Did you use the Ultimate Tag Warrior plugin prior to the release of WordPress v2.3? In version 2.3, WordPress added native “tagging”, which made UTW obsolete. Prior to that, those of us who wanted to use tags had to turn to an external pluginn the most popular being Ultimate Tag Warrior. When WP 2.3 was released, it enabled you to import your existing tags directly into WP’s native tagging system. But those old UTW tables were still hanging out in the database, even if you uninistalled the plugin!

As I was mucking around in one of my WordPress databases today, I noticed a couple of tables that were unfamiliar to me, namely wp_tags and wp_post2tag. A quick Google search led me to this great tutorial by John P. on how to remove the old UTW tables.

I scanned through his post, and confirmed that I could safely drop wp_post2tag, wp_tags, and wp_tag_synonyms from my database. That’s all I needed to hear. I fired up phpMyAdmin, clicked on those 3 tables, and dropped them for good.

Voila! Hope this helps..

Depending on whom you ask, the term Internet marketing can mean a variety of things. At one time, Internet marketing consisted mostly of having a website or placing banner ads on other websites. On the other end of the spectrum, there are loads of companies telling you that you can make a fortune overnight on the Internet and who try to sell you some form of “Internet marketing program”.

Today, Internet marketing is evolving into a broader mix of components a company can use as a means of increasing sales – even if your business is done completely online, partly online, or completely offline. The decision to use Internet marketing as part of a company’s overall marketing strategy is strictly up to the company of course, but as a rule, Internet marketing is becoming an increasingly important part of nearly every company’s marketing mix. For some online businesses, it is the only form of marketing being practiced.

Internet marketing is using the Internet to do one or more of the following:

1. Communicate a company’s message about itself, its products, or its services.

2. Conduct research as to the nature of existing and potential customers.

3. Sell goods, services, or advertising space over the Internet.

Components of Internet marketing may include:

1. A website, consisting of text, images and possibly audio and video elements used to convey the company’s message, to inform existing and potential customers of the features and benefits of the company’s products and/or services.

2. Email marketing, which is a method of distributing information about a product or service or for soliciting feedback from customers about a product or service through Email. Email addresses of customers and prospective customers may be collected or purchased.

3. Banner advertising, which is the placement of ads on a website for a fee. Offline this would be similar to traditional advertising in newspapers or magazines.

Of all of the components of Internet marketing, prospective customers and clients expect a business to have a website. In fact, not having one could raise a red flag to a prospect. Online usage has become so pervasive today, many prospects might easily choose to do business with a company that they can get up-to-date information on 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Even a business that only has very local customers, such as a single location restaurant or shoe store can benefit from having a Web site. And, those businesses whose customers are not restricted to a geographical area might have a difficult time finding an alternate method of attracting customers that offers the reasonably low expense and worldwide reach of a Web presence.

Because of the “virtual” nature of most home businesses, websites, if not an absolute necessity, can certainly provide benefits to a home business operator. Since most home-based businesses don’t have a physical location, a website provides an inexpensive means for prospects to get to know what you do or what you sell and can even be a “storefront” for selling goods and services directly.

The Internet has greatly enabled home businesses to prosper because of the reasonably low cost to start and maintain a web presence. Therefore, Internet marketing should be part of your business plan and your marketing strategy.

Stop Spending Money And Start Making Money With Your Own Internet Business Starting Right Now… 100% Guaranteed!
http://www.diegonorte.com/prd/1003/

The Subscribe to Comments plugin is a plugin that enables commenters to sign up for e-mail notification of subsequent comments. It’s a great way to engage your users and get them to come back to your site. I’ve been a loyal user since 2006, and the only problem I’ve faced is that I’ve now got a TON of people subscribed to posts that are VERY old. Over time, people’s e-mail addresses change, and all of a sudden I’m getting bounced e-mails from the plugin.

Subscribe to Comments has an admin screen under the Tools section of the Dashboard, but it requires you to manually select each subscriber, wait for the page to load, tick the checkbox next to any/all posts to which they have subscribed, and click “Remove Selected Subscription(s)”. Then return to the list and wash, rinse, repeat.

Imagine if you’ve got a spammer subscribing to hundreds of posts, using random fake e-mail addresses.. Total nightmare!

I Googled around looking for a way to manipulate the database to make this process easier. And I stumbled across this great post on Perishable Press that gave me a great solution.

Using phpMyAdmin or equivalent, execute the following customized query:

SELECT `comment_post_ID` , `comment_ID` , `comment_author_email` , `comment_subscribe`
FROM `wp_comments` WHERE `comment_subscribe` = 'Y'
LIMIT 0 , 100

This will return a nice table listing the comment ID, post ID, and email address for every comment subscriber. Simply scan the list for spam entries, tick the associated checkbox, and click the “Delete” button.

(The Delete button is the red X to the right of the “Check All / Uncheck All” verbage at the bottom of the list.. Don’t feel bad, I couldn’t find it at first either.)

Problem solved! Hope this helps..

One of the toughest challenges of marketing is connecting the creative process to techniques that maximize the promotional results. Most smart, passionate small business owners know their businesses better than anyone, but they lack the specific knowledge to channel that energy into marketing success.

The Internet and Web 2.0 are bringing these savvy entrepreneurs all of the tools to execute a world-class marketing plan. Unfortunately, there is still that missing piece–knowledge.

Old school marketing firms and ad agencies are trapped in business models sustained by big retainers, long-term contracts, and little accountability. This is a recipe for good money chasing bad execution, in an economy that can’t afford it.

In contrast there are some emerging options, provided by more innovative marketing firms. Leveraging Internet tools, social marketing, and new mobile techniques these new marketing firms are specializing in strategy and expertise, leaving execution to their clients.

Here are a few hints to save you money and squeeze the most out of your marketing spend:

1. Find Experience

Look for firms with talent and proven experience. Survey their impact on the Internet. Ask associates for referrals and references. An effective Internet marketing firm should be easy to find.

2. Pay for Expertise, Not Execution

Chance are you are heavy on smart people, while light on marketing expertise and budget. So, find a marketing partner that will work with you to balance that mix. Look for specific how-to advice and guided strategy. Then do the heavy lifting yourself.

3. Look for A La Carte Services

Don’t pay for the whole marketing department when you just need a few targeted services. Look for coaching and expertise in copywriting, press releases, and campaign management, not managing your message or “communications.” You probably have better knowledge of your target market any way–and how to get their attention. Ask (and pay) for only what you need to get it done, and nothing more.

4. Discard Retainers for Pay-As-You-Go

Retainers are for multi-national, Fortune 50 companies. Pay only on performance, as you go. This more closely aligns a marketing partner with your goals and objectives, while minimizing your long-term risks.

5. Results are the Final Measure

Bottom-line sales and revenue producing results are the most important objectives of any business, but particularly a small or medium-sized business. This is why you may find great marketing firms willing to let you employee their expertise, while giving you the responsibility and savings for implementation and measurement. This assures that their services are credible and drives immediate value.

Find do-it-yourself marketing options for your next ad or marketing campaign. Hire expertise and retain execution and measurement. You get to lead the marketing charge, giving you more for you marketing dollar.

Stop Spending Money And Start Making Money With Your Own Internet Business Starting Right Now… 100% Guaranteed!
http://www.diegonorte.com/prd/1003/

Since I’m on the road right now, I downloaded the WordPress app for my iPhone. (I didn’t feel like lugging around my laptop)

I was skeptical at how useful it would be, but I’m REALLY impressed! These guys did a phenominal job, and I’ll be using this app a lot more in the future.

If you’re an NBA fan, the NBA All-Star Game is the place to be! And thanks to my good friends at Celebrity Seats, I’ve got tickets for all the festivities in Phoenix this weekend! Hopefully my buddies in the league can introduce me to some of the players, and get me some VIP access!

My in-laws live in Scottsdale, so we decided to make this trip into a mini-vacation. After the All-Star Game, we’re headed up to Sedona for a few days of relaxation. And then if time permits, I’m going to do a half-day of karting over at Bondurant. I took their High Performance Driving courses years ago, but didn’t have time to play with the karts.. This should be a fun trip!

I’ll have limited Internet access while I’m gone, so don’t be surprised if a few days go by without a post on here.. If you’d like to submit a guest post, click the Contact link above and let me know. Thanks!