How To Create A Community Of The Visitors To Your Website
It is so easy to become overwhelmed with trying to drive traffic to your website, write copy that convinces your visitors to make a purchase, and figure out ways to add interested visitors to your list, that it is understandable that the idea of setting up your visitors as a community among themselves maybe isn't tops on your "to do" list. But helping your visitors become a community, can help you market the items they need, and thereby benefit everybody.
Regular visitors to your site, or visitors who sign up to be on your list, by definition have something in common: whatever it is that your site is directed to. Whether it is sports, recipes, on-line marketing, or politics, the focus of your website has interested a broad and diverse range of visitors. That one common interest can become the basis of community building. As your visitors grow and become a community - or maybe several communities - you will learn their needs and desires, and be able to present them with solutions or assistance. Sometimes you can offer this for free, and sometimes you can charge for it. And sometimes your community can help you improve your website or your marketing.
Email forms can be an effective way of having your community tell you their problems and concerns, but do not allow for response or interaction. You might be able to tally several email messages from several people, and then address common or majority concerns in your newsletter or ezine.
Forums allow for interaction among all members of the community. You can decide if you will moderate the forum, and how much. Will you allow posts that are just ad spamming? Will you allow posts that might offend others? Will you allow cross-posting (posts obviously designed or placed in similar forums)? Will you allow a handful of members to dominate - and maybe intimidate others - or will you "lessen the volume" on the most active and encourage less active members to post.
Finally, chat rooms allow for the most immediate interactivity, but they have two severe drawbacks. First, they rarely archive, so that great answer to a question might be lost forever. Second, unless you limit the hours so that you can attend all the sessions, you lose a lot of the ability to direct the interaction between the members of your community. As the person who drew these people together - like hosting a party - you do have some responsibility to ensure that everyone has a pleasant experience.
Using the unbelievable tools available to the Internet can help you create a community out of your visitors, faster and more broadly than at any point in history. With some planning and responsible leadership on your part, you can create a thriving community of visitors. Once the community has gelled, it will tell you what it wants, and you can introduce much more appropriate products to solve the problems the community members tell you they have. And everybody wins!
If you join my "Mindess Fitness" newsletter from any of the sites in the right hand column, you can see how this community building is a good thing. Like from
Fitness Portal.
Change Your Fitness Without Changing A Thing (Pt. 2 of 5)
Everywhere you look, you are reminded of the “obesity epidemic” in America. From the proliferation of workout videos and diets to study after study on the nightly news, we are told to cut back - lose weight - get fitter and healthier. But, at the same time, our commutes are longer, our kids’ schedules are more regimented, and our jobs demand more “productivity” (that’s management-speak for “more work in less time with fewer people”). How can you do it?
Making fitness a HABIT - as opposed to merely “making time for a workout” - might be the way to go, for busy overworked adults and kids. Once something becomes a habit - a behavior that you do unconsciously, and that you feel uncomfortable if DON’T do - getting healthier and in shape flows naturally.
So how do you make fitness a habit?
How I Lost 105 Annoying Pounds In One Weekend
Since college, I have gained weight each year. Each year, it was very little - I figure about 3.5 pounds per year. That's 1/3 pound per month, or 1.09 ounces per week. OUNCES! Who tracks OUNCES per week??!!
Needless to say, I didn't really notice any weight gain, since my new weight would be so close to my old weight. But I finally noticed when I started seeing the effects - the shortness of breath going upstairs, the awkwardness trying to chase my kids around, the uncomfortable feeling of clothes that
used to fit.
That's when I did the math. I subtracted my current weight from my weight in college, and figured that the gain averaged 1.09 ounce per week. And I realized that I had
accomodated my weight gain. I took the elevator more and more. I parked closer and closer to the door. I eased back on the length and intensity of workouts. And I realized that this was not physical. I wasn't just eating too much, or working out too little. It was a mental attitude, an approach that had to be readjusted and rea-aligned.
Probably the best resource out there for such an adjustment is "
Fit After 40." This book was written by a guy who understood that the best way to ACHIEVE success is to MODEL success. In this manual are 50 stories of people - ordinary people - who have CONQUERED disease and aging. Their stories are presented clearly, simply and directly. The book also contains some of the author's own workout routines, as well as the routines and diets of the 50 success stories.
Losing weight - and getting fit and in shape - have had REMARKABLE results for me. I have 1000% more energy. I can move easier - pick my kids up, carry books and files, help my wife with the groceries and such. I feel like I have rolled the clock back 15 years. My goal is to roll it back 25 - and I can see it on the horizon. Consistent working out, better diet, and
quality vitamins and supplements have given me a quality of life I never realized was possible.
Oh, how did I lose 105 annoying pounds in one weekend? I kicked my then-girlfriend out (ba-dum-dum). Yeah, 105 pounds
sounds tiny and cute, but good things do
not always come in small packages, especially when that small package won't shut up and stop spending money!
CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY NOT CHANGING A THING (PT. 1 OF 5)
With the massive proliferation of “self-help” books and “change your life” programs, the natural question is: “Why isn't everyone perfect by now?” Are you smoking? There are HUNDREDS of Stop-Smoking-Now programs. Are you chronically behind in your work? There are THOUSANDS of Time-Management programs – some even come with super cool looking “time management systems” – what used to be called calendars. So the problem doesn't seem to be lack of access. Maybe the problem is with the person.
For most people, instant change isn't possible. I know there are experts who disagree with this, and I know it is possible for some people or for some situations. I myself have changed certain behaviors instantaneously, so I know it can happen. But can it happen for everything in your life, all the time? More...
3 Unusual Ways To Ease Cold Symptoms
You can't work out if you're sick. Trying to do squats with a runny nose is distracting. Trying to run with a congested head is annoying and painful. And trying to do yoga with a fever isn't the "heat" that the latest trends contemplate!
This season, the colds that are going around (at least in this area) seem to hang around a little longer and have symptoms that are not severe enough to take off work, but are just severe enough to be distracting for the entire day. The congestion keeps your sinuses blocked and your head aching for several weeks, the cough simply lingers on day after day, and your eyes feel tired all the time.
So what can you do about it? There is no cure for the cold. You can load yourself up with medications, but most of these have side effects that may actually be more interfering with your daily life than the cold symptoms! For me - since I rarely take over-the-counter medications and haven't had a prescription medicine in a long long time - even the "non-drowsy" medications make me a little dopey.
Here are 3 methods that I have found to ease cold symptoms, that are not medicine. These also work somewhat for allergies. Flu is very serious and needs a visit to the doctor. Of course, this article is not written by a doctor, and some of my thoughts about the mechanisms described may be totally off base.
1.
Zinc tablets. These are tiny tablets, about half the size of my little finger fingernail. Zinc is also added to cough drops, in lesser amounts. The directions say to take one tablet per hour, letting it dissolve slowly in your mouth. This is my
miracle solution for the cold! If the symptoms are severe enough, I can actually
feel the symptoms being relieved as the zinc dissolves. The key is to take one per hour,
every hour, until the symptoms disappear, not simply until they "get better." The tablets are small enough that they don't interfere with your ability to talk and are not noticeable, the way cough drops are.
2.
Antiseptic mouthwash. The cough virus enters your body through your mouth and your nose. Using an antiseptic mouthwash cleans out your mouth and throat. It also keeps your palate and throat moisturized, which seems to lessen the ability of the cold virus to land on an exposed surface and begin multiplying.
3.
Moisturizer around your eyes. I found this out accidentally, after my wife saw a "makeover" show that emphasized "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!" for men. To accomodate her, I tried putting some non-goofy-smelling lotion around my eyes. Almost immediately, the tiredness that my eyes had been feeling was relieved, and the congestion in my nose cleared up noticeably. The more I used it, the better these symptoms became. I think that keeping the area around the eyes moisturized prevents the cold virus from latching onto dry spots around your eye and irritating your membranes, which triggers an allergic reaction, one consequence of which is congestion. However, make sure the lotion is not strong smelling and does not have strong fumes, or you will end up irritating your eyes in a different way.
This article has suggested 3 unusual methods to ease cold or allergy symptoms, that do not involve either over-the-counter or prescription medications. Getting rid of the symptoms will allow you get back to your regular routine - including your fitness routine - as quickly as possible, which will keep you healthy and strengthen you the
next time a cold virus decides to drop in and annoy you!
Exercise In Total Darkness
Exercising in total darkness - or near total darkness - is something that most people don't think of doing. And when it is suggested to them, most people immediately think of reason they shouldn't. There's the "klutz" factor: what if I fall? What if I bump into something? There's the "balance" factor: what if I fall down? There's the "location" factor: where can I find a place dark enough and big enough? Well, the interesting thing is that exercising in darkness actually solves these problems, and many others.
Exercising in darkness is more than just closing your eyes while you jump around. It means paying attention to your other senses - your tactile sense of your feet or hadns on the floor; your auditory sense of the music as you move around the room, to determin your location; your inner sense of feedback from your small muscles and proprioceptors, as your body maintains its balance without having visual feedback.
This is an adjunct to your regular program. It should be done 2 or 3 times the first month. you can increase the frequency as you become more comfortable and proficient, or you can use it as a nice break from your regular routine. I myself use it to verify and confirm my kata practice (the formalized sequence of moves in karate), maybe 3 times per month.
Start off by locating a space that is twice as big as the space you normally exercise in. Make sure it is clear. Have a first aid handy. To achieve darkness, a windowless basement is best. A large living room can be turned dark by covering the windows with thick curtains or blankets (but take them down before your family comes home!). For the first few times, use a routine that is easily learned, or one that you are confident in your ability to perform with your eyes closed. Listen to the feedback from your body as you move through the routine, especially the adjustments your small support muscles make. You probably were never aware of how many times your feet seek a new position on their own, or how often your back aligns itself without you thinking about it.
Exercising in the dark will help you learn about how your body interacts with itself, and which senses you really rely on. It will help you strengthen and develop all your senses, even sight. And just as importantly, you will develop a new skill - mastery over your body and the ability to process feedback from your movements. This is a skill that can be transferred to all your exercise, and life in general.
More ideas on exercise can be found at
http://fitnessbooks.bravehost.com
WELCOME!
WELCOME TO MY BLOG!
Fitness has always been a big part of my life. But not that obessive, count-every-calorie, "I gained 1/4 inch on my arms today" kind of fitness. I enjoy working out. I love working out. But there is more to life than working out.
There's mental fitness.
There's spiritual contentment.
There ARE brownies and cafe mochas and pizza. Pizza. PIZZA!
So I have always worked out. In high school I use the 100 lb. weight set my brother and I bought for 20 bucks. In college, I used the weight room for free. After college, I joined a "health club" in whatever city I was living in - Nautlius, free weights, aerobics. It was all a blast. In law school, I did a lot of yoga and meditation. A
lot of yoga and meditation.
Another constant has been karate - Shotokan and Kyokushin.
Right now, my exercise program consists of practicing the Shotokan kata 1000x each. So far, I have completed all 5 Heian and all 3 Tekki, and am working on Bassai Dai, Kanku Dai, and Jitte concurrently. I also do several Sanchin every day, for focus and breath and chi control.
So my blog will focus on integrating fitness - physical, mental, and spiritual - into everyday life seamlessly and without becoming obnoxious to your co-workers. I do my kata early in the morning, and I have noticed a tremendous increase in my concentration and a decrease in what used to be uncontrollable desires for chocolate in the afternoon.
Also, from time to time, I will dicuss certain products that I think are worthwhile, or interesting, or (and this will be rare) worthless or dangerous. I will interject my politics from time to time. I will throw humor in every now and then.
Like now: Product:
Fitness Books: (1) Fitness Over 40 (2) The Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide (3) Lightning Speed Fitness Program are all available by
clicking hereHumor: I bought the Lindsay Lohan Calendar the other day, and it has a special unadvertised bonus: when you turn it sideways, it becomes lifesize.
Stress Relief: if you are a FATHER who needs help with visitation or child support issues, or keeping your kids SAFE from your ex's new boyfriend or husband: "
Aggressive Pleadings For The Non-Custodial Father"
