Posts filed under 'Reviews'
I’ve been using Twitter for a couple months now and soon after I first signed up I downloaded Twhirl which is an application that allows you to use Twitter without using your web browser. A week ago I decided to try TweetDeck, which is essentially the same application but with a few more features. In the end, I weighed the pros and cons and came to the conclusion that Twhirl won the battle of the two.
Here’s why I think Thwirl kicks ass:
Twhirl
- Small unobtrusive notices pop up in the bottom right-hand corner of your computer screen each time Thwirl refreshes and new tweets are posted.
- When you receive replies or direct messages, Thwirl will ding at you. This might annoy some people but it’s handy for me when I’m puttering around the house. When I hear the ding I’ll quickly check it out. Otherwise, replies or direct messages may not be replied to for a long time if I’m not sitting at the computer.
- You can set the options to make the Thwirl program opaque. I like this feature so that when I’m not using it I can see right through it and view my desktop wallpaper. Dumb, but I like it anyway.
- Thwirl has a refresh button. I have it set to refresh every 5 minutes but if I want to, I can refresh any time.
- Thwirl is extremely easy to use. I figured it out in no time with no confusion whatsoever. And that’s saying a lot (for me).
- You can shorten your URLs from within the Thwirl application.
- Everything you can view with Twitter on the web can also be viewed in Twhirl, such as Replies, Direct Messages, Followers, Favorites, etc. This is really handy.
Why I don’t like TweetDeck
- TweetDeck doesn’t “ding” at you when you receive direct messages or replies.
- There are no popup notices each time new tweets are posted.
- From what I could see, there was no refresh button. You had to wait for TweetDeck to “Auto-update”.
- While it was nice to see replies and direct messages in their own column next to regular tweets, the application took up a lot of room on my computer screen.
- I couldn’t find any “Options” to change any settings. The first thing I do when I download a new program is mess with the options so this was a point lost for TweetDeck as well.
Now, TweetDeck is in Beta mode so they’re still working out bugs and adding new features. Both Thwirl and TweetDeck also have other cool features in addition to the ones I’ve listed above, but I just stuck to the ones I use.
Ultimately, we all have our own preferences and reasons why we use Twitter. While Twhirl might work better for people like me, TweetDeck may be a better option for others. These are just some reasons why I personally prefer Twhirl over TweetDeck.
July 11th, 2008
I finally signed up for NicheBot yesterday (yes I know, I’m extremely behind the times) and WOW am I ever going to be a busy girl for the next few months.
After spending a few minutes with this program I’ve got a monster list of new keywords which will help me tweak existing pages to get better traffic and also a plethora of new ideas for more content.
If you haven’t already heard of it, NicheBot is a keyword research tool and so much more. Corny, but true 
Anyone with a website should know that keyword research is a huge factor in creating and maintaining a website or blog so you should also know that having a program like this is extremely valuable.
How much did I pay to use this program?
One buckaroo!
You can get a 14-day trial for only $1*. You have access to all the paid features and you can cancel at any time. I figured I would check it out, generate some keyword lists, then cancel if I didn’t think I would use it that much. After about five minutes I knew I would be renewing after the trial period.
I have to admit that when I first logged in I was confused as to what to do or where to look, but once I read a bit it was smooth sailing.
I really can’t believe how much I’ve been missing out by not using a program like this from the beginning. I don’t even want to think about how much money I haven’t made but could have. Quite depressing really…
Anyway, I’m off to find some new keywords. It’s so exciting. Feels like Christmas!
Here’s the link again. Check it out, even if you’re a cheapo like me!
http://mamasontheweb.com/nichebot.php
*UPDATE: Boo! NicheBot no longer has a 14-day $1 trial period. Instead, you can try it for just 46 cents a day. Go dig around in your couch and find a couple quarters and you can make keyword lists til you drop.
April 24th, 2008
Since I’ve been working online, I’ve signed up for almost every newsletter under the sun. The majority of them are just regurgitated, uninteresting information, but there’s one that I especially look forward to each week.
If you want to learn how to be successful online without wasting time on useless information, sign up for the Talk Biz newsletter. Paul Myers is an amazing marketer, and so far there hasn’t been a single newsletter of his that I haven’t read from start to finish (and some of them have been extremely long).
He’s got a great sense of humor and always makes sure each newsletter is interesting. Most newsletters I read are pretty dull, but not his.
What I especially love about his newsletters is his ability to get his point across without any hype or jazz. I don’t have time to read through a bunch of fluff, and I’m sure you don’t either, so this is something that I really appreciate as a busy mom.
You’ll learn a lot from Paul from what he says and also from HOW he says it. I particularly enjoy seeing how he sells. He doesn’t try and hide it by sneaking in the links. He comes right out and damn well says he’s selling something. Sometimes he’s selling his own products, other times he’s recommending someone else’s. Either way, he does it perfectly. It’s not a blatant sales letter that insults your intelligence, it’s just a simple, straight forward and honest recommendation.
You’ll realize right away that Paul is someone you can trust. These days, it’s hard to trust anyone on the Internet. I’ve been burned by marketers before and if you’ve been online for any amount of time, you probably have too. That’s why the Talk Biz newsletter is such a breath of fresh air.
If you’re not already a subscriber, sign up now. You’ll be glad you did. Oh, by the way, it doesn’t cost a thing. I’m not selling anything and I don’t get anything when you sign up, I just hope you can benefit from his information like I have.
September 13th, 2007
I’ve been using Aweber for quite a few months now, and I absolutely LOVE it!
I wish I had made the decision to sign up long ago. I really feel like it took my business one step further. I feel secure in knowing my subscribers information is safe and that my messages are being sent out.
There are tons of features with Aweber, but I’ll list a few of my favorites:
Once you’ve signed up for Aweber, you have an unlimited amount of autoresponders. You could have 3000 different lists if you wanted.
Tracking features include HTML open rates and clickthrough rates on both HTML and text only messages. This is extremely important information to have, and a lot of autoresponders don’t offer this.
You can send out broadcasts to your subscribers, or load messages into the autoresponder where you would set the intervals at which they get sent out. I do a combination of both.
Information from your subscribers is all carefully stored and you can use that information to help you determine their demographic. You can view which URL they signed up at, date and time they were added, and their country, region and even what city they live in. Some people might not need all this information, but if you’re targeting a very specific group of peope, this can be extremely handy.
The web form generator is really easy to use. You can create an in-line form, pop-up, pop-under, exit pop-up or pop-over/hover forms. If you’re not sure which type of form to use, you can use the split-testing feature Aweber provides to see which works better.
Aweber also provides lots of detailed reports that include all the information you need for your email marketing campaign. If you’re not testing and tracking anything, then you’re missing out on sales and traffic.
The Aweber blog is updated regularly with really useful tips on how to make the most of your autoresponder and your list. Even if you don’t use Aweber, I would still recommend you check it out. http://www.aweber.com/blog/
What I think is really important is the help section. I’ve yet to have a question that couldn’t be answered within their documentation, but if you do happen to have a question that isn’t answered, they provide live help desk support during business hours.
The downside to Aweber:
There is a bit of a learning curve when you first get started, but it should only take an hour or two of messing around before you get the hang of it.
http://mamasontheweb.com/Aweber.php
January 10th, 2007
