Debbie Takara Shelor

Keeping It Legal

There are many “rules” when operating a website, blog, or even sending out emails for advertising.

Some can get you into real legal hot water.

Others can get you banned from sending emails ever again to anyone with an email address at aol, hotmail, and other big email services. Depending on who makes up your email list, that can mean hundreds, even thousands, of people you could no longer send messages to.

Having a privacy policy and terms of service pages on your site is not only encouraged,  but it is one of the factors Google looks for in evaluating your site.

This is a great service I use when setting up my personal sites and those of my clients.

It is a Terms of Use generator and Privacy Policy generator, both available from LegalRiver.

http://www.legalriver.com/

On their home page, across their top navigation bar, you will find the word Tools. Click it and you will see the generators. Just fill them out and then copy the text it generates into new pages on your site. Typically the links for these 2 pages are placed at the bottom of the page.

When I work with clients, I make sure they are aware of all the rules and regulations regarding what can and can not on their site and with email marketing. The rules are often changing, so I keep them updated about doing things the right way to stay out of legal trouble and enjoy their presence on line.

Have a deLightful day,

Deb

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Developing a Website and Blog for One of the Most Important Men In My Life – My Dad

Back in the car business!

I thought when I finished being the Internet Operations Manager for the Nissan dealership in Santa Fe, New Mexico that I was out of the car business for good.

But, alas, developing a website and blog for my dad involves getting back into cars.

Dad has been rebuilding, repairing, designing, racing, tinkering with, altering, and helping others with their cars since he was a small child. He’s now in his early 80′s. For that last 30 years or so he’s been buying and selling antique engine parts for Ford Motor Company vehicles – Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury.

Until now, it’s been mostly a hobby. Most of his sales happen through the Antique Automobile Club of America’s meets in Hershey, PA (probably the largest and best known), Charlotte, NC, and Maggie Valley, NC. He also is often referred by word of mouth.

Now we’re taking it global with an online presence.

As with any new online presence project, I start with research. What are people searching for on line that he is offering? That means what keywords are people using to find the products he offers.

There are many free tools out there, but my “weapon” of choice is a paid software called Market Samurai: http://bit.ly/cqpUdh

With this business, there are many things people might type in to  try and find auto parts for their antique car or truck.

Some options include: antique car parts, classic car parts, old car parts, etc. After typing several choices into Market Samurai and letting it spit out the magic numbers telling me which one of the choices far outweigh the others, we started brainstorming domain names.

You see the domain name is crucial in your online plan for market domination. With Market Samurai’s help, I determined that Classic Car Parts was our best choice. Of course that domain was already taken – as most obviously “good” domain names are. So are many other variations.

Sometimes you have to think outside the box. As an Industrial Engineer, that’s what I’m trained to do in order to solve a problem.

I remembered this website I used several years ago to get a replacement top for my Geo Tracker.

~~~~~ Side Story ~~~~

Several years ago I was working with a client who was struggling financially. She was great as an office manager / assistant, a service I needed. And I could help her heal the past and move forward in life. So, we made an agreement to trade my services for hers.

Suddenly she found herself moving to Florida. She had already done a couple of sessions with me, but had not begun helping me in the office.

She needed to do something in exchange for my services and did not have time to do the office work we had agreed on. So she called me one day and said, “How would you like my car for $250?” Now even if the thing didn’t run, I could probably get $250 out of it. So I agreed.

For the ridiculously low price of $250, I got a great little Geo Tracker. It was perfect for bopping around Santa Fe.

It only had a couple of problems.  First, she was a smoker and the car wreaked of cigarettes. Second, the canvas roof needed to be replaced. So I got some great stuff from the auto parts store to clean the carpet and upholstery and eliminate the odor. And then I went online in search of a replacement top.

First I visited Geo. They wanted $1400 – $1500 for the canvas top. Yeah right! I paid $250 for the whole vehicle. I wasn’t about to spend that much on the roof.

Through google searching I found Tops4Less. I got the replacement canvas top for $250 and it was made of superior materials to Geo’s. I was oh so impressed with my manifesting ability. A great little vehicle for $500.

Funny thing is, I bought that top many years ago and I still remember the name of the site. Hmmm. Why? Because something about Tops4Less is seriously memorable. I think it’s the 4 in the middle. I don’t know for sure, but I know after all these years I have no trouble remembering that name.

~~~ End of Site Story ~~~

Remembering the site with the easy to remember name, I chose ClassicParts4Cars.com. Its clever. It has the term classic car parts built right in. And it was available.

What you name your site makes a big difference in your search engine rankings.

If you type in Debbie Shelor, this blog comes up first. It’s not because it is my biggest website. Far from it. It’s not because it’s my oldest website. Not even close. It’s not because it is my website with the highest page rank (PR). Again, many of my other sites are significantly larger, older, and have higher page rank. All of those are things the search engines take into consideration when deciding which sites get listed first in their rankings when you do a search.

What this site has that the others don’t is the term “Debbie Shelor” in the domain name.

Keep that in mind before you put up your site or blog.

Coming up next . . .

What I’m including in the design and why.

Summer, The Secret, Expansion, Doing, and the Time of Action

Summer is the time of doing. You definitely need to take some time for yourself and “be” every now and then. But primarily summer is the most activity laden season.

For those closer to the land, it is the time of working the fields, tending to the flowers, being outdoors and getting everything done to yield the best possible harvest.

The same is true of your life.

Actions need to be taken for the dreams and goals you have set. I’ve read recently, in a few newsletters and on facebook, the goal setting advice being spouted right now by personal/spiritual growth gurus. Step 1, Step 2, blah blah.

Sorry, its not time to plan, or dream, or sit around making your dream boards and posters.

Nope.

It’s time to act.

I remember having dinner one night in Santa Fe with Andi and Jonathan Goldman. It was a very special occasion and I was honored to be included in their plans. It was their wedding anniversary – a wonderful time of celebration.

As we talked endlessly about life, what we’d been up to since our last time together, we got on the subject of “The Secret.” The movie had just been released. I already had a clear opinion about the matter. So I was quite curious to discover what Jonathan had to say about The Secret.

My take on The Secret is that there are lots of wonderful nuggets in there and I highly respect the participants in both movies. Its just that there is a whole lot not being said, and what is said leads one to believe that you can sit in a lotus position and dream your life into being.

Hmmm . . . let’s see . . staring into the eyes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers or Taylor Lautner (wow, he’s young) . . . lol (laugh out loud) . . . not likely, but a fun exercise nonetheless.

Mark Joyner did an amazing job in the very first exercise of Simpleology 101 in making the truth so obvious about what you need to do to accomplish your dreams and goals. The exercise is hysterical and proves the point better than anything I’ve ever come across. I think I actually had tears running down my face because I was laughing so hard. Mark was brilliant, as usual! (http://www.simpleology.com/p/s101/takara1/)

Back to the conversation – Jonathan said that he knows most of the folks in The Secret and they are all extremely powerful marketers.

We talked about having to take actions towards your dreams. I mentioned “inspired action” being significantly more productive and effective than just doing to be doing.

Yes you have to be crystal clear about what you want. You have to focus on it and let the Universe know what you want – using whatever means works best for you – visualization, saying it out loud, writing it down, making a dream board, etc.. And you have to align your values with your goals. You have to overcome your blocks to success and fears – that’s where a great deal of my work comes in.

But then you can’t sit there on your bloody ass – oh my heaven’s I said it, didn’t I – and expect to become famous, wealthy, successful, healthy, in love, traveling the world, blah blah. You have to take action.

And all the people in the Secret are fabulous at taking action. They put themselves out there. They stand on the stage. They put up the website. They write their books and get them published. They do radio and TV interviews.

Yes when you have raised your vibration and are in alignment with your Divine (Higher) Self, life does unfold in magical and mysterious ways. I am constantly in awe of how much that happens in my life. I am ever grateful and blessed by the synchronicity and help I receive on a daily basis. But I “do” all the time.

When I meditate, I receive inspiration about actions to take. And whenever I follow those inner promptings, the results always exceed my expectations. You do meditate every day don’t you?

You have to take action as well.

Its summer.

We’ve already planted the seeds. Now get out there and make your garden (life) grow and prosper the way you are intending.

Have a great day,

Deb

Why Tropical Beaches?

I’m sure if you’ve visited any of my websites or social media profiles, you’ve noticed a great deal of imagery dealing with water and tropical beach scenes.

There is a reason.

And it’s not just that I love the ocean or tropical beaches. I do love those.

I love dolphins too! But that’s a story for another time.

There are numerous reasons for choosing tropical beach scenes to represent myself and my business.

It has to do with stress relief!

I can’t think of anything more relaxing than:

• beautiful turquoise seas,
• white sandy beaches,
• palm trees,
• you and your friends kicking back sipping mai tai’s or some other exotic drink.

Life is good.

There is no stress.

Having me on board your personal yacht (business), making sure your online presence is being taken care of properly, lets you relax and enjoy running the rest of your business as only you can. It’s like enjoying your relaxing time at the beach. You can be confident that your online presence is being handled.

Without me, the best case scenario has you spending countless hours and dollars lost in a little raft (your website) in the middle of the ocean (the internet) with no shore in site. Worst case you are being eaten alive by sharks. That would be your competition that has a clue about internet marketing.

You can hang out at the beach letting me assist you in handling all the details of running a successful on-line business.

Or you can go it alone.

The choice is yours!