Obama signals retreat in the fight against terrorism (Powerlineblog)

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Laptop Week Review: Samsung 700T Fly Or Die

In lieu of a formal review, Matt Burns and I sat down to take a look at the Samsung 700T AKA ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T, a convertible tablet that has a small button on the keyboard that pops out the Windows 8 tablet that forms the brains of the machine. The device is a bit chintzy - more pressed metal and injected plastic than I like to see on a laptop - but at about $1,000 retail it's an acceptable compromise for Win8 users who are looking for a nicer tablet.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wCGkQO_rsAc/

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Per-student pre-K spending lowest in decade

WASHINGTON (AP) ? State funding for pre-kindergarten programs had its largest drop ever last year and states are now spending less per child than they did a decade ago, according to a report released Monday.

The report also found that more than a half million of those preschool students are in programs that don't even meet standards suggested by industry experts that would qualify for federal dollars.

Those findings ? combined with Congress' reluctance to spend new dollars ? complicate President Barack Obama's effort to expand pre-K programs across the country. While Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius continue to promote the president's proposal, researchers say existing programs are inadequate, and until their shortcomings are fixed there is little desire by lawmakers to get behind Obama's call for more preschool.

"The state of preschool was a state of emergency," said Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, which produced the report.

During his State of the Union speech, Obama proposed a federal-state partnership that would dramatically expand options for families with young children. Obama's plan would fund public preschool for any 4-year-old whose family income was below twice the federal poverty rate.

If it were in place this year, the plan would allow a family of four with two children to enroll students in a pre-K program if the family earned less than $46,566.

Students from families who earn more could participate in the program, but their parents would have to pay tuition based on their income. Eventually, 3-year-old students would be part of the program, too.

As part of his budget request, Obama proposed spending $75 billion over 10 years to help states get these new programs up and running. During the first years, Washington would pick up the majority of the cost before shifting costs to states.

"It's the most significant opportunity to expand access to pre-K that this nation has ever seen," Barnett said of the president's proposal.

Obama proposed paying for this expansion by almost doubling the federal tax on cigarettes, to $1.95 per pack.

Obama's pre-K plan faces a tough uphill climb, though, with the tobacco industry opposing the tax that would pay for it and lawmakers from tobacco-producing states also skeptical. Conservative lawmakers have balked at starting another government program, as well. Obama's Democratic allies are clamoring to make it a priority.

To help it along, Duncan and Sebelius planned to join the report's researchers on Monday at a news conference to introduce the report, along with administration allies. They planned events later in the week to reiterate their support.

Yet those public events were unlikely to sway lawmakers who are already fighting among themselves over spending cuts that are forcing students to be dropped from existing preschool programs, the levying of higher fees for student loans and deep cuts for aid to military schools.

States spent about $5.1 billion on pre-K programs in 2011-12, the most recent school year, researchers wrote in the report.

Per-student funding for existing programs during that year dropped to an average of $3,841 for each student. It was the first time average spending per student dropped below $4,000 in today's dollars since researchers started tracking it during the 2001-02 academic year.

Adjusted for inflation, per-student funding has been cut by more than $1,000 during the last decade.

Yet nationwide, the amounts were widely varied. The District of Columbia spent almost $14,000 on every child in its program while the states of Colorado, South Carolina and Nebraska spent less than $2,000 per child.

"Whether you get a quality preschool program does depend on what ZIP code you are in," Barnett said.

Among the 40 states that offer state-funded pre-K programs, 27 cut per-student spending last year. In total, that meant $548 million in cuts.

Money, of course, is not a guarantee for students' success. But students from poor schools generally lag students from better-funded counterparts and those students from impoverished families arrive in kindergarten less prepared than others.

In all, only 15 states and the District of Columbia spent enough money to provide quality programs, the researchers concluded. Those programs serve about 20 percent of the 1.3 million enrolled in state-funded prekindergarten programs.

"In far too many states, funding levels have fallen so low as to bring into question the effectiveness of their programs by any reasonable standard," researchers wrote.

Part of the reason for the decreased spending are the lingering effects of the economic downturn in 2008, coupled with the end of federal stimulus dollars to plug state budgets.

"Although the recession is technically over, the recovery in state revenues has lagged the recovery of the general economy and has been slower and weaker than following prior recessions. This does not bode well for digging back out of the hole created by years of cuts," the researchers wrote in their report.

Nationally, 42 percent of students ? or more than a half million students ? were in programs that met fewer than half of the benchmarks researchers identified as important to gauging a program's effectiveness, such as classrooms with fewer than 20 students and teachers with bachelor's degrees.

That, too, suggests problems for Obama's plan to expand pre-K programs, especially if Washington insists its partners meet quality benchmarks to win federal dollars.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/per-student-pre-k-spending-lowest-decade-042832006.html

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Police say 4 people stabbed at Albuquerque church

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Police say a 24-year-old man stabbed four people at a Catholic church in Albuquerque as a Sunday mass was nearing its end.

Police spokesman Robert Gibbs says Lawrence Capener jumped over several pews at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church around noon Sunday and walked up to the choir area where he began his attack.

The injuries to the four church-goers weren't life-threatening. All four were being treated at hospitals.

An off-duty police officer and others at the church subdued Capener and held him down until police arrived.

Some of those who were stabbed were members of the choir.

Gibbs says Capener is now being interviewed by police and is expected to face felony charges.

It's not yet known whether Capener has an attorney.

Gibbs says investigators don't yet know the motive for the stabbings, whether Capener had ties to the victims or whether he regularly attended the church.

The stabbings occurred as the choir had just begun its closing hymns.

Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan released a statement saying he was saddened by the attack.

"I pray for all who have been harmed, their families, the parishioners and that nothing like this will ever happen again," Sheehan said.

The church didn't immediately return calls seeking comment on Sunday afternoon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-4-people-stabbed-albuquerque-church-224409447.html

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Iraq watchdog suspends 10 TV channels for inciting violence

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has suspended the licenses of satellite news network Al Jazeera and nine other channels, accusing them of inciting violence through their coverage of recent sectarian clashes.

The Communication and Media Commission (CMC) regulator criticized their reporting of violence triggered by a security forces raid on a Sunni Muslim protest camp in Hawija on Tuesday.

None of the channels was immediately available for comment.

More than 170 people have been killed in the fighting - the worst Iraq has seen since Sunnis started staging protests in December to complain about their treatment by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government.

The watchdog said sectarian language used in the reports encouraged "criminal acts of revenge by attacking the security forces".

"The CMC sees in the speech and content propagated by the channels...an incitement and escalation which leans towards misleading and exaggeration more than towards objectivity," the watchdog said in a statement published on Sunday.

Most of the channels, including local stations such as "Baghdad" and "al-Sharqiya", are pro-Sunni and often critical of the Shi'ite-led government. Al Jazeera is based in Qatar, a Sunni-ruled kingdom.

The watchdog is powerless to stop the channels broadcasting, but may make it harder for their local staff to cover events.

Media rights group the Iraqi Journalistic Freedoms Observatory said the CMC was biased, as some officials in the body had been appointed by the government.

"We do not deny there is an incitement to violence by some media outlets, but we consider the suspension of licenses of 10 satellite channels a blow for democracy," the Observatory's Executive Director Ziyad al-Ajili told Reuters.

Last June, the CMC ordered the closure of 44 media outlets including the BBC and Voice of America. It does not have the power to stop them broadcasting from overseas.

Violence, including bomb attacks that have killed dozens of people at a time, has increased across Iraq this year. Provisional figures from rights group Iraq Body Count indicate about 1,365 people have been killed so far in 2013.

(Reporting by Aseel Kami; Editing by Isabel Coles and Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-watchdog-suspends-10-tv-channels-inciting-violence-132418505.html

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Upcoming Myrtle Beach area health events | Communities ...

GEORGETOWN

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Georgetown Memorial Hospital, but some take place at different locations. Call the numbers listed for more information or visit www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org.

Chronic kidney disease education | Varying schedule, varying locations in Horry and Georgetown counties. Free. 866-647-9396 or www.ultracare-dialysis.com/TOPS.

Health screenings | Finger-stick lipid profiles with blood sugar test: $20; diabetes screening-hemoglobin A1C: $15; blood sugar levels: $3. Free blood pressure screenings. 520-8579

??7:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, mall area, Georgetown Memorial Hospital

??7:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, hallway by Same Day Surgery, Waccamaw Community Hospital.

??8:30-11:30 a.m. second Friday every other month, Waccamaw Community Care, 4310 Dick Pond Road, Myrtle Beach.

Obstetrics tour | 6 p.m. Tuesday, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Pre-registration required, 520-8490.

Regional health screening | 7:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, Forestbrook Baptist Church, Myrtle Beach. Screenings offered include cardiac risk assessment, $25; chemistry panel, $20; thyroid screening, $15; diabetes, $15; PSA for men, $15. Blood panel tests require a 10- to 12-hour fast. Registration packets are available at the information desks at Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Waccamaw Community Hospital.

Retired nurse tea | 3-4 p.m. May 6, private dining room, Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Email khazzard@georgetownhospitalsystem.org to register.

Candlelight vigil | 8 p.m. May 6, in front of Waccamaw Community Hospital and will honor the memory of nurses and blessing of the hands.

Retired nurse tea | 1-2 p.m. May 7, first-floor classroom, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Email jhashey@georgetownhospitalsystem.org to register.

Support groups

?? Young stroke survivors between ages 20 and 65 | 11:30 a.m. third Wednesday each month, first-floor classroom, Waccamaw Hospital or 5:30 p.m. education center, Georgetown Memorial Hospital. 655-2835 or visit www.YoungStroke.org

?? Mended Hearts | 6 p.m. last Tuesday of each month, Health Point Center for Health and Fitness, 12965 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island. Light supper provided. 685-3378 or rkeilen@mercyhospice.org

?? Bosom Buddies | 6-7 p.m. Monday, Wachesaw Conference Center, 4367 Riverwood Drive, Suite 160, Murrells Inlet. 237-8787

GRAND STRAND

Blood drives sponsored by American Red Cross are scheduled as follows. Call 839-4483 or 800-RED-CROSS.

??10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, in the parking lot, City Services Building, 921 Oak St., Myrtle Beach. 918-1114

??2-7 p.m. Monday, First Baptist Church, 6 N. Rosemary St., Andrews. 520-6564

??11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Horry County Complex, 1201 21st Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. 915-5293

??9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, St. James High School, 10800 S.C. 707, Murrells Inlet. 650-5600

??7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Red Cross Center, The Plaza at Carolina Forest, 3681 Renee Drive, Unit 4, Myrtle Beach.

??10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Waccamaw Community Hospital, 4367 Riverwood Drive, Murrells Inlet. 652-1135

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7, Socastee High School, 4900 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach. 293-2513

??10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 8, Horry County Office Complex, 1301 Second Ave., Conway. 915-5000

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 8, Carolina Forest Elementary School, 285 Carolina Forest Blvd., Myrtle Beach. 236-0001

??noon to 6 p.m. May 9, McLeod Loris, 3655 Mitchell St., Loris. 390-8327

??1:30-6:30 p.m. May 9, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, 1251 21st Ave. 918-6002

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10, North Myrtle Beach Aquatics and Fitness Center, 1100 Second Ave. S. 281-3743

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10, Georgetown High School, 2250 Anthuan Maybank Drive. 546-8516

??10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11, Wal-Mart, 2709-A Church St., Conway. 796-1965

CONWAY

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Conway Medical Center, but some take place at the Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center. Call the numbers listed for more information or log on to www.conwaymedicalcenter.com.

Obstetrics tour | 2 p.m. every Sunday, The Birthplace, Conway Medical Center, 300 Singleton Ridge Road, Conway. 347-8108

Wellness Coaching with Robin Robinson | ongoing, Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center, 2369 Cypress Circle. $99. 347-1515

Mobile services | free screenings for blood pressure, finger-stick full lipid panel to include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and blood sugar. Scheduled as follows:

??7:30-9:30 a.m. Monday, Quick Shop, 5100 Kates Bay Road, Conway.

??7:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Pee Dee Grocery, 9150 U.S. 701 S., Conway.

Wake Up Call | 5:15-6 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through May 15, Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center, 2369 Cypress Circle. $80 member; $120 non-members. 347-1515

Support groups

?? Parents Anonymous | 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday, Conway Medical Center. 448-5804

MYRTLE BEACH

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, but some take place at the YMCA on 62nd Avenue North in Myrtle Beach or at HealthFinders in Coastal Grand mall. Call the numbers listed for more information or log on to www.grandstrandmed.com.

Walk-in screenings | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, HealthFinders. $7 for cholesterol screening; $20 for lipid panel; $20 for A1C testing; blood pressure and weight screenings free. A 12-hour fast required for lipid profile. 692-4444

Ask the Pharmacist | 2-4 p.m. Fridays, HealthFinders. Bring your medication for review. One-on-one consults with a registered pharmacist. 692-4444

BLS CPR/AED classes | First Aid; Babysitter and Family Care Giving classes and certifications offered weekly by appointment. All instructors are AHA/ARC certified. K-Loc Healthy Kids, Inc., 1435 Cannon Road, Myrtle Beach. Classes available in Georgetown and North Myrtle Beach. Registration required. 467-0068.

Addiction counseling | Narconon. Call for free assessments or referrals, 877-413-3073 or www.drugsno.com.

Nar-Anon family group | 7 p.m. Sundays, Recovery Warehouse, 3116 Shetland Lane, unit 34, Myrtle Beach. 233-9017

Hatha Yoga class | 10-11 a.m. Fridays, HealthFinders. $8 per class. 692-4444

Prime of Life Yoga | 11 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, HealthFinders. $8 per class. 692-4444

Heartsaver CPR AED class | 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, HealthFinders. 692-4444 to register.

?Look Good Feel Better? for women in cancer treatment | 2-4 p.m. May 6, Coastal Cancer Center, 8121 Rourk St., Myrtle Beach. 800-227-2345, registration required.

Prepared Childbirth course | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center . $50. 692-4444 to register.

Prepared Childbirth course | 7 p.m. May 6, 13, 20, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. $50. 692-4444 to register.

Infant Care | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11, HealthFinders. Free. 692-4444 to register.

Breastfeeding | 1:30-3:30 p.m. May 11, HealthFinders. Free. 692-4444 to register.

Support groups

?? Rape Crisis Cente r | Individual counseling, support group, 24-hour hotline for victims of sexual assault. 448-3180 or 448-7273

?? Non-offending parents of child victims of sexual assault | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Conway. Visit www.victimtosurvivor.org or 448-3180.

?? Young stroke survivors between ages 20 to 65 | 11:30 a.m. fourth Friday each month, meeting room, Rotelli?s restaurant, U.S. 501, Conway. 655-2835 or visit www.YoungStroke.org.

?? Mended Hearts | 11:30 a.m. May 13, meeting room behind cafeteria, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, 809 82nd Parkway, Myrtle Beach. Lunch provided. 685-3378 or rkeilen@mercyhospice.org

?? The La Leche League | 10:30 a.m. Thursday, HealthFinders. 692-4444

?? Prostate | 6 p.m. Wednesday, HealthFinders. 692-4444

LORIS/NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

McLeod Health/Loris/Seacoast sponsors the following events, classes and meetings. The hospital system offers a physician referral line, 716-7527 or online at www.lorishealth.org.

Injury screenings | 8-11 a.m. every Monday, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center. 360-213-3620 or 281-3737 to schedule an appointment.

Zumba | 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. Monday (beginner?s Zumba), Center for Health and Fitness. Free for members; $5 for guest of members; $8 nonmembers. 716-7111

AARP Driver Safety course | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Center for Health & Fitness. $12 for AARP member, $14 for non-member. 390-8326

Al-Anon meeting | 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Tuesday, A.A. Building, Route 17 S., Grissettown, N.C., across from Ocean Ridge. E-mail el-j-em@hotmail.com or just show up at the next meeting.

March for babies walking team | 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Pelican Stadium, 21st Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. 390-8326

Balance screenings | noon to 2 p.m. May 7, Myrtle Beach mall. Registration required, 390-8326.

Blood drive | 12:30-6:30 p.m. May 9, Center for Health & Fitness. Walk-ins welcome. Registration requested, 390-8326.

Community blood bank | 7:30 a.m. to noon, May 11, American Legion Post #503, 10277 Beach Drive (Rt. 179), Calabash, N.C. Refreshments served. To sign up, 910-575-5037.

Lymphedema screenings | 1-3 p.m. May 16, Center for Health & Fitness. Registration required, 390-8326.

The Child Forgotten | 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 23, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center. Registration requested, 390-8326.

Support groups

?? Fibromyalgia and Arthritis | 11 a.m. Wednesday, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center. 390-8326

?? Ostomy | 2 p.m. Sunday, McLeod Seacoast. 390-8326

?? Multiple Sclerosis | 6 p.m. May 14, Center for Health & Fitness. 390-8326

?? Diabetes | 10-11 a.m. May 31, McLeod Seacoast. 390-8326

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/04/28/3460242/upcoming-myrtle-beach-area-health.html

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How to Successfully Utilize Pay Per Click Advertising - Toledo Web ...

Whether you?re just starting out or you?re already established, a successful advertising campaign is an extremely valuable resource to any business. There are many ways to advertise, but a great deal of these methods can prove often to be cluttered and generally ineffective. One of the simplest and strongest options out there is ?pay per click advertising,? or PPC. The method was created in 1996, right about when the internet?s vast marketing potential was first being realized on a large scale and it was beginning to become more thoroughly monetized, though it didn?t really catch on until 2002. However, over the next decade PPC became more and more prevalent, with many preferring it other marketing plans being offered by firms specializing in online services. To this day it remains the most trusted method by which web advertising can be done and its popularity only continues to increase.

An example of PPC Advertising

PPC revolves around the sensible notion that you should only have to pay for advertising if it?s effective. Previously, with the ?cost per impression? system, you would have to pay every time someone saw your ad, but PPC is much more fair than that. Under this alternative system, clients only have to pay if their ads are actually clicked on. Generally, a flat rate will be decided upon in advance, and every time the add gets a click that rate will be paid to the advertising firm. This is an improvement over ?cost per impression? for several reasons. For one thing, it?s more affordable, as presumably many more people will see your add than click on it. That being said, the rate charged per impression is usually less than the rate charged per click, so it?s kind of a toss up in that regard. But regardless of the pricing, there are plenty more advantages as well.

• It?s fair: A subjective notion I know, but look at it this way: if you?re not getting a lot of clicks you shouldn?t have to pay a lot of money. That would be a waste after all. If you are getting a lot of clicks you?re probably paying a fair amount back, but the amount of publicity you?re getting should pay for that in no time.

• It?s informative: The mark of an effective advertisement is whether or not it legitimately interests and/or compels the potential consumer. If it does, the add is a success. If not, it must be revised. Under the ?cost per impression? system it was nigh on impossible to tell whether or not an add was truly effective. You just knew whether or not they?d seen it, not if they liked it. Pay per click solves that problem. Using this system, you can actually tell whether or not your add is interesting potential customers. In this way you can optimize your campaign much more effectively.

• It?s Highly Customizable: One of the greatest features of PPC is how tightly you can narrow down your target audience. One major aspect of the plan is the usage of keywords. Ideally, customers whose online activity corresponds closely to said keywords will be the ones who see your ads.? But there?s plenty more to this process than simply selecting some keywords. You can also select what keywords you don?t want associated with your product. If you only work within a defined area you can limit the amount of people who can see your ads to those within certain area codes. You can even target your advertising to a certain time of day. These features, and many more like them, are a big part of what makes PPC such an attractive option.

Of course, you can only get as much out of PPC as you put in. You can?t just plug in some data and watch it do all the work. If you want your ad campaign to be a success then you still need to take an active role. For example, I mentioned above how PPC can be used to measure the appeal and overall effectiveness of your ads. Use that information. If an ad?s not working then come up with something you think is better and try that. Keep experimenting and you?re bound to find something special. PPC grants you that freedom and flexibility. Use it. Ideally, you?ll want to start your campaign with several ads. This will probably cost a bit more money, but it?ll pay off in the long run. Make the ads diverse and try a few different strategies. Target each ad to a different keyword. After that, all you have to do is wait. In a little while, check back in. See which ads were successful and which ones floundered and use this information to strengthen your ad campaign. The lessons you learn carrying out an experiment like this can be incredibly beneficial in the future.

However, before you even put an ad out there you need to decide who exactly you want to see it. Ask yourself some questions before committing to a project:

• What keywords best summarize my product or service?
• What age group or gender would my service most appeal to?
• What geographic location do I want to target?
• What season or time of day best represents my service?
• And so on?

As with any successful ad campaign, you?ll want to narrow down your target audience as much as possible. The more exact your aim the better the chance you?ll hit after all. Answer the above questions, and any other like them, with a great deal of care. Remember that you can narrow down your audience not only with positive keywords but negative ones as well. For these ads to be optimally effective you?ll want them to reach the right people just about every time. Be sure not to use ?broad match? keywords, which can get your ads sent to places only tangentially related to the keywords you selected. And if your ad keeps getting sent to the wrong place add some items to your list of negative keywords to compensate. Watch your traffic carefully. False clicks do you no good. They just cost you money.

Also, while we?re talking about areas of caution, watch out for fraud. PPC is a very easy system to exploit. Since the advertising company of your choice gets paid every time your ad gets clicked there?s naturally a desire among some of them to earn some easy money buy creating automated scripts to click on your ads over and over and over. Sometimes they simply just click on them themselves. Click fraud, as it is known, is hard to prove. Those perpetrating it can even use public computers to make matters that much more difficult. Every system has flaws, ways that it can be used nefariously, and PPC is no exception. I?m not saying it?s reason enough to abandon the system. Not at all. However, proceeding with some degree of caution is wise when embroiled in any sort of business dealings.

Once you?ve decided on your target audience you?ll need to bring them in. As stated above (and as could be assumed through the power of common sense) you?ll need a compelling ad to do this. What makes a ad compelling is not an exact science. The first thing that people will notice about your ad is the aesthetic element, so you?re going to want to make it stand out, either by using an effective design scheme (nothing garish or too loud but not boring or overly familiar either), an attention-grabbing graphic or perhaps a bit of humor. You might even want to include something a promotion, a promise of a small free item or maybe a limited time giveaway. Don?t make them feel pressured, but a little enticement never hurt. Once you have their attention you need to decide what will happen when they click on your add, basically where their action will take them next. You have three options here:

• An Unrelated Page: This is an option you should absolutely not utilize. Essentially, if you don?t link a page to your ad then the click will take you to an unrelated landing page, thus killing the viewer?s interest, disrupting their attention and perhaps even creating a bit of resentment.
• Your Actual Homepage: A decent option. That?s why they clicked on the ad after all. This is what they?ve come to see. They?re interested in your service, and as such sending them to the page where they can procure it isn?t a terrible idea.
• A Landing Page: This is the best option in my opinion. Capturing the interest of a user is not enough. You have to sustain that interest until they?ve learned enough about your business to consider you. A landing page can accomplish this beautifully. Immediately plopping a person who knows very little about your business beyond a slogan and perhaps a logo down on your homepage can be an overwhelming experience, perhaps enough so to turn them off entirely. A landing page can be utilize to teach potential customers the basics without supplying them with too much information. Here you can lay out the basics, all of the reasons they should consider you, and at the bottom you can place a link to your full site should they be interested. It?s a great way to sustain interest and inform your potential customers without coming on too strong.

In the end, PPC has its flaws. After all, just because someone clicks on your ad doesn?t mean that you?re going to make a dime off it. However, if that occurs you?re probably at least somewhat to blame. Though it does simplify matters considerably when it comes to web advertising, PPC still largely depends on you. Your actions alone can determine whether or not a PPC campaign is a success or a failure. Don?t assume that it?ll do all or even most of the work for you. Use it carefully, stay alert and diligent, and you may find that a PPC plan is exactly what you need.

Source: http://www.neongoldfish.com/blog/general/how-to-successfully-utilize-pay-per-click-advertising/

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