Online Shops and Business Web Directories

Online shop owners should be able to get more exposure by using business web directories. Yes, aside from making sure that your online store is indexed by leading search engines like Yahoo and Google, it’s a good idea to submit your website to business web directories.

What’s the difference between Search Engines and Business Web Directories?

While a search engine scans through all types of web pages, a business web directory exclusively scans business-related pages. Thus, it returns more specific results. If you’re someone looking for a supplier, a sponsor or a business-to-business partner, you can surely get a more precise list of business web sites using a web directory for business.

Yahoo! Directory and The Open Directory Project or DMOZ are two of the most popular directories for businesses in the World Wide Web. Another huge directory is business.com.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure that your business website will be included in the larger directory listings. But take note that getting approved at Yahoo! Directory, The Open Directory Project or business.com wouldn’t be that easy. Every day thousands of businesses submit their own sites to these directories so you may need to wait for a few months before getting an approval. For this reason, submitting to smaller scale directories for business can be a smart move.

Jasmine Directory and Max Directory are examples of human edited directories that are worth checking out. Both offer a free listing service for small businesses and even larger businesses alike. And because these directories are human edited, nuisance sites are blocked from the listing.

Before enlisting your website URL to these directories, be sure to choose a category that is closest to your line of business. This way, when prospective customers do their search, your website will surely be included in the appropriate listing. Add to this, doing so will ensure that your submission will get approved more easily.

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Shop of the Week: You Are What You Love

Finally, this is what I’ve been looking forward to since the idea of turning the Shop of the Month segment into the Shop of the Week. This segment will be posted every Sunday but since the 1st day of July starts on Wednesday, we will start the Shop the Week series today=)

Our very first shop to be featured is You Are What You Love. The shop is owned by Aprile Elcich and she makes beautiful collages out of vintages books and paper. I sent Aprile a bunch of questions for the Q&A and I enjoyed her candid answers. For such a young age, I admire her sense of creativity and boldness in launching her own home business. Let’s get to know Aprile a little bit more:

What’s the inspiration behind your shop’s name?
You Are What You Love is actually a song by Jenny Lewis, one of my favourite musicians. I just think it’s an amazing quote and it makes you think about what you love the most. I love collage and making art, and so it seemed to me like a natural match. It might not be the most catchy, but I still like it!

How old is your shop?
Hmm, Etsy says I joined in 2007 but I think there was a lot of procrastinating along the way. It was probably late in 2008 that I actually started selling my work, which was also the same time I started to concentrate on my collages more seriously.

aprile’s work station

What inspired you to start your own home business?
I’ve always been inspired to start my own business, I don’t even know where it came from! I was always that kid who had a lemonade stand, or sold jewelry or whatever I could find. While other kids dreamed of being veterinarians or ballet dancers, I had dreams of opening art galleries, restaurants, or retail stores. It helps that I feel more comfortable being in charge, haha.

sweet Aprile dry and warm
beneath her boothe’s umbrella
for Toronto’s Big on Bloor street festival

What was the toughest challenge you faced so far?
Luckily, I haven’t had any major challenges. The most challenging thing is to keep yourself working towards a goal every time. The thing with artist-types sometimes is that we get into these lulls, where we lack inspiration and feel like everything we make isn’t good enough. It’s a challenge to get over this and continue doing what you love to do.

How did you get over it?
I stopped making excuses and thinking about what I would “rather be doing.” The bottom line is always that when I get into making my collages, I love every minute of it! Voila, no more road blocks.

paper collage and nature

Please Name. . .

the things you do when you’re not busy in your shop:
I’m really boring, haha: Reading my RSS feeds, “window shopping” online, reading (non-fiction usually), going to the market, relaxing at home…

stuff inside your bag you can’t leave home without:
Believe it or not my bag is always nearly empty. My wallet, business cards, a pen and my day planner.

your favorite shops:

Online shops? There are too many!
These are shops I visit often:

somethingshidinghere.etsy.com
fieldguided.etsy.com
enhabiten.etsy.com
BROOKLYNrehab.etsy.com
funiscool.etsy.com
forestbound.etsy.com

your top 3 favorite picks from your shop:

Naturally my brand new mini-book:

My favourite collage right now:

My favourite from the Language of Flowers series:

What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you?
Don’t ever get discouraged, and make sure you are always surrounding yourself with inspiring people and ideas. And of course, never run out of ideas.

Wasn’t that a great interview? Don’t forget to visit Aprile’s Etsy shop and her website to see more of her work. You can also check out her Etsy window to the right. And here are my personal favorites from her shop:

My faves from You Are What You Love

Because I’m not familiar with the artist, I looked up the song You Are What You Love by Jenny Lewis and here is the video:

wait there’s more:

Aprileis having a shop sale this week and she’s giving away one set of these lovely plant markers. Hop over her blog today to know more:

 

 

**if you want to be featured
as Shop of the Week,
send me an email at
theshopbug@yahoo.com

Voice Biometrics Solutions for Business

Voice Biometrics Solutions is the type of technology used to improve a business’s customer support service. By analyzing the voice biometric of an individual through telephone or microphone, identification and verification can be done without the need to ask for confidential details such as SNN, PIN or passwords.

Voice biometrics solutions is said to be as secure and as reliable as using fingerprints for identification or verification. It is interesting to note that a fingerprint has approximately 40 unique characteristics whereas a voice print has over 100 separate characteristics.

Through IVR speech recognition solutions, the risk of identity theft and fraud is greatly reduced and even eliminated. More importantly, it is an unobtrusive method of providing a convenient and secure telephone support to customers.

For more information about voice biometrics solutions, check out this website.

Inspirations from My Blog List: Flowers and Nature

Here are some inspiring photos of flowers and nature from my blog list:

 

flowers in vintage tins via High Street Market

 

polaroid series via Abstract the Day

 

sky; grass; birds; flowers via Moxie Photo & Design

Make Believe Shopping: Lovesac

Today, we’re visiting the Lovesac – an alternative furniture online shop that offers comfortable seating pieces and accessories.

This is called the BigOne Eskimo Phur. It is the largest from Lovesac’s Bean Bag Collection. This massive bean bag chair is famous for its size, durability and comfort. I would love to have one in our living room:)

LoveSac® – our Bean Bags are Bigger!

Their bedding collection sounds tempting. The mattresses, pillows, comforters and blankets seem to be the softest there is!

For accessories, I’d like to get the Dawg Pad for our pooch, George!

I thought their actual shop looks cool and if I live anywhere in the US or Australia, I would surely drop by:)

Make Believe Shopping: Indies In

I came across this shop calledIndiesin and found some items that I would’ve liked to buy.

 

I love dresses and I thought these dresses are cute for hanging out!

 

Some accessories that caught my eye. I especially love the cookie mirror!
Yup, those cookies are actual handy mirrors you can take in your beauty kit:)

Visit http://www.indiesin.com and don’t forget to check out stuff from the shop’s Sale collection!

Day Dream Destination: CIty of Paris

We would stay at Hotel Baltimore Paris. It’s a 4-star hotel located at the heart of Paris near the Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

We’ll start our day with breakfast in bed and enjoy the fabulous view from the suite’s window.

Take a stroll along the city’s famous roads and admire the old architectural structures.

More sightseeing through Seine River Cruise

 

Enjoy vintage finds at Clignancourt flea market

Be awed by the “City of Lights” illuminated at night

the Arc de Triomphe

 

Champs Elysees

 

the Eiffel Tower

Take pleasure in fine dining

Lounge and sip good wine

Enjoy a goodnight’s rest in a luxurious room for another day in beautiful Paris!

Tour Paris and grab the Accor Hotels City Super Sale to enjoy 60% discount. The offer applies for online booking made from June 23-29 for travels starting July 10 to September 30, 2009.

Room rates will start from as low as US$25 per night. Choose from more than 163 hotels in 27 cities including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hanoi, Manila, Mumbai, Sydney, Auckland and Paris.

additional photo sources:
Champs Elysees: http://upload.wikimedia.org/; clignancourt : http://www.paris-ttractions.com, http://travel.webshots.com/; Arc_de_Triomphe: http://www.weblo.com/; Eiffel Tower at Night: http://www.earthinpictures.com/world/france/paris/eiffel_tower_at_night.html; Seine River Cruise: http://www.photography-edu.com/

A Photo by Philip Newton

Isn’t this fabulous?

Photography: Philip Newton

I saw this photo from a blog this week and totally love it! Yet now I couldn’t remember which blog I saw it from. I checked my blog list but I couldn’t find the same photo again. I’m pretty I sure subscribed but somehow that blog isn’t appearing on my list. Does anyone know from where this was posted?

Make Believe Shopping: Fabulous & Sexy Shoes

This luscious Giuseppe Zanotti heels is one of Vogue’s most wanted summer wardrobe essentials for their July issue. No, I’m not really the high-heeled-shoe girl type but I can’t help but be tempted! Isn’t it so sexy?

Oh, and here’s more . . .

Liz Claiborne

 

Enthuse Guess by Marciano

 

Charles by Charles David

 

Genaviv by Jessica Simpson ; Tocai dress sandals by Report Signature

 

Rene by Calvin Klein ; Rosette by A. Minneli

Pop and Quava by Faryl Robin

Gala Sandals by Paris Hilton ; Reach High by Luichiny

 

 

Cross Me Sandals and Fantasy Slingbacks by Dereon

Proper Etiquette by Seychelles ; Polands by BCB Girls

Which one caught your eye?

The Jonathan Adler Gift Card Contest at Decor8

You may already be familiar with the works of Jonathan Adler. This morning, I visited Decor8 and found out about the giveaway contest. 2 winners will win a $100 gift card and $150 gift card to spend at Jonathan’s shop.

I had fun looking for my favorite items from the store. oh my, there were so many pretty things all over the shop. Here are some of my picks:

Dachshund Decor

Owl Napkin Holder

Utopia Pitcher

Utopia Box

Utopia Tea Pot

Utopia Puzzle Box

Turtle Box

Mary Jane Box

Medicine Chest

Tangiers Pillow

Concentric Pillow

Bargello Pillow

Acapulco Pillows

You have until Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:00 PM EST to enter so go over Decor8 now to find out how you can win. Have fun picking out your favorite items:)