My Buy Essay

Posts Tagged ‘internet’

While it’s great to get a multiple visitors one time on your site, it’s even better to get returning visitors mulitple times. This means that your site really has an interest to them enough that they’ve bookmarked it. Bookmarkers over time will lead to sales, and once you’ve sold to someone it’s always easier to get them to buy from you a second time than getting them to buy the first!

So is your site “sticky” enough to keep them coming back?

Here are a few good ways to make your website “sticky” so that you get repeat visitors that are interested in your site:

1. Have frequently updated, fresh content. People aren’t going to come back if your site stays the same all the time. If they’ve already got all the information they need from your site, why should they return? Make sure that the information is always new, fresh, and changing so that they have an incentive to return. Perhaps even give away prizes or rewards to make them return. Free gifts are a great motivator!

2. Your content must be valuable. Don’t talk “small talk” and fill your site up with gimmicks, bells and whistles, and other page fillers. Make the content on your site actually useful to someone. Use relevant articles to your topic, maybe have free tools or calculators or something that are relevant to your product, or even just keep the people up to date about what’s happening with your product. Refrain from using flashy animated objects, java applets, and midi files. These are only annoying to the surfer and it will discourage them from coming back.

3. Make your site easy to navigate. Especially if your site has got lots of competition on your product or service, maybe they’ll choose your site over your competitor’s site just by the sheer fact alone that they can get around your site easier! People want to get the information they need quickly and easily. Don’t make it a challenge for them or they’ll only become frustrated and click off of your site.

Using these easy and common sensical tips you can make your website “sticky” and watch the traffic increase!

Click-to-call is an emerging contextual advertising format that will help spark the growth of localized search. It links online users to offline advertisers by combining Internet telephone capabilities. Although it has yet to hit its stride as a platform or even pierce consumer consciousness, the biggest interactive names, like Google, Yahoo, and eBay, are positioning themselves for a future in click-to-call. Let’s take a closer look.

Click-to-call ads (CTC) are delivered, like pay-per-click, through standard online search results. They mostly resemble standard paid search ads, too. The user sees the familiar text in a box, except there is an icon that can be clicked to connect the interested party with the designated advertiser via telephone. This process is fully online until the user activates the CTC functionality by clicking that icon delivered with the ad.

Next, the user is prompted to enter their telephone number, which may or may not be already stored with the search engine. Once the phone number is entered, the search engine calls the user and connects the advertiser at no cost to the user. It should be noted that search engines will be adamant about protecting the anonymity of user phone numbers in order to placate any understandable fears of being added to telephone marketing lists. It will be imperative for search engines to build user confidence because trust is precious, especially when introducing new products.

Since CTC incorporates phone use through the Internet, VoIP specific companies like Vonage and Fusion will be parlaying their niche of Internet telephony into partnerships with bigger Internet properties, as evidenced by Skype’s sale to eBay. Even an online advertising agency like ICMediaDirect.com has to consider the impact of a “hybrid” service, like click-to-call, will have on search marketing. Isn’t it funny how convergence, the calling card of technological progress, can make the telephone cutting edge?

Experts aren’t expecting great revenue generation straight out of the gate, but click-to-call could be at the forefront of yet another giant tech-based advertising expansion. One area that click-to-call may impact is local search. I believe CTC has enough functionality to ignite the long anticipated surge of localized search as a leading format of small business advertising. For example, if a person finally has had enough of a bad back &ndash where do they go to find a chiropractor, the Internet? Could be. That’s where we can research and get a phone number. Just think what a chiropractor would pay per click of that icon that rings his office and the sufferer simultaneously. And you thought pay-per-click was targeted and relevant?

Finding out which businesses will advertise on local search via click-to-call is an easy task &ndash they’re the ones filling the yellow pages of your phone book. These small businesses (think: pizza parlors, law offices, florists) are already heavily vested in local advertising, yet almost none use search advertising because the format has yet to incorporate small business. It’s believed that there are nearly 15 million small businesses in the United States today and almost none are benefiting from local search the way that it’s envisioned. When geo-targeted search is smoothed out and more popular, and CTC gets rolling, local advertising will realize more convenience and more targeting &ndash and the world will witness another online advertising revolution.

Click-to-call is even more targeted than the pay-per-click search format as we know it today. Advertisers are going to pay more for CTC because anyone who takes the time to call is certainly a higher-percentage paying customer than your basic web surfer who indicates interest. While some web surfers may click ads to satisfy curiosity, few visitors will be clicking icons to make idle talk with businesses &ndash as far as I can tell, this isn’t an issue for businesses listed in the Yellow Pages. Click-to-call is a potent ad format and advertisers are going to shell out top dollars for it. Keep an eye out for developments in this format and be ready to adjust your strategies accordingly.

Joseph Pratt

Media Analyst

ICMediaDirect.com

.icmediadirect.com

e: josephicmediadirect.com

Now more then ever profitable opportunities exist to promote your local business on the Internet. Through search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, email marketing and local listings, you can connect with a willing audience. Your customers are turning to the Internet to find local products and services. If your competitors have an online presence and you don’t, guess who gets to take home the prize

Below are several crucial techniques for promoting your business regionally:

Local Listings

Even if you do not have a web site you can still promote your local business online. For example, you can list you business and contact information with the local search engines of Yahoo and Google. It takes an hour at the most to get a free listing on the two most popular search engines. Your listing will include an interactive map that can direct customers right to your front door.

Another important resource that accepts free listings is Verizon’s Superpages.com, as does the local version of AOL.

And don’t overlook regional and industry specific directories. Many accept free listings, or charge a nominal fee. Once again, for most a web site is not a prerequisite.

Pay Per Click Advertising

If you do have a web site, than you need to promote your local business through Pay Per Click on both Google and Yahoo. With Pay Per Advertising you bid on keyword terms that your potential customers would use in a search. An example is “Tacoma Wedding Photographer.” The cost per click depends on how competitive the term is. You only pay if a prospect clicks on your text ad and goes to your site. This is referred to as performance advertising, where you only pay if the ad performs.

The appeal of PPC is you can get it going within an hour. You set the budget, you determine what keywords are relevant, and you determine your price per click. You can also turn it on or off in an instance. The general consensus is that PPC generates a higher return on your investment over traditional offline advertising.

Search Engine Optimization – Free Traffic

For those that like a challenge there is search engine optimization. SEO is the ability to optimize your web site for high search ranking. If you can optimize your site properly, you can benefit from an endless stream of free, targeted search engine traffic. It takes time and effort, but the results can take your business to a whole new level.

If you are selling nationally SEO can be cutthroat. For a local business it can be relatively easy to rank for terms that relate to your business and location. (ex. Richmond Wedding Photographer)

Local Email Marketing

Another tremendous marketing tool is email. For virtually nothing you can communicate with both prospects and your existing customers. Email is an excellent method to convert prospects to customers. It can also significantly increase the lifetime value of your existing customers by simply alerting them to upcoming sales and promotions.

Knowing the power of email communication, I find it hard to believe how few use it to promote their local business. Now listen up, start collecting your customer’s email addresses today. I can guarantee they will respond favorably to joining your list. We all like to be informed on bargains and special offers.

The future of your local business will depend on the Internet. It is estimated 25% of searches online are local in nature. The Internet is the perfect resource for finding local products and services, which is why your customers are searching online. Now is the time to get your business positioned to reap the rewards.

Strategies for cyber jungle survival (tips for online retailers)

In the organizational landscape, the novel and logical means that is perhaps the most encouraging of all drivers is E-commerce. It seems to have revolutionized the manner in which business processes and procedures are being undertaken. Some of the goals that it has been able to effectively carry out is the improvement of the dealings among buyers, vendors, and suppliers, greater cost-efficiency and widening one’s scope in the global economy. This has accorded businesses more opportunities for growth and expansion. Through an advocacy of more personalized approaches in business, it has given a new definition to competitiveness. Customer information and data are now being yielded by vendors from their consumers. The significant volume of data also allows these individuals to leverage on promotional offers and the best buys. Online trading has been successful at endorsing price competitiveness and compels online vendors to work towards this end goal.

Within the retailing industry, the increased availability and accessibility of cyber trading has been the key to its immense popularity and steady rise. This also implies high cost efficiency, without the necessity of expenses such as rent, manpower cost or labor. The intense competition in physical markets and the very high fixed costs are just grateful for this innovative solution. The broad array of products and services are appreciated and patronized by consumers. The substantial volumes of online data also compel online vendors to leverage on cost. The relative ease accorded by online shopping has allowed consumers to optimize their management of time. Numerous online vendors have adapted the online store and a novel online shopping experience as concepts on the new online age. An outcome of this occurrence is the birth of the terms “cyber shops, virtual shops, e-tail, and online shops” were brought forth. Physical vendors are pressured to cope or run the risk of being tagged obsolete. This resulted in the mushrooming of websites.

A contemporary investigation conducted by the World Trade Organization has indicated that a specifically promising future is waiting for firms who are engaged in trading products and services through cyber trading. These encompass organizations that are into the sales of computer software, printed news, magazines, music, and film. Numerous industries, including brokerages, tourism, telecoms, and consumer / media advertising that are yielding the benefits of cyber trading. One overall international work of the industry has projected to attain a US$1 trillion value in 2003. Attributing to the high expenses of operating as a start-up business, difficulties in daily routines, uncompetitive volume of sales, cutthroat competitors, and unpredictability of the arena, Internet players in retail are starting to lose hope and to lose money.

In summary, to sustain its leadership, leading online vendors should to maintain their niche in the following three areas that have been proven to be the leading factors considered by Chinese online consumers:

1) Improve brand equity – The major dynamic to cyber buying for customers are security and trust elements. Online vendors should to solidify their brands so that products purchased from them are perceived as trustworthy.

2) Alliance partners – Alliances and networks are critical in the digital economy because of heightened efficiency for transactions and a variety of offerings to the company. Therefore, the addition of alliance partners expected to generate better performance of dot.com retailers is a priority area.

3) Integrative advertising and promotions program – Vendors online must launch intensive marketing efforts to gain visibility. If possible, the online vendors involved in the study should to convey to customers their integrity, honesty and trustworthiness in all these online transactions. This will help address the doubt or uncertainty of online consumers to transact online because of trust issues. The use of banners may not be effective in encouraging customers to purchase online. In the cyber jungle banners are quickly implemented; however, they present low impact. People are inclined to shrug off these banners.

Online marketers ought to leverage on these strategies to put in more into their coffers. In the end, a synergistic combination of marketing efforts, support from partnerships and persistent and effective advertising will win consumers’ mindshare and trust. And, ultimately this will be reflected in his buying decisions.

If you are a business man seeking to improve your business you have probably thought of marketing your products through the internet. But you perhaps have been struggling to market your business on the web. You have perhaps often wondered how some internet marketers earn a productive income every month but you are still scratching your head to start from scratches.

Internet marketing is amazing not just because of its ability to reach the biggest consumer base or because it can target special groups of consumers effectively but also because it has the capability to gather and process information about people. With the right online tools you can track everything about a visitor when they visit your site. You can learn where they went on your site, what pages they viewed and even what websites they recently visited. By studying and understanding the surfing habits of your visitors you can make adjustments at little to no cost.

For many people, internet marketing is like dieting. Everyone claims to have the solution to losing weight quickly. You try one diet after another and maybe you lose some weight. But as soon as you go off the diet, you gain the weight back again. This is the same way as the Internet. You have probably heard a lot of pitches about how to increase your web traffic. Maybe the strategy you used worked for a little while but eventually it became just too much trouble and the results were disappointing.

By creating and implementing a balanced internet marketing strategy using both short term and long term strategies you will drive a steady stream of traffic to your site. Do not forget though that when going for online advertising information is very important. This knowledge is what makes internet marketing so powerful and effective where advertising is concerned. Words are perhaps the most potent marketing tool you have. The right words will turn your visitors into customers. The wrong words will cause them to click away and never return.

Thus, your every word, sentence and headline should have one purpose &ndash that is to lead your potential customer to your order page. Tell your visitors exactly what your product will do for them. Tell them of the benefits and how and why it will be beneficial to them. The bottom line is write to persuade and encourage your visitors to buy your products or avail of your services.

With the size of the internet market and the number of people it reaches, internet marketing is perhaps a sure way to success but you have to use the online tools that make this medium the most effective advertising medium today.

Curious about Internet marketing or network marketing, not sure, what it is, or how it works? Is it a modern day version of a pyramid scheme that is now on the Internet? No, it is not a pyramid scheme it is a network of individuals who sell products. You probably have been one of those consumers. The way that network marketing functions is that certain individuals have an extensive knowledge of the products that are going too sold. This is not the same as going into a store and asking a sales person for information on a product, they then look at you as if you came from another planet, and they have no idea how to answer your question. Those with this information train others to be as knowledgeable as they are and then they do train others and so on. While the training takes place, each representative will sell the products via word of mouth and everyone profits financially.

Multi-level marketing (MLM) differs because they are a large company that will train individuals to sell a product and then these new representatives will train another when they have learned about the products and each works at various levels of compensation. In multi-level marketing (MLM) the companies financial growth does not depend on the amount of products sold their profit comes from the amount of individuals that are part of their company selling the products although they do require that the products are only sold through multi-level marketing (MLM) business.

In order to rise to the top of company in the economy of today you usually have to work for them your entire life and that is not done as much as it was done 50 years ago. Most employees are always looking for the better off and will not hesitate to leave the firm they are with if they are offered a better financial package. This is one of the draws of network marketing that they can make a residual income for the rest of their lives and work it as either fulltime or part-time. You can work a current job and do network marketing on the side until you are ready to do network marketing full time. What most people like about this form of income is that there are no barriers to the amount of money you can make or any form of discrimination or the thought of not having enough qualifications. The risk is low, the financial requirement to start is low, and you do not have to restock items. Your primary investment is a good work ethic and a willingness to meet new people and let them know how their lives can change for the better.

.payitforward4profits.com/rodl13

In this age, where technology is continually evolving and affecting our live, there is no doubt that online advertising has become essential to the survival and growth of most businesses. Internet marketing has become beneficial to many businesses. But what is internet marketing? Internet marketing refers to a lot of areas such as search engine optimization, driving traffic to your website, e-mail marketing, and attracting visitors and making them stay in your site.

The next question would probably be why is internet marketing important? Internet today is an unstoppable trend. People usually search for products with the use of their computers instead of the yellow pages. If you market on the web you can maximize the potential of your business. Also, you can cut on operational and marketing cost as online advertising is cheap. An ad in an internet directory is generally free compared to advertising on a phonebook or newspaper. And because you have a search engine friendly website, your existing and potential customers can find out what they are looking for easily.

Likewise, you can reach a global audience with internet marketing. You don’t have to set up shops in various places. You can simply set up an online shop and sell to anyone in the world. This means bigger sales and profits for you.

All the same, there are negative sides to internet marketing. First of all, it is hard to tell whether people are lying. Since there is so much information on the web it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between crap and quality. Second, internet marketing can leave the businessman isolated. Because the web is faceless, it can leave you very inward and antisocial. And third, there could be information overload. There could be too much good information on the web that can get you confused on which company to choose.

In order to have a successful online business your internet marketing strategy should include both short-term and long term strategies. Short term strategies are those that bring you temporary boost in traffic. Such strategies include search engines, bulletin boards and purchasing advertising.

Long term marketing strategies, on the other hand, are those that bring you a steady stream of traffic over time. This strategy included content, freebies and opt-in lists. Creating and making use of both short term and long term strategies will drive a steady stream of traffic to your website.

By and large, internet marketing is important to businesses these days. If you want bigger profits then properly exploring the different areas of internet marketing is essential.

One question that I hear more then any other in the internet marketing world is “What is the quickest way I can start generating a profit”?

My biggest piece of advice… FOCUS!!

There are a TON of different ways to make money online but whatever you decide to pursue you’ve got to focus all your energy on it.

There’s an Internet Marketing (IM) trap and it goes like this…

1) You start signing up for everyone’s email list to “learn for free”

2) You start seeing what everyone is doing and you think to yourself… “I should do that”

3) You finally get the courage to start pursuing something but you actually start pursuing everything. You go in all different directions and only make a half assed effort one way or the other.

4) Because you didn’t experience “ultimate success” the first go around, you start buying products and information on IM.

5) Well unfortunately that takes you in 50 different directions because although the advice from most of the big named gurus is good, they all have a different approach.

6) Then you spend some more money following another strategy that you heard about or you buy some resell/private label/public domain materials hoping that just through the nature of putting it up on the web, sales will start coming in.

7) Because sales aren’t pouring in, you decide to buy some traffic from Google Adwords.

After your Google Adwords account gets run up and you’ve blown a whack of cash AND still don’t have that many sales you start to get a bitter taste in your mouth about IM.

9) Then it hits you… I’m all over the place and don’t have a plan at all.

How do I know this?

This was my exact story.

I’ll never forget the moment when a well known internet marketer shared with me an ENORMOUS tip that this year has helped put thousands of dollars in my bank account.

I was eagerly showing him my big elaborate mind map of another “million dollar idea” when he did something that confused me at first, but then made total sense.

He closed my mind mapping software on my computer and said focus.

So…

1) Figure out “how” you want to make money online. Do you want to create and sell your own products? Do you want to make money with Adsense? Do you want to do affiliate marketing? Do you want to buy and sell on eBay?

2) Think through the process of what you want to do. What’s the first thing that needs to happen? The second? The third?

Create a flow chart to help you understand clearly the “steps” in the process. Then focus on each step and either master them yourself or find reliable outsourcing partners who can take care of certain “steps” for you.

3) Start taking consistent action!!

This is where most people drop the ball. They jump in too quick, loose some money and get out. It takes consistent action of doing the same things over and over. Build momentum over time.

My last tip would be to focus on who you like learning from.

In the beginning, when you narrow down who you learn from the process becomes clear a lot more quickly. I zeroed in on two people first and then slowly (very slowly) branched off once I had a grip on where I was heading and had implemented what I had learned.

Hopefully that helps because if I had followed this earlier, my life would have been a heck of a lot easier!

Here’s to your “early days” being more lucrative than mine were!

For some time now I have become disillusioned with running my own traditional style business. You know the one where you have to rent premises, pay rates, employ staff, keep large amounts of stock and a million of other time and financially consuming things. Anyway, a couple of months ago, I decided to investigate the possibility of starting my own internet business or as they say in the trade, become an internet marketer.

During my search of the net and on my many visits to literally hundreds of sites, I was cordially invited to join the many free courses and obtain numerous free newsletters. This was great, all this information was soon winging its way to me. However, it was only on further investigation that I realised that the newsletters were only telling me so much but to get the really important stuff I had to send money. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a realist, I know there is no such thing as a free lunch, but hey, if I was to buy everything that everyone suggested I must have and really needed, not to mention the $5,000 courses and seminars that only a true internet marketer should attend then a remortgage of the family home was inevitable. Not being the impulsive type I refrained from enrolling for every must have marketing item. And I am glad I did as you will discover later.

What I did find most interesting and very amusing was some of the Headlines of the many automated emails I received and I thought I would share some of these with you.

So here goes.

What if?

He will email your ad to 1 MILLION people (sorta)

This is a killer

I am the Undisputed King of Cash….

I’ve found it ….

Get your site on Google in days

$250 – $500 every single day, guaranteed

Earn Minimum $300 A Day

Resources to Generate $11,643 Every Week

How He Makes $1500 Every Day

Powerful Training Methods

Start earning in 15 minutes from now

Get FREE links and Traffic within days

You will easily Earn $500 to $1,000

36 Ways to Affiliate Success

Profit Pulling Niche Packages

Limited Time Offer: Discover my Secrets, Earn $25,000 A Month

However, and what I mentioned earlier that you would discover later was during my investigations, I accidentally came across an excellent FREE eBook titled “Perpetual Profits” by Brian Campbell. This contained information which others were selling for $79 and upwards. I was so impressed with the content of the book I contacted Brian who kindly gave me his permission to distribute it. You can get your copy by visiting my website and I have attached a link below. Oh! and whilst you are there, sign up for my Newsletter. Only joking……

Happy marketing.

Q:Who or What is TUG?

A:The Timeshare Users Group (TUG) is a web site operated by Bill Rogers and a group of volunteers who have a common interest in vacation timeshare ownership.

Q:I’ve read that this is a “not for profit” web site. Why is there a membership fee?

A:The membership fees pay for this site and all the associated costs of running the Timeshare Users Group ( phone bills, online fees, web site fees, domain registrations, postage, etc…..but no labor costs….we are an all volunteer organization.

Q:What are maintenance fees? And how much are they?

A:The cost of resort operation is spread among owners via an annual maintenance fee. The fee must also build up reserves to pay for non-recurring costs like furniture, appliances etc. that need periodic replacement and other capital costs as normal physical deterioration occurs. Cost is established by the developer or homeowners association. Caution: When a developer is in control, maintenance fees may be temporarily subsidized by the developer as a marketing tool while there is sales activity. After the homeowner association takes over, fees may quickly rise to unsubsidized levels.

Special assessments are sometimes added to maintenance fees to cover unexpected (non-reserved) expenses. These assessments are passed by the association board of directors. Severe storm damage would be an example where an extra assessment would apply.

Maintenance fees vary with the location and resort, but usually are in the $200 to $1000 per year range.

Q:Is buying a timeshare a good investment?

A:Timeshare ownership is an investment in quality vacations. Purchasers who buy a timeshare strictly for speculative reasons are usually disappointed as the resale market for timeshares does not appreciate as well or as fast as other real estate investments. As an investment in YOURSELF and your leisure time, a carefully researched timeshare purchase can be a good investment when compared to the cost of renting alternative comparable accommodations.

Q:If I decide to buy a timeshare, should I buy “new” from the developer or “used” as a resale?

A:All factors being equal, a resale from a previous owner or a resale company, will probably cost considerably less than buying direct from the developer. Deep discounts of 50% and more are not uncommon. There are instances where buying from a developer may be your only choice. Lack of a unit with the amenities, location or “extra” added programs like the Marriott point program might be a consideration to buy from a developer. Again, research your decision BEFORE you buy to secure the best deal for you. Where should you begin this research? I think you know the answer. Think “TUG”!

Q:Where is the best place to own a timeshare?

A:The answer can be as individual as each owner but the consensus answer falls into two categories based upon intended use.

If you intend to return to your resort frequently and exchange occasionally, your best choice is a resort you enjoy often.

If your primary intent is to maximize trade value and you do not intend to stay at your own resort very often, then you should buy at a resort which is in high demand.

While there is no single “best” choice, the current consensus of opinion says that Hawaii and coastal California are two easy choices that will produce top results.

There are many variables that would apply to any particular choice and a potential buyer is strongly advised to research factors that affect timeshare trade values before making a final choice. A membership in TUG that provides access to the resort ratings and reviews is an excellent place to start.

Q:Fixed week .vs. floating week ownership, what are they and which is better?

A:Fixed week ownership means that you have the right to occupy (or have available for trade or rent) a specific week and unit number at the resort you own every year.

Floating (sometimes referred to as flex) ownership means that even though you may be deeded a specific week and unit number, you have no use claim on that week or unit. Instead you have the opportunity to request a week within a specified range of weeks during the year. The range of weeks available for flex use is set by the resort and is the same range of weeks from year to year.

Advantages of owning a fixed week: You are guaranteed the week and unit you want every year (especially applicable to colder climate owners who want to vacation where it is warm in winter).

Advantages of owning a floating week: For those who are concerned about unforeseen work or schedule conflicts associated with a fixed week, floating time allows for additional planning options.

There are more implications with either type ownership especially as it applies to trading and vacation planning. A prospective timeshare owner is urged to examine the differences and make a choice to match the situation before purchasing.

Q:What is a bonus week and how can I get one?

A:The simple answer is that a bonus week is an “extra” week in addition to the one you own. It’s given or sold as an incentive to timeshare owners for a specific reason.

A Developer Bonus Week (DBW) is available to members who own at participating resort. These bonus weeks are issued directly from the resort. They are sometimes issued as a signing bonus upon the purchase of a timeshare interval . Owners can sometimes purchase them from the resort as unsold developer owned weeks.

A second type of bonus week is one issued by an exchange company. Owners of high demand resort weeks receive them as incentives to deposit their timeshare week.

Bonus weeks are sometimes referred to as “Vacation Escape” weeks, “Getaway” weeks (or weekends). They are available to members of exchange companies like RCI, II and SFX. The exchange company makes bonus weeks available for purchase by members for a nominal fee. Purchased bonus weeks are considered “excess inventory” likely to go unused. Excess inventory is determined by the historical number of deposits versus the number of requests for each particular resort.

Bonus weeks usually come with expiration dates and may have other use restrictions relating to location, season and holidays.

Q:Which exchange company is best?

A:This is a “Coke vs Pepsi” question but it may be a moot point. The resort you own is probably affiliated with only one exchange company. There are, however, a few resorts affiliated with both. Do not let the resort’s affiliation affect your decision to own or buy at the resort. Although there are preferences among people who have experience with both major exchange companies, there is no unanimous opinion that one is better than the other.

It should be noted that there are more than the two BIG exchange companies. TUG maintains a comprehensive list of timeshare exchange companies.

Q:If I deposit my week with an exchange company, does someone need to “take” it before I can request my desired week?

A:No. As soon as your week is deposited, you can request and get the week you want if it is available.

Q:I was contacted by company “X” offering to buy/sell/rent my timeshare for a fee. Can I expect them to do a good job?

A:Past experience by members and visitors to TUG have been unanimous in this regard. Never pay an upfront fee as a condition to buy, sell or rent your timeshare. This situation is probably the most common situation where an owner will probably be dissatisfied. ANY fee required before performance will probably be lost. These “fees” come disguised as “agent commissions”, “appraisal fee”, “advertising fee”, etc. etc. They all have one thing in common. The money is always requested before performance is complete. Some of the more notorious companies preying on timeshare owners desperate to sell their timeshare will have the words “bank”, “trust”, “investment” in their company title. This is in an attempt to instill a feeling of confidence in their target. Do not be a victim. Verify the credentials and performance of any company making this type of offer.

If necessary we strongly suggest dealing only with an agent who works on commission from proceeds of sale. Failing that, there are experienced TUG members willing to offer advice on the “how to’s” of selling your timeshare. Visit the TUG BBS and start asking questions.

Q:I am an RCI member. Can I transfer weeks to other RCI members?

A:Reply from RCI:

The form in the back of the RCI Directory, Membership Transfer Application, is mainly used for the sale of timeshare, but also for transfer of weeks. The most important parts of the document are the areas which indicate your account information, the week you want trasferred, and to what account it’s going to. As long as we have that information along with your signature, it should be taken care of. That information can also be listed in a signed letter if you prefer. Once the information is completed, you can fax it to us at 317/805-9335 if you wish. Hope this helps. Thanks for visiting our website. Darrin Goodwin, RCI Internet Team.

Q:Since a timeshare accommodation usually has more facilities than a hotel room, are there any additional items I should consider bringing on my timeshare vacation?

A:Most timeshare accommodations have cooking and laundry facilities. While it certainly isn’t necessary to pack anything more than you normally would for the typical vacation, some TUGGERS seem to be a different breed. Take a look at the A.R. Timeshare Checklist and then decide for yourself. (I’ll let you decide for what the “A.R.” stands for)

Q:Are there any tax advantages or disadvantages to owning a timeshare?

A:Good question. Since I don’t even do my own taxes, I’ll refer you to TUG’s expert Timeshare and Taxes advice page to answer your question.

Q:What is the downside to owning a timeshare?

A: * You must continue to pay the yearly maintenance fee, which can increase over the lifetime of the resort, whether you use it or not.

* You could be required to pay additional “special assessments” arising from unexpected costs of maintaining or repairing the resort.

* Some people feel that owning a timeshare requires excessive advanced planning in attempts to reserve a popular floating week or to obtain a good exchange week. Planning a timeshare vacation a year in advance is not unusual.

* The majority of concerns with timeshare ownership seems to center around dealing with cost and interaction with exchange companies. It’s often not the straightforward process the timeshare sales staff would have you believe.