The open source revolution calls for a free, unregulated Internet that allows the public free access to design, develop and share software programs and information. These 80 charities and nonprofit organizations foster the open source spirit through education programs, fundraising practices and promotional techniques in order to transform the Internet into a more democratic entity.

Most Popular

These organizations are some of the most popular open source nonprofits on the Web.

1. Wikipedia: Most non-techies don’t realize it, but Wikipedia is actually an open source charity. Based on a system of free information sharing, anyone can edit posts, submit images and create articles.
2. SourceForge.net: Users of SourceForge.net are encouraged to “create, participate [and] evaluate.” Ongoing projects are categorized by clustering, desktop, financial, games networking, security, and more.
3. Open Source Initiative: This nonprofit organization was “formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open-source community.” Use their website to learn more about open source, make a donation or get involved with different projects.
4. Open Source with Christopher Lydon : Readers and members of this popular web community help produce a daily radio show about everything from world politics to literature to entertainment.
5. The Open Group: This “vendor-neutral and technology-neutral consortium” aims to connect global enterprises through the free, uninterrupted flow of shared information.
6. Calgary Open Source Group: This online social network also supports open source software technology, spreading the word about its unique culture.
7. The Utah Open Source Collective: The Utah Open Source Collective is a nonprofit organization that relies on volunteers to maintain an organization that works towards improving technology, sharing information and spreading the word about open source.
8. .netTiers: Download free code generation templates from this open source organization.
9. Software in the Public Interest: SPI promotes open source by helping organizations develop open hardware and software for their businesses.
10. The Apache Software Foundation: Apache users can find support for software programs and projects at The Apache Software Foundation, an online “community of developers and users.”
11. XFree86 Project: Volunteers involved in the XFree86 Project produce the XFree86, which is widely used “freely redistributable open source implementation of the X Window System.”
12. OpenSourceCommunity.org: This community strives to “make the world a “little” better place.” Become a member (don’t worry, it’s free!) and find yourself part of an online networking system which focuses on information sharing and technology.

Education Programs

The more we educate children about technology and the Internet, the more computer proficient individuals continue to revolutionize open source software and communities. These education programs are devoted to broadening the world’s understanding of how computers and the Internet impact society.

13. Internet Society: The Internet Society sponsors all kinds of workshops and training programs to help communities, including those in underprivileged nations, better utilize the Internet.
14. CyberSmart!: CyberSmart! provides free curriculum to teachers in grades K-8 to help their students learn “to use the Internet safely, responsibly and effectively.”
15. The Internet and Your Child: This program helps parents teach Internet safety to their children.
16. Apple Learning Interchange: This social network connects teachers who want to discover new methods and tools for educating their students on computer technology.
17. West Virginia Tools for Schools Elementary: This successful program brings computers and the Internet into the classrooms of West Virginia.
18. Education Program for Gifted Youth: Stanford University’s EPGY invites gifted students from around the world to participate in an “individualized educational experience” that offers courses in subjects like computer science.
19. Help the Afghan Children: This nonprofit organization sponsors a computer education program to help Afghans catch up with the “global information technology revolution” and contribute to the computer industry.
20. One Laptop Per Child: This admirable organization lists as its mission to “provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves.”
21. ERIC: ERIC, or the Education Resources Information Center, is a government-sponsored online library full of educational resources for teachers. Lesson plans and ideas for computer exercises are also available.
22. Education World Technology Integration: This website provides teachers with all kinds of computer resources for implementing technology in the classroom, including the Internet, typing, and more.
23. Steve Wozniak’s Los Gatos School District Adoption: Macintosh founder Steve Wozniak has donated technology equipment to California’s Los Gatos School District to help introduce children to the world of computers.

Design and Development Groups

Below you will find nonprofit organizations dedicated to the improvement of open source standards and software development.

24. Open Source Web Design: This nonprofit allows visitors to download free web design templates. Search by designer or keyword to find new favorites.
25. GNU: The GNU Operating system is a Unix-based os that features free software. Users have the freedom to run the program study, learn how the program works, redistribute copies and discover new ways to improve the program.
26. Open Source Applications Foundation: The OSAF works with the Chandler Project to design open source software for small group collaboration. Applications include a Desktop application, a server and the Chandler Hub Sharing Service, which provides PIM services online for free.
27. Open Source Geospatial Foundation: This foundation helps support Web-based community projects like the development of its own open source geospatial software. Designers and developers are encouraged to share plans and ideas for the benefit of the foundation and their own projects.
28. XMPP Standards Foundation: Instant messaging is another part of the Internet that open source advocates try to protect against privatization and corporate exploitation. The XMPP Standards Foundation works to “define open protocols” for instant messaging programs and encourages free information sharing between designers, developers and programmers.
29. The Free BSD Foundation: The Unix-based BSD operating system relies on this foundation to fund its research and developments so that the public may continue to use its services.
30. TuxPhone: The TuxPhone project aims to create a totally open source cell phone in order to create new applications for phones.
31. Blender: This “free open source 3D content creation suite” recently produced the world’s first open source movie, Elephant Dreams.
32. openEHR: The openEHR Foundation promotes “future-proof and flexible EHR specifications” for the health care industry.

Lobbying Charities

These charities are proactive about sharing news and information about open source with the government and the public.

33. The Free Software Foundation: The FSF “is dedicated to promoting computer users’ rights to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs.” Get involved with current campaigns like Defective By Design, which plans to eliminate DRM, or the appeal to various governments to utilize OpenDocument.
34. Oasis: The Oasis organization is a nonprofit group that aims to improve the development and use of open source technologies around the world. Visit their website to find out how you can participate, or to gain additional information about the various Oasis committees, including ones which tackle issues in security, law and government or computing management.
35. Creative Commons: This nonprofit combines the idealistic views of pure information sharing with secure but privatized creative data. Creative Commons uses “private rights to create public goods” by allowing designers, developers and artists to license their work while making it accessible to the public.
36. Electronic Frontier Foundation: The EFF is a nonprofit organization that actively defends the public’s “digital rights” like free speech and privacy.
37. Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation: HOSEF “promotes and sustains” open source ideas and software through volunteer programs, advocacy, and recycling.
38. International Free and Open Source Software Foundation: The iFOSSF lobbies for open source software in order to improve the economic and social standards of disadvantaged communities by encouraging and supporting the growth of new businesses.
39. XorgFoundation: This “scientific charity” provides “worldwide stewardship of the X Window System technology and standards.” Anyone can become a member to support their cause.
40. The Mifos Initiative: This open source software company pledges its support of the world’s poorest communities by improving the “microfinance industry’s information management challenge.” The Mifos project aims to make this information technology more accessible to microfinance companies so that they can help the poor more effectively.
41. World Wide Web Consortium: This organization is dedicated to “leading the Web to its full potential” by developing open source tools, software and communities. According to The Open Source Community, the W3C supports over 350 member organizations around the world.

Communities

These online communities connect open source advocates from all over the world.

42. MIT Open Source Research Community: Free/open source enthusiasts share research, network and contribute papers and abstracts on this MIT-sponsored site.
43. The Linux Foundation: The Linux foundation was created to protect and promote the open source concepts and developments of Linux. As a nonprofit organization, The Linux Foundation also provides legal services, standardizes Linux software and provides “a neutral forum for collaboration and promotion.”
44. Xiph.org: This nonprofit promotes an unprivatized Internet by “supporting and developing” open software and other tools that the public can access freely. visit their website to find out how you can donate to the cause or participate in new projects.
45. Eclipse: This program fosters “an open source community whose “projects are focused on building an open development platform” that supports tools for developing software. In addition to its online forum, Eclipse also sponsors various summits and DemoCamps each year.
46. Sakai: This Web-based community promotes a “collaboration and learning environment” where users may research, edit, consult and teach issues and documents related to technology.
47. Java-Source.net: Java-Source.net is home to a rich community of programmers and developers who constantly work towards promoting and improving open source technologies. Use the website to check out ongoing projects or to suggest one of your own.
48. Open Web Application Security Project: The OWASP is a “worldwide free and open community focused on improving the security of application software.” Anyone can make suggestions, submit theories and utilize the organization’s resources free of charge.

Miscellaneous Nonprofits

Check this list for open source and open access nonprofits.

49. The Open Source Education Foundation: Children are also encouraged to become proponents of open source technology. This group has been approved by the IRS to educate students in grades K-12 about open source.
50. Free and Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan: This group is becoming so popular that it is temporarily unable to maintain its own website. To help them get back on their feet, FOSSFP requests that “the international community” continues to support its hosting system, as well as free and open source software technologies.
51. Open Bioinformatics Foundation: The OBF provides free administrative support and open source programming services to the bioinformatics community, which uses computer technology to help solve biological problems.
52. OpenLDAP Foundation: This foundation is a nonprofit organization that receives and manages donations made to benefit the OpenLDAP Project, which develops open source software and Web hosting services.
53. The Foundation of P2P Alternatives: This foundation studies “the impact of Peer to Peer technology and thought on society.” By studying open source networks and communities, the P2P Foundation explores the culture and social progressions of these innovative communities.
54. Free Beer: This popular organization doesn’t pass out frothy pints via your computer screen, but it doesn’t provide free recipe and branding elements which anyone can use or alter.
55. Nonprofit Open Source Initiative: This successful organization pledges “to facilitate and encourage the use of open source software in the nonprofit sector, and to bring nonprofits and open source developers and projects together.”

Free Open Source Software

These groups provide open source software and tools to the public free of charge.

56. civiCRM: Comprehensive CRM packages are often too expensive for small businesses. civiCRM hosts several programs including contact databases, online event registration forms and online fundraising management tools that nonprofit and advocacy groups can download for free.
57. The Mambo Foundation: Mambo provides free CRM downloads to the public on its website. The Mambo Foundation protects the developments of the Mambo company and its online community of supporters, designers and programmers.
58. The Mozilla Foundation: The Mozilla Foundation protects open source software like Firefox so that its accessibility to the public is never compromised.
59. TrueCrypt: TrueCrypt provides “free open source disk encryption software for Windows Vista/XP/200 and Linux.”
60. Participatory Culture Foundation: The Internet isn’t the only form of media that is subject to privatization and censorship: TV can also be threatened. The PCF is the organization that develops Miro, a “free open-source desktop video application that is designed to make mass media more open and accessible for everyone.”
61. Plone Foundation: Plone is a completely free open source content management service that is available to the public on the Web. The Plone Foundation supports Plone to ensure that it can and will always remain a public service.
62. Firebird: Firebird software is a relational database that is free to download from the organization’s website. Users are encouraged to modify the software to create their own versions which should also be shared with the online community.
63. OpenGL: Accessing free online games and virtual reality technologies is possible because of the OpenGL organization, which claims to be “the industry standard for high performance graphics.”
64. Kuali Foundation: This nonprofit helps colleges, schools, businesses and other organizations maximize their open source networks and software programs.
65. The RadioActive Foundation: The RadioActive Foundation works to fund and promote the open source software developed under the RFID project, which plans to revolutionize the Internet by creating a new “reference group of applications” for the public.
66. Python Software Foundation: The goal of the PSF is to “promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of the international community of Python programmers.” Users, developers and donors can all connect at their website.
67. XOOPS: The XOOPS organization is “powered by you.” Support the design program by participating in the forums, making a donation or just spreading the word.
68. Tax Code Software Foundation: Also known as “the Linux of tax software,” Tax Code Software aids U.S. taxpayers in their regular tax organization and preparation.
69. OpenCyc: OpenCyc “is the open source version of the Cyc technology, the world’s largest and most complete general knowledge base and commonsense reasoning engine.” Download software or participate in ongoing discussions on their website to support open source technologies.
70. Open Channel Foundation: Academic communities use Open Channel publishing software to publicize and organize research and teaching documents.
71. Dojo: The Dojo Toolkit is an open source software program that is supported by the Dojo Foundation. By encouraging the program’s adoption, discouraging political contention, encouraging the collaboration and integration with other projects, and remaining a transparent, free access system, the foundation manages to continue providing services to the public.

Social and Political Groups

These social and political groups are also supporters of a free and open Internet.

72. Ron Paul: 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul strongly believes in the concept of a free Internet, saying, “we should never interfere with the Internet.”
73. Barack Obama: 2008 Democratic candidate Barack Obama is another supporter of net neutrality and a free, unregulated Internet.
74. eLGG: This open source social networking platform fosters a community of designers, programmers, donors and fundraisers who advocate open source technologies.
75. Technology and Social Action Wiki: This wiki creates awareness about how technology impacts social action projects. Social activists can collaborate using this online portal to discuss fundraising issues and more.
76. Really Simple Social Action: Link up with other social activists with this open source community.
77. Politics 2.0: This concept is based on the idea “that social networking and e-participation technologies will revolutionize our ability to follow, support, and influence political campaigns.”
78. Open Source Politics: This article discusses the effects of open source tactics on British government.
79. Open Source Politics Taps Facebook for Myanmar Protests: Learn how political activists are instantly mobilized with the help of open source technologies.
80. Open Source Political Manifesto: In an online experiment, Halfbakery challenges users to create political manifestos based on open source concepts. Readers will continue to vote on their favorite manifestos, creating a “public forum for non-mainstream political ideas.”

So you’ve managed to achieve a good flow of traffic, but you don’t have the revenue to back it up. What’s going on? It’s time to optimize for conversions and cast a critical eye on more than traffic numbers, but how your visitors behave when on your site. These resources will help you measure, understand, and covert your traffic into revenue-building users.

Conversion Tools

When it comes to online revenue, it’s all about conversions. Turn casual visitors into buyers and subscribers with these conversion tools.

1. Website Conversion Calculator: Estimate your conversion rate based on visitor and order data with this calculator.
2. Second Bite: Losing money with all those abandoned shopping carts on your ecommerce site? Turn those into real sales with SecondBite. The service emails or calls shoppers to help them bring their sales to completion.
3. UserVue: If you’re really serious about improving your conversion rates, you can try a service like UserVue. It will allow you to remotely watch as users go through your site, so you can actively see what works and what doesn’t.
4. Hitslink: With Hitslink, you can get web based real-time tracking and reporting as well as conversion tracking for PPC campaigns. You can also set up tracking for specific events like promotions and downloads.
5. Unica NetTracker: Get data for program optimization with NetTracker. You’ll get the information you need to make decisions about campaigns, PPC marketing and more.
6. Robot Replay: Get Robot Replay to watch a video of where your users go, which allows you to find out where they get bored or give up. Ultimately, this should help you convert visitors to buyers.
7. DeepMetrix: With this analytics solution, you’ll get campaign tracking, conversion, and lots more.
8. WebTrends: Use WebTrends to increase engagement and conversion rates through feedback on marketing, content, and usability.
9. Indextools: This tool is tailor-made for e-businesses, offering intelligence on the level of effectiveness in web campaigns. It’s designed to make marketing easier and improve sales.
10. Intellitracker: Understand what your customers are doing on your site and what motivates them to do it using Intellitracker’s tool.
11. imWare: Check out this suite of tools that offers analytics and an understanding of what makes your visitors take action.
12. iPerceptions: Learn about your visitor’s experience with this tool that seeks out answers to visitor satisfaction questions.
13. Clickfox: Use Clickfox to take your customer data and turn it into a visual map that reveals customer behavior and motivation.

Stat Trackers

Keep tabs on who is visiting your page, how often they’re visiting, and what’s most popular with these web statistics tools.

14. Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a must have for any webmaster or blogger. Clear and concise reports let you know who is visiting your site and from where, letting you use that important information to improve your site.
15. AWStats: Get your log information in easy-to-read format with this valuable open source tool.
16. Compete: Find out how your traffic stats stack up to others with this competitive analysis tool.
17. StatCounter: This free hit counter and Web stats tool will help you keep track of the number of people your site attracts and what you can do to keep them coming back.
18. AddFreeStats: Keep tabs on your visitors with this tracking tool. Find out how many people visit your website, when they come, and how they found you. You’ll also being able to add your site to the AddFreeStats directory.
19. OneStat: For a low monthly fee, get detailed and professional grade reports on visitor behavior, search engines, and how well your ads are functioning with the tracking company OneStat.
20. VisitorVille: Get great features and a fun, game-like interface from this statistics tool.
21. Clicky: Use Clicky for simple, illustrated, and easy to digest stats.
22. Ultimate Counter: Put a visual representation of your hits on your website with the Ultimate Counter. The counter provides some basic stats for your page as well.
23. Smart Tracking: Cut and paste a few lines of HTML on your site and start tracking your visitors with Smart Tracking. Get reports on hits, visitors, what pages are most popular, and more.
24. Alexa: Alexa is a popular Web tracker that allows users to track their traffic and links. You’ll also be able to examine site visitors using graphs and lists contained in an easy-to-use toolbar.
25. TrafficEstimate: Get a quick estimate of the traffic your site, or any other site, is getting with this easy-to-use tool.
26. pMetrics: Get detailed statistics on every visitor to your site and more features than any other stat site at pMetrics.
27. Urchin: Use Urchin to get reports on where your visitors come from, how they navigate your site, and conversion tracking. This is a great option for sites that can’t use Google Analytics due to firewalls or internal networks.
28. WebSTAT: Get this cheap, easy tool to track analytics for your business or non-profit.
29. Enquisite: If you’re focused on search engine and PPC traffic, Enquisite is your tool. It will tell you all about page position, landing pages, geodata, and lots more.
30. Nielsen Net Ratings: Check out Nielsen to compare your web analytics with other sites in your industry.
31. Site Meter: One of most popular web stats sites, Site Meter can give you tracking results on the number of visitors, views, and geographic information.
32. Mint: Mint provides stats that can help you identify what parts of your site visitors are most interested in, plus loads of other features.
33. FEEDJIT: Get real-time stats on your web traffic, including where your visitors are coming from and what they’re looking for, with FEEDJIT.
34. Statsaholic: Get “website traffic comparisons on steroids” with this service that allows you to compare traffic for up to three domains at once.
35. URLTrends: Get weekly or monthly updates on your site’s stats with URLTrends.
36. Vendor Discovery Tool: Find out what analytics tool your favorite websites are using with this tool.
37. Opentracker: Opentracker offers services which include reporting of customer behavior and traffic statistics
38. VisiStat: For real-time tracking with campaign management, keyword analysis, maps, and visitor reports, check out VisiStat.
39. ClickTracks: Take a look at your campaigns, navigation patterns, and stats on PPC, SEO, and ROI, all in one easy to use tool.
40. GoStats: Whether you’re looking for a free service or a professional solution, GoStats can provide you with the web statistics you need.

Visitor Behavior Tools

It’s one thing to learn about how visitors get to your site, but it’s another to find out what they’re doing once they get there. Check out these behavior trackers to step up the usability and retention of your site.

41. Crazy Egg: Supplement your analytics with some cool visuals. Crazy Egg will give you heat maps, lists, and overlays to let you know everything that’s going on with your site.
42. MoveMetrics: With this map-based analytics tool, you’ll be able to see where visitors go, what they do, how products relate, and a lot more.
43. Snoop: Get real-time visitor tracking with this tool that streams activity to your desktop.
44. Omniture SiteCatalyst: Identify profitable paths in your site, where visitors drop off, and how different visitors react to your site with SiteCatalyst.
45. iWebTrack: Get buying trends, visitor activity, system behavior and more with iWebTrack.
46. VBIS: With VBIS, you’ll find out how many times visitors come to your site before buying, which customers actually buy, and lots more.
47. Coremetrics: Get actionable information on effectiveness, marketing, and visitor visualization with Coremetrics.
48. Deep Log Analyzer: Find out everything from how many visitors fill out your form to where they live with the Deep Log Analyzer.
49. Clicktale: Get a video representation of what your visitors are doing on your site to better understand their behavior and take action on usability.

Blog Tools

Many of the tools we’ve mentioned so far are geared towards general web use. Check out this collection to get tools that are specially designed to analyze and improve traffic and conversions for your blog.

50. Conversation Tracker: One way to keep track of the popularity of your blog is to track “conversations” that are formed every time someone links to your blog. This tool from BlogPulse makes it easy. Just enter a URL or search term and get your results.
51. Trend Search: Keep track of your buzz with this easy-to-use tool. Create graphs that track user interest for keywords, links and phrases on your site.
52. IceRocket: Get some free blog tracking from Ice Rocket. It’s easy to download and implement, and offers quick results.
53. Xinu: Check out this tool that integrates with other web 2.0 stats tools so that you can look at everything all at once.
54. Measure Map: Understand what your blog’s visitors do and see how you’re influencing the world with Measure Map.
55. FeedBurner: Bring more subscribers into your blog by creating your own feed with FeedBurner. Additionally, you’ll be able to track and use optional advertising.
56. iBlogStats: Get Web 2.0 stats for your blog’s bookmarks, rankings, backlinks, and a lot more with iBlogStats.
57. WassUp: Get this WordPress plugin, and you’ll be able to track visitors to your blog in real time.
58. Blog Patrol: Use this free blog counter to find out who is coming to your site and what is bringing them there.

Articles, Guides and Case Studies

Once you’ve got the stats, read these informative pieces to find out what to do about them.

59. Ultimate Web Analytics Comparison Resources: We’ve shared a lot of web analytics tools here, and this article by Web Analytics World offers a head to head comparison of a number of them.
60. 6 Ways to Improve Conversion Rates for More Subscription-based Revenue: For those hoping to make money off of blogs, you’ll need to get a legion of loyal subscribers who’ll visit your site regularly. This article from doshdosh will give you some pointers on the best way to do that, with 6 easy tips.
61. 5 Keys to Improving Website Conversions: Here you’ll find 5 simple things you can do that will make a big difference in the success of your web venture.
62. Measuring Visitor Engagement and Behavior: Understand why behavior tracking is important and how you can use it to your advantage with this article.
63. How Do I Improve My Website Conversion Rate?: Check out this multi-part guide by Steve Jackson on improving conversion rates to help your website make a bigger impression on visitors.
64. Learn to Monitor Your Stats: Get a rundown of the basics of web analytics in this article.
65. The Secret Statistics in Split RSS Feeds: Learn how to look at Google Reader numbers by using the advice in this article.
66. Web Analytics: Understanding Visitor Behavior: Learn how to go beyond the hit counter with new tools that track the way your visitors behave.
67. Summary Web Analytics Tutorial: Read this to get a detailed tutorial on web analytics.
68. eMetrics: Rachel Scotto of Sony Pictures: Find out how Sony Pictures tracks the success of their sites in this case study.
69. Hacking Your Wordpress.com Stats: Learn how to take your included WordPress stats tool from limited to highly informative.
70. Understanding Google’s Conversion-Tracking Mechanism: This guide from O’Reilly can help demystify Google’s conversion tracking tools.
71. Seven Web Analytics Sins: In this white paper, you’ll learn how to identify search terms that convert, discover pages that influence conversion, and how to avoid the seven deadly sins of web analytics.
72. Are You Into Internal Site Search Analysis? You Should Be: Learn why it’s important to find out what visitors are searching for once they get inside your site.
73. Mint and iPhone: Two great tastes that taste great together: Check out this guide from TUAW that runs down how to use the Mint tracking tool on the iPhone.
74. Negotating a Web Analytics Vendor Contract? Check SLAs: Learn why it’s vital to pay attention to Service Level Agreements when negotiating a web analytics vendor contract.
75. 5 Ways Google Analytics Can Help Increase Traffic to Your Website: Check out these techniques for analysis that work not just for Google Analytics, but most analytics packages out there.
76. Blog Conversion: How Do You Get Users to Subscribe?: This article is in response to a reader question about increasing subscriptions. It gives some great advice on how to modify your website.
77. Understand Visitor Behavioral Pattersn to Maximize Sales: This article describes how you can capitalize on visitor behavior stats.
78. The Travails of Tracking Web Traffic: This article from BusinessWeek details the difficulties in getting accurate counts on web traffic so that blog and website owners get paid accordingly from advertisers.
79. Turning Browsers Into Buyers: Take a look at this article from Inc Magazine to get some useful guidance from leading webmasters who made subtle changes to their sites and saw big payoffs.
80. Kick Butt With Internal Site Search Analytics: Learn how to make the most out of this powerful customer intent tool with this article.
81. Why Track Your Visitor’s Behavior: This article explains the why and how of visitor behavior tracking.

Blogs

For ongoing advice and commentary on web stats, conversions, and user behavior, check out these blogs.

82. The Conversion Chronicles: This blog can give you guidance, case studies, resources and tools to help your site be more profitable.
83. The Conversion Doctor Blog: Get some Website advice from Eric Graham on how to improve your conversions, usability, and marketing success.
84. Website Conversion Expert Blog: Blogger Dan Lok discusses how to improve conversions and web marketing on this site, as well as other issues like copywriting.
85. Conversion Rater: This blog is full of ideas and tips on how to improve your conversion rate and turn idle browsers into customers or subscribers.
86. LunaMetrics: Learn how to increase your conversion rate with advice and articles from LunaMetrics, a company that specializes in using web analytics to help companies make more sales.
87. Web Analytics World: Manoj Jasra’s blog covers everything on analytic tools, blog promotion, SEO and more.
88. Web Analytics .be: Get guidance, news, and insight on web analytics with this Belgian interactive agency’s blog.
89. Web Metrics Guru: Learn everything you ever wanted to know about web traffic, online marketing and social media with this blog.
90. Web Analytics Guide: Web analytics beginners will get a leg up on learning with this blog. It includes an informative intro to Google Analytics.
91. Occam’s Razor: Independent consultant Avinash Kaushik blogs about web analytics from his own personal experience and expertise.
92. Web Analysis, Behavioral Targeting and Advertising: Learn about targeted analysis on this blog.
93. Unofficial Google Analytics Blog: Get all the information you need on Google Analytics on this blog from ROI Revolution.
94. Visual Revenue: Check out this blog to find out how you can increase your site’s revenue through analytics.
95. Instant Cognition: Read articles on WebSideStory, Statcounter, FeedBurner, Google Analytics and other web analysis tools on this blog to help you make sense of your stats.
96. Tracking Techniques: Blogger Chris Furlong discusses everything related to web analytics.
97. Web Analytics Demystified: Based around the successful book of the same name, these three bloggers give advice on how to make analyzing your site easier and more productive.

Associations

These associations, forums, and other discussion platforms will help you connect with others who are knowledgeable about web analytics.

98. Web Analytics: An Hour a Day: Read this book from analytics expert Avinash Kaushik for insight on data collection and understanding visitors.
99. The Web Analytics Discussion Forum: Converse with web analytics experts on this forum to find out more about the field and how you can use it better.
100. Web Analytics Association: This professional association for web analytics developers and entrepreneurs provides standards, advocacy, and a lot more.

Whether you love Apple’s design and functionality, or just want to play around with your computer, it can be both fun and helpful to emulate a Mac while running Linux. Here, you’ll find tutorials, hacks, tools, and more that can help you copycat Mac.

1. Mac-On-Linux: Using Mac-On-Linux, you can run Mac operating systems of PowerPC Linux computers.
2. Mac OSX-like Linux: Read this thread to find advice for Linux users looking for a Mac experience.
3. Atnotes: Mac OSX offers stickies, Linux doesn’t. Use Atnotes to get this function back, as well as a few extras.
4. KOffice: KOffice is very much comparable to AppleWorks, offering word processing, vector illustration, spreadsheets, and more.
5. Approcket: To get Mac’s Quicksilver app launcher, try Approcket instead.
6. How to: Enable Rendezvous on Fedora Linux: You can advertise Linux DNS using Apple’s Rendezvous. Find out how to do it here.
7. Mac Fonts: Check out this resource to download Mac fonts.
8. OSX-Tiger Theme: Download this theme that imitates OSX Tiger’s Aqua theme.
9. GIMP: The Gnu Image Manipulation Program is a lower-powered open source Photoshop clone.
10. Seven Steps to turn your PC into a Mac: Although aimed at Windows XP, this tutorial is helpful for Linux as well.
11. Sharpkeys: If you’re used to reaching for the Apple key to hit control, use Sharpkeys to switch your control and alt keys.
12. Top Desk: For Expose lovers, check out Top Desk. It offers the same functionality that lets you find windows fast.
13. AppleLinux: Download AppleLinux, and your login screen will look like Apple’s.
14. Xamin: Get this clone of Apple’s QuickTime for better Linux support.
15. Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like A Mac: Learn how to make Linux look like a Mac using Mac4Lin in this tutorial.
16. OS X Wallpaper: Download a jpg of Mac OS X wallpaper here.
17. Mac4Lin: Using Mac4Lin, you can get Mac OS X’s user interface on GNU/Linux and Unix operating systems.
18. Rainlendar: This desktop calendar can be skinned to look like it’s on a Mac.
19. OS X Splash Theme: Use this splash theme to emulate the Mac’s boot screen.
20. How to: Make Your Ubuntu Desktop Look Like a Mac: Use this tutorial to learn how to skin Ubuntu to look like OS X Leopard.
21. XMMS: This application will play MP3 files similar to MacAmp.
22. Spotlight Emulator: Get the Mac’s search functionality on Linux using this emulator.
23. Compiz Fusion: Compiz Fusion can be used to create desktop effects like the Mac’s.
24. Making GNOME Look Like OS X: Transform the look of your GNOME desktop into Mac’s OS X with this tutorial.
25. iFox Theme for Firefox: Download this theme, and your Firefox will look like it’s on a Mac.
26. Konfabulator: Make your system look like OSX with this emulator.
27. Panther Icons: Download this package, and you’ll get around 1,400 Mac-emulating icons.
28. Trillian: The Trillian IM program can be skinned to look like iChat.
29. Linux Desktop Imitating OS X: This tutorial will walk you through desktop effects, docks, booting, and more.
30. YzShadow: Get a drop shadow under your windows like Mac OS X by using this utility.
31. PDF Creator: Macs can print to PDF at any time. Use PDF Creator to print anything to PDF just like you would on a printer.
32. Apple Mail Theme for Thunderbird: Get Thunderbird to look like it’s on a Mac with this theme.
33. Mac-style Menubar: Check out this resource to find Mac-style menubars for Ubunto, Gentoo, and more.
34. Turn Your PC into a Mac: Although geared towards Windows users, this guide is full of helpful information for Mac wannabes on Linux.

By Christina Laun

Many Web employees work from the comfort of their own home and don’t even have to get out of their comfy PJs to go to work if they don’t feel like it. But that doesn’t mean working on the Web isn’t stressful from time to time. Online projects pile up and deadlines loom just like they do for those working in an office. They’ve also got the added stress of sometimes unreliable Web hosting and no IT department to fix a troublesome PC. So how can you beat the stress of day-to-day Web work? The following are 50 ways you can become happier and healthier by reducing the stress in your life.

1. Get organized. Nothing will stress you out faster than having to sort through mounds of paperwork or hundreds of emails to find important documents and files. The few hours you spend getting things in order will protect you from those gray hairs when you can’t find key information.
2. Respect your internal rhythms. Everyone has high and low productivity points of the day. If you force yourself to work through your worst parts of the day you may become frustrated when you’re not moving as fast as you’d like to be. Try to save your hardest and most demanding work for your highest productivity points of the day so you can breeze through it.
3. Don’t worry about the what-ifs. Like anything in life, with work there are tons of things that can go wrong at any point. You’ll only make yourself crazy imagining all the possible outcomes. Simply do your best, and deal with the eventualities when they arrive.
4. Invest in your health. A half hour of exercise a day may not seem like much, but it could be enough to prevent you from having some serious health problems. Not only that, but exercise is also a great stress reliever. So when you’re feeling bogged down, take a trip to the gym and work out that stress.
5. Take breaks. It may seem counterintuitive, but taking regular breaks can actually help you get more work done. By giving your mind, body and eyes a rest from sitting at the computer you’ll be refreshed and ready to come back when you return and can look at things with fresh eyes.
6. Eat right. The only saying is true, we really are what we eat. Cramming frozen pizza and chips into your mouth might be the quickest way to accomplish eating a meal, but you’ll get much more out of eating a balanced diet and have more energy and focus to concentrate on what you’ve got to get done. Try out whole grains, blueberries and even chocolate for some great stress busting.
7. Rest your eyes.Staring at a computer screen all day can take quite a toll on your eyes day after day. Make sure to give your eyes a break every now and again so they won’t get as stressed out as the rest of you.
8. Schedule your time. Keep your stress in check by planning out your day in advance. Schedule time for projects, breaks, household chores and anything else that might come up throughout the day so that you’ll never have to wonder what you need to tend to next.
9. Minimize interruptions. Constantly being interrupted by a ringing phone or IMs can destroy your concentration not to mention ride your last nerve making the stress of your impending deadline even worse. Turn off your instant messenger and unplug your phone for a few hours a day so you can get some real work done.
10. Stay positive. With so much to do it can be hard to maintain a positive outlook on getting everything done. Do you best to keep your chin up and a smile on your face. Even in your worst moments, take a break to find something funny or give yourself a treat so you won’t be tempted to wallow.
11. Simplify. Often there are things we feel like we must get done that in reality aren’t that important. Evaluate your tasks and see if there aren’t a few less important ones that you can eliminate from your task list.
12. Take time to disconnect. The Internet can be a tempting and demanding mistress. Make sure you’re not letting it rule your life, even if it is your job. Don’t spend your break time on the Internet or too much of your off-time.
13. Make lists. Don’t let important tasks slip your mind. Create small lists of different types of tasks that you need to get done or jot ideas down as you think of them so you won’t forget about them later. Try an online list maker like Ta-Da List.
14. Stop and think. Sometimes work, whether it’s online or in an office, can be so overwhelming that we forget to stop and think and even take a breath. Take a step back from your work to reevaluate what’s really important and whether or not it’s worth being so stressed over.
15. Say no. While it can be difficult to turn down great projects or fun side work, there comes a time when you really just have to say no to maintain your sanity. If you’ve already got too much on your plate, don’t try to take on anything more, even if others try to guilt you into it.
16. Take it one step at a time. When you look at the amount of work that you have to do it can seem to be incredibly overwhelming. Breaking it up into smaller chunks and taking it one part at a time can help it seem like less of an obstacle and more like something that you can actually do.
17. Delegate. For some Web workers, delegating isn’t really an option. But if you do have others you’re working with, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you really need it. You can also ask family and friends to help pick up the slack around the house as well, until you get through your next big project.
18. Renegotiate. If you find yourself feeling stressed out more often than not then perhaps it’s time to renegotiate your priorities. Owning your own Internet based business or working for one can be time consuming, but make sure that that is how your time is best being spent.
19. Spend time with family and pets. One easy way to reduce stress is to spend some time with the people and animals that matter most to you. Watch a movie with a friend, take a walk with your dog, or just spend some time with a loved one. A little time connecting goes a long way in reducing stress, and will get your butt off of the Internet.
20. Reward yourself. If you’ve just completed a project ahead of schedule or gotten some great feedback from clients make sure to reward yourself. After all, all that hard work shouldn’t be for nothing and if nothing else taking a little break for some ice cream or to play a new video game will help you to relax.
21. Incorporate home tasks. Managing to take care of both work and home tasks can be difficult when they are one in the same. Work often takes over and household chores can pile up, surrounding you with clutter which can be visually distracting and stressful. Make sure to leave yourself a few minutes each day to work in some of these tasks so that they don’t get out of hand and you get a chance to do something other than sit in your desk chair.
22. Limit work hours. When you work at home, work hours tend to blend into personal time as there is no definitive transition between the two. Reduce your on the job stress by making setting hours when you’ll be at work and when you won’t. Even if you have to work overtime to finish a project, make sure you’re keeping a balance otherwise you’ll be headed for a burnout.
23. Make your personal life a priority. While things like grabbing a drink with your friends or seeing a movie may not seem like big priorities when you have work that needs to get done, in reality you should try to put just as much value on your personal life as you do work. After all, if you have no personal life, what is all that work good for?
24. Define your daily tasks. One way to overcome the stress of having too much to do is by creating a list of three or four things that you must get done every day. By only putting a few things on your list and clearly defining that these must get done, you’ll have a better chance of checking them off of your list and maybe even have time to get to something you hadn’t planned on.
25. Do the hard work first. Everyone knows what it’s like to have that one totally unpleasant task hanging over your head. It can even cause you to extend other projects just to avoid facing it. If you just get it out of the way you’ll eliminate the stress of worrying about it altogether and feel better for the rest of the day.
26. Slow down. It might seem to make sense to speed up to get more work done, but the faster you go the more likely you are to make errors which will cost you more time in the long run. So, take your time, slow down, and make sure you get it right the first time around. You’ll save yourself loads of stress later on.
27. Be firm. Remember that your time is just as important as anyone else’s, and that when you say no, it means no. Set firm limits on your time and how much you’re willing to take on so you won’t get overworked in the first place .
28. Block out your time. One method of time management is to schedule blocks of time for each kind of task every day. You will then know that part of your day is dedicated to working on certain parts of projects, part for management and so on.
29. Brainstorm. Often, stress can be a result of a creative blockage. It’s hard to move forward on designing a webpage when you haven’t got the foggiest idea of where to begin. Luckily there are loads of resources on the internet that can help you to work on brainstorming and drawing all those great ideas out of hiding.
30. Take care of email. Email can be a great friend but it can also very quickly turn into a monster if you let it get out of control. Set aside some time each day to tend to responding and filing your email so that it never gets a chance to overwhelm you. If you need a free program to manage your email try out Thunderbird.
31. Review what you’ve done. Feel like you aren’t accomplishing a thing? Take a look back at all the things you’ve gotten done each day. It will help you put everything in perspective and see that you are actually making progress, however slowly it may be.
32. Streamline. There are many tasks that we do every day that take much longer than they should. Take a look at what you’re doing and see if you can’t automate or pare down the steps it takes to get something done. A few minutes each day may not seem like much, but over the course of the week they add up.
33. Create clear agendas. One of the biggest wasters of time is phone calls and meetings that are entered into without a clear agenda at the outset. Make sure you know what you want to accomplish when you enter into either of these so that you won’t be stuck rolling your eyes as things spiral out of control.
34. Decide what’s important. So you’ve got a million things to get done today, how do you know where to start? You can begin by prioritizing your tasks. Focus on those things that are the most important and give yourself some slack on the others.
35. Be flexible. Not everything has to be done the way you first planned it and sometimes a little compromise is completely acceptable if it makes your life considerably easier.
36. Learn to focus. It’s easy to become distracted when you work at home or on the Internet, both are full of things that are likely a lot more fun that what you’re supposed to be working on. Figure out what it takes to get you focused, whether it’s listening to music, shutting the door to your office or unplugging your computer from the Internet and work on making it happen on a daily basis. You might find out you can get a lot more done in a lot less time than you thought.
37. Keep communications succinct. Unless you have a reason to have a lengthy phone or email conversation, try to limit the length of your conversations. It isn’t meant to be rude, just to save you time which you could be used to get more pressing things done.
38. Have clear boundaries. Whether it’s clients or family, some people just don’t respect boundaries and will bother you regardless of what you’re doing. Eliminate the stress of constantly having to multitask or switch between modes by setting clear boundaries of when you’re available for personal and business matters and sticking to them.
39. Ask yourself why. If you find yourself with far too much on your plate, take a step back and ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you can’t answer or don’t really have a good reason, perhaps it isn’t as important as you at first thought.
40. Create a routine. Routines aren’t just for cubicle jockeys, they can work well for those working on the Web as well. Try to stick to times when you get up and start working and when you will stop each day. This will help you figure out how much work you need to get done in a given day and space out big projects, making them considerably less stressful in the long run.
41. Get some sleep. Not sleeping might allow you more time to work on projects, but you won’t be at your best. A few nights without adequate sleep can start to add up and really take a toll on your health. You’ll be better able to cope with your workload, clients, and everyone else when you’re not cranky from lack of sleep.
42. Personalize your workspace. Make your workspace a much more cheerful place to be in with a little personalization. Hang up a photo of your beloved pet, get a plant, or paper it in photos of your favorite celebrities; whatever makes you feel most at home and happy.
43. Create a not to do list. While to-do lists are important, it can be equally important to create a not to do list. It can include such distractions as updating your Netflix queue or doing the laundry, whatever you want to prevent yourself from doing or that could help you procrastinate and increase your stress. Best of all, you won’t even have to check anything off because you won’t be doing it.
44. Get outside. Taking a break to get outside can be just the boost you need to help reduce your stress levels. Sunlight can help raise levels of vitamin D which in turn boost levels of the mood enhancing serotonin
45. Put it in perspective. Chances are pretty good that it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t get everything done you had set to get done in a day. Remember this the next time you feel too stressed by what you’ve got going on.
46. Take it out. Everyone gets stressed, the key is to find a healthy way to release that stress, and preferably away from the Internet. Take a kickboxing class, take a shower, do a bit of painting, or whatever helps you calm down after a stressful day.
47. Find humor. Even the worst and most disparaging situations have a lighter side. When you reach your wit’s end try stepping back and having a laugh at it all. Chances are, it isn’t nearly as bad as you thought.
48. Be realistic. There are some things that just don’t need to be done perfectly and some that just aren’t going to get done no matter how much sleep you lose. Be realistic in your expectations of yourself and you’ll find it much easier to relax.
49. Stop procrastinating. It’s easier said than done, but procrastination is one of the biggest creators of stress. With so much fun stuff on the Internet it’s incredibly tempting to surf the Web instead of sticking to your work schedule. If you can’t do it on your own, try using a program like MeeTimer to curb your surfing urges and force yourself to get to work.
50. Don’t put up with things that don’t work right. Whether it’s an alarm clock, a blog host, or an email system, don’t put up with systems and objects that don’t work right. These add to stress and slow you down.

Offering paid content is an excellent way to monetize your website. Whether you’re creating premium blog content or writing e-books, there are loads of resources out there designed to help. We’ve compiled over 100 of the best here.

Why Premium Content?

Check out these resources that define exactly why you should consider creating a paid membership portion of your site.

1. Building Paid Membership Sites for Money: Dosh Dosh explains why paid membership sites are a profitable business model in this article.
2. 6 Reasons Why You Should Start a Membership Website: Learn how membership sites work and what they can do for you in this article.
3. Why Having a Paid Membership Web Site is Important: Learn why paid memberships are the way to go in this article.

How

Find out how to create a premium content site with these resources.

4. The 5 Ways of Making Money from Online Content: Learn how you can profit from online content in this article.
5. How To Launch a Successful New Membership Site: Use these successful methods to create a profitable membership site.
6. Starting a Paid Membership Site: The Affiliate Blog has some helpful tips for starting your own paid membership site.
7. Membership Website Handbook: This resource is loaded with ideas and strategies for membership websites.
8. The 12 Most Important Things to Consider When Starting an Online Magazine or Membership Website: Build your paid membership site well from the very beginning, and you’ll reap the rewards later on.
9. Using Job Boards to Monetize Your Website: Read this article from Dosh Dosh to consider using paid memberships for a job board.
10. Membership Website Publishing: Find out how successful membership website publishers do it in this report.
11. Teaching Sells Report: Download this report to learn how to build a paid membership website.

Content Tools

The first step in premium content is creating it. Use these tools and resources for content generation.

12. Google Groups: Search through Google Groups discussions in your topics to see what issues people are interested in hearing about.
13. Trade Shows or Industry Conferences Are a Great Source of Content: Read this article to find out how to generate content from these offline sources.
14. Craigslist: Check out the jobs, services, and discussion sections to see what average joes are looking for in your area and beyond.
15. A Simple Four Step Strategy for Developing Content That Connects: Learn how to engage your audience in your paid membership content so they’ll keep coming back.
16. No Cost Copywriting Lesson From a Wildly Successful Membership Website Publisher: Read this article to brush up on your copywriting skills for better sales and subscriptions.
17. Confessions of a Highly Successful Website Copywriter: Learn how to write sales letters that convert to sales with this course.
18. Seven Rules About Writing for a Membership Website: Learn how to write for your membership website by reading this article.
19. Where Can I Find Good Content For My Website?: Learn how you can provide good content for your readers in this article.
20. Technorati: Get ideas for posts through current topics in blogs. Especially useful is their “hot tags this hour” feature.
21. SiteLife: Give your members the opportunity to interact with each other using SiteLife, and enjoy increased page views and loyal users.
22. StumbleUpon: StumbleUpon’s Buzz page offers lots of great ideas, particularly if you’re focused on humor.
23. Wikipedia: Wikipedia is great for research, but you can check out the discussions in selected topics for inspiration as well.
24. Fark: Check out Fark for insipiration from stories you won’t find on more mainstream news sites.
25. Investigating Your Website Niche by Researching Online for Similar Topics: Learn how to research your niche online and generate content with this article.
26. MyNews: Gather news from a variety of sources and use the MyNews platform to deliver this content to your members.
27. Del.icio.us: Del.icio.us’ tag pages are full of links to pages that people have bookmarked, which can lead you in the right direction to finding interesting things to write about.
28. BlogBurst: Using BlogBurst, you can update syndicated content for members.
29. Yahoo! Answers: Find out what mainstream Internet users want to learn about by checking out their questions.
30. Overture: Search potential topics on Overture’s keyword tool to see how interested people are in reading about them.

Distribution Tools

Use these tools to serve your content to members.

31. Msgme: By using Msgme’s premium content tool, you can make your media available to mobile phone users.
32. iSubscribe: Use iSubscribe’s service to automate your membership and subscription process.
33. Swarmcast: Swarmcast makes it easy to deliver high-quality video to subscribers.
34. PostNuke: This open source content management system makes it easy to assign users to groups.
35. Limelight Networks: Use Limelight Networks to deliver broadband video to members.
36. Digital Fountain: Digital Fountain’s solutions offer quick delivery of your content.
37. Macrovision: With Macrovision, you can control, license, sell and distribute your content.
38. ExtendMedia: ExtendMedia’s platform offers lots of flexibility and customization for distributors.

Money

When it comes to paid sites, it’s all about the money. Get your finances organized and add even more monetization to your site with these tools.

39. PaymentOne: Use PaymentOne to make it easier and more profitable for customers to sign up for your service.
40. Adding Checks to Your Payment Options Can Increase Membership: Learn why expanding payment options can earn you more money in this article.
41. Kiptronic: You can add even more monetization to your content by managing inserted ads with Kiptronic.
42. Add eBay Auctions to Your Membership Site: Use eBay auctions to make extra sales on your site.
43. NetBilling: NetBilling has an easy to use payment system for membership site owners.
44. Google AdSense and Membership Websites: Check out this video to learn how to make more money from your membership site using Google’s AdSense.

Selling

Learn how to sell your premium content with these resources.

45. The Blogger’s Guide to Indirect Selling: Read this guide to learn how to push your subscriptions without seeming pushy.
46. How to Create Ebooks That Sell: Make sure that what you’re writing will be profitable by following this guide.
47. 10 Steps to a Viral Tutorial That Sells: Learn how to write a tutorial that sells your content.
48. How to Take Your Customer’s Money: Learn how to create a site that sells by reading this article.
49. You Only Have 10 Seconds to Make a Good First Impression: This article will teach you how to make a good impression with your site in a hurry.
50. 3 Coercive Copywriting Techniques: Use these techniques to convince readers to buy your subscriptions.
51. Don’t Sell…Teach: Build relationships with readers to sell your memberships.
52. How to Get Past the “Don’t Buy” Button: Eliminate obstacles to membership purchases using this advice.
53. The Structure of Persuasive Copy: Follow this structure when writing copy to sell your memberships.
54. Ten Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques: With these techniques, you can sell your memberships through writing.
55. Available for a Limited Time Only: Learn why scarcity sells in this article from Copyblogger.
56. You Must Respect My Authority: Convey a sense of authority, and you’ll sell more memberships.

Renewals

Keep your paid membership site going strong by keeping renewals up. These resources can help.

57. When Customers are Members: Customer Retention in Paid Membership Contexts: Keep your customers from lapsing by reading this article.
58. 16 Ways to Sabotage Your Subscription Website and Stifle Member Renewals: Read this article for a lesson in what not to do if you want your paid membership site to continue to thrive.

Alternative Content

It can be difficult to keep loads of original content flowing. Use these resources to generate alternative content for your site.

59. Tips for Increasing Subscription Website Discussion Forum Participation: Get your users to come back over and over again by fostering active forums. Find tips on how to do exactly that in this article.
60. Here’s Ten New PLR Products to Make You Money: Get your hands on lots of content that you can offer to members through this resource.
61. BlogRush: Use BlogRush to feed loads of blog posts to your paid members.
62. PLR Pro: Get loads of quality articles, graphics, and more from this resource.
63. Supplement Your Content With Book Reviews: Add book reviews to your content for additional income and more information for subscibers.
64. Orwell Pro Content Management Software: Use Orwell to grab content from sites and update it on your site.

User Friendliness

If your site’s frustrating, you can guarantee that no one will buy a membership. Use these resources to make it easy to navigate and use.

65. How to Format Attractive, Easy-to-Read, Printer-Friendly Pages: Make your content easy to read and print by following this article’s advice.
66. Readability Rules for Subscription Websites: Learn how to keep your content easy to read with this article.
67. The Best Page Layout and Design for Content Websites: Learn what designs and layouts work for paid content websites in this article.
68. Optimizing the User Experience: Excerpts from a Government Report: Read this article to find out how to make your site a better experience for your members.

Platforms

These platforms offer all-in-one solutions for delivering paid membership websites.

69. PortalApp Enterprise: You can use this application to create lots of different subscription levels.
70. Joomla!: Joomla! is an open source content management system that can be used for paid membership sites.
71. phpFarber: This website builder and content management system has an easy editor and a full solution for paid memberships.
72. SubHub: SubHub offers solutions for paid content businesses.
73. EasyMemberPro: This software creates attractive membership websites.
74. Semiologic Pro: Use Semiologic Pro to create a paid membership site with your WordPress blog.
75. Wow Web Technologies: Use Wow Web Technologies to create a community, deliver content, and more.
76. VisionGate Portal: VisionGate offers a complete solution for a membership subscription site.
77. MemberGate: Use MemberGate to build, maintain, and profit from your membership website.
78. WildApricot: WildApricot’s membership database software offers everything you’ll need: event registration, payments, and more.
79. aMember: This PHP script has integrated payment systems and full management of membership and subscriptions.

Attraction

Attract subscribers with authority, traffic, and more by using these resources.

80. How to Get 6,312 Subscribers to Your Business Blog in One Day: Read this article to learn how you can get a massive influx of subscribers.
81. SEO for Paid Membership Sites: This article offers advice on how to write your site for search engine optimization and easy user identification.
82. 10 Effective Ways to Get More Blog Subsribers: Learn why valuing subscribers is essential to attracting them.
83. The Expert’s Guide to Becoming a Recognized Expert: Learn how to become an authority in your field with this guide.
84. The Return of Tutorial Marketing?: Learn why offering tutorials as a subscription can help you market yourself.
85. How to Overcome Skepticism: This article details how you can make buyers trust you.
86. The Two Types of Tutorial Marketing: Learn the difference between attraction tutorials and selling tutorials here.
87. Do Neatness and Order Add to the Credibility of Membership Websites?: Find out if your authority can grow by creating a neater, more ordered website.
88. Questions-Gettng Free Publicity For Products: Read this article to find out how one paid membership site owner gets free publicity.
89. How Co-Registration Can Build Your Fan Club Fast: Get your members to recruit for you using this technique.
90. How to Ethically Increase Traffic to Your Site With Additional Domain Names: Increase traffic to your paid membership site using this tactic.
91. Using Social Media Marketing to Promote Your Specialist Information Website: Read this article to learn how you can use social media to get more membership subscribers.
92. Four Simple Steps to More Blog Subscribers: Take these steps to attract more blog subscribers.

Blogs

Check out these blogs for ongoing ideas and support for paid membership sites.

93. Copyblogger: Copyblogger offers lots of advice on writing for the web.
94. paidContent: On paidContent, you’ll find the latest news about the industry of paid content.
95. DoshDosh: Visit Dosh Dosh for news about making money online, including paid memberships and content generation.
96. Problogger: Problogger’s Darren Rowse offers lots of information about monetizing your online content.
97. SEOmoz: For all things web marketing, read SEOmoz.

More Resources

These resources offer even more insight for premium content websites.

98. Membership Website Interviews and Case Studies: Check out this collection of resources that detail the experiences of paid membership site owners.
99. Seniors Lead Online Growth and Create Opportunities for Premium Information Sites: Read this article to find out what you can offer to the growing senior demographic.
100. 47 Simple Ways to Build Trust in Your Website or Blog: Build trust with your subscribers using these tips.
101. Stop Thief! How You Can Fight Back Against Online Plagiarism: Get back at content thieves who undermine your sales using these tactics.
102. The Death of Paid Content Has Been Exaggerated!: Learn why paid content isn’t quite over.
103. What is Your Membership Website Passion: to Lead or to be Led?: Define what your site’s passion is all about with this article.
104. Start a Paid Membership Site: Learn how to build an exclusive club using this book.

By Jessica Hupp

The Christmas shopping season is upon us, and retailers both online and off are enjoying heavy sales. You need to get a piece of the pie, and optimizing your site is the best way to do it. Take these actions to turn your website into a Christmas cash cow.

Usability

The Christmas shopping crowd isn’t your average online buyer. Many of these people shop online just a few times a year, and a number of them are decidedly un-savvy to the ways of the web. Making sure you’re catering to these users will fool-proof usability.

1. Make it easy for buyers to find what they want: This is simple stuff. Ensure that your menus are easy to use and you have a sufficient search option.
2. Be sure everything works: It sounds like a no-brainer, but you can’t forget this important step. Your sales will suffer if customers are frustrated by broken links, slow-loading photos, and other e-commerce maladies.
3. Be clear with errors: Whether it’s option values or contact information, be sure to give good error messages to customers when you need more information, or they may abandon your site feeling confused.
4. Use descriptive headings: Screen readers need these to understand page structure, and regular users need them to get an idea of what you’re offering.
5. Follow conventions: Internet users are accustomed to certain standards, like the term “shopping cart.” Stick to established conventions and your customers will have an easier time navigating your site.
6. Clearly identify the next step: If you want your visitor to buy the item they’re looking at, use a large button they can click to do so. Make it obvious what they should do next, and it will be easier for them to do it.
7. Use readable text: Make sure your font size and color is easy for all visitors to read, or you may find them abandoning your site.

Landing Page

Christmas shoppers often fall into two camps: those looking for inspiration and those looking for something in particular. Make both of them happy with a landing page that provides clear direction and makes a statement about what you’re offering.

8. Answer your customer’s question: When a visitor reaches your landing page, they should be able to answer a few questions: What’s the offer? Why should they be interested? How can they take you up on the offer?
9. Create different landing pages: One size doesn’t fit all. Visitors from one ad may buy certain items, while others from a different source will buy differently. Direct each of them to a landing page that’s optimized for what they will buy, and you’ll improve sales.

Checkout

Don’t let flighty Christmas shoppers abandon their carts before sealing the deal. Take these steps to make sure they don’t leave frustrated and confused.

10. Make checkout easy for new customers: Let customers purchase without registering, saving this option until after they’ve completed the transaction.
11. Second Bite: Abandoned shopping carts mean lost sales. Get your customers to come back and finish their transaction with this service.
12. Make sure cart editing is easy: Don’t let your customers get hassled by quantity changes, item removals, or changing values. Make all of these options easy to manipulate from the cart.
13. Offer a progress indicator: Make sure customers don’t feel like your checkout is an endless process. Give them an idea of how much more they have to do so they’ll continue to hang on.
14. Keep payment options simple: Don’t offer too many different payment options, or your customer may get confused and abandon their cart.
15. Offer total costs early: Nothing will make a customer close a shopping cart faster than discovering that after shipping and taxes, the item is just too expensive. Offer these costs earlier so customers have an accurate idea of how much things will cost.

Copy

Although images are vitally important to Christmas shoppers, it’s often your text that sells them on a product. Make sure yours is up to par by following these guidelines.

16. Avoid excessive adjectives: Adjectives can quickly turn off customers. They’re often vague, misunderstood, or simply come off as too hyped. Use strong verbs that convey action instead.
17. Use trigger words: Online shoppers often know exactly what they’re looking for, so when they get to your site, be sure to confirm they’re in the right place. If they’re looking for a pink Gibson acoustic guitar, they’ll respond better to a page that describes the product as such, rather than one that just says “guitar” or “pink Gibson.”
18. Use question-based headlines: Questions make our brains want to know more, to understand the answer. Turn your headlines into questions, and you’ll get visitors to read on.
19. Make your copy “scannable”: Internet users and shoppers in particular don’t want to read lengthy paragraphs. Rather, they scan. So make it easy for them with short paragraphs, bullet points, and highlighting.

Design

After prices and products, design is perhaps the thing that shoppers notice the most. Make your site attractive and optimized for Christmas buyers with these tips.

20. Provide lots of photos: People want to know what they’re getting. If your site’s photos aren’t large or detailed enough, they may search elsewhere for photos, putting you at risk for lost sales.
21. Use text more than images: Your images may be flashy, but your text is the star of the show. Visitors are looking for information, so give it to them.
22. Differentiate between significant and insignificant attributes: Make your headlines and “buy now” buttons stand out above copy or color.
23. Avoid “click here”: No one wants to “click here.” Rather, people want to buy shoes, sign up for your newsletter, or ask a question. Name your links accordingly.
24. Place important items in the upper left corner of your pages: Most computer users are trained to “read” a website from left to right, so focus on this important spot for features that improve conversions.
25. Don’t overload browsers: You may have the latest and greatest in computer technology, but the average Internet user, and Christmas shoppers in particular, may be working with an older computer or slower connection. Keep this in mind, and design a simple, fast-loading site that’s friendly for most speeds.
26. Avoid banners: If you’ve got a great deal that you’re advertising on your site, do yourself a favor and avoid placing it on a banner. Internet users are trained to ignore these items, assuming that they’re ads.
27. Check for dead links: Dead links mean lost sales and credibility. If your shopper can’t reach a sizing chart, return policy, or even the page for an item, they’re not likely to buy from you.
28. Highlight just one thing: Don’t confuse customers and send them off in multiple directions. On your home page or landing page, put the focus on one thing you really want them to do.
29. Embrace white space: Don’t overwhelm shoppers with something in every corner of your site, or they may become frustrated and leave. Make things a bit simpler and they’ll have a more pleasant shopping experience.
30. Differentiate your site from others: Find a way to stand out from other sites, or you’ll just be one of the many they visit to comparison shop.

Cross-selling

Don’t let the sale end with just one item. Push for multiple item purchases by suggesting items your shoppers might not have thought of. It’s a great opportunity to add more value to their gift and more profit to your bottom line.

31. Recommend products other customers like: Put popular items that are often purchased with a particular item on its sales page. Or better yet, offer products that are complementary to the item.
32. Don’t end the cross sell at the transaction: Put more offers in their confirmation email. For example, if someone bought a game console from your site, your order confirmation email could offer popular titles that are used with that product.
33. Offer best-sellers: Sometimes there’s no complementary product to offer. In this case, push items that have sold well site-wide. You just might appeal to another gift recipient on their list.

Trust

As we’ve noted, Christmas shoppers are a different breed than the average person who shops online. They’re skittish and often wary of doing business with lesser-established sites. Reassure them using these methods.

34. Make your return policy easily available: Shoppers may be concerned that they’ll get stuck with a defective product or that the person they gift won’t like what they’ve given them. Make sure your returns are easy and accessible to make them feel better about doing business with you.
35. Offer assurance: Add phrases like: “we value your privacy,” “shop with confidence,” and “serving you since ____.”
36. Prove there are real people behind your site: Buyers are skeptical, so assure them that you really do exist by providing contact information, an about us page, photos of your office, and even staff profiles.
37. Join trust groups and display their logos: Christmas shoppers are usually very worried about sharing their credit card online. Reassure them of their safety by partnering with groups like Verisign, HACKER SAFE, and the Better Business Bureau.
38. Use testimonials: If shoppers see that others are happy with your service, you’ll gain credibility.
39. Back up statements with evidence: Don’t just say you’re one of the top sellers online: back it up with a third party article or award that says so.
40. Make yourself available: Offer contact options, from numbers to addresses, and email.
41. Send out automated emails when contacted: Show shoppers that you’re on the ball and on top of your communications by automatically responding to emails even when you’re not around.
42. Offer alternate ordering methods: Some people are still wary of using credit cards online. Offer a toll free number or even a mail order option to capture these customers.
43. Make it look like you have customers: Show potential customers that you’re established in your industry by using testimonials, a news section, or other features that highlights customers.

Closing the Deal

Give Christmas shoppers the push they need to buy from you by using these methods.

44. Create a sense of urgency: Offer specials and deals with an expiration date so that customers won’t put off a purchase until later and then forget about it.
45. Offer customer reviews: This friendly call to action can seal the deal for some Christmas shoppers. If they see someone else has had a positive experience with your product, they’ll be more inclined to buy it.
46. Give an incentive: Provide your customers with something the competition doesn’t. Whether it’s a limited time offer freebie or extended support, this will help foster urgency.

Tracking Tools

Although it’s a little late to make tracking tools work for this Christmas shopping season, you should take advantage of the added traffic this time of year brings. Implement these analytics to find out what’s working for you and what needs to be tweaked.

47. Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a must have for any webmaster, offering conversion stats and other clear, easy reports.
48. StatCounter: Follow individual users, measure your search engine traffic, and understand visitor paths with this free statistics tool.
49. pMetrics: Using pMetrics, you’ll get detailed statistics about every shopper that comes to your site.
50. Crazy Egg: Crazy Egg offers heat maps, overlays, and more tools to help you understand what your visitors focus on.
51. Site Meter: This popular statistics tool offers information on visitor volume, views, and more.
52. Mint: Use Mint to get stats on what your visitors are attracted to.
53. AWStats: Put your log information into this open source tool that offers analysis with advanced statistics.
54. Opentracker: Opentracker provides webmasters with reports on customer behavior, traffic, and more.

By Christina Laun

For those just getting started in Web development, the options and information out there can seem overwhelming. While this may be so, it’s truly an asset to be able to have access to limitless choices. You will, however, need to choose a place to begin learning all the things you don’t know. Whether you have a basic knowledge of Web development or are a complete newbie, here are 50 guides that can help you to learn and expand your knowledge so that you can build more successful and accessible sites.

Programming Languages

While the Web may have started out primarily in HTML, the number of programming languages out there today has grown considerably. Here are some guides to help you learn the most popular.

1. Complete CSS Guide: Learn the basics of CSS with this guide. You’ll discover the reasons why you should use CSS and everything you’ll need to know about coding from the basics to the advanced.
2. Bare Bones Guide to HTML: For those seeking an HTML guide, this one will help you learn the basics to get started. It contains all the essential codes that you’ll need, as well as links to other sites with additional information you might need as you learn.
3. XHTML Tutorial: Not sure what the difference between HTML and XHTML is? Not to worry, this guide will help you to learn, as well as teach you about the basics of XHTML syntax and how you can use it in your Web design.