AdSense Bid Gap Or Why You Should Never Display All Ad Units Google Allows On One Page

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Google allows up to three AdSense ad units (plus one adlink and one Google search box) on a website at any one time. In most cases, it is best to run the maximum three - the more ads you show, the higher the chance it will catch a reader’s eye. However, there are times when having less ads could make you more money. This is caused by something known as the Google Bid Gap.

What Is The Bid Gap

The bid gap is the difference in price between the Google ads. The top spot always cost the most, with each lower position costing less and less. The gaps between the top four bids are normally very close. However, once you get pass that, the gap can widen substantially. For example, the bids on a high paying keyword might be $5.00, $4.99, $4.98 and $4.97 for the top 4 spots, and then 10 cents for the fifth spot. There is only a 1-cent gap between positions 1-4 but a $4.87 gap between positions 4-5.

If you were running the maximum number of Google ads to target the above, you would have one ad block with the high paying bids and two ad blocks with much lower bids. Chances are, a reader would click one of the lower paying ads because there’s more of them. In this kind of situation, it would be to your advantage to reduce the number of Google ads to get rid of the high bid gap.

Adwords advertisers know that most Google ad sizes display a maximum number of four ads. Since they know some sites only run one Google ad, competition for the first four spots of the first banner can be quite high. Bids on the second set of four could be substantially lower and the third ad is normally where the MFA (Made for AdSense) sites play in.

When Less Could Be More

Reducing the number of AdSense ads on a page will give you more per click. However, it will reduce the total number of clicks you will get because of fewer ads. You will have to monitor ad performance to make sure the total revenue continues to go up. Generally, when there is a high bid gaps between one set of ads to another, it is best to reduce the number of ads.

There is no way to figure what the bid gaps are in your Google Ads. For evil reasons, Google does not release this information. The best way to monitor the situation is to set up custom channels for each ad units and monitor their performance. If one ad unit’s eCPM is significantly lower than another unit with a similar click rate, then it’s an indication of a huge bid gap. Remove that ad and see if the extra clicks to the remaining ads makes up for the lost of revenue. If the gap is great enough, it should do that and more. You can also try using the competitive ad filter to kill off the MFA sites.

It’s All About Tweaking

I have said this many times but it bears repeating. Google AdSense is all about tweaking. Google would like you to believe it’s a set it and forget it type of deal but it’s not. In order to extract maximum AdSense dollars, you have to tweak everything and monitor factors like the bid gap.

[Via John Chow]
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How To Make Money With Prepaid Taxi Cards

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http://www.gethomefree.com/

Launched in eleven Minneapolis suburbs this month, Get Home Free is a flat rate, prepaid cab card that gets its holder home safely. Mainly targeted at teenagers and college students, the concept's initiators are aiming to help out kids who are stuck with car trouble, have been drinking, or whose ride home has fallen through. Cardholders place a call to the Get Home Free hotline, and a car is immediately dispatched to bring them home, no questions asked.

Teen drinking and driving is a serious issue. As reported in the Star Tribune: "According to the 2004 Minnesota Student Survey, 28 percent of high school seniors reported having driven after using alcohol or drugs at least once in the previous year. Also, almost 40 percent of seniors reported that they had ridden with someone who had been using substances." Having a Get Home Free card as an emergency back-up should help keep some of them off the road.

Cards can be purchased online for USD 64.99 and are valid throughout the Twin Cities metro area, with statewide expansion to all key cities in Minnesota planned for 2008, and to high school and college campuses in all 50 states by 2010. In order to offer the service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Get Home Free has partnered with Airport Taxi and Town Taxi, Minnesota's largest fleet of taxis with over 300 vehicles. To spread the word, Get Home Free will give away one card every month to a random MySpace friend. Useful and straightforward, this is one to start up locally.

[Via - Springwise]

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10 ways to come up with a down payment

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You've found the perfect house. Interest rates are are still low. There's just one thing standing between you and your dream home: a down payment.

Don't abandon your homeownership quest just yet. Here are 10 ways to come up with the cash for your new castle.

1. Pay off your plastic.
Paying bills is not fun, but it definitely will help in your hunt for down-payment money. When you carry a credit card balance, the ever-accumulating interest charges mean more of your money goes to the card company each month. Keep that cash for yourself by cutting your debt load. With Bankrate's payment push system, you prioritize your debts and pay the most on the one with the highest interest rate. Once that's paid, shift your focus to the next highest rate and so on. You'll get the most money-sucking credit card bills out of the way more quickly, freeing up more of your income to go toward building your savings.

2. Ladder CDs to boost savings.
Once you've got a few extra bucks, put it to work making more money for you. Many investors prefer certificates of deposit. They are low-risk and relatively accessible. But when interest rates are low, the return isn't always what a saver hopes. You can maximize the earning power of CDs by buying different certificates at varying maturity dates. For example, instead of buying one big CD, parcel out your money into three-month, six-month and one-year certificates. Known as laddering, this gives you flexibility to adjust your savings as rates change. Laddering allows you to lock in when rates are high and when rates are not so good, the process keeps you from being stuck for too long with low earnings.

3. Use special programs.
There are many programs for home buyers in down-payment distress. Borrowers in a wide range of incomes, locales and professional groups may have access to aid from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored offices that buy mortgages and package them as investments. Various nonprofit and community groups also lend a hand to buyers struggling to put money down on a home. And don't forget about assistance from state agencies.

4. Tap your IRA.
If you're looking to buy your first home, let the Internal Revenue Service help. Tax laws allow you to use up to $10,000 in IRA funds as a down payment if you've never owned a house. If you're married and you both are first-time buyers, you each can pull from your retirement accounts, meaning a potential $20,000 down payment. Even better is the IRS definition of first-time home buyer. Technically, you don't have to be purchasing your very first abode. You qualify under the tax rules as long as you (or your spouse) did not own a principal residence at any time during the two years prior to the purchase of the new home. In these instances, Uncle Sam waives the penalty for early withdrawal, but you may owe tax on the money depending on the type of IRA. Many cash-strapped home buyers, however, find the long-term return of investing in residential real estate is worth the short-term tax bill.

5. Borrow from your 401(k).
Do you have more retirement money in a company savings plan? Consider borrowing against your 401(k) for the down payment. There are downsides to this strategy: Unlike an IRA home-related withdrawal, you'll have to pay back any money you take out of your company plan. The repayment will cost you a bit more since the account contributions were made with pretax money, but your payback will be made with after-tax dollars. At least the interest payments on this loan will be going back into your 401(k).

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To People Who Want Your Own Business – But Don’t Know Where To Start

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Being your own boss is a dream that hundreds of thousands of people aspire to every year. But out of the many people that start a business each year, approximately eighty percent fail. But, that also means that twenty percent of the dreamers build a successful business. Whether you want to open a family business, or you intend to build a chain of stores, there are some common elements that are necessary for success.

A Business Plan is necessary for every business no matter how large or small. This plan should include such things as a description of your business and your plan for its future success. Operating without a business plan would be like starting on a vacation without knowing where you were going. You would make it somewhere, but it might not be where you wanted.

A good business plan is written as a guide for your business. List what your objectives are; are your business objectives only to make a profit, or are you interested in long term expansion. These are questions to ponder.

Your business plan should include a marketing plan. How will your customers know that you are there? What types of advertising are best for your business? Advertising rates can vary widely depending on which media you choose to use. Newspaper advertising may be successful for one promotion, but not for others. One business owner that I know created a very expensive radio advertising campaign during a basketball tournament to advertise a clothing store and did not do very well with the promotion. Other times, I have known radio campaigns that did very well. The best way to “get the word out” will vary from location to location.

Be realistic. Your competition is a major factor to think about when considering opening a business. Perhaps there are too many stores that sell the same items that you want to sell. Visit the businesses that are going to be your competition; or have others visit them and report back to you. You may learn a lot from what others are doing. You may also learn what things they are doing well and what things that you can improve. Every person has been in a business and after leaving thought about things they would do if the business were theirs.

Opening Capital. How much money you will need to get started is something that is often under estimated. I would suggest that you estimate everything that you can think of that is necessary and at least double it. It may not take that much, but I have found that it is better to be over capitalized, than to be under funded. And, you will always have expenses that you forgot.

Finally, find out what your potential customers want. The adage “If you build it, they will come,” is not necessarily true. If you are selling something that customers in that area don’t need or want, the likelihood of success is minimal. Having a clothing store that specializes in men’s suits would not seem to be a good idea in a rural farm area. However, having a clothing store that sold jeans and overalls might do very well in that area. Ask yourself questions. If you do not purchase items very often that you are considering selling, chances are that your potential customers will not either.

Do your homework. Opening a business is hard work and taking shortcuts on your research will only hurt you in the long run.

And Do Not Give Up. There will be plenty of difficult times in the beginning. But if you persevere, perhaps you will be one of the twenty percent of the businesses that succeed and prosper. It will feel good to be your own boss and you will decide that it was well worth the headaches.

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

Paul Taylor is a business owner that helps other business owners and entrepreneurs locate wholesale distributors and dropshippers. Visit his website www.WholesaleMap.com" target="_blank">www.WholesaleMap.com for information about wholesale sources or opening a business.

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Woman Entrepreneur - Banu Ozden (Smart Medical Consumer)

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http://www.smartmedicalconsumer.com/

When Banu Ozden, PhD, couldn't get a straight answer out of her health-insurance company regarding the cost of treatment options after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she got mad.

And as she went through the treatment process, she grew increasingly overwhelmed by the fact that the myriad of bills that were sent her way were filled with unintelligible codes and statements that didn't accurately reflect what she owed. She couldn't figure out what to pay--let alone if she was overpaying. When she finally sat down to sort through the mess, she discovered that she had overpaid by about $4,000.

So Ozden decided to get even by building a service that would help others by automating medical billing, tracking medical expenses, and detecting errors, so they could concentrate on getting well. She had already left her job at Bell Labs, where she had worked as director of research of computing systems, and had been frustrated that many of the inventions that she and her colleagues had worked on simply didn't make it to market.

Creating a useful new business with an enormous market seemed like the right thing to do. Ozden, who has multiple patents under her belt, took a leave from the faculty of the University of Southern California and started just such a service, Web-based SmartMedicalConsumer. Its beta version launched in January, 2007.

[Via BusinessWeek.Com]

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Taking Your Invention to a Trade Show

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Trade shows offer inventors and entrepreneurs the opportunity to reach a large number of potential buyers and retailers. They also provide a marketing-sales double whammy: You'll meet buyers seeking products like yours, and even if you don’t make a sale on the spot, your presence creates awareness about your product. You should also use trade shows to scout out similar products, make new contacts and gain general knowledge about your industry.
Here are some strategies for maximizing your trade show experience.

Find Shows That Fit

The most important thing you can do before attending a trade show is to make sure you choose the right one. You need to make the most of your time and money, and a poor choice can be a waste of both. Be sure to make your choice based on the potential returns. To choose appropriate trade shows, consider the following:

• Ask your best customers (or target customers) which trade shows they attend. For example, if your best customer is a locally owned housewares store, ask the owner which trade show she attends to choose her products. Chances are, there'll be other buyers like her there from around the region or country interested in your product, too.
  
  
  
  
• Consider cost. Smaller, regional shows are often less expensive than larger, national ones. Your booth rental can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the show. Historically, my company has paid about $1,000 per 100 square feet at trade shows (primarily juvenile and housewares shows), but major shows can charge up to $10,000 for a booth. That said, less may not be more. When you consider the time and preparation involved, a bigger, more costly show may be a better investment.
  
  
  
  
• Examine the nature of the attendees. Some shows, for instance, may be dominated by buyers who represent regional or independent stores, while others may be mainly attended by mass retailers. Still others will target niche buyers like grocery or drug stores. Be sure your product is a potential match for the buyers who’ll be attending.

To find potential trade shows in your industry, visit www.tsnn.com, where you can search by industry, show name, date or state. You should also visit the website of the industry association related to your product; most sponsor trade shows for members and buyers to come together.

Make the Most of Your Booth

So you’ve chosen the show you’d like to attend. Now you need to determine what you’ll do when you get there. It’s important to maximize your booth space by presenting a professional, eye-catching image. While your booth design doesn’t need to be elaborate, try to creatively make the most of your space.

In a basic package, the trade show will probably supply you with a table and skirt and some chairs. You can add stands and shelves you can buy at a discount store to further display your wares. Bring pretty tablecloths to cover boring tables. Create signs, banners and graphic elements to convey your brand and your products. You don’t need to spend thousands on high-end panels--there are many thrifty ways to make your booth stand out.

For instance, we bought $79 white wooden shuttered closet doors at The Home Depot to use at our first show and placed them directly behind us in our booth space. I was able to display my packaged products by hanging them from S-hooks on the doors, similar to how they’d be sold in stores. I then spent the majority of our budget on high-resolution graphics of our products, which I also hung around the booth. The result was a professional-looking booth in a homey setting at a relatively low cost.

The location of your booth can also be critical to your success. When registering to exhibit, get a map of the show layout to choose your preferred locations. Here are a few things to remember when scouting your site:

• Locations near the main entry are typically highly desired.
• People tend to veer right after entering rooms.
• A corner location can benefit from traffic coming from multiple directions.
• You can request placement near specific vendors at some shows. Avoid being placed near a huge booth that will dwarf yours, near direct competitors or at dead-end points in the traffic pattern.

Working the Show

A few weeks before a trade show, you can start creating some pre-show buzz. Send a letter or postcard to key prospective customers to let them know you’ll be at the show. Include your booth number and information on what you’ll be exhibiting. Also, consider including a promotional element to entice them to come visit your booth--a drawing for a prize or a small giveaway to all visitors.

Once you're at the trade show, make the most of your time. Engage with potential buyers as they pass by. Appear friendly and interested and offer a quick product demonstration. Develop some show specials, such as free shipping or discounts for orders placed at the show. Remember that at your first show, your goal is to establish new relationships and open new accounts--not make a killing on profit. Don’t sacrifice a potential long-term relationship for a few dollars.

Tools of the Trade

Remember to bring these key items to the show:

• Receipt book
• Order forms
• Stapler
• Organizer or folder for orders
• Product sell sheets
• Business cards
• Product samples
• A bowl of candy to entice people to stop
• A promotional giveaway, usually a small, inexpensive item with your logo
• Supplies including packing tape, scissors, pens, a dolly and a small broom

Can’t-Miss Tips

We’ve also learned a few additional lessons along the way about dos and don’ts for exhibiting at a trade show.

• Wear comfortable shoes. The high-heeled Jimmy Choos may look fantastic, but your look of anguish at the end of the day will surely undermine your sales efforts.
• Bring someone along so your booth is never unattended. Take occasional breaks to walk around the show and regain your energy.
• Don’t eat in your booth.
• Try not to chat too much with your booth neighbors, especially when they’re speaking to potential buyers.
• Consider doing a prize drawing giveaway. Think of what’s hot and what people would want to win and consider your audience. Giveaways to bring home to the kids are always popular.
• Look into travel deals negotiated by the trade show for hotels, car rentals and airlines. Then search on your own for potentially better deals through discount travel sites.

Keep it in Perspective

While trade shows can be a great way to make sales, be sure to set realistic expectations. A trade show should be one component of your overall sales plan. In other words, don’t expect to make your entire investment back at your first show. In addition to potential sales, remember to value what else you can gain by exhibiting at a trade show--new contacts, industry knowledge, feedback about your product, and product and brand awareness.

---

Tamara Monosoff is Entrepreneur.com's "Inventions" columnist and the founder and CEO of Mom Inventors Inc., a product development and manufacturing company. She's also the author of The Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea Into the Next Big Thing (McGraw-Hill).

Copyright © 2007 Entrepreneur.com, Inc.

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Ever since a bootleg clip of a Saturday Night Live sketch comedy skit put YouTube on the map in December 2005, the growing consensus among Web watchers has been that short comedy clips are the "killer app" of the brave new viral video world.

So it's no surprise that websites devoted solely to comedy videos are proliferating, from amateur sites to big-budget efforts backed by entertainment heavyweights.

Among the latter: SuperDeluxe.com, a comedy broadband network launched in January by Turner Broadcasting, and FunnyOrDie.com, a partnership between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions and Sequoia Capital, venture capital firm behind YouTube and Google.

The business model is simple: Build it, make it funny enough, and the public will come. And once you get enough eyeballs, you can make money through advertising, just like regular TV networks.

Andrew Wallenstein, The Hollywood Reporter's digital media editor, calls dedicated comedy websites "a trend that's gathering steam."

"When you look at how online video is consumed, it seems that quick bursts of comedy on YouTube, or even jokes you get in your e-mail, work the best," he says. "The holy grail is coming up with a one-stop dot-com shop where you can snack on comedy until you pass out."

Two of the first of these dot-com comedy shops were CollegeHumor.com, launched in 1999 by two friends from Baltimore, and Jokeroo.com, launched a year later and now featuring video clips, forums, greeting cards and photo galleries.

Other popular sites include EbaumsWorld.com, which bills itself as the world's largest independent online publisher of humor-related content, and JibJab.com's Jokebox, a virtual swap meet for comic video clips, photos and text jokes that was launched last year by JibJab Media, best known for its hit 2004 online short lampooning presidential candidates.

SuperDeluxe.com has lured pro comedians to create content. Plans call for the network to expand beyond the Internet to such platforms as cable video-on-demand, mobile phones and personal media players.

Bob Odenkirk, the comedian, writer and director who created and starred in the HBO series Mr. Show, is creating a 12-episode Internet series of shorts called Derek & Simon: The Show for Super Deluxe. The series makes its debut May 16 and follows real-life bumblers Derek Waters and Simon Helberg trying in vain to pick up girls in Los Angeles.

"There's more people watching performances and programs on the Web than ever before, and it's going to grow," Odenkirk says. "With more and people having high-speed Internet, it's just becoming a great new venue for entertainers."

Odenkirk says professional comedy series, delivered in short bits over the Internet, is the logical progression from the user-submitted pranks and candid-camera clips so popular on sites such as YouTube and Revver.

"You're going to see a lot more of these conscious pieces of performance, something that's written and there's an idea and a character … instead of just a glancing blow, an accidental laugh," he says.

One advantage the Web has over television: "There are very few restrictions on language and subject matter, although what we are doing on Derek & Simon could go on any cable network," he says.

Another contributor to Super Deluxe is Brad Neely, the Arkansas comic book artist behind Creased Comics.

Unlike television, Neely says, "you get a direct line of communication between content and audience. We know immediately what works and what doesn't. Audiences can smell from a mile away anything that seems like a formula, so you constantly have to give them something new and different."

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