Violent video games alter brain function in young men.

Is this food for thought or just sensationalism?

(Salisbury, MD) Lara Nieberding announced that she has successfully completed the 2010 Edition of the VAClassroom Internet Marketing Training Program, an innovative, business-building course offered to Virtual Assistants and Online Professionals seeking to develop the cutting-edge skills clients are demanding in 2010.

When VAClassroom’s first Internet Marketing VA Program was launched in May of 2008, it was predicted that by 2010, 80% of small business owners would have an Internet presence and would market online. Indeed, as the Internet landscape has changed and evolved, it has become a powerful business-building tool that is relevant to more and more kinds of businesses, both online and local. Statistics show that the number of Internet users increased from 361 million in 1999 to 1.8 billion by the end of 2009. With this increase in Internet usage, the demand for Internet Marketing is growing exponentially, and the potential for Virtual Assistants with up-to-date Internet Marketing knowledge and expertise has never been better. That is why Lara is excited to be adding updated Internet Marketing skills to her business, having gained cutting-edge knowledge, tools and tactics that enable her to fully coordinate and implement her clients’ Internet Marketing campaigns from start to finish.

“I can’t wait to share my knowledge and skill set with clients!” Lara said. “It is very rewarding to meet the variety of needs for online businesses.”

In VAClassroom’s 2010 Edition of the Internet Marketing Specialist Program, Lara was taught the building blocks of a powerful Internet Marketing strategy and campaign, including effective Internet Marketing Research tools and Competitor Analysis Reports. She also learned Affiliate Marketing and Search Engine Marketing foundations and best practices, as well as Search Engine Optimization and Link Building best practices, including Keyword Research and Optimization. In addition, she received training in Email Marketing Tactics and Tools as well as Website Measurement and Testing. Most importantly, with advanced and updated Internet Marketing skills, tools and strategies, Lara is now better equipped to help ignite the traffic, visibility and web presence of her clients’ businesses and can lead them to the fastest path to success.

Lara Nieberding is The Data Digger, offering a wide range of niche services, including Internet research, social media and online business management. Having received the Internet Marketing Specialist 2010 Edition Certification, she is pleased to add cutting-edge Internet Marketing services and tools to her business. This certification also entitles her to ongoing training as technology develops so she will continue to offer quality up-to-date Internet Marketing skills to her clients.

For more information, visit:

http://TheDataDigger.com

Lara Nieberding

The Data Digger

client@thedatadigger.com

410-713-4391

Internet Research

Sometimes our clients ask us for information or data that we may not have the answer for. It is one thing when we conduct research on the Internet for our own information and it is a whole different thing when we conduct research for a client.

For example, when you are seeking information for your personal use typically you are curious. You have a reason for conducting the search. Then, you can take as long as you want. You can let yourself get distracted and explore alternative subjects or sources that your search results yielded. When a client gives you an online research project your time becomes money. The client will most likely give you a deadline and a budget. You may only have four hours over a two day period to research the information the client requested. On top of that, you may not necessarily enjoy the topic. If it is boring to you, finding the motivation to stick with it can be a challenge.

How Can You Streamline Your Search Process?

1. Set the Timer: Give yourself manageable blocks of time. If you know your attention span is good for twenty minutes, then set the timer for twenty minutes. For me, I set my timer for sixty minutes. Once I start the timer, I focus solely on the research project.  Then, when the time is up I take a break. When the allotted time is up it does not mean I am finished with the project. It means I am going to step away from my computer and give my mind a chance to refresh. I give myself ten minutes. After my break, I return to my computer, I set the timer and give my research project my undivided attention for the next block of time. Obviously continue the cycle in this manner until your research is complete.
2. Browser History: It can be quite frustrating when you close a window in your browser because you think you have all the information you need only to realize when you go to write the report you forgot a piece of data. How do you find that data again? How do you find it quickly? Refer to your browser history. I prefer to use Mozilla Firefox as my primary browser. The “History” option is on the top navigation bar. When I click on that I have a multitude of options. I can see all the sites I searched in the past day all the way back beyond six months.
3. Multiple Tabs in the Browser: When I open my browser I pull up Google search engine in the first tab that opens with the browser. I enter my keywords and hit search. I leave this tab open for the duration of my search. If I see a result that matches what I am looking for, I open the result in another tab. (For some, you may right click on the result and select “open in new tab” from the drop down menu; others may click the center mouse button and the result will open in a new tab; while others may use a mouse gesture) For efficiency, I will evaluate all the results on a page in the original Google search and open multiple tabs as results seem to match my search. After I have selected all the sites I want to see I then click on the tab with the individual site. If I need to refer back to the original search, it is already available in the first tab.
4. Multiple Search Engines: I will admit I am a Google goddess. Google is my search engine of choice. It is the first search engine I use when conducting research. However, I will copy the keywords I plugged into Google and paste them into other search engines. Why? Because other search engines rank information differently. Typically the first page of other search engines will yield similar if not exactly the same results produced in Google. To me it is worth checking a few pages in the search results of another search engine to see if a site was indexed higher.  I can be assured I left no stone unturned for my client.

I hope you find these tips helpful. I really enjoy teaming up with other virtual assistants as well as small businesses. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like support for your Internet research projects.

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