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I want to get the premium positioning offered by the top category.. a Virtual Web Site Listing, but I already have a web site.
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There is no hidden "Internet Rule" that says you can only have one web site per company. Many of the more successful players in Internet commerce have a number of web sites... each with different functions and/or marketing approaches. In your case, the Virtual Web Site Listing would function as a supplemental web site which gathered its own traffic (we submit your virtual web site to the major search engines) as well as "theinteriordesigner.com" traffic and redirected it to your primary location.
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Until I see more traffic on the web site, I´m getting just the Free Listing. Once I see enough traffic though, I´ll get one of the upgraded Listings. Can I keep my position once I upgrade?
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You can always keep your original Basic Listing position... but positions within each category are on a "first come, first served" basis for each category. This means, for example, that if you wait until 66 Linked Listings have been purchased by other firms before upgrading your listing to a Linked Listing (or Cached Home Page, or Virtual Web Site, etc.) in a selected category, you will be the 67th Linked Listing (page 2 or 3) within that category irrespective of where you stood as a Basic Listing.
As a side comment here, none of the listings are very costly... particularly when compared with print advertising... and in print advertising, holding a preferred (premium) position can become very expensive. Here, at The Interior Designer... you are awarded your premium position simply by becoming one of the early subscribers supporting this site. You keep your preferred position indefinitely... as long as you renew your annual subscription.
Additionally, your registration fee is for an entire year... not month to month. When you register with The Interior Designer, you are not just putting your name into a database application that automatically attaches you to the end of the list that nobody even knows about. This site is actively and aggressively managed as an on-line Products and Services Exposition AND as an "e-zine" targeted at the furnishing and decorator market. We keep the content fresh and growing to make sure we earn bookmarks in every "browser" that visits this site. We promote the site, aggressively.. to your market!
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I purchased a Link Listing ($49.95/yr) when there were only 11 Virtual Web Site ($199.95/yr) and Cached Home Page ($99.95/yr) listings in my product category. Now I want to upgrade to a Virtual Web Site but there are 27 of these higher listings in my category. Can I step into position 12 on the first page?
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Sorry... but like we said above, your position within a category is based upon the order in which your specific listing registration type occurred in that category. Thus, if we consider the scenario presented in your question above, your Virtual Web Site would be placed at position number 28 - still first page - but in the bottom half of that particular category. This is not such a bad deal. The Interior Designer web site rewards you for your original support of the site. Bigger, wealthier players cannot come in later and push you out of your position. Neither are you penalized because your company name starts with a "y" or a "z". You are positioned on a page based upon the longevity of your listing. This is fundamentally fair, and gives the small players a permanent advantage for their initiative and support.
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I purchased a Link Listing ($49.95/yr) but now that I've had a chance to experience the traffic, I want to upgrade to a Virtual Web Site Listing ($199.95/yr). Can I get credit for the $49.95 I paid for the Link Listing?
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If you upgrade within 90 days of your original Link Listing, we will give you full credit toward the higher level listing. This includes both the Virtual Web Site Listing ($199.95/yr) and the Cached Home Page Listing.
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I purchased a Cached Home Page listing ($99.95/yr) and secured position number 7 in all 3 categories that came with that listing. Now, I want to add another 9 categories but 6 of those categories have filled the first page. Can I have my 9 new listings placed at the seventh position in these 9 new categories?
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Sorry, but this would hardly be fair to those subscribers who had invested in these categories early on... whether their position was by virtue of their original type of listing or as a purchased additional category. Your location in these newly purchased categories will be in the position that was next available when you finally decided to acquire them. Keep in mind that this rule works both ways. For your listing type, no listing that preceeded you, in other categories, will be able to bump you down in any of the categories you are currently listed under either.
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My company provides products that fit into 38 of your published categories. I can't afford to purchase listings in that many extra categories. What would you suggest?
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Purchase a Virtual Web Site Listing ($199.95/yr)... which comes with 5 category listings included. Determine which grouping of your products generate the greatest sales volume and then make sure you have a listing in each of those categories. It is unlikely that you will need to invest in more than 1/3rd of your anticipated category count (we'll say 12 for this example). Acquire the lesser number of category listings but then make sure your Home Page references all of the product categories you carry.
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Do you plan to have an alphabetical index for all of the listed companies?
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No. This is not a Yellow Pages directory. Visitors come to this site looking for a product or service... not a specific company. If they have a specific company in mind, then there are other Internet services available to help them locate that company. We help the site visitor locate the products and services they seek by providing an index of all the product/service categories.
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I don't have a web site but I do have an e-mail address through my dial-up Internet access account with a local ISP. Will just the Link Listing work for me?
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Certainly... but you'll only be able to publish your e-mail address for an immediate inquiry. If you have confidence in your product line... you should seriously consider our Virtual Web Site. This product is made specifically for the small businessperson who has a limited budget. For just $200, you get a simple web site, major search engine registration submittal, a prestigeous e-mail address (yourname@theinteriordesigner.com) and web site hosting for an entire year... PLUS premium positioning in "www.theinteriordesigner.com". Try and beat that deal anywhere else.
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OK, I'm sold. Do you take credit cards?
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Not yet. Fill out your registration form and submit it to us. Indicate that a check is on the way (see the Registration Form for the mail address).
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How long before I can expect to see the listing I submitted posted in your web site?
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That depends upon our backlog. Prior to the official launch, we have just been sending out a few solicitations in order to populate the site. This "seeding" will continue right up until launch. Then we will be soliciting listings on a wholesale basis. Premium positioning could dry up in a hurry for some of the more common categories because of this. Your early registration not only gets your listing in place sooner but also, may very well affect your ability to get premium positioning at all.
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What kind of price increases can we expect in subsequent annual renewals?
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The value of our site to property owners and design professionals is in the broad selection of resources the site gives them access to. The more useful this site is to them, the more traffic we can expect... which is good for our banner advertising revenues (and our banner advertisers). Our pricing will remain at a level which we perceive as "insignificant" or minimal to our listing client. This will insure a high sign-up and renewal rate for those companies who have good success with their listings.
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I have a great skin conditioner that I sell through a network of "agents". While it's not really "interior design" stuff, it usually does well with the "appearance conscious" crowd. Can I list my product on The Interior Designer web site.
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Sorry. Our visitors come here looking for a specific kind of products and services. That is all we intend to deliver to them. If they start coming up with references that are not related to their specific interests, then the site loses its value to them. We will only list products and services that are specifically for home/business furnishing, decorating, improvement.
Also, we will not support any kind of multi level marketing program that does not deliver true value to the buyer. We, The Interior Designer, reserve the right to determine what product and/or service is acceptable for listing on this site.
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Can I purchase premium positioning, above the highest positioning listing option now offered?
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As we've stated before, listings within the individual categories earn their position on a first come, first saved basis. There is no other vehicle that allows you to jump in front of someone who was here before you were. You can, however, purchase banner advertising throughout the site based upon prevailing "hit" or "click through" rates as published. Contact our offices for further information on advertising availability.
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Can I host my entire web site on The Interior Designer servers?
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Yes you can... as long as your product or service is compatible with our target market. Our offerings are competitive with other hosting services in the $24.95 per month range.. but in addition, your hosting account includes a premium listing in up to 5 categories ... Refer to the "Your Own Domain & Web Site Listing" page for more details.
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