How to Look for a PPC Company For Your Online Branding and Marketing Campaign

When one of my clients asked me on my professional advise on how to choose a
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) company, I told him with these secret strategies:

1) Ensure that the person who is handling your PPC/Search Engine
Marketing campaign is at least in the market for more than 12 months.

2) Do not see the size of the company, bigger in size does not mean
there are good, in fact the bigger the company, the more expensive it can
be.

3) Do not read the news too much about the company, the better and
more widely known the company, usually the price will be sky-rocket and with
the same kind of investment, you will be able to get the same services
elsewhere.

4) Ask the PPC company to provide you with 3 best clients as your
references and 3 of their worst clients they have served, pay attention to
the worst 3 clients, it will reflect many things about the PPC company. Most
of them will NOT provide you with the names of their worst clients, reasons
are very obvious….but you will be able to do some research…read on….

5) Do your research about the PPC company, by searching for the PPC
companies in GOOGLE, you will be able to see related links and information
about the company. Make a few calls and send some emails and you can find
many interesting things the PPC company WILL NOT TELL YOU!

6) Compare prices, assuming that you haven chosen a few PPC companies
and shortlisted them. Get their best prices, push it down further. THERE ARE
ALWAYS ROOM FOR A BETTER PRICES!

7) Don't take to the salesmen of the company, talk to the person
in-charge of your PPC/SEM campaign, they will be able to feed you with more
details the salesmen does not know!

After 2 months, my client gave me a call and told me that he had found a PPC
company and the price is 15% of the market rate and their services are
super! Well I am glad my information helps! Cheers!

15 Smart Job Questions To Ask The Interviewer

It's necessary to ask your interviewer questions because it allows you to
have a better understanding of the company and the position. Use this
opportunity to ask good questions that will benefit you and help you make an
informed decision when a job offer is presented.

The appropriate time to ask questions is when the interviewer asks, "Do you
have any questions for me?" The worst thing to say is, "No you've
answered all of my questions." They don't like that at all because it
tells them you're not really committed or interested in the job.

Keep these tips in mind when you ask questions:

- Ask open-ended, precise questions and avoid the yes or no replies. The
goal is to glean as much information about the job or organization
- Ask questions that show your intelligence and knowledge about your
industry by asking well-thought out questions that are relevant to the
position or organization
- Don't ask about salary, vacation/sick pay or benefits
- Don't ask about things that were discussed in the interview unless you
need clarification or expansion
- Don't ask more than one question at a time
- Don't ask too difficult questions that the interviewer may not be able to
answer

Here are some suggestions you may want to use to ask your interviewer.

What three things attracted you to this company?
What do you enjoy the most about working for this company?
What aspects of this position would you like to see improve?
What makes this company better than its competitors?
What is the most important requirement of doing this job well?
What is a typical work week like?
What are some of the challenges your current employees have faced or facing
today and how is it handled?
How is someone's job performance evaluated and how often are they
evaluated?
What are the job advancement opportunities for this position?
What level of performance do you expect from someone in three months?
How often does this company hire?
What traits make a person successful in this job?
What skills are the most important in this position?
What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
What would you like your new hire to bring to the position/company?

A job interview is a two way street. It's a time for the interviewer and
you to get know one another and find if there's a good fit for both of you.
If it's a company you really would like to work for, it's paramount to ask
the right questions that shows your interest.

White iPhone 4 is 0.2mm thicker; Samsung profit drops; Google TV

Initial reports suggest that the long-delayed white iPhone 4 is 0.2mm
thicker than its black counterpart and may not fit all cases. Also, Samsung
revealed Thursday in its quarterly earnings report that its profit dropped
to the company's lowest figure in almost two years. Finally, Logitech
reported disappointing Google TV sales of just $5 million last quarter.

White iPhone 4

After early adopters of Apple's recently released white iPhone 4 reported
noticing an apparent difference in thickness between the black iPhone 4 and
the white version,TiPb conducted measurements of the two devices. The report
found that the white iPhone 4 is roughly 0.2mm thicker than the black model.

Apple lists the depth of both the white iPhone 4 and the black iPhone 4 as
9.3mm, or 0.37 inch. Tests of various cases found that most cases were
unaffected by the difference, though a few "were just a tad tight."

The exact cause of the increase in thickness on the white iPhone 4 remains
unclear, though some have speculated that a new paint mix and UV protection
contribute to the difference. AppleInsider reported earlier this year that
Apple had partnered with a Japanese company to develop a new paint material
for the white iPhone 4.

iPhone 4 width comparison via TiPb

In an interview earlier this week, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller
explained that a number of reasons, including the need for more protection
from ultraviolet rays from the sun, contributed to the 10-month delay.

Analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities sees Apple selling between 1
to 1.5 million units of the white iPhone 4 each in the June and September
quarters.

Samsung

Samsung saw a 30 percent drop in profit last quarter after phone sales for
the Korean company fell 14 percent year over year to 70 million devices,
Electronista reports.

The electronics giant posted 2.95 trillion won ($2.75 billion) in operating
profit, compared to a consensus forecast of 3.1 trillion won. Samsung also
reported a disappointing quarter in January.

Samsung was hit hardest in its display business, losing $214.85 million and
shipping eight percent fewer LCDs. On the upside, shipments of tablet
displays, many of which are likely bound for Apple's iPad, grew by roughly
30 percent.

With 2010 purchases of $5.68 billion in components, Apple was Samsung's
second biggest customer, behind Sony. In February, a Korean newspaper
claimed that Apple claim the top spot by buying $7.8 billion in parts from
Samsung in 2011.

Apple and Samsung have recently begun a extensive legal battle. Earlier this
month, Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung, accusing the company of
copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung has responded with
countersuits (1, 2) in four different countries: Korea, Japan, Germany and
the U.S.

Google TV

Logitech missed its estimate of $18 million in Google TV product and
peripheral sales in the fiscal fourth quarter by over 70 percent with just
$5 million in sales, GigaOMreports. Last quarter, the company reported $22
million in sales of Google TV-related products. To make matters worse,
inventory for the devices rose 28 percent last quarter.

CEO Gerald P. Quindlen told investors Thursday that he remains "enthusiastic
about Google TV," while announcing plans to scale back marketing for the
Revue Google TV set-top box.

Logitech was one of Google's launch partners for the Google TV platform.
However, when the platform was released last November, reviewers criticized
it for being complicated and confusing. Late last year, technology
journalist Walt Mossberg named Google TV his second worst reviewed product
of 2010.

Last December, on the heels of a report that Google TV hardware makers'
plans had been held up by Google, sources from one of Logitech's suppliers
claimed that the company had suspended shipments of the Revue while waiting
for a Google TV update. However, Logitech issued a statement denying that
Google had asked it to halt production of the device.

"Logitech is currently meeting the inventory needs of its retail customers,
continuing to ship products on schedule to meet their holiday and
post-holiday demand," a spokesperson said at the time.

For its part, Apple has seen growing success with its second-generation
Apple TV. In December, the company announced that it had sold 1 million
units of the device, which went on sale in September. According to one
analyst report, total shipments of the device reached 2 million last month.

Panasonic to shift some battery production

Panasonic Corp. is considering ending lithium-ion battery production at its
factory in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, by the end of next March and
shifting output to other domestic factories and to China, Kyodo News
reported Wednesday, citing company sources.

The Moriguchi factory will specialize in research and development following
the consolidation of production bases for lithium-ion batteries, used in
mobile phones and computers, according to the sources.

The Moriguchi factory has served as Panasonic's main site for battery
production since starting production of dry-cell batteries in 1933. It began
producing lithium-ion batteries in 1994, the first of the group's factories
to do so.

China manufacturing slows down in April

China's manufacturing growth slowed in April, according to official figures.

The country's purchasing managers' index (PMI), which is designed to provide
a snapshot of conditions in the manufacturing sector, fell to 52.9 in April,
from 53.4 in March.

The fall, which was not expected, indicates the government's efforts to slow
economic growth are working.

China has been tightening monetary policy in an attempt to rein in
inflation.

It repeatedly raised interest rates and ordered banks to keep a higher
amount in reserve.

China's economy has been growing at above 10% a year, economists believe
that rate will ease only slightly to 9.5% for 2011.

April marks the 26th straight month that the official PMI has stood above
the threshold of 50 that demarcates expansion from contraction.

In a further sign that the curbs were having an impact, the purchasing
managers' index also showed that the input price index fell 66.2 in April,
from 68.3 in March, a seven months low.

It was the 26th straight month that the official PMI had stood above the
threshold of 50 that demarcates expansion from contraction.

China ban on smoking in public places comes into force

A ban on smoking in public places has come into force in China - home to a
third of the world's smokers.

The move is aimed at curbing the number of deaths from smoking-related
diseases, running at a million a year.

But the new rules have been criticised because they do not include
punishments for those who chose to ignore them.

Business owners often resent efforts to force them to ban smoking on their
premises, because many customers do not like the rules and complain.

The new rules prohibit smoking in places like restaurants, hotels, railway
stations or theatres, but not at the office.

Employers will be obliged to warn staff of the dangers of smoking but not to
forbid them from lighting up at their desks.

Resistance

Shanghai imposed similar rules a year ago, but people do not seem to take
much notice of them.

Often you find people smoking at the next table while you are eating your
meal or having a drink in a bar.

The problem is the regulations do not specify punishments for businesses or
individuals who flout them.

It appears that many Chinese people are unaware of the dangers of smoking.
Research suggests only one in four knows the harm cigarettes or second-hand
smoke can cause.

Officials say they have to try to persuade people not to smoke to try to
reduce the numbers dying from smoking related diseases.

At the same time though the government makes a lot of money from the sales
of cigarettes by the state-owned firm that makes and sells all tobacco
products throughout the country.