By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

Free language translations are ubiquitous on the web. Google and Yahoo! both have free language tools. However, if you have ever used these and other like services you realize that there are severe limitations. Colloquialisms, slang and difficult syntax make these computer translators difficult to use for anything other than simple translations.

There are also numerous software programs that provide language lessons such as Rosetta Stone; however obtaining translations for business projects in a pinch is obviously not the strong suit of these programs.

The founders of a Bulgaria based website launched in August of 2009 aims to change all that.

The founders of TranslationsPal.com started the site because they were frustrated with the existing options for getting things translated. They aimed to solve the two problems associated with language translations. The inaccuracies of the “machine-based” or automatic translators and the expense and slowness of a traditional translation agency point to a need in the market for such a site.

TranslationsPal.com claims to be three to four times lower than in price than other language services in the United States and Europe.

TranslationsPal.com is a web-based, real time online translation service powered by human translators. The fact that human translators power it is the key. It aims to be a fast, low cost translation service, providing translations in all major languages provided by native speakers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all around the world. The site provides instant pricing that you can review online.

This professional translation service can be used for all publications and documents; it can become a dedicated multilingual outsourcing support for service sectors. You can use it for the production of emails, letters, product description, annual reports, agreements, sales brochures, websites and just about any other kind of text.

Clients can review their project costs online without hard sales telephone conversations by translation suppliers. They can, in the privacy of their own offices, compile budgets with accurate pricing for high quality, speedy, low-cost translation for any length of project.

Clients can deposit files for translation using TranslationsPal’s service via a secure connection website and the work will be processed immediately. Clients are kept informed of the status of their project via TranslationsPal’s unique web-based interface and even pay for the work on-line securely.

It is easy to use and to price your next project’s translation needs.

Post from: GreatStartups.com

By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

For many people the Internet is a vast, unwieldy, intimidating organism. For other it is a vast playground with fun around every corner. For others it is merely a business. No matter where you fit on this spectrum, it is nice to learn and get feedback on various websites you might encounter.

Hiztoria.com, a Kansas City based start up launched in July of 2009, is a place for people to share and discover anything and everything about websites. Users can rate, review, share, and discuss websites both big and small. Users can earn points and level up by contributing to the site and writing reviews.

A totally revamped Hiztoria 2.0 is launching in a few short weeks. This brand new version of our Hiztoria will feature brand new designs and improved features.

As stated, Hiztoria can be used for web behemoths like Facebook and Google, to even the minutest websites in the corners of the Internet universe. Every website has an unknown counterpart or competitor, and Hiztoria plans to reveal the true gems in the ever-expanding digital world. Hiztoria users can do more than just rate, review, and talk about websites; users also even have the power to add new websites to Hiztoria.

Currently, there are over 1000 websites reviewed in the Hiztoria directory. You can sort them by name, category, most views, most fans, rating or date added. In case you are interested, Facebook.com has the most fans and Espn.com has the highest rating.

According to its blog announcement new features on Hiztoria 2.0 will include:
· A totally re-designed User Profile.
· A notification system that lets you know when your submissions are approved, when you earn points, level up, and more.
· A REPLY system for all comments (It also lets you delete, and report comments)
· A professional Forums system (A very clean design, complete with a notifications system to let you know when people reply).
· Easier navigation (No more dead ends, every link has a purpose now).
· A cleaner interface.
· A widget for webmasters. (This lets you put a link to your website’s Hiztoria profile on your own website).
I really enjoyed cruising around on the Hiztoria site a look forward to the redesign.

Post from: GreatStartups.com

By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

If you have a question that you want to pose on the web, there are several major sites where you can go. Yahoo!Answers and WikiAnswers are two examples. Google has discontinued GoogleAnswers but you can still search the old database.

A new website called IdeaOffer.com has added a money component in an effort to attract more useful answers or “ideas” to questions or “projects” posed on the website. IdeaOffer.com bills itself as an online idea community. It is a subsidiary of Wasabi Ventures LLC, a venture capital firm and holding company. It is one of the incubated properties of New Concept Factory.

IdeaOffer.com posits that there are many aspiring entrepreneurs and creative thinkers out there with great ideas that could be masterpieces and they simply have no way to express them, share them with the world, and capitalize on their idea’s potential. If anything, the web is full of people sharing and expressing the ideas. The real problem is getting useful feedback from a large and diverse group. That is where IdeaOffer.com offers some intrigue.

IdeaOffer.com allows you to post a “project” on its website and offer a prize to the best idea on your “project” or question. The example on the site (provided in a “How it works” video below) is “how can we bring peace to the world?” You then offer a prize and whoever you judge to have the best idea wins the prize. Others who offer their ideas share in a pool called the “motivation”, which is 10% of the prize. The site takes a 20% fee.

I think the site has potential but I think the company’s grandiose mission statement obscures the more practical uses of the site. Indeed, the questions on the “Project List” on the site are in large measure practical in nature-best crab recipe, best use of fresh tomatoes, how to design a cheap 2.0 website, options for an unfinished basement etc. I think these are the types of “projects” will be most effective in getting useful responses. Open-ended or high concept questions (such as the world peace example) might be fun, but is anyone really going to pay to have such questions answered?

The site currently is offering a $100.00 prize to the best idea for publicizing IdeaOffer.com. My idea would be to get them to focus on attracting practical projects that people will pay to gather feedback.

If I were to post a project, my first project might be-is ideaoffer.com a good idea?

Post from: GreatStartups.com

By: The Editor

For the past few months GreatStartups.com has primarily written about companies less than 2 years old. Today, I decided to write about a company that has been around since 1999. I think as entrepreneurs it is always great to see companies that were just startups that have blossomed into successful businesses.

Based in San Mateo, California, Vendio.com has grown tremendously over the last 10 years. If you have something to sell online, chances are you want to use some of their online services.

Vendio lets you reach buyers where they are shopping, without forcing you to learn a different interface for each channel. Whether you are a seasoned online sales veteran, or the next ecommerce success story, Vendio makes it easy to build and run your online business no matter where your buyers shop.

Vendio says on their website “The keys to successful selling: Get quality products in front of buyers at a reasonable price, and manage your sales and customers effectively. The Vendio Platform provides you the easiest and most robust solution available to manage all your online selling: eBay, Amazon.com, or your own store. Completely hosted with nothing to install and no upfront fees, the Vendio Platform grows with you. Describe an item once and make it available to buyers on your own free online store, Amazon.com, eBay, Google Product Search, and other online channels. As sales come in, the Vendio Platform enables you to process all orders using one convenient interface while keeping inventory quantities in sync across your sales channels.”

Vendio did a 40-minute interview with Cindy Shebley of Web Seller Circle. This video provides a great overview of who Vendio is a company, what they do and how they can help you reach buyers where they are shopping - whether it’s eBay, Amazon, Google or your own store.

Web Sellers Circle Presents: Vendio - A New Solution for Multi-Channel Sellers from Vendio Services on Vimeo.

I think it is fair to say that Vendio gives you a competitive edge regarldess of what product you are offering to the public. The Vendio Platform lets you manage items, orders, buyer communication all through one integrated Platform. Vendio is offering your very own store for free. If you sell online or are thinking about it, be sure to visit http://vendio.com.

Post from: GreatStartups.com

By: The Editor

If you ask people where to advertise a product or service, most would simply say Google. What if you were looking to reach a very specific audience? Let says you were trying to market a product in the automotive business or in the real estate industry?

Based in Burlingame, CA, Leadtail.com has a created an online advertising search engine to suggest exactly where you may want to advertise your goods and service(s).

The mission of Leadtail is to make it easier for marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs to find out where to advertise online. Leadtail does this by providing an easily search-able database of 1,700+ ad networks and quality publishers to choose from.

Leadtail is a relatively new company founded by a network of marketers who believe that “online advertising has become way too cluttered, complex, and difficult… and it doesn’t have to be that way!”

Leadtail was formed based on many what if questions:

What if we could search for our target audience… in seconds! Like Googleexcept using keywords to describe our target market. It would be so much easier to sitft through the hundreds of ad networks and thousands of quality publishers.

What if the search results showed the information we needed… so no one had to waste time trying to figure out pricing models, advertising opportunities, targeting methods, and minimum order sizes (since not everyone has a big ad budget!)

What if we could browse search results with confidence… knowing that each listing has actually been reviewed by a real marketer. Since the last thing we want is our ad showing up on inappropriate sites.

What if ad pricing wasn’t such a mystery… since it’s hard to come by online ad pricing. Is ad pricing a secret? It sure would be easier to develop media plans if we had some (or any!) pricing guidelines.

What if we could rely on someone else for our ad buying? Not everyone has media planning and buying expertise; and we sure don’t enjoy negotiating with media sales reps… plus we’re busy! If only we had someone else to take care of it for us.

These points that Leadtail addresses are very valid. Online marketing can be very misleading and confusing. I spent a good amount of time on the Leadtail site and was very impressed with all the different marketing suggestions. You can also search by categories, demographics, local area as well as ad networks.

Leadtail also has other online marketing services that can help your business grow such as: brand and creative design, SEO, email marketing, website analytics and web 2.0 development. What ever the product or service, take some time and visit Leadtail.com, inside of 2 minutes you will have marketing options that you may have never thought of !!

Post from: GreatStartups.com