Wed, 16 May 2012 How To Become A Car Dealer

Being a car dealer is one of the best money makers in the UK, as well as in most parts of the world. It can cost less than the traditional new or used car dealership, but yields high sums for your work. Before you jump into this promising venture, you've got to learn the workings of how it's done.

Before anything else, one must have the quintessential knowledge on what a car dealership is all about.

Car dealers are involved in local distribution of new or used cars at the retail level. By establishing relationship with the automaker or its subsidiary, the car dealer enters into a dealership contract. Aside from selling, services of the car dealer may extend to maintenance, warranty claims, and stocks or spares of automobile parts and mechanics.

Being a Car Dealer

The first and most important thing you need to do in order to become a car dealer is to procure a license. Depending on your area, getting a license may have specific requirements for the application. Trying to locate and contact the local office of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The next thing you need to consider is the place of business. Since you'll be dealing with cars, you need a wide area for your displays. You can seek the support and advice of a certified inspector or zoning officer so your area can be checked if it's appropriate for an automotive business.

Operating thousands of cars needs a hefty amount of capital. For this, you can turn to opening a line of credit. This acts as a loan which you can use to purchase cars. You begin to incur interest after a fixed number of days where you're not able to sell one vehicle. The trick to saving is to invest in small amounts at a time. This way, you will not run the risk of paying more than your profit, and you can use the initial earnings to purchase your next cars for sale.

Never forget to sort out your car dealer insurance. This insurance will cover your dealership against theft, fire and accidents. Public liability will also make sure that you are covered encase a member of the public gets injured on your premises.

One of the perks of being a licensed dealer is entry to dealership only auctions. Use this to your advantage in looking for great deals and partnerships with automakers. These cars will be given to dealers for a lesser price, and getting a wholesale inventory may just allow you to save more than buying one or two cars at a time. You don't need to worry about not being able to sell all vehicles. You can always have them auctioned for a lesser amount afterwards. sometimes however, car manufacturers from where you've purchased them will agree to a refund, but with deductions.

Being a car dealer entails meet-ups with clients, negotiations, and networking. If you're thinking of being in this business, brush on your interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills. How well or bad you enterprise may just be the death or success of your business. This is by far the most important skill you have to work on when you're in the car dealership business. You must learn how to advertise to keep the business going.

You may not think that reselling cars would be profitable, if not, daunting, but it is a great way to earn fast money. And with a possibly continuous flow of income from selling these cars, who knows You may end up with so much more money than you can ever imagine.

Wed, 16 May 2012 Visa Black Card - The Look of Luxury

We've all seen the wistful and dreamy commercials for the Visa Black Card, featuring a lovely-figured model in a very obvious black-covered theme. Black jets and black boats, and even a black helicopter to whisk the fair maiden off to a life of leisure. The makers of the commercial for the Black Card knew exactly what they were doing; these visions of wealth and relaxation appeal to most people, and more than would care to admit it appreciate and desire status and prestige.

How did the black card come about, exactly? Well, the original black card was the AMEX Centurion, which was virtually unknown by the general public, and available to even the rich only by invitation. It could literally purchase anything the card-holder desired, and there were outlandish reports of magnificent and quixotic purchases made. The AMEX still exists today, and has such requirements as an annual expenditure of $250,000 before an invitation is forthcoming from American Express, as well as a $10,000 activation fee, with a $2500 annual fee thereafter. Clearly, this is the kind of true black card that Maybach owners use.

The Visa Black is Advertising 101; it capitalizes on the mystique and prestige of the AMEX, offering luxury, although nowhere near the same level as the Black Card. Generally, the Black Visa is intended for those who spend between $50,000 and $150,000 per year on credit, which comes out to around 1% of Americans. It has several outstanding attributes that serve notice:

- For the first 6 months, they give you 0% APR on balance transfers

- For every purchase, you get to choose between 1% cash back and airfare reward points

- A crisp, cool matte black Patent-pending Carbon card - no cheap plastic

- An all-day, all-night concierge service

- Luxury gifts from the rewards program, sent by mail to your address multiple times throughout the year

- A Priority Pass to over 600 exclusive airport lounges in almost 100 countries worldwide

- Restaurant dinner reservations for two at top eateries, steakhouses, etc

The benefits that the Visa Black Card offers don't stop there, either; multiple avenues of insurance are offered with the card, from travel and purchase security, to luggage and even automobile security. There is a $495 annual fee, which comes out to just $42 monthly. With the cash-back and rewards program gifts, this amount is easily recouped by card holders.

The Visa Black Card is really just a luxury card for the rest of us, whereas the Centurion is virtually inaccessible. What if you are the type of person who makes enough to spend $100,000 per year? The AMEX black card is way out of reach even so; the Black Visa exists to take up the slack, and serve as an emblem of prestige, status and access for those that can afford it. It isn't recommended that you carry a balance on this card, however; it's main attraction are all the perks it offers, especially for a frequent traveler. Get a low-interest card to act as a supplement for those months when you wish to carry the balance on the Visa Black, and you'll be able to benefit greatly from using the Black Card.

Tue, 15 May 2012 8 Firearm Accessories You Should Definitely Look Into

Ever since mankind began building weapons, customization was part of the deal. Whether it was incorporating the horn of a deer into a Bronze Age dagger or casting a blade of pure gold for King Tutankhamen; it is a tradition to make a weapon unique whether to improve it or to simply identify who it belongs to.

Today this is most obvious with the handgun. There are numerous accessories on the market that make handguns easier to shoot, more comfortable to carry, or simply a little more unique than the next one.
A new handgun usually feels perfect at the point of sale. However, after a few days of shooting, carrying and even handling the gun; the feel of the grip might not be right, or perform as well as advertised. Perhaps the salesman offered a model without night sights to lower the cost and improve the sale? Maybe the grips or the 30 lpi checkering do not feel as comfortable while the pistol is recoiling in the hand? It could be that the stainless steel finish has no character.

For whatever the reason, the following is a list of the 8 most common handgun accessories and in some cases, necessities for a handgun shooter.

Grips
Most handguns are sold with regular, factory issues grips that perform their intended function, but could be improved. Hands come in all shapes and sizes, what works well in a large man's hand may be too big for a petite woman shooter. Aftermarket grip makers such as Hogue offer an array of grips for the most common models of handguns to change this dynamic.

Other handguns such as 1911 pistols and single action revolvers are true works of art and seem to deserve a custom touch that can be accomplished by aftermarket grips of exotic hardwoods, space-age micarta and even fossilized mammoth ivory. Some shooters and collectors take this concept further by having artists scrimshaw their grips or inlay their initials in precious metal.

Grips can be the easiest way to customize a handgun, in most cases the shooter simply removes a few screws and replaces the panels. In very few instances the grips may require final fitting to the pistol.

Magazines

In the case of semiautomatic pistols, magazines are a vital component. However, manufacturers save the consumer money by shipping pistols with relatively few magazines. Two seems to be the average, but a gun coming with a single magazine is not an uncommon occurrence.

Most firearms instructors recommend at least 5 serviceable mags for each gun. Most of the time, pistol magazines are available from the manufacturer who made the pistol, but as in the case with aftermarket grips, there is a legion of aftermarket magazine companies.

As a vital component to the pistol, aftermarket magazines need to be of the highest quality. Cheap magazines often use cheap springs which can prevent proper feeding of the pistol or bodies that are out of spec that do not fit correctly. Try to buy magazines made by the mfgr. of the firearm whenever possible, or at least use aftermarket companies with well-deserved reputations.

Tactical Lights
Most modern pistols are built with an integral rail mount beneath the barrel. This mount is most often used for placement of a tactical light, or tac light. A tac light is a lightweight high-intensity flashlight built to withstand the trauma of recoil while it is attached to a firearm.

The tactical light mounted on the handgun allows you to aim with both hands, while also directing the light toward your target simultaneously. This has a two-fold purpose of identification and momentarily disorienting the target.

The recommended brightness for a tactical flashlight should be 100 lumens or greater. A good light should have a good tactical on /off switch so that it can be manipulated with the press of a finger without fumbling.

Tactical lights are powered by lithium batteries which have a long shelf life, but must be checked at regular intervals to ensure they are working after they are placed in the light. When purchasing a tactical light, it is recommended to purchase spare batteries.

Sights
Gun sights can take many forms. Some shooters are perfectly happy with fixed black non-glare factory iron sights. Other shooters demand night sights for low-light shooting or micro-adjustable sights for target work. Red dot sights and even medium-range scopes can be found on handguns as well.

Very few aftermarket sights can be installed by the end-user. Front and rear dovetail mounts make this an easier task than in the past, but still require a specialized tool to remove and install and for good reason. If sights are not fitted tightly and correctly, they can fall from the gun under recoil.

Replacing sights: whether they are tritium filled night sights, micro adjustable target sights or of the telescopic kind can be an expensive accessory.

However, if it helps the shooter in quicker target acquisition or being able to obtain a sight picture in low-light conditions; they are worth the expense, particularly if not offered as an option by the manufacturer.

Lasers
Laser sights have come a long way since shooters and fans of action movies first saw one in the 1984 film, The Terminator. Over the years they have turned into smaller, less expensive, more accurate and more durable.

Fans of lasers point to the intimidation factor of a red dot appearing on a bad guy's chest and taking the fight out of him immediately. While this is debatable, lasers do have their purpose in a shooter's arsenal.

Laser sights are beneficial from the stand point of shooters finding themselves in a defensive situation behind cover or concealment while exchanging fire with an attacker. If a positive "sight picture" cannot be obtained, the shooter can use the laser to aim without exposing himself to gunfire.

SWAT teams and military units often employ lasers in dynamic entries from behind a protective shield or when visibility may be obscured by dust or smoke.

From a training standpoint, lasers can show errors to a shooter or the instructor such as shaky hands or improper breathing techniques. Some instructors advocate new shooters using a laser to develop solid fundamentals with regard to sight alignment quicker than traditional methods.

Modern lasers can take many forms. Crimson Trace Grips build their lasers into the grips of many popular handgun models and make versions for pistols without grip panels such as Glocks.

Lasers from LaserMax replace the guide rod of many semiautomatic pistols, requiring no external modifications to the pistol.

Lasers can be installed on the accessory rails of pistols equipped with them and have been incorporated into tactical lights meant for the same rail, giving the shooter the best of both worlds in one package.

Range Bags
Visiting the shooting range entails a lot of equipment. In addition to guns and boxes of ammunition, shooters need at a minimum hearing protection, eye protection and paper targets.

A more experienced shooter will bring along anything else that is needed such as target patches, a stout cleaning rod (for removing a stuck case or other obstruction), a notebook (to record progress), a staple gun (to fasten targets more effectively to the stands), sight black (to make a sharper sight picture), tools for adjusting sights, cleaning kits and possibly a first aid kit.

The best way to tote this gear is in a quality range bag.
Some range bags have pockets to accommodate gun pouches or rugs. If a pistol is not supplied with a hard storage case in which to store the pistol, these can be purchased as well to keep the firearm secure when travelling to and from the range.

Holsters
If a handgun is purchased for carrying, whether for personal defense on a daily basis, use in competition, or as a backup piece while hunting; a holster is vital. Holsters allow shooters to carry handguns in a safe and secure manner.

A holster purchase should require as much thought as a pistol purchase. Holsters come in numerous varieties for different ways to carry.

Examples of various holster styles include: Inside the Waistband (IWB), Outside the Waistband, Shoulder Holsters/Rigs, Ankle Holsters/Rigs and Drop-Leg Holsters.

Holsters can be made of various materials with leather, kydex and nylon, being the most popular. A shooter should evaluate what their holster needs are from a carry method point of view as well as a material perspective.

Cleaning Kit
In order to keep any firearm reliable and in good condition, it is necessary to clean it. Lead residue in the barrel can lead to an unsafe condition if the shooter does not clean the bore and switches to jacketed ammunition as chamber pressures can increase to dangerous levels.

Likewise if a handgun is exposed to the elements or perspiration without proper cleaning, corrosion can set in.

Cleaning kits are made to be caliber specific and come with wire brushes, eyelets and cleaning patches to aid gun owners in cleaning their guns.
The better cleaning kits on the market are manufactured by Hoppes, Otis, Winchester and KleenBore; but these but a few of the many that are out there.

Tue, 15 May 2012 Caring for your skin in the spring

The final result? The skin will be cleansed, soft and nourished, ready to "resurrect", like a phoenix, from the winter ashes.
Every day, I recommend the following:

After your shower, dry your skin with a rough towel, as above. Subsequently, gently massage your skin with a good quality, 100% organic anti-cellulite oil, concentrating on areas where there is accumulation of fat.

Properly cleansing your face is vital in any skincare regime: I recommend you do it twice a day (morning and evening) using an organic cleanser and a facial toner. Apply the cleanser with some organic cotton, and remove after it has been left on for a few minutes. To remove the cleanser, use organic cotton wool soaked in your chosen toner.

Choose an anti-cellulite oil that is certified organic, and that is made with Burdock extract, which will play a vital part in your skin's detox. Another beneficial ingredient to look for is Ginger, which serves to activate your micro-circulation. Ginger is an ingredient that works especially well when combined with extract of lemon, so also look out for this. An anti-cellulite oil based on the above ingredients will help to clarify your skin, which will become firmer; your kidneys will increase their output and start to expel waste more effectively.

Your chosen Cleanser should also ideally be certified 100% organic. Cleansers with extracts of lemon and rosemary will help to purify your epidermis. To carefully stimulate the circulation around your face, Ginger is again a good ingredient to look out for. Clove Essential Oil, Coconut Oil, and Lavender are my final recommendations for ingredients to watch for in your chosen Cleanser: These combined have powerful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

When deciding on a Facial Toner, always look for those made without alchohol. Ideally use those made with organic floral waters: Roman Chamomile water has a calming effect on the skin and is anti-inflammatory, while Rose Floral Waters are astringent. And for a calming tonic, also look out for Cornflower water. These three combined are guaranteed to leave your face refreshed, and with a subtle, fresh aroma.

Of course, there is more to ensuring your spring spirit shines through than looking after your skin: Take regular excercise; spend as much time as possible outdoors mingling with nature and tuning out of the hectic activity confrinting your everyday life.

Happy Springtime!

Dr Mariano Spiezia

Mon, 14 May 2012 Learn To Buy Krugerrand Gold Coins

Learn To Buy Krugerrand Gold Coins

Krugerrand gold coin is one of the oldest makes from all contemporary-day gold coin and bullion. Established in 1967, Krugerrand gold coin was rooted from South Africa. Since then, its popularity became so impressive that it caused the mintage of several common gold coin and bullion including the US Gold Eagle and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf.

So why invest in gold? This precious metal has proven itself to be a promising long-term investment, sturdily improving in value since the early 20th century. Mainly during uncertain economic eras, gold has become a safe store of value and has even escalated in value when major foreign currencies decline. There are many benefits to buying Krugerrand gold coin. Below are some of the major advantages compelling investors and traders to pursue them as assets.

One major benefit is high durability. 22k Krugerrand gold coin is comprised of a gold alloy mixture measured at 91.6% gold and 8.4% copper. The addition of copper yields more durability and robustness than any other 24k contemporary gold bullion coins The coin is extremely resistant from damages including chips, dents and scratches that may reduce the overall value of the Krugerrand gold coin.

Another benefit is low cost. Krugerrand is well known and recognized for its low premiums over spot value of gold. At certain trading times, Krugerrand coins were reported to trade at $9 over spot price as opposed to $16 for Canadian Gold Maple Leaf and $34 for the US Gold Eagle over spot price. This price difference is truly a critical aspect for investors looking for the lowest bargains for gold.

Immediate liquidity is also a notable advantage for Krugerrand gold coin. Since Krugerrand gold coin is extremely well-established in its respective market, it is relatively easy and simple to purchase and sell them both in local and multinational sources.

Krugerrand gold coinis also easy to store. Similar with many of the gold bullion coins today, the compactness of Krugerrand dimensions have made them impressively convenient to store and transport. A lot of Krugerrand coins come in 3-inch plastic tubing that fits perfectly inside safes or safety deposit banks.

Gold coins are also better when compared with bars. While it is proven that the premiums on gold bars are basically lower than gold coins, it is also a given fact that gold bars are quite difficult to store and transport. Add this to the fact that many gold bars should be assayed when retailed, which spells out extra costs that you shouldn't be charged with.

Mon, 14 May 2012 Wedding Tips Every Bride And Groom Should Hear

Planning a Destin wedding on the beach is both an exciting time as well as a stressful one. You need to work together with your soon to be spouse in order to make it a day that you will both enjoy. This article will give you tips on how you can make your Destin Florida wedding one that you will remember fondly.

One of the most vital aspects of your Destin wedding is going to be the music that you play. Make sure that the music is modern, but is very personal too, as it should represent the two parties tying the knot. This will add to the ambience of the overall experience of your wedding.

Host a Destin beach wedding that you can afford. Many people tend to go overboard and feel that the more expensive the wedding, the better it is. Remember that a wedding is supposed to be the joining of the lives of two individuals who love one another. Money shouldn't be the object of the day, instead it should focus on the love you both share.

If you want to personalize the look of your wedding, let the groomsmen wear suits in lieu of tuxedos. What they choose to wear will highlight each of their individual personalities, adding to the uniqueness of your ceremony. It may also help them save money on tuxedo rentals, which they will appreciate.

Make sure that you send your dress to get cleaned the day after your wedding and that it is wrapped up for you to hold as a keepsake. You will want to limit the amount of dust that gets on your dress so that it stays fresh for years to come.

Invest some of your wedding in Destin budget on personalized gifts for friends. Your friends and family are part of what makes your life together so special. Give them something that reflects your gratitude. Customize it so they have a memento of your special day that they will want to enjoy for years to come.

It is okay to let loose at your Destin wedding reception. Many people take their wedding day too serious and do not remember it is supposed to be a joyous occasion. When this happens, they look back at their special day with unpleasant memories. Laugh with your guests, and dance to upbeat music.

If you are feeling the pressure and stress from planning your Destin Beach wedding you could use a little piece of mind. This article has given you ways that you can have the beautiful day you are wanting, and also reduce the amount of stress you are feeling over getting it all done on time.

Mon, 7 May 2012 Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) - the Natural Mental Stimulant

Brahmi is small shallow rooted creeper which grows in marshy wetlands all over the Indian sub-continent. It is rich in the alkaloids Brahmine, and herpestine and Vitamin C. The goodness of the Brahmi plant is contained in its leaves and can be used in salads and sandwiches.

BRAHMI - THE HERB

Brahmi is small shallow rooted creeper which grows in marshy wetlands all over the Indian sub-continent. It is rich in the alkaloids Brahmine, and herpestine and Vitamin C. The goodness of the Brahmi plant is contained in its leaves and can be used in salads and sandwiches.

THERAPUTIC APPLICATIONS
Reduces Anxiety : Brahmi is considered a powerful herb in Ayurveda. It relaxes the nerves, reduces anxiety and soothes the brain cells. Many Ayurvedic preparations add Brahmi to reduce mental restlessness and extreme sexual desire. Regular consumption of Brahmi restores mental calm and refreshes the mind and alleviates mental depression, anxiety and stress.


Boosts Mental Functioning : Brahmi boosts the functioning of the brain cells and increases mental alertness, memory and intelligence. It is a popular supplement for students appearing for crucial academic examinations. Brahmi is known to increase mental retention, focus and concentration.


Geriatric Mental Tonic : Brahmi has been found to be very effective in reducing geriatric forgetfulness and mental disorientation as well as keeping diseases like Alzheimer's at bay. Its anti-oxidant properties reduce degeneration of brain cells and keep one's mental faculties youthful and alert.


De-addiction : For those trying to battle alcoholism and drug addiction, Brahmi is a useful herbal supplement. It helps to detoxify the system and its anti-oxidant properties minimize the damage cased by toxins and chemicals present in narcotics, alcohol as well as in the medications used in the process of de-addiction. The natural stimulants present in Brahmi protect the brain cells from permanent damage and help in the process brain cell rejuvenation.


Blood Purifier : Brahmi is a natural anti-pyretic as well as an anti inflammatory. It treats fever, joint pain and inflammation, chronic cough and asthma. Its blood cleansing properties reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.


Hair Tonic : Brahmi oil is a popular hair tonic. Oil extract from the Brahmi plant is used as a hair tonic in India. Regular use of Brahmi hair oil, nourishes the hair roots and scalp. It reduces hair fall, premature baldness, clears scalp dandruff and makes the hair healthy and lustrous.


Brahmi is useful in treating :

Forgetfulness and memory Loss
-Geriatric mental deterioration
-Mental stress and anxiety
-IBS( irritable bowel syndrome ) caused by stress
-Insomnia
-Depression
-Mental Illnesses, hysteria & nervous breakdown
-Addiction
-ADD
-Chronic Cough
-Asthma
-Hair loss and premature graying

Brahmi and other herb combinations : Since Brahmi in its pure form suppresses appetite, it is used in combination with natural digestive stimulants such as ginger or cardamom. When used in combination with Tagara or Gotu Kola, Brahmi acts as a sedative and effective in treating sleep disorders.

Sumenta is an anti-depressant which contains a combination of Brahmi, Amlaki, St. John's Wort, and Arjuna.


click here to know more about Herbal Supplements.

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 How to Buy Silver Coins Online

When you decide that you want to buy silver coins you have already made a good decision. However, there are other details to consider. For example, where are you going to buy? This is by far the most important question that you will ask yourself. One of the best answers is online. There are many internet based stores that sell silver coins, gold coins, bullions, and other types of related items.

Above all else, you have to buy silver coins from an online store with a good reputation. The last thing you want to do is pay a lot of money for something, just to find that it is not authentic. As long as the store is reputable, this is not an issue that you have to deal with.

What about the price? As you know, the price of gold and silver has gone through the roof as of late. For this reason, you have to be careful as you shop for silver coins online. There is nothing wrong with paying a fair price. That being said, you don't want to get stuck in a position where you are paying more than you should.

Finally, silver coins are issued by many countries. Are you looking for a particular type? Or are you simply interested in the fact that it is silver? At the very least, this can help you narrow down your options.

With all this information in mind, you are now in position to buy silver coins online with a high degree of confidence and success.

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 A Driven market is Heating up within Car Sales Australia

A Driven market is Heating up within Car Sales Australia

The online car sales market in Australia has been dominated by CarSales.com.au for the last fifteen years however new players in the market are pushing hard to fight for a share of the market.

However any effort to compete may be in vain as one of the biggest challenges for other used car sales related websites is to appear in search enginge result pages (SERP) for the search terms "car sales" and "used cars". There is a distinct advantage to the domain name CarSales.com as it naturally dominates search engine results for the search query "car sales", yet there is some variation in SERP position for the next most popular search query "used cars".

The TradingPost.com.au has recently made a significant effort to compete with the search term "used cars" with SEO optimization techniques as their website has been on the first page of search queries in recent months. It has began appearing as the number 1 result for the Australian version of Google (www.google.com.au) lately, and is rotating it's position with the otherwise dominant CarSales.com.au.

Another competitor in the space is CarsGuide.com.au, which is part of News Limited. They have recently taken a different approach to compete with CarSales.com.au by swamping traditional media such as radio and billboards with messages similar to marketing themselves as "the smart choice for selling your car online". A commentators in the industry suggested that CarsGuide are attempting to establish themselves as the "Number 2" in the industry and have accepted the premise that beating CarSales off their top podium position is an impossibility.

Perhaps such an assumption narrow minded since CarsGuide is a News Limited entity which has tremendous resources at it's disposal. Afterall, News Limited is one of Australia's largest media conglomerate companies, employing more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,000 journalists. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.

Nonetheless, CarSales announced in their end of Financial Year 2011 Report that Profit was up 35% from the previous financial year to $58.3m after tax. Who would have thought that a website dedicated to facilating the selling of vehicles in Australia would be so profitable? Being a public listed company offers transparency to competitors and may inevitably drive those competitors to the beleif that competing is worthwhile.

Meanwhile, there are a number of other sizeable corporations competiting as well, including eBay with their "Motors" section in combination with the eBay owned company Gumtree.com.au.

A striking difference between CarSales and it's competitors, is that CarSales is the most expensive option to list your car for sale in Australia. A direct approach taken by CarsGuide is to simply offer listings for "half the price" at $30 versus $60, however is listing on CarsGuide at least half the value? If we take a look at the "Private Cars for Sale" on CarsGuide, the number of cars listed as at 9th April 2012 is not even close to half with just 12,112 versus 72,819 on CarSales. On these metrics alone it would appear that 16% of the cost compared to CarSales comes to less than $10, so it really does not appear to be good value for money. Of course, the true value for money comes from the number of potential buyers, however these types of metrics are not publicly disclosed.

In contrast, what if we were to analyze the FREE market of online car sales in Australia, is it possible that there is some value there instead? Thankfully for many faithful users of Gumtree it continues to be a free option available despite it's ownership by eBay and it boasts 63,246 cars for sale at the same date. While these numbers appear to be similar to CarSales, the downside however is that Gumtree seems to have significant regional popularity and lacks market penetration in the capital cities throughout Australia. For example, there are only 4,443 cars listed in Brisbane versus 16,341, so the largest population market is still clearly dominated by CarSales.

A surprise competitor in the free Boost Classifieds - Car Sales category which boasts 8,615 Private Used Cars listed in Brisbane, which is obviously significant value for money since it is absolutely free.

With such fantastic free options available we're led to question why people continue to pay to sell their cars online? The simple reasoning is the lack of marketing, while CarsGuide, TradingPost and CarSales can afford to help convince the public that paying to sell their car on their sites is good value for money, the truth is that even selling one of your greatest assets online can be acheived without cost.

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 Inject some Character into your Website

When it comes to creating a website there are many things to consider, ranging from what domain name is worth stumping up the cash for and SEO issues, what colour schemes to use and how big to make the ‘buy now' button. But amidst all these technical elements, many businesses forget the one key aspect that is required of any sales and promotional device: character.

Your website can look good, and navigating it can be a digital dream come true, but if it lacks character then it will be easily forgettable and ignored.

What kind of character should your website have? Wise and trustworthy? Quirky and energetic? Helpful and knowledgeable? Serious and professional? Only you can decide that. But once you know what you want, you must communicate this to your SEO agency and any other digital marketing companies working on your website.

Making an impression

Why is character so important? It's quite likely that there are at least a dozen companies offering exactly the same as you; in some cases they may have virtually identical product ranges. The trick is to emphasise your differences from the competition in other ways, portraying your company as more caring, more talented or more ‘crazy' about bargains, for example.

Is Coca Cola so popular because it looks and tastes so radically different from a 29p bottle of supermarket own-brand cola? Or is it because Coca Cola has injected some character into their brand with their advertising campaigns, associating it with such pleasurable activities as Christmas and mid-morning breaks in the office?

Creating character in digital marketing

Your web design and graphics have an important role to play in creating a sense of character, but it's in your written content where people will really pick up on the messages and personality that you're trying to get across. That's why it's important to ensure that the company that provides your search engine optimisation and web content understands the character that you are trying to instil in your online brand. It may help to use an agency local to you. For example, if you're based in the capital, an SEO agency in London may have a better idea about the local market, and will be able to meet you in person to discuss the image you want for your brand.

It's also important that you maintain the same tone and style of content more or less across all of your digital marketing channels. Having one personality on your website and an entirely different one on your Facebook page can be incredibly jarring, somewhat akin to Mickey Mouse suddenly gaining a Yorkshire lilt and telling Pluto where he can shove it. Once you've settled on your brand's ‘character', make sure it's generic across all of your platforms.