Last month I attended a presentation by HalTech Consulting. They showed a demo of a database solution for a non-profit. It was incredible what they created and it was so easy to use. No matter how small or big your business is – you will benefit from utilizing a database. Call Scott Hallam at 719.332.5033 to see how they might be able to help you. 

Everybody’s Nuts
I was eating a bag of pistachios and started laughing out loud when I read this: Everybody’s Nuts guarantees that 100% of our nuts will be open. If you find a closed nut do not attempt to negotiate with it. Simply return it for a free bag of nuts! Go to our website at www.everybodysnuts.com

Their website is awesome! It’s simple and interactive. Check out the section that says Create Your Own Stach Comic. And by the way, their nuts are really good and addicting.

I think they’ve done an ingenious job of marketing. Is there some way you can add this type of humor into what you are doing? Their name is very catchy and memorable. The navigation on the website is funny too. They just recently added an online store where you can buy nuts by the case. I can think of several people who would get a real laugh out of getting these as a gift. Have some fun playing around their site and maybe it will spark some ideas for your own web site! 

Catchy Headlines
Here’s a free tool to help you come up with that catchy title for an article or blog post. LinkBaitGenerator.com Just type in a word or two and you’ll get all sorts of headlines. I typed in “Web Marketing” and got these titles: 8 Reasons to Fear Web Marketing, The 10 Commandments of Web Marketing and 10 Common Misconceptions About Web Marketing. It can be used in a couple of ways. I like to use it AFTER I’ve written an article to come up with a catchy title for it. OR you can use it BEFORE as an idea generator for an article you’d like to write. After you try it, send me a link to your article or blog post and I’ll print it in the next Muse News.

PDF of Web Muse Services
We recently created a PDF with a summary of Web Muse services. It’s small enough to email as an attachment and forward on to friends. It’s a great way to refer us and we so appreciate all your referrals! If you didn’t’ receive this, just email us and we’ll send it out to you. It may be something you’d like to create for your business too!  

Google’s Experimental Fiber Network
I live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado a suburb of Denver. Our community leaders and organizations came together to submit an application for Google’s new high-speed fiber project.  There’s been a lot of excitement around this project. To view the videos and all buzz visit http://hrcaonline.org/HomeOwners/GoogleFiberProject.aspxs 

ChimpMail
I’ve been experimenting with ChimpMail.com for the past 3 months and am switching back to Constant Contact for sending out this newsletter.  Chimp Mail is free for up to 500 subscribers. It is easy to use and you can customize a template. It also has some stats and reporting features. The biggest downside is that many of you were not receiving the newsletter! I thank all of you who emailed or called me to tell me this. So, if you’re reading this and you missed an issue or two – you can read/print the back issues at the website here. I also tried using Chimp Mail for an organization I belong to and the same thing happened, several people didn’t receive the newsletter. Not sure what is going on, but I believe they have a few loose bananas that need to be worked out to be a reliable List Manager. 

Domain Name Price Increase
On July 1, 2010, VeriSign®, the registry for .COM and .NET, will increase prices – .COM will go up 7%, and .NET by 10%. The increase will be passed to registrars like Go Daddy and then, unfortunately, to consumers like you. As of July 1, they will be forced to raise registration and renewal* prices for these two popular top-level domains. If you wish to avoid this price increase, you can renew your domain names by June 30 and add another year to your current expiration dates. You have the option to register or renew for multiple years and lock in long-term savings. 

Personally Speaking
One of my nieces, Tara is getting married this month. We’ll be traveling to Manhattan, KS for this exciting event. They will be honeymooning in Estes Park, Colorado.  

Do you remember some of your first jobs? As summer approaches I’m reminded of getting up very early to go to my first job of detasseling corn. After lunch it was off to my 2nd job as a waitress. Did you know that May 21st is National Waitress Day? How about surprising and appreciating those who serve you by doubling your tip? One of my favorite waiters is Tony at South Platte River Grill. He is always smiling and remembers what you like to eat and drink. He truly loves his job! Did I mention the food is always fabulous? Email me the first name of your favorite waitress or waiter along with the restaurant and I’ll include those in the next newsletter. We all may find some new places to dine. Until then, keep smiling! ~ Anita