Ready For Business Blog

I am looking for a quiet business. I am tired of all the websites and all the gurus talking about making extravagant amounts of money online for no effort. I am weary from all the so-called super networker legends in all these work from home business ventures telling me that I can make money by just doing what they say to do. I have had it with all the MLM businesses on the Internet that make claims about getting rich quick. I am sick of all the websites that have some moronic looking guy talking about how he made millions of dollars from his special home business and now, you can do the very same thing for only $29.95

I grow sick of the good looking eighteen year olds on MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook and all these other social networking organizations telling people that they are ultra successful, ultra rich and they can teach you exactly how to become one of the chosen prodigals just by joining their organizations. I grow increasingly skeptical of all the email spam that I receive by the tens of thousands each day talking about the newest and greatest pre-launch business to ever hit Google in the last decade.

I am looking for a quiet business.

I am looking for that one business that I can join that I do not have to attend the telephone conferencing sessions that are meant to excite and inspire me to go to work to make my millions of dollars. I am searching on Google for that quiet business that is legitimate, real and that can actually produce the sort of income that I am looking for to sustain me and my wife in a comfortable manner.

I am exploring a quiet business where I will no longer be held hostage on this process of buying leads. Oh yes. I have bought all the so-called telephone surveyed, fresh prospects, special leads and have seen that they were all nothing but people who had filled out some kind of form. When I picked up the phone, all I got were hard luck stories about their jobs, their health, their lack of income and all the other things that I really cared nothing about hearing. My personal distaste for leads brokers and leads sellers is far ranging. I have done extensive research on these companies and I find that not one of them is anything but personal information sellers. I think that Tom Prendergast, well known and respected founder of Veretekk, says it very well indeed. “The leads industry today is a form of modern slavery.”

I am looking for a quiet business where committed and dedicated men and women can come together, work as a team and build strong and viable work from home businesses in the manner that is befitting all professionalism. These people will choose to tell others about their business because of the benefits and solutions that can be offered. They will never advertise their business as the next internet history making pre-launch super hard sell business. The will be dedicated to quietly working for secure futures, with the backing of a company that fits their needs very well indeed.

Are you searching for that Quiet Business model as well?

Stay tuned for more Quiet Business articles as I dig deep into the mysteries of marketing successfully on Google.

Do you need to find out a residential or business address, or would you like to verify the address of a friend? Did you know that discovering this information can be as simple as logging on to the internet, looking up a people finder service and conducting a search with one or more brief details?

There are two main people search services that can help you track down the information you need and they are:

- Forward search

- Reverse phone lookup

A forward lookup, also known as a “people finder” search, is a service that can help you discover the address, general location and phone number of an individual. All you are generally required to do is enter the person’s last name or the company’s name into the designated query box. However, you can also provide the city and/or state they are located in, or the zip code to conduct a more refined search.

A Reverse phone lookup, sometimes referred to as a reverse phone search, or a backward phone number search, may be able to provide you with the mailing address you are seeking, and can be very useful if you don’t remember the last name of the person or the name of the company you are looking for. To use this lookup service to trace an address, you simply need to enter in the 10-digit phone number into the provided query box.

You will be provided the address you are looking for with both of the above searches, as long as the number of the person or company you are looking up belongs to a listed (public) phone number. Thus, if the number you are attempting to trace belongs to a cellular phone, you will not be provided with this information freely. Nevertheless, you have a second option with a reverse phone trace that you will not have with a forward search - a pay option.

Forward cell phone searches are illegal, as they are considered an invasion of privacy due to the fact that the number is considered private. Hence, even a pay forward mobile search is prohibited. Conversely, a pay reverse wireless lookup is legal, because you already possess the phone number you wish to investigate. Therefore, you can still use an online pay reverse phone trace to attempt to find the address.

While this free Google tool is by no means new (launched in 2004), I’m constantly surprised by how many people not only don’t use it, but have never even heard of it. Let’s take a closer look at this wonderful tool and examine how it can save you time, spark ideas and help you stay ahead of the curve (and your competition)…

By definition, Google Alerts are simply e-mail notifications that list the latest and most relevant website pages, blog posts and videos that have been found by Google’s search engine spiders related to a particular search term or topic. Note that I included “most relevant”. This is important because if Google sent you EVERYTHING they find on a particular topic, this list could get out of hand real quick. They actually only send you the most relevant website pages, blog posts or videos that make it into the coveted top 20 search results. You can also specify the frequency in which you want to receive these e-mails (one a day, once a week or once a month).

So Why Should I Use Google Alerts?
Let’s get an example started so you can wrap your brains around the benefits. Say you’re a consultant specializing in training clients in the art of underwater basket weaving. As a specialist in this niche field, you obviously want to stay on top of the latest underwater basket weaving techniques, industry happenings and competitors that may be offering new services. And don’t forget that you will want to find out if your own internet marketing efforts are paying off in the form of other websites and blogs linking to you or using your name or company as an expert reference. All this is valuable information, but just imagine how many hours you’d have to spend surfing the web to find it all?

Let’s Get an Alert Started…Step By Step:

1. Go to http://www.google.com/alerts
2. In the “Create a Google Alert” box on the right, insert your keyword in quotes, i.e. “underwater basket weaving training”. Using quotes will help ensure relevant results.
3. Select the Type of alert (news, web, blog, video, groups or comprehensive (all)).
4. Select your desired e-mail frequency.
5. Enter your e-mail address and you’re done!
6. And repeat…Enter your next keyword phrase, i.e. your company name, your name, a competitive company name, etc.

If you select daily notifications under the category of “web”, tomorrow you will start receiving the latest website pages that are being indexed by Google for your specific keywords/phrases. If you input very specific, niche terms, you may not get much on a normal basis. But if your keyword/phrase is more generic, you may find that you are getting too much and you need to refine your alert keywords.

Valuable Intel

After setting up a few alerts, here are some ways my small business clients have used the information to monitor their industry and improve their overall marketing efforts.

* Keep Tabs On Your Own Internet Presence - Besides the obvious egocentric notion of this, Google Alerts are very helpful for monitoring your online reputation, backlinks (other websites that link to you) and search engine optimization efforts. For example, as you develop new content for your website, sign up for a new social networking website, or another website references an underwater basket weaving article on your website, all this content will eventually be indexed by Google. Alerts will notify you the day that it happens.

* Keep Tabs On Your Industry - Whether you want the latest news and announcements related to your industry products/services, or you’re looking for opportunities that might spark new business, Google Alerts does the work for you.

* Keep Tabs On Your Competitors - Spying on your competitors has never been easier. Creating alerts with their company name, products or services is a great way to find out what they’ve been up to. You can also find out in which forums, blogs or industry websites they are participating.

* Get New Content Ideas - Do you provide industry news on your website or blog? Google Alerts brings you timely news and industry information that might just be the creative spark that you needed to write your next article.

* Save Time Surfing - As I’ve already mentioned, Google Alerts’ e-mail notification functionality brings the most relevant content right to your inbox. No more long hours surfing the web looking for the latest happenings.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

As Ferris Bueller always said, “the world moves pretty fast…” Keeping up with your daily marketing and sales activities is hard enough, let alone trying to stay abreast of everything that is happening around you. Google Alerts is a wonderful tool that does a lot of the legwork for you and may just provide a piece of intel that lands you a big sale.

About The Author
Since receiving degrees in Public Relations and Marketing from Kansas State University, Brody Dorland has worked for both advertising agencies and corporations creating award-winning, integrated marketing programs for companies in a variety of industries. Today, Brody manages Something Creative, Inc, a Kansas City-based, virtual marketing and interactive agency offering an array of affordable, creative-marketing services for companies throughout the U.S.

The internet marketing scene is becoming more popular every day. Not surprising if you know there are literally millions to be made.

Unfortunately, this also means more and more people are trying to get rich quick by setting up scams. Usually, really desperate people in dire need of money fall prey to these immoral scammers, losing them more money than they’ll ever be able to earn back with what little knowledge they’ve received in return.

Wealthy Affiliate

What’s in it for you?

So is Wealthy Affiliate scam like most other internet marketing projects out there? Or is it the real deal, run by honest people who truly have your best interest at heart?

Let’s take a look at what you get for your money.

$ Free web hosting. Don’t know how to build a website? No worries, they have website templates, their own website builder Site Rubix, turnkey feeder sites (for the really lazy and even website development training.

$ Loads of tutorials and even video training. And just when you think you’ve learned it all, they add even more.

$ 8-week action plan for the newbies. This is a great help to get started and take some action, with step-by-step guidance all the way.

$ Keyword research tools. This includes an AdWords tool and very powerful competition spy tool. If you can’t be bothered with the tools to get started, use one of the many keyword lists they offer.

$ The most elaborate Clickbank research tool you’ll find on the internet. You’ll know exactly which products are hot right now.

$ The brand new WA jobs system, exclusive to WA members. Don’t want to build your own website, write all those articles,…? Have a WA member do the work for you for a fee you both agreed on. Or offer your own services to other members to make some quick cash.

$ The forum WA is famous for. I’m sure you’ve heard people bragging about it on other forums. If you’re anything like me, you thought they were exaggerating. But I can tell you right now, they weren’t. The information, tips, support, ideas,…you get from the other members is mind boggling. Top members, really wealthy top members, explain step-by-step how they set up a campaign. And if you still don’t get, they just start over again explaining it in a different way untill you do get it

Scam or not?

So, Wealthy Affiliate: scam or real deal?

Definitely real deal.

You’ll have to look long and hard to find a better deal, or even a deal on the same level for the money they ask.

It can be difficult to make money these days. Everyone wants to make more money than they do. Everyone wants a more luxurious lifestyle than the one they currently have. Money is very important in our society, and everyone wants the ability to live the life they envision for themselves. The way this can be accomplished more often than not hinges upon income. To make money on web, you’ll need to have some rules in mind if you want to maximize your potential income.

First of all, when a person wants to make money on web, they must have a good idea of what they are good at. Most of the time, when a person makes money on the web, they are doing something that they are very good at, and that no one else can do for them. Therefore fore, if you want to make money on web, you first need to figure out what you are going to be really good at, and go from there.

Next, what are your hobbies? Making money on web will be a lot easier if you can focus on an area in which you are already interested. You’ll find yourself even more motivated if your talents and interests coincide. After thinking about your talents and hobbies, see if there is a way you can combine the two in any manner.

Monetizing your passion, your desires, is where the skill comes in. Carve a niche out for yourself, and establish yourself as an expert within that niche. Not all niches are created equal, but with nearly one billion people on the planet able to get internet access, it doesn’t take a large percentage to build up a readership.

After you have developed your niche it is really time to get right out there and begin it. You are firstly going to want to develop a website for yourself. This is the best way that you can make money on web. Be sure that your are providing a service or offering a product, and then find a website to sell it to others. Be sure that you have priced everything fairly, and get started.

Once your niche has been established, it’s up to you to take the time and effort to go start your business. Start with a web site about your niche; include regularly updated content, and work to get into the search engine rankings so people searching for that niche will find you, and you’ll be able to sell them products, or direct them to affiliate sales.

Remaining viable with a web based business means keeping up with the latest information in your field. You’re not going to be able to do this once, and coast. You’re going to have to come out with new products, and community resources on a regular basis; this is why it’s important to work on something you’re passionate about.

If you are thinking of doing anything to make money on web, you should know that it is important to get as much out of your research as you can. Be sure that you know your business plan, and be sure that you know how your business is going to work. If you are working for someone else, be sure that you can easily see where the money is coming from for that business, and then you’ll be able to make the money that you need to make. In order to make money on web, you have to be ready and willing to work hard.

Do you remember the days before COSTCO, Target and Wal-Mart?

At one time shoppers bought ice cream from specialty ice cream stores, their meat from a butcher, and their prescriptions from their neighborhood pharmacist.

Maybe it was not convenient. Maybe it was not cheap. But when you visited your independent neighborhood nursery, you knew the plants you bought there were grown in the same weather and soil conditions you had in your backyard.

When folks first started retiring to Florida, they often ran side businesses. You could drive down a street of tidy 2-bedroom, 1-bath homes and see a can resting on a rickety card table in several front yards. The purpose of the can was to leave a buck for an armful of freshly picked oranges, grapefruits or avocados that were stacked in a box beside the table. The oranges came from the owner’s backyard.

Since the 50s mom and pop stores have been driven out of business first by chains, then by chains of giant 1-stop centers. Wal-Mart has been accused of devastating the commerce in small town America.

Of course, shoppers vote with their dollars. Spending their cash at mega-stores provides them the convenience of 1-stop shopping. And they buy goods at discounted prices that are only available to merchants buying in vast quantities.

So how did the internet resurrect the independent business owner? Wal-Mart simply can’t get its hands on every manufactured product. The internet is bigger than Wal-Mart. Search engines provide 1-stop convenience right from your computer or cell phone.

The variety of features available in a single product category offered on the web is staggering. This variety puts choice back in the hands of shoppers. And it is also an invitation to the thoughtful internet merchant to plug the holes in the supply chain.

At one time, bookstores were independently owned. Now when people think of bookstores they think of the big franchises. There was a fear that authors’ works on low-audience subjects would lose their place on shelves of chain stores. Today, however, you can publish your own study about the disappearance of the American honeybee online. You will be found by readers wanting to learn about your subject.

Search engines have leveled the playing field for small businesses making supplemental income or even wealth possible once again for the little guy.

Priscilla E. Garrett originally joined the online throng of bloggers to address medical issues but was rerouted into advising eCommerce hopefuls after her daughter lost thousands of dollars on the web. Ms. Garrett created her own website to promote individual, family and small business safety. Readers will find news articles, timely studies and even a tutorial for the aspiring entrepreneur at: http://www.personal-business-protection.org

The world of EDI has seen a sea change from traditional VAN’s to Internet EDI. This development in itself has made EDI available to smaller trading partners who find the reduced cost and easy-to-get IT infrastructure for establishing EDI much more feasible and desirable.

Internet EDI suddenly gave EDI industry the much needed push and the much needed respite from the traditional and cumbersome technologies. This has in turn resulted in an EDI wave where a number of vendors have now started providing EDI as a service. Based on the Saas Model EDI as a service is an excellent solution for those smaller players who do not have the needed IT infrastructure or the EDI know-how but were mandated to use this technology to be in business with players like Wal-Mart.

The advantages of the SaaS based EDI are many

1. Reduced cost and time for EDI readiness

2. Lowers the requirement for IT infrastructure and resources

3. Reduced transaction fee

4. Improved systems integration and operational efficiency

For most of the companies EDI is not a core business function. It is more of a necessity that is dictated by the large size trading partner. Considering the fact that EDI is a non core function it requires special expertise and resources. Also the option of investing into an EDI Product together with the implementation cost could turn out to be very expensive. Added to all this is the maintenance and updating. The best part about EDI as SaaS is that allows a completely outsourced EDI solution to these companies for whom EDI is a non core business. This allows the smaller players who are sometimes faced with complex B2B Integration can now easily EDI enable themself. Also there is no licensing fee and only a subscription cost which allows for very low cost of ownership. Even the implementation cost decreases because many of the implementations can be reused. Moreover a SaaS solution will keep updating itself on the latest EDI Standards and Transaction Sets, software upgrades, EDI Adapters, back up support, maintenance etc at a reduced cost with zero overheads

Due to its many benefits and lesser overheads SaaS EDI is fast becoming a preferred choice rather than the alternate solution for Data Integration. The sea change that this model has brought about in this industry can be gauged from the fact that the startup cost for setting up Internet EDI that ranged from a few to hundreds of thousands of dollars is now reduced to more than 50%. It is therefore no wonder as to why SaaS is the ideal architecture for the EDI Solution for companies of all sizes. It not only enables rapid implementation, single interface for all synchronizing requirements but to stay ahead of their competition by easily adapting to the ever changing requirements and technologies.

Article written by Miss Maansi Sanghi, the co founder of ENVIZON, a Bangalore based Company involved in EDI mapping, B2B integration services and application software development India. She recommends visiting their website envizon.com to know more about Internet EDI.

Have you ever noticed the number of Internet Cafés that are in and around your locality? Like telephone kiosks and beauty salons, the web business also seems to be flourishing. Every other corner of your city you would find an Internet café. These can be shabby, snazzy, cozy or private but they do make sure that the world is connected. The bottom line is that you pay them and they would let you surf the web from their computers. So this is the basic outline of what Internet café business really means. Now I am sure if you are a customer your interest and curiosity would now take a different turn and move towards knowing where a certain café in a certain location is and the services that they offer but if you are an entrepreneur who wants to set up an Internet café business then this is the article for you. Here I am about to write about the tips that you can follow before setting up an Internet Café business.

1. Planning

The first step towards setting up a business is planning it thoroughly with all the details in mind like the location, finances, services you want to offer and the reason that people would come to your cyber café. You also have to understand the profit that you can make and the profit that you want to make. I am sure if this is something that you have always thought of setting up, you must have had ample thoughts on how you want to structure these things. So this is time to organize those thoughts. One thing that you should remember while planning is be in your limits, do not make a plan that is over ambitious because the moment you go beyond your limits, you will ensure its failure. Business is mathematics and not athletics.

2. Check the Viability of the Plan

Planning is just the beginning, the plans that you make should be put down on paper and then you would be able to see the loopholes that you need to mend and the changes that you need to bring about. This also makes you organized and if you have a written document, which has all your plans in a practical and vivid way, it would make an impression on the people you approach, be it for or any reason. Also do a proper market research so that you know the way to gains and pains so that you can distribute your finances.

3. Arranging the Finances

Once you are done with all the detailing and once you know the blueprint by heart it would be possible for you to visualize things and work towards them. So the next step that comes is the finances that would be required. If you have the finances for investment, nothing like it but of you do nit have, even then it would not very tough because nowadays getting finance from a reputed institution is not a tough nut to crack, it just needs organization and confidence. Any bank that you approach would like to have a look at your business plan, which is a technical jargon for the plans that you have written on paper with a little formatting. Doing your homework is a must when you want people to trust you. Trust only comes for people who are responsible and clear about their ideas. Carry the financial statements and inform the bank authorities regarding the time period you would take to repay the money. Present your plan with confidence and win the situation.

4. Start Working on your Plan Immediately

Once the finances are approved, start working upon your plan because an extended time to set up the business may falsify all your calculations and market research since the market is fluctuating and inconstant. Thus you need to work faster to sell the things that you have planned to.

So these were the steps that you can follow before setting up the business but you have to be careful even after setting up the business. The web has something new to offer everyday and if you do not keep your business updated and keep on offering the old and outdated services, very soon you would lose your customers to a better Internet café.

Wall Street expects Microsoft to enter a protracted period of “trench warfare” in its attempt to buy Yahoo after the failure of its three-month-long attempt to bring the online company’s board to the negotiating table.

It is expected to launch a proxy battle and try to oust the Yahoo executive team while encouraging investors to accept its original $31-a-share offer, with the first shot fired possibly as early as this week.

With the passing, on Saturday, of the deadline that Microsoft had set Yahoo to enter into negotiations without any comment from either side, shares in both companies declined yesterday, valuing Microsoft’s bid at about $42.7bn.

Microsoft’s chief financial officer, Chris Liddell, warned last week that if Yahoo had not started talking by Saturday the company would examine its alternatives. “These alternatives clearly include taking an offer to Yahoo shareholders or withdrawing our proposal and focusing on other opportunities,” he said.

The vast majority of Wall Street followers of the giant software company do not believe that the company will walk away. Scott Kessler, a technology analyst at Standard & Poor’s in New York, said he expected Microsoft to name a slate of proposed directors to Yahoo’s board within days, kicking off an intensive battle for shareholders’ votes.

“This is something Microsoft has been thinking about and working towards for the better part of two years,” said Kessler, who sees no reason for the Seattle-based company to back down on its explicit threat to seek control. “Microsoft’s the kind of company that says what it does and does what it says.”

Disappointing earnings figures from Microsoft last week prompted questions about whether the Windows software firm is in sufficiently hearty health to succeed with a hostile bid. But conversely Kessler said Microsoft’s sluggish performance made the takeover all the more crucial.

“Yahoo’s more critical to Microsoft than people might have thought,” he said. “I think they’ve been surprised and pretty frustrated by the fact that they’ve really got nowhere.”

Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg said Yahoo’s management would be vulnerable if no deal materialized: “Yahoo is going to be under extraordinary pressure to deliver, having turned down an opportunity such as this.”

Yahoo has a possible defence in the form of a “poison pill”, a mechanism that would trigger the bargain sale of new Yahoo stock to other shareholders if any company were to build a stake of over 15%.

This was introduced by Yahoo in March 2001 as a “stockholder rights plan”. Last year it said that because the poison pill would dilute the share ownership of a predator, it “could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without first negotiating with our board of directors”.

As more consumers browse the Web on their cell phones, the No. 1 search engine must cope with less space to place ads

Google’s biggest threat may not be Microsoft or Yahoo!

No, one of the most formidable challenges facing Google is likely sitting in your pocket or purse. It’s your cell phone, and it will put added pressure on Google and other Internet companies to revamp the way they handle online marketing.

As more people use cell phones and their tiny glass screens to gain access to the Internet, Google and its fellow online advertisers will have less space, or what’s called ad inventory, to place marketing messages for customers. Google makes money selling ad inventory. And its ad inventory is diminished on a cell phone.

iPhone as Tipping Point

Google can now fit about 10 ads on a standard computer screen. (If you look at Google search results on a PC monitor, paid ads are the listings at the very top and along the right.) But on your cell phone, if you type in a search query at google.com you get only one or two paid ads in response.

Imagine the horror that would befall your business if a large slice of what you sell suddenly disappeared. A similar fate could befall companies that depend on online advertising, as small screens become the gateway to the Internet.

Of course, no one’s suggesting that consumers will abandon standard computer screens overnight. And early research shows that mobile advertising may be more effective than standard online advertising, suggesting that it will be more lucrative for the companies that rely on it. Still, the shift is coming fast enough that Google must get prepared.

It was Apple (AAPL), a frequent Google collaborator, that tipped the trend. Consumer use of mobile Internet in the U.S. has longed trailed Asia and Europe, where standardized cell networks made it easier for handset makers to produce gadgets that tap the Web at blazingly fast speeds. But in the summer of 2007, Apple rocked America by launching the iPhone. The computer maker wasn’t the first to put the Web on phones, but for many consumers, the iPhone made the experience more robust.

Almost two-thirds of Americans have had some experience with mobile Internet use, and the adoption trend is most pronounced among teens and young adults, according to Pew Research Center. About 60% of adults 18 to 29 use text messaging every day, compared with only 14% of their parents. Nearly one-third of young adults use mobile Internet. This is the future, because people take their media habits with them as they age.

Why Google Wants In on Cell Phones

So, as Apple and demographic trends thrust the mobile Internet upon us, how will advertisers and we consumers of electronics respond?

Google will try to expand ad “shelf space,” especially by redesigning cell-phone software. In November, Google announced it was launching an Open Handset Alliance to design a new operating system, code-named Android, which would provide a “truly open and comprehensive platform” for cell-phone users. A few scratched their heads as to why Google would get into the cell-phone interface business. But now it’s clear; Web screens will soon be two inches wide, and Google wants a say in what fits on that tiny screen.

Our bet is that the new Android interface will encourage mobile device users to flick through multiple layers or pages, similar to the iPhone album-art menu. This will create more room for ads. Expanding the visual ad inventory will be crucial for Google, as evidenced by the recent announcement that it will begin selling small display ads on cell-phone screens.

nother implication is that consumers may have to start paying for “free” stuff. Sure, there’s a lot that’s free on the Web now, as many, including Chris Anderson of Wired, have noted. Yet, even Anderson notes that most “free” content models really just transfer the hidden cost from you to third-party advertisers, who subsidize your content in hopes of getting attention. If online social media such as Twitter, Facebook, or Digg can’t figure out ways to entice money from advertisers, they’ll have to grab it from you.

More Personal Ads on the Way

Our hunch is that free content systems may stick to the big Web pages, where more ads can fit. For tiny screens, systems such as Twitter that work well in small detail will eventually have to charge, make money some other way, or go away. Consumers push back on paying for something that is already free, so the only solution we see is to keep ads very minimal—and very personal.

Which brings us to one of the biggest implications of wider use of the mobile Web. Advertisers will increasingly rely on personalization. Today, collections of Web sites known as ad networks track consumer behavior across multiple sites, and then shoot targeted ads to users. This behavioral targeting approach, found via WPP Group’s (WPPGY) 24/7 Real Media, Blue Lithium, Tremor Media, and other Web networks, often results in ad response rates 5 to 10 times higher than standard banner ads.

Personalization works, and several companies are working on ways to make it work better. Microsoft recently filed a patent application that would use offline data such as credit-card transactions, estimated physical location (from cell-phone towers), and TV viewing habits to serve you a customized ad the next time you go online. The fact that you bought cleats for your kids this morning, went to a high school football game in the afternoon, and turned on ESPN when you got home would conceivably trigger a personalized sports ad on your cell phone.

Better Marketing Through Profiling

ComScore (SCOR), the Web site ranking service, is taking a different approach, using “biometric signature” profiling to match the keystrokes and mouse-click patterns of different users on a single computer. The idea here is to get beyond the gadget to the individual user who touches it. The system can identify whether Dad or Mom or Sis is sitting at the keyboard, and then match the individual user with a rich profile of demographic data to improve ad targeting.

Pondering all this, we called Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, to see what concerns privacy groups might have about a future where marketers track your every move. “Personalization is actually a great idea,” Rotenberg said, “but it should be done in a way that doesn’t require detailed data collection” about an individual.

It’s a nice hope, Rotenberg’s, that advertising and Google can survive in a world where the ways to reach consumers via glass screens grow smaller and smaller. But we suspect hyperintrusive data profiling is coming fast.

After all, Internet screens will soon be a lot smaller. And no one as rich or as smart as Google gives up so crucial a slice of sales without fighting back.