How to Conduct Internet Marketing Research

Conducting internet marketing research can be an wearing experience even for those who have marketed themselves in other ways. But as the Internet becomes more popular, it is important to have some type of online presence in order to compete with other companies. Internet marketing research can take many forms. From building a web site, to using a blog, connecting with the consumer is still the number one reason for marketing online or in print.

Researching the options available should be the first step when conducting internet marketing research. Decide what are the best ways to reach consumers that will make them to buy the products. Creating a web site to take orders, display products, and keep consumers informed is one marketing tool that every successful business will need these days. But other types of marketing include online databases, job boards, other product web sites, and paying for search engine advertising. Internet marketing research should include research in these areas. While internet marketing can be inexpensive, there are some methods that will cost money each month.

Before committing to any internet marketing strategy, find out how much time will need to be devoted as some forms of marketing can be very time consuming. Internet marketing research is essential before one begins their marketing campaign. Knowing how much time will be spent marketing can tell a person many things they should be aware of including the time it will take to keep a blog current, how long it will take to create and then update the web site when necessary. With all of the other duties that a person will be responsible for when running a business, they may not have the time to market themselves. This can be a problem unless a person plans carefully and finds ways to market their business online that will not take up too much time. Internet marketing research will help a person make these decisions that will affect their business.

Related Links:
Online branding

How to Implement an ERM program

In business, enterprise risk management (ERM) includes the methods and processes used by organizations to manage risks (or seize opportunities) related to the achievement of their objectives.

Goals of an ERM program
Organizations by nature manage risks and have a variety of existing specialized departments or functions ("risk functions") that identify and manage particular risks. However, each risk function varies in capability and how it coordinates with other risk functions. A central goal and challenge of ERM is improving this capability and coordination, while integrating the output to provide a unified picture of risk for stakeholders and improving the organization's ability to manage the risks effectively.

Typical risk functions
The primary risk functions in large corporations that may participate in an ERM program typically include:

• Strategic planning - identifies external threats and competitive opportunities, along with strategic initiatives to address them
• Marketing - understands the target customer to ensure product/service alignment with customer requirements
• Compliance & Ethics - monitors compliance with code of conduct and directs fraud investigations
• Accounting / Financial compliance - directs the Sarbanes-Oxley Section 302 and 404 assessment, which identifies financial reporting risks
• Law Department - manages litigation and analyzes emerging legal trends that may impact the organization
• Insurance - ensures the proper insurance coverage for the organization
• Treasury - ensures cash is sufficient to meet business needs, while managing risk related to commodity pricing or foreign exchange
• Operational Quality Assurance - verifies operational output is within tolerances
• Operations management - ensures the business runs day-to-day and that related barriers are surfaced for resolution
• Credit - ensures any credit provided to customers is appropriate to their ability to pay
• Customer service - ensures customer complaints are handled promptly and root causes are reported to operations for resolution
• Internal audit - evaluates the effectiveness of each of the above risk functions and recommends improvements

Related Links: 
San Francisco recruiters  

Digital currencies and its features

Digital gold currency (or DGC) is a form of electronic money denominated in gold weight. It is a kind of representative money, like a paper gold certificate at the time that these were exchangeable for gold on demand. The typical unit of account for such currency is the gold gram or the troy ounce, although other units such as the gold dinar are sometimes used. These are backed by gold through unallocated or allocated gold storage. Digital gold currencies are issued by a number of companies, each of which provides a system that enables users to pay each other in units that hold the same value as gold bullion. These competing providers issue independent currency, which normally carries the same name as their company. In terms of the most popular providers, e-gold has the greatest number of users and Gold Money holds the greatest quantity of bullion. As of January 2007, DGC providers held in excess of 9.5 tonnes of gold as disclosed reserves, which is worth approximately $184 million.

FEATURES OF DIGITAL CURRENCIES

Asset protection:
Unlike fractional-reserve banking, Digital gold currencies hold 100% of clients' funds in reserves with a store of value. Proponents of DGC systems contend that deposits are protected against inflation, devaluation and other possible economic risks inherent in fiat currencies. These risks include the monetary policy of countries or territories, which are perceived by proponents to be harmful to the value of paper currency. It is also theoretically much harder for governments and/or creditors to seize or confiscate digital gold currency from someone, as most DGC companies are incorporated in offshore financial centers.

Bullion investing:
Digital currencies backed by gold are the most popular, although e-gold, e-Bullion and e-dinar also provide digital currency backed by silver, while Gold Money and Crowned Gold also provide storage in silver. Other digital silver currencies include the eLibertyDollar and Phoenix Silver. In addition to gold and silver, e-gold supplies digital currency backed by platinum and palladium. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium each have recognized international currency codes under ISO 4217.

Exchanging fiat currency:
Some providers, like e-gold, do not sell DGC directly to clients. In the case of an e-gold account, currency must be bought and sold via a digital currency exchanger (DCE). According to their website the reason they do this is so there can be no debt or contingent liabilities associated with the business, making e-gold Ltd. absolutely free of any financial risk. DGCs are known as private currency as governments do not issue them.

Non-reversible transactions:
Unlike the credit card industry, DGC issuers generally do not bundle services such as repudiation. Thus having transactions reversed, even in case of a legitimate error, unauthorized spend, or failure of a vendor to supply goods is not possible. In this respect, a DGC spend is more akin to a cash transaction while PayPal transfers.

Universal currency:
Proponents claim that DGC offers a truly global and borderless world currency system that is independent of exchange rate variations. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium each have recognized international currency codes under ISO 4217.

Health risk associated with tattooing

Tattooing involves multiple injections to the skin by a small machine having one or more needles connected to tubes containing the dyes. The person, who puts the tattoo, guides the machine over the skin and controls its speed. It will cause some amount of pain and bleeding also. It can take several hours depending on the size of the tattoo. The site of application usually takes 7 to 10 days to heal. In most of the parlors operating now, there is a greater focus on cleanliness and sterilization of equipment. However, individuals who provide tattooing in unsanitary conditions from their home or the back of a van still exist.

Even in modern facilities, tattooing is not without risks. The two most significant ones are allergic responses to the pigments and exposure to blood borne pathogens. The compounds used as pigments range from metal oxides to synthetic organic dyes. Cases of hypersensitivity to a pigment resulting in allergic responses have been reported but the incidence of such reactions is low. Since tattooing involves injections under the skin, poor infection control practices before, during and after the procedure by the tattooist and the consumer can lead to risk of bacterial and/or viral infection. There have been cases of hepatitis B transmission through tattooing. Transmission of hepatitis C and HIV are also possible with lack of proper sanitation but have never been reported. If appropriate disinfections and sterilization techniques are used, the health risk associated with tattooing is small.

Currently, many state and local health departments regulate tattooing facilities. In considering whether to get a tattoo, they are a source of information concerning the guidelines and regulations for tattoo parlors in the local area. Another way to ensure safety is to check whether the tattooist at a particular parlor has been certified by the Alliance for Professional Tattooists (APT). This nonprofit professional organization has developed a set of infection control guidelines, in association with the FDA, for its members to follow.