There’s nothing like a free web application to make your life easier and more productive. We’ve dug up five of our favorites that are definitely worth trying.

1) Live Mesh

From Microsoft, this free app allows you to connect files through a multitude of devices, from your work computer to your home computer to a laptop and/or mobile device. You can connect remotely to a desktop or setup a live desktop to access through mesh.com. Live Mesh includes 5GB of storage space and only requires a Windows Live ID to register. If files are updated while working offline, all devices will be updated as soon as you connect. Live Mesh can be used with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

2) Show Document

All you have to do is register for a free account and you can instantly view text documents, whiteboards, web browsers and more with other associates from anywhere around the world. Show Document gives you the option to send other collaborators a link or a short code to easily invite them to join you. Although each session is only allowed 60 minutes (with registration) you can’t beat free! With Show Document, there’s nothing to download and no software to install – it’s a convenient web-based service that allows for easy online collaboration.

3) DeferredSender

Free up time for yourself by composing emails ahead of time and submitting them to DeferredSender to be emailed at a later time. This free app is compatible with all email clients, all you have to do is register and send the emails you wish to defer to deferred@deferredsender.com.  Then, in the beginning of the email, you simply list the intended recipient and desired time and date of arrival and continue to write your email as you usually would. DeferredSender is also a great tool for staying on top of birthdays and special events of clients, employees, and family members.

4) Dial2Do

Dial2Do is an excellent app for those wary about driving and using their cell phones for text, email and Twitter. Register for a free account and you’ll receive a number to dial in to. Once you dial in, you’ll be prompted to say what you want to do. You set up your own commands on the website for each task you want to complete. You can say “text” and the voice will ask you “Who?” You tell them one of your contacts,what the message should say and Dial2Do sends it for you. Access your calendar, your Twitter account, your blog and other popular accounts, like Perez Hilton and New York Times. Dial2Do is perfect for productivity (and entertainment!) on road trips or long commutes.

5) LogMeIn

While LogMeIn has several paid versions that offer higher options, such as file transferring and printing, they have a free version that is just enough for a remote connection. The free version of LogMeIn is ideal for business trips, as it allows you to access your desktop computer and use programs and email clients quickly and easily. LogMeIn allows you to work toggle between the computer you’re connected to and the computer you’re using with copy and paste features. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Do you have any to add to the list?

This holiday season is quickly approaching and what better gift to give than the powerful, DYMO LabelWriter 400. For under $100, you can purchase this compact (5 in. x 7 in. x 5.2 in.) DYMO label printer which user the latest in thermal printing technology to print up to 40 labels per minute, all the while connecting directly to your computer through the USB drive.  This label printer is the ideal partner-in-crime for any professional who is constantly printing labels. Save time and money by buying the DYMO LabelWriter 400.

The label printing options are endless with the DYMO LabelWriter 400 as it is capable of printing labels for envelopes, packages, files, binders, name badges, CDs and countless other items you need labeled. Now consider the two-year DYMO manufacturer’s warranty & high resolution capabilities, which tops out at 300 x 300 dpi, you can be assured that this DYMO label printer is one great buy.

How the DYMO LabelWriter 400 simplifies life

• Use it with Windows, or the Mac operating systems.
• DYMO Label Software allows you to design custom labels, and manage your address book.
• Thermal printing means you don’t need to worry about ink, toner or ribbon. All you need are the DYMO labels.
• Easily integrates with Microsoft products such as: Word, Outlook and Excel, plus WordPerfect, QuickBooks, ACT! and many other software programs.
• Printing labels online through PayPal? Quickly integrate the DYMO 400 with their MultiOrder Shipping process.

Make sure to check out the full specifications of the DYMO LabelWriter 400 reviews and manuals at DYMO.com.

People who love the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the legacy Xerox Phaser solid ink printers like the Xerox Phaser 8200, Xerox Phaser 8400, Xerox Phaser 8500, and the Xerox Phaser 8550 should be happy to know that Xerox’s two newest “solid ink” Phaser printers have the major upgrades that you have been looking for. The Xerox Phaser 8560 and the Xerox Phaser 8860 are the latest solid ink printers released by Xerox.

I thought it would be helpful to see a side by side comparison of these printers including tech specs and ink costs so the average consumer can make the best decision if it is time to upgrade.

* Prices listed are subject to change

Long story short, the Phaser 8560 and Phaser 8860 will process and print your documents faster at higher resolution, with easier two sided printing capabilities… And at a cheaper per page print cost. The Xerox Phaser 8860 has a higher price tag that may scare away some users, but the per page printing costs will save you money in the long run.

SEO On-Page Optimization Basics

Search Engine Optimization, SEO, is the scientifc process of improving a website’s traffic (both quantity & quality) from search engines, which is originated from human initiated search queries.  The overall goal of SEO, is to achieve the highest possible search engine results positions, SERP, and click-through-rate for targeted and relevant keywords.  SEO differs from other search marketing iniatives (PPC, CPM advertising, paid inclusion, etc.) in the fact that SEO is “natural” or “organic,” with SEO you aren’t directly paying for web traffic.

On-Page optimization, specifically means optimizing the HTML content and structure of a website, which is just one variable in the  SEO formula. That said, due to the increase in competition among e-commerce sites across nearly every industry, it is important to differentiate a webpage’s content from competitors, and On-Page SEO tactics are a great starting point.  When analyzing your e-commerce site’s on-page optimization, invest the majority of your time in the following eight areas.

1. Keyword Selection
   

   • Don’t go overboard on targeting a large volume of keywords per page, this strategy will generally result in poor SERPs. Think quality over quantity.
   • Target your 4-5 most relevant and best converting (or whatever metric you are focusing on) keywords on any given page.
   • These keywords should be unique to that particular page to avoid keyword cannibalization.
     • For example – a product page should feature keywords that focus on bottom-up or longer tail keywords, consequently a brand page should focus on top-down or broad keywords.

2. URL Structure
   

   • Eliminate product IDs and undesirable characters such as (#,?,$,&, etc.) that can be created from dynamic pages, by using a URL re-write script.
   • Be sure to insert relevant keywords into the URL with enough detail, so that a visitor could describe the page’s contents by scanning the URL.

3. Title Tags
   

   • Between 60 – 70 characters, including spaces in length,  is recommended.
   • Always keep the user in mind when creating title tags.
   • Insert relevant and targeted keywords at the beginning of the title tag.
   • Focus on longer tail keywords to drive relevant traffic.
   • Strategically use dividers (|) to separate keyword groupings.

4. Meta Description Tags
   

   • Between 160 – 170 characters, including spaces in length, is recommended.
   • Treat meta description tags as an advertisement. Keep it relevant, honest, and compelling.
   • Always include relevant and long-tail keywords in meta description copy.
   • Avoid universal descriptions. If using a dynamic script, then make sure to insert product specific keywords to differentiate. Always aim to be unique.

5. Heading Tags

   • The H1 tag tends to be the most important from a search engines perspective, however don’t forget about H2 and H3 tags.
   • Again, include relevant and long-tail keywords in heading descriptions.
   • This is especially important on product pages that are prone to duplicate content issues.

6. Internal Linking

   • Create an internal linking strategy that enables synergy throughout the site and provides deeper links with the ability to “piggyback” off of a higher trafficked (and relevant) page’s PR.
   • Keep this strategy consistent and precise throughout the scope of the  site.
   • Always provide keyword rich, and relevant anchor text.
   • Use a combination of linking to top-line pages with broad keywords, coupled with linking to complimentary products which a user could find of interest, using bottom-up keywords.
   • Link within informational content such as on page product reviews, product descriptions, and customer reviews.
   • Add links pointing to other relevant informative sections (such as company blog postings, FAQs, etc.) within the footer and or along the right and left panels of the page.

7. ALT Tags

   • Reinforce the targeted keywords of the page by inserting them into image alt tags.
   • Beneficial as Google Image Search and other Image Search Engines become popular.

8. Body Text

   • Reinforce the page’s targeted keywords by inserting them into product descriptions, customer reviews, and throughout the copy of the body. It is essential to create unique content rather than relying on manufacturer descriptions, as you will be plagued with internal and external content duplication issues if you rely on these generic descriptions.
   • Focus on inserting these keywords closer to the top of the page, rather than at the bottom. Search engines tend to recognize keywords at the top higher than they do of keywords buried throughout the page.
   • Strive for keyword density to make-up 5 to 9 percent of a page’s copy. However, don’t micro-manage this factor.

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SEO References & Resources:

Palmer Web Marketing’s article.

Art of SEO, 1st Edition by Eric Enge et al. (more…)