At first glance, it may seem that there's no possible connection between a delicious processed meat product and the endless proliferation of junk email we all receive. And yet, if you think about it, there really are a few similarities between the two. For instance...

Ever wondered how to get one of those short ads on the top or side of your Google, Yahoo or Bing search page? Those short pay-per-click (PPC) ads are related to the keywords you entered in the search field, and they circulate on a rotating basis.

The great news for you is that any business of any size can post those ads...and can get noticed!

How can you take advantage of this targeted ad placement? There are few key steps...

Do you remember the virtual pet fad in the mid to late 90s? Thousands of children (and yes, some adults, too) had keyrings with digital "pets" that required virtual food and virtual care. They got sick, made messes and could even pass into the great digital beyond. (Not to worry; you could reset them back to life.)

Since summer's soon winding to a close, it seems fitting to ask: how many former library geeks remember the Dewey Decimal System?

Bueller...? Bueller...?

The Dewey Decimal Classification (or "DDC" as it's called) is the basic system created in the late 1800s to categorize and organize public libraries. It uses an established structure to group information so it's easier to find.

With Apple's big announcement last month, there are now at least a billion reasons to be excited about the iPhone!

In late April, Apple celebrated their 1 billionth download — just nine months after the opening of their app store. What does this mean for marketers? 

Lots! The iPhone app market is incredibly valuable if you're looking

As postage rates continue to rise, it's more important for you to find less expensive ways to reach customers. So, why not join those businesses that are turning to e-communications to promote themselves?

The three most common e-mail communications are:

Do you grab your phone to find out the latest news? If so, you're not alone. According to a new study by comScore, Inc., in January 2009, 22.3 million people accessed news and information via their mobile devices, up from 10.8 million people a year ago.

So, is a picture really worth a thousand words? If the picture's on your website, it could be worth ten times that many.

Considering that the average visitor spends less than a minute on your website, the design of your site needs to quickly and easily communicate who you are and what you do. When you have a small window of time to say, "I am a friendly, thoughtful, customer-service-oriented business with happy customers," good quality images may be the perfect way to do it!

What do you know about a content management system [CMS]? Simply put, a CMS is like installing Microsoft Word on your website. With it, you and your staff can change many elements of your website, including the copy and images. You can also add or rename buttons, upload videos, even add or delete whole pages!

"Why," you ask, "would I want to give myself more work to do? My plate is full enough, thanks!"

While having a CMS is certainly not necessary for every website, it can provide several real benefits. With it, you can:

Google is taking the message of conservation to a new level - below zero elevation. Earlier this week, Google launched the new Google Earth 5.0 with more options than ever before. Google Earth has always been impressive, letting me virtually visit a sunny beach in Southern California while I'm sitting in chilly Rhode Island.  However, the features in 5.0 blow the previous versions out of the water, literally.