ProVirtual Solutions

Must Read: 101 Most Useful Websites by Amit Agarwal

Mary — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:30:46 +0000

There's nothing like finding a great resource to save for later - when you need it. Now there's a resource... for the resources! Amit Agarwal, author of my favorite tech blog, Digital Inspiration, has a quick link list posted of his 101 Most Useful Websites. Each of the sites listed aim to solve a specific problem... no fluff here.

Quick Reference Links for Email Client Setup & Common How-Tos for GMail & Google Apps

Mary — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:45:42 +0000

Over the all time that I've been helping clients setup Gmail and Google Apps on their computers or phones, one thing I noticed is that there is so much information on the Gmail help pages - its very easy to get annoyed and frustrated when trying to find a quick answer to a simple setup or troubleshooting question. When I setup a client's new Google Apps - there's always a search for the exact server names and port numbers. So, I made a point of saving these URLs in my Evernote account for easy reference.

Keep Your Business New Year Resolutions on Track with These Online Task Managers

Mary — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:24:54 +0000

If one of your business New Year resolutions for 2012 involves doing a better job with managing time and tasks, there's a lot of tools on the web that can help. In fact there are SO many services and apps out there to try, you need to first consider how you think of task management before you even start comparing services. If you asked each of my friends that work online, you will get as many answers as to what tools are best. So, how do you narrow it down? Ask yourself the following:

Try These Treats to Prevent Online Security Tricks

Mary — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:37:21 +0000

Horror stories are great Halloween fun, but not when it comes to your online security. If you do anything online, even if you don't have a website - there's lots of opportunities for Internet hobgoblins to ruin your day.

Measure Your Social Media Influence with Klout

Mary — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:46:39 +0000

Klout just doesn't count heads, it also takes other very important factors into account - the style of your posts, whether or not they are shared or retweeted, and the influence and reach of those who do. So, if you look closely at the celebrity examples above - note that Deepak Chopra has a mere 5 percent of the follower tally that Justin Bieber has, but has a relatively huge Klout score of 87, the same as President Obama (who has 10.3 million Twitter followers!) - and even higher than legendary Twitter king Ashton Kutcher. This tells us that Deepak Chopra's online audience is not only engaged, but also influential.

I’ll Be Presenting at VA Classroom’s WordPress Success Training Camp – Sept. 27 & 28th

Mary — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:03:39 +0000

I'm delighted to be presenting at VA Classroom's WordPress Success Training Camp on September 27th & 28th, 2011. If you're a VA, OBM or other solopreneur who is intrigued by the possibilities of WordPress - or just a WordPress site owner that wants to beef up your WordPress skills - this special two-day WordPress training is for you!

Easy Web Buttons & Other Goodies with WordPress Shortcodes

Mary — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:13:24 +0000

One of the many advantages of having your site built in WordPress is the availability of shortcodes. Introduced back with WordPress 2.5, shortcodes are literally simple, shorthand codes that the writer can insert into posts or pages that render a specific thing on the page - most commonly a graphic button, a social sharing link, an info box, a divider line - anything a developer can think of.

I’m A HootSuite Certified Professional

Mary — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:46:47 +0000

I'm happy to announce that I recently completed the very educational HootSuite University Pro Certification course - and now am a HootSuite Certified Professional! I'm a longtime HootSuite-r and thought I was already a power-user, but quickly discovered some really great features that I was totally unaware of - especially with search, keywords, geolocation tools and analytics. In short, I wasn't even scratching the surface!

Five Things to Consider When Selecting a Domain Name

Mary — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:47:21 +0000

When you are launching a new business, project, product or service, and you would like to assign it its own domain name - either for a full website or just to redirect, it can be really overwhelming to settle on the right one. There are many things to keep in mind, and with a finite number of .COMs out there, the process of getting the right one can be very frustrating. There are a few questions you should ask yourself, before you start your search:

Free Teleclass: Top Ten Reasons to Switch to Google Apps for Your Domain

Mary — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:25:20 +0000

With all the buzz out there about Google Plus and Google Apps, I get a lot of questions from clients about why Google Apps just seems to be everywhere these days. With GA's recent expansion comes lots of great reasons to convert your domain's email and virtual office over to this incredibly flexible service. It's almost too much to blog about, so I thought a teleclass would do the trick!

So What’s The Fuss about Google Plus?

Mary — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:46:29 +0000

I know... I know. I thought the same thing. "'Oh, lordy - I need this like I need a hole in my head... yet another thing to keep up with!" Despite my initial curmudgeonly reaction to the latest entry in the social media world, I was able to score an invite to join Google Plus. It did not take long before I realized its potential... the interface is clean and uncluttered, and it simply seems much easier to use than Facebook. In the limited time I spent with it, I reached the conclusion that it may just be the "Facebook Killer" that many expect.

Five Compelling Reasons to Keep Email Design Clean & Simple

Mary — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:33:49 +0000

An email marketing campaign should be attractive and reflect your business branding. While complex design layouts with multiple columns, boxes, callouts, and lots of graphics (similar to paper newsletter layouts of yesteryear) can deliver a 'wow' factor, there's a reality check that should be considered before you spend time and dollars on a complex mailer layout.

Are Your Online Business Tools Integrated?

Mary — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:44:04 +0000

There's few things I love more than taking a new web service for a test drive. I have a terrible case of "shiny object syndrome" when it comes to trying out a new web tool that can help me organize, market save money, or save time. An added bonus is learning about new resources that I can have in my toolbox - not just for myself, but for my clients.

Sneaky Sale! Pre-launch Discount on My Affiliate Revenue 101 Self-Study Program

Mary — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:23:12 +0000

I'm very excited to launch the self-study version of my Affiliate Revenue 101: Passive Revenue Streams Made Easy webinar program I presented back in April. Although the "official" launch date is July 1st, I'm offering the product until June 30th at a significant early-bird pre-launch discount. If you're looking for an easier (non-time-intensive) way to boost revenue and offset expenses for your service or online business, or you are curious about how affiliate programs work - this program is for you.

New Google Apps Setup Service Package

Mary — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:35:41 +0000

I've set up GA for numerous clients - and all of them love it, so I'm very excited to launch my new easy-to-purchase Google Apps Setup Service Package that includes all the back-end techie stuff, plus "done-for-you" mail client (Outlook) configuration and web-based training.

Top-10 Tips for Getting Started with Affiliate Sales (Video)

Mary — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:46:12 +0000

Very often I am asked by clients and colleagues about how to get started with affiliate sales. As it’s a very big subject, it can be overwhelming. So, I came up with this quick video showcasing my favorite tips for anyone looking to get started with this easy passive revenue stream: To learn more about [...]

Webinar Event: Affiliate Income 101

Mary — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:35:14 +0000

Has this happened to you? You are having a conversation with a client or colleague about a project, and it falls to you to suggest the best way to get it done. You know the best tools and services, and happily make the recommendations - but are you profiting from your product endorsements?

Carla Answers My Audio File Prep Questions (Online Biz Insiders Podcast)

Mary — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:27 +0000

Our latest podcast at Online Biz Insiders is a must-listen if you do any kind of audio marketing... MP3s, podcasts or teleseminars. I peppered Carla with a bunch of questions that I had about the proper way to prepare an audio file for distribution. Carla shared a boatload of info that will get the job done for you.

Turn Gmail Into A Mini-Social CRM with Rapportive

Mary — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:46:20 +0000

If you are a Gmail or Google Apps user and also active with social media, do yourself a favor and get Rapportive. Rapportive is a free browser plugin that creates an info pane right in the Gmail message window that displays all your correspondent's social media information.

Preschedule Outbound Messages In Gmail with Boomerang

Mary — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:30:38 +0000

Everyone who uses email regularly has wished that a message could be queued up to send at a set time in the future. Say you want to wish a friend a happy birthday next Tuesday. You could save a message in your Drafts folder – and hope that you remember to send it out on [...]