive, consider asking to yourself whether you really LOVE your man. This is the way you can build trust with your man out there. Once a good trust is build, there is another thing that you need to pay attention.

It's COMMUNICATION. Yes, your communication with him over a distance will help you to keep in touch with him during this long distance relationship. And what's the best form of communication? Well, it depends on what he's doing out there. If he's there for work, then probably he will be busy most of the time. So, it is better to send him some emails each week.

But, it will go much better for you if you spare some time to communicate over the phone with him. Of course, you can schedule this time so that he can do it in his free time. A much better communication approach is VIDEO CALLING. You know, there are many video chat services that you can use. Just ask him to online on Skype in specific time when you'll call him. It'll be like meeting with him face to face.

I think that's how you can survive in long distance relationship. I know it sounds difficult, but it will pay off when he's finally coming back home.

Summer Pond Tips

Low Oxygen levels Kill Fish

Use an oxygen tester and air stones to keep your available

oxygen level to at least 7.0 parts per million of dissolved

oxygen in 90 degree F. water. Koi and goldfish start showing

signs of stress at oxygen levels of 4.0 ppm and will start

dying at 3.0 ppm. The higher the water temperature goes the

less oxygen that's available. Water temperatures over 90

degrees will also affect fish health so keep the temperature

under control by providing shade during the hottest parts of

the day.

It's Parasite Season

Warm water causes an increase in parasites such as anchor

worms, fish lice or flukes. Some parasites such as anchor worm

and fish lice are visible and can be treated with Dylox,

Dipterex or Masoten.

Invisible parasites such as external protozoa and flukes can

not be seen but they usually cause symptoms including extra

thick mucus, constant scratching by rubbing against objects,

flashing, or jumping. Some variations will cause a noticeable

head shaking and yawning. COntact your pond specialist for

treatments because different symptoms are indicative of

different infections. Follow label instructions at all times

or you could cause serious injury or death to your fish.

Summer Koi Feeding Tips

If you water is between 70 to 85 F. then feed a low protein

food in a quantity that is equal to 1.0% to 1.5% of total koi

body weight in pond. Estimate total koi body weight in pond

and feed recommended % of food daily based on season and water

temperature divided into intervals of about 2-2-1/2 hours.

Takes koi about 2- 2-1/2 to digest food in warmer water and

4-8 hrs in colder water when feeding is begun. So in warmer

ideal water temperatures feed 5-8 times daily the individual

portions totaling daily amount needed. In cooler temperatures

feed 1-3 times daily.

Sunblock for your Koi

Koi are not immune from sunburn, especially in shallow ponds

that get direct sunlight. Provide shade such as water lilies

or a rock overhang. Even a beach umbrella will do in a pinch.

Watch for Evaporation

Depending upon the surface area of your pond, you can lose

several inches per day to evaporation. Monitor and adjust your

water levels daily or as necessary. Remember, do not use

water with chlorine in it if you have fish!

Five Quick Tips For Healthy Summertime Water

1. Ensure that you have good mechanical and biological

filtration and that your pump will turn the pond water over

totally at least twice per day.

2. Operate the pump 24 hours a day.

3. Provide adequate shade by having 60 to 70% of the pond's

surface area covered with floating plants or other types of

shade.

4. Add water clarifiers and bottled bacteria if your water

remains cloudy even when good filtration is present.

5. Test oxygen levels daily and add air stones if levels fall

below 7 PPM.

How to Delay Your Eviction in California As Long As Possible

The topic of this article is filing a demurrer to an unlawful detainer (eviction) complaint in California.

A defendant in an eviction proceeding in California may file a demurrer to the complaint. See Code of Civil Procedure Section 1170. The notice period for a demurrer is not set forth in the unlawful detainer statutes, Sections 1159 through 1179a of the Code of Civil Procedure.

However, Section 1177 provides that all provisions of law contained in Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure (the ones applicable to regular civil actions) are otherwise generally applicable to unlawful detainer actions, unless other procedures are specified in the unlawful detainer statutes.

Since the unlawful detainer statutes do not provide for the timing of a hearing on a demurrer, the timing for demurrers is governed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1005, which requires 16 court days notice of the hearing on the demurrer, plus five calendar days for notice by mailing. Court days means Monday through Friday, except for Court holidays. A defendant who wishes to file a demurrer should contact the Court clerk and obtain a hearing date 4-5 weeks from the date of filing, not later than thirty five (35) calendar days, or the earliest date the Court clerk has available.

One of the first things that any tenant served with a three day notice to pay rent or quit in California should do is closely examine the notice. The notice must contain the following information.

The exact amount of rent due must be stated clearly on the notice. If the amount is overstated the notice is fatally defective and will not support an eviction proceeding. This is due to the fact that Code of Civil Procedure Section 1161(2) requires the three-day notice to state the amount of rent that is due.

It must not be served until after the stated amount of rent becomes due. In other words it cannot be served on the date the rent is due. If the three-day notice alleged in the complaint was served before the stated rent amount became due it is fatally defective and will not support an unlawful detainer action.

It must have the entire street address of the premises, and must have the name, address and phone number of the person to pay the rent to, as well as the days of the week and hours in which the rent may be paid. If it does not state these items the notice is defective. And if the address given for the payment of rent does not allow for personal delivery then it shall be conclusively presumed that upon the mailing of any rent or notice to the owner by the tenant to the name and address provided, the notice or rent is deemed received by the owner on the date posted, if the tenant can show proof of mailing to the name and address provided by the owner), or the number of an account in a financial institution into which the rental payment may be made, and the name and street address of the institution (provided that the institution is located within five miles of the rental property), or if an electronic funds transfer procedure has been previously established, that payment may be made pursuant to that procedure. So a tenant who cannot personally pay the rent because the address given is a post office box should mail the rent check, and get proof of mailing from the post office. That way the rent is considered paid on the date it is mailed.

If the three day notice is defective the best course of action is to file a demurrer to the complaint.

The landlord must wait the entire three days to allow the tenant to comply with the notice. If the last day to comply is a Saturday, Sunday or Court holiday the tenant has until the end of the next business day to comply with the notice. Saturday, Sunday and Federal and State holidays are NOT counted when calculating the three-day period.

For example, if the three-day notice was served on a Monday, then the three days are calculated as follows, Tuesday is the first day, Wednesday is the second day, and Thursday is the third day. The eviction complaint could be filed on Friday.

However, if the three-day notice was served on a Tuesday, then the three days are calculated as follows, Wednesday is the first day, Thursday is the second day, and Friday is the third day. The eviction complaint cannot be filed until the following Monday, unless that date is a Federal or State holiday in which case the complaint cannot be filed until the following day, which is Tuesday.

For more information you can check out Code of Civil Procedure Sections 12, 12a.

If the eviction complaint was filed even one day too early then you can object to that by filing a demurrer on the grounds that the eviction complaint is fatally defective and must be dismissed because it was filed before the cause of action accrued. Or in other words that as a matter of law, at the time the complaint was filed, there was no forfeiture or failure to pay rent because a condition precedent was not met.

Once the tenant has been served with the Summons and Complaint they have only five (5) calendar days to respond. Court holidays are not counted in calculating the five days, and if the last day to respond is a Saturday, Sunday or Court holiday the tenant has until the end of the next business day to file a response with the Court.

It needs to be stressed that any missing or incorrect information in the three-day notice to pay rent or quit can be grounds for a demurrer. If the thee-day notice is defective then the unlawful detainer complaint fails to state a cause of action and the demurrer should be sustained without leave to amend because the law cannot presume that a new and proper notice would be served and that the defendant would then fail to comply with a new notice. This means that the landlord must prepare and serve a valid three-day notice to pay rent or quit, wait the appropriate amount of time, and then file another complaint if the notice is not complied with.

Also a new cause of action for unlawful detainer on the basis of a new notice would result in a new cause of action that arose after the complaint was filed, and thus would not properly be an amended complaint but a supplemental complaint.

Please note that the author of this article, Stan Burman is NOT an attorney and as such is unable to provide any specific legal advice. The author is NOT engaged in providing any legal, financial, or other professional services, and any information contained in this article is NOT intended to constitute legal advice.

These materials and information contained in this article have been prepared by Stan Burman for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. Transmission of the information contained in this article is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, any business relationship between the sender and receiver. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.