Our iPhone development team is responsible for some great apps in the iTunes app store. iVote Mobile was in the first batch of 500 apps that were released in the app store when it first went live in Summer of 2008. Last holiday season, iFart took the world by storm. It has gone on to become one of the most frequently mentioned iPhone apps in the world. Our team was among the first to develop... Continue Reading

I'm a computer and video gamer from waaaay back. I remember when Pong came out. I owned a Fairchild Channel 1 video game system. That came out just before the Atari 2600 for you video game buffs. I played games on my TRS-80 model 1 computer in 1979. From adventure games and first person shooters to strategy and massively multiplayer online games, I've been there and done that. Computer and video games have a way... Continue Reading

For over one year, Dan Nickerson and I co-hosted a live video stream every Wednesday at 11 am. The show was called Joel Comm LIVE!. For one hour we would discuss internet marketing, answer questions from viewers, welcome guests and be silly. However, with my travel schedule becoming busier and busier, it became more difficult to pull off a regularly scheduled live program. Continue Reading

Nearly one year after the release of iFart, the app continues to sell like clockwork. I believe that iFart is also the most-referenced app in iPhone history. It seems like every week one media outlet or another is referring to it. A Google search for iFart now turns up 106,000 results. Continue Reading

We knew it would happen. It always happens. Not long after Twitter's popularity hit the stratosphere, the spammers began swarming. Now direct messages boxes are packed with Mafia invitations, follower lists have been infiltrated by pornbots, and I had to put up with dozens of impostors trading on my name before my verified account was able to show who's really me. Whenever something gets big and successful on the Internet, you can bet that there... Continue Reading

I have a confession to make. I am a packrat. It's not like when I die they are going to find stacks of National Geographic magazines in my house, but I do have a tendency to hold on to stuff that I think is cool. My old software collection always blows away people who visit my home. Perhaps I'll make a video of that someday. Continue Reading

The Internet has grown at an incredible rate. Online business is big business. And wherever there is big business there are bound to be scam artists. Due to the sheer number of people being deceived by unscrupulous marketers (though I hate to even call them marketers), the Federal Trade Commission has seen fit to intervene with a new set of regulations due to go into effect on December 1st, 2009. If you do ANY kind... Continue Reading

I offer a lot of different products. Some of those products I create myself. Others have been created by people I know. All of them, I firmly believe, can bring real benefits to the people who use them. If I wasn't 100 percent convinced that someone who is prepared to use the ideas contained in my books and products, and in the products that I recommend, couldn't achieve massive success, I wouldn't offer them for... Continue Reading

Joel Comm LIVE has been absent from the Internet since the spring. For over one year, Dan Nickerson and I welcomed guests to our program in a live format. We interacted with viewers, answered questions about Internet marketing, played with flying monkeys, read a number of humourous Top Ten lists and had a generally fun time. However, with my travel schedule being so heavy, I was unable to do the live program each week. And... Continue Reading

Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear about a new Twitter app, web tool or other utility created to make the use of Twitter easier or more interesting. It's pretty hard to keep up with them. And it's pretty rare that I endorse a tool or app. Just as I wait to see new sites pick up steam before jumping on board, I usually don't start using new tools until they demonstrate widespread... Continue Reading

Some of you may know that I own one of the web's oldest and most popular deal sites, DealofDay.com I've watched the growth of online shopping and deal sites over the years and trust me... it's not slowing down. That's why I was intrigued by the launch of The Blastoff Network recently.  It's a cashback shopping portal which also pays you on the purchases of those in your network.  Continue Reading

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of traveling to London to speak at Andrew Reynold's Entrepreneur Bootcamp 2009. For the past few years, Andrew has put on an annual event that has dwarfed other marketing events in both size and scope. This year sought to outdo them all with a massive two-day event at the London O2 Arena. Continue Reading

I've got a question for you. What do you want to be when you grow up? No, I am not asking this question of children. Heck, as a child I went through a phase where I wanted to be a dentist. Nothing against dentists, but I can't even begin to imagine myself in that profession! You know, it's sad, but many people can't answer this question. I've accomplished a lot in my forty-five years, But... Continue Reading

What do people see when they look at you? Initially, they see your physical appearance. However, I believe our bodies are really a small part of who we really are. Man is a three-part being. We are body, soul and spirit. The body is just a casing (or an earthsuit as John Eldredge likes to say) to give our real selves something to walk around in during our brief stay on this planet. And yet... Continue Reading

In the beginning there were blogs. And yea, God saw that they were good. After all, what a fantastic way for anyone to become an online publisher. Sure, the word "blog" doesn't roll off the tongue. It sounds more like you are about to upchuck yesterday's hot dog. But being short for "web log", it does work in a "oh well I guess it will do" kind of way. Continue Reading

Everywhere I go, people ask me how they can make money online. Every time I show up at a conference, I am swamped with people interested in owning their own Internet business. My Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts receive contact from people on a regular basis. Emails, tweets and submitted forms are always asking what tips I can provide for those who want to learn my strategies. Yes, even my email box is regularly under... Continue Reading

Last week the FTC dropped a bomb on the marketing world. They released new guidelines for the use of testimonials and endorsements in marketing. I immediately contacted my attorney, Kevin Houchin, to get his take on the latest guidelines. With Kevin's permission, I am republishing the entire text of his interpretation. It is essential that all marketers, online and offline, pay attention to this content. And understand that if you have ANY questions, you should... Continue Reading

Everyone and their grandmother is calling themselves a Social Media EXPERT these days. I'm not sure what the term really means any more. While I still use the term from time to time (even on this blog for SEO purposes), I fancy myself more of a Social Media EVANGELIST. I'm out there beating the drum to get businesses to use social media as part of their marketing mix. Continue Reading

Twitter isn't the only microblogging service on the Web. It's not even the best microblogging service on the Web. In Twitter Power, I describe a number of sites that also let members post short notes to tell friends and followers what they're up to. Plurk, for example, is alive and kicking, and it looks great. It has neat icons, a clever, horizontal timeline and all sorts of add-ons and gizmos that make it look a... Continue Reading

A few months back, Twitter announced their Verified accounts program. Essentially, they would put a "Verified" badge on accounts that were deemed to be genuine. This is especially important for people with a high profile, where there are bound to be imposters. For the past two years, I have had at LEAST seventy (70) or so imposters. Usually, they sign up with a derivative of my name, post my photo on the profile, and proceed... Continue Reading

Affiliate products make up a large part of my income. They're one of the revenue streams that I use on my websites and I often recommend selected products to the people on my mailing list. I use them for all sorts of reasons - and money is only one of them. Sure, an affiliate commission will always be worth more than an ad click but that's only the start of it. I also like the... Continue Reading

Whatever your biggest motivation for starting your business, you want to make your life easier. You want to make it wealthier, happier, freer, more comfortable... but also easier to manage. That doesn't go too well with running a website, even a small one. Being an entrepreneur is difficult, especially at the beginning when you'll be doing almost everything yourself. Even if you hire freelancersfor coding or design, you'll still have to manage their work, set... Continue Reading

There are about seven billion people on the planet. Every one of us is different. Every one of us has opinions, tastes, inclinations and preferences. And every one of us is difficult to please. If you work hard at marketing your website and your products, you'll be able to put them in front of a few thousand of those people. Work really hard and build successful products, and maybe millions will see them. Continue Reading

I have to warn you now. This entry is not going to be pretty. But someone has got to say something. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Fine... sigh... I'll do it. Continue Reading

By now, you know that I am the creator of the world's most-talked about iPhone application, iFart Mobile. Although most people know me these days as the best selling author of "Twitter Power - How To Dominate Your Market One Tweet At A Time" and a successful internet entrepreneur, my staff and I eagerly jumped into iPhone development as soon as the app store launched. If you have been following me on Twitter, you are... Continue Reading

People create Internet businesses for all sorts of reasons. Some of them are looking to give up their J.O.B.s. Some dream of being of being their own boss. And others can't wait to make tons of cash, retire to their private island and leave the work of traffic generation, content production and ad monitoring to their staff. That's all fine. I don't have a problem with any of those reasons. Provided they're all accompanied by... Continue Reading

One of the most exciting developments that has occurred on Twitter in the months since I put together Twitter Power has been the release of all sorts of statistics about the site. We've learned, for example, that many of the site's users are middle-aged, high earning business types rather than the kids that create pages on MySpace. We've found that only a small proportion of Twitter's users are writing most of the tweets while the... Continue Reading

I love meeting new Internet entrepreneurs. I love seeing the sparkle in their eyes, the passion for their new businesses and their drive to succeed. I think it's great that people know where they're going. It's fantastic that they understand it is possible to build a successful online business, something that can give them a stable six- or even seven-figure income, and it's wonderful that they're determined to get there. Continue Reading

What do users really want? It's a question that publishers ask themselves all the time. We look at the comments our articles receive. We review our stats. We check the popularity of keywords. We ask for ideas on Twitter. And we do all sorts of other things that try to second-guess what's going through our users' minds so that we can deliver content that interests them most. But maybe we're asking the wrong question. Continue Reading

In Twitter Power, I described blogs as one aspect of the social media revolution. I think that might have surprised some people. Blogs, after all, pre-date the kind of interaction that we can see on Facebook and LinkedIn. They're more like old-fashioned publishing, in which information comes down from a publisher instead of being created and shared by contributors. But there is one aspect of blogging that's often forgotten by Internet publishers, and it's incredibly... Continue Reading

Apart from Twitter's own terms of service which prohibit obvious things like harassment, transmitting viruses and spamming other members, there really aren't many rules to the site. You can essentially use Twitter however you like. However, for people and businesses who want to use Twitter successfully (eg: build a following and grow their circle of influence), there are a number of best practices that can be observed. I cover many of these in my book... Continue Reading

Have you ever asked a child what they want for Christmas? They'll tell you exactly what they want, describe it in glorious detail, even point it out to you in the store so that you don't make a mistake and come home with the wrong version. Then on Christmas morning you get to see their eyes light up as they open the wrapping. It's a thrill... until New Year's Day when the toy is lying... Continue Reading

I love it when academics launch studies of the entrepreneurial world. Sometimes, they come up with truly valuable and fascinating information. I can't think of any off-hand, but I'm sure they must do sometimes. More usually though, the buffoons claim that their observations have discovered something truly amazing and revolutionary... something that those of us who were actually doing it knew all along. While the prof. is getting another publication and a nomination for a... Continue Reading

There's a rumor going around. It's growing. It's dangerous. And I think I may have encouraged it. People are starting to believe that Twitter is a sales tool. They see the site as a valuable resource that allows them to broadcast their sales messages and land new deals. Continue Reading

Everyone needs a motto to live by. For some it's "do unto others as they do unto you." For others it's "get all you can while you still can." And still for others it may be "eat, drink and be merry!" I'm good with whatever works for you, but I've been settling into a motto of my own. Continue Reading

In my book, Twitter Power, I describe a number of different kinds of tweets that twitterers are posting on the site. I talk about news tweets and customer service tweets, random thoughts and feedback, and a whole lot more besides. I explain how businesses are using them, why they work and how to make them work for you. You don't have to use all -- or any -- of those tweet models if you don't... Continue Reading

I consider myself very fortunate. I have a beautiful home with a beautiful view of the Rockies in a beautiful part of the country. I also have a great office staffed with fantastic people. And the two are separate. That isn't everyone's goal. I've met lots of people whose dream is to give up the commute and start working from home. I can understand that. I've done that. Continue Reading

I have a hard time keeping up with my tweets. I just get so many each day. I have an ever harder time keeping up with Direct Messages on Twitter (DMs). I usually don't read them. However, I took a peak at my DMs tonight and I came across something highly unusual. Continue Reading

There's about a million and one reasons why I love Internet marketing. It pays, of course, and that has to be important. It's fun too. I'm having a ball doing this and it's rare that someone can say that about their work. But one of the things I love the most about Internet marketing is that it's democratic. Anyone can do it. And I really do mean anyone. Continue Reading

I've been an Amazon.com Associate since the beginning. I'm not sure when they started their program, but it's been over ten years that I've promoted Amazon's products and services. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Andrea, an Associates Account Specialist (is that for people who can't get jobs with the post office? I'm kidding.. relax...), that informed me my account was being closed. First of all, let me say this. I am... Continue Reading

A recent question in USA Today by Steve Strauss in the "Ask the Expert" column asked the question, "Should Entrepreneur's Twitter?" Mr. Strauss answered the question with a definitive "No" and gave several reasons. One must wonder how someone who so clearly does not understand Twitter was able to speak as an "expert." As a true expert on the subject, I wish to set the record straight and dissuade entrepreneurs from acting on Mr. Strauss... Continue Reading

Here's something you're not going to hear too often these days. I'm glad I don't have a job. I'm happy that I don't have to commute to someone else's office, make nice to the boss, wonder what I have to do to move up in life... and hope and pray that I still have my job next month. That's the situation for many people these days, and I'm so happy that I've discovered that it... Continue Reading

Twitter has experienced massive growth in the past year, with the number of people signing up each month accelerating. It has also become the media darling of the day. It seems that everyone is Twittering. However, with only 10-12 million people on the site, its clear that everyone is NOT Twittering. Don't fret. They will be soon. So where is the media paying the most attention to Twitter? You guessed it. It's all about the... Continue Reading

With Twitter becoming such a powerful force on the social media scene, there are those who get it and those who don't get it. There's a certain number of the "don't get it" crowd who will invariably take an outright aggressive posture and make a statement like this... "Twitter is a waste of time. Who cares what you had for breakfast?" Many on Twitter will hem and haw about the content of the question, almost... Continue Reading

Editors are newspapers, radio shows and television programs are human beings, just like the rest of us. They have deadlines to meet and a never-ending stream of work they must do in order to deliver newsworthy content to the public. You can imagine how difficult it must be for them to find quality sources for stories on a regular basis! Continue Reading

It had to happen. The world was waiting for it. And then it was unleashed on the world like a tazmanian devil on steroids. Yes, I am talking about none other than iFart Mobile, one of the world's most-talked about applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch MP3 player. Continue Reading

Every time I go to a conference or take part in a seminar I meet a bunch of amazing people. I meet people who are experts at marketing. I chat to entrepreneurs who are wizards at search engine optimization. I swap ideas with other bloggers who are making six-figure incomes on the strength of their posts. Every one of those people is special. But they aren't successful because they're special. They're special because they're successful. Continue Reading

Now that my book, Twitter Power, is moving up the charts (#15 on Bookscan last week!), I have a lot of people asking me how effective Twitter actually is for business. Certainly, it is difficult to put a price tag on relationships that have been built on Twitter. It's also very hard to quantify the effects of branding on a Twitter profile page correctly designed. But the question remains... Does Twitter use convert to sales? Continue Reading

I like to think I've come a long way since I first started turning The Dallas/Fort Worth Software Review into WorldVillage.com. I now have a string of profitable websites. I speak regularly at conferences across the country. I've produced a top-selling iPhone app. And I've written a bunch of books, including a New York Times bestseller. But I know I didn't do any of this alone. Not only did I always have the support of... Continue Reading

This week, I had the pleasure of being asked to speak to Microsoft employees on the subject of Twitter. Eckhart Boehme invited me to talk about how businesses are using Twitter, demonstrating that Microsoft is taking a very engaged position on social media. I was treated quite well by Eckhart and his team, and I met a number of very bright Microsoft people. The campus is ENORMOUS. I saw buildings numbered all the way up... Continue Reading

In a landmark decision that will be sure to usher in a new world Internet order, a World Wide Web judge has just granted Internet marketing guru and entrepreneur Joel Comm the exclusive trademark rights to the ".com" web address suffix, placing all websites everywhere with a ".com" domain under the jurisdiction and discretion of Joel Comm. The decision came about when Joel Comm successfully sued Al Gore, who had previously laid claim to "inventing... Continue Reading

I do not use my Gmail.com account for business. It is my personal account that I use to correspond with friends, family and close business associates. But I DO use the account and have a number of messages that I have saved for one reason or another. Around 2 pm MDT I went to check my Gmail account and was SHOCKED to see that my inbox was EMPTY! I thought, "surely this must be a... Continue Reading

I remember when Guerrilla Marketing came out. I was so excited. Here were a bunch of different methods to run powerful marketing campaigns without spending a dime. It was revolutionary. At last, the average Joe could build a business even with a marketing budget no deeper than his pant pockets. The philosophy laid out in that book still holds good. It is still possible to sell products without buying a 30-second spot during the Superbowl. Continue Reading

I've been a fan of UStream.tv ever since I discovered them a little over a year ago. Every Wednesday, I do a live show with my co-host Dan Nickerson. It's called Joel Comm LIVE! UStream has proven to be innovative as they continue to add cool features for broadcasters, including the ability to bring in co-hosts from other locations, add titles and also play YouTube or local videos within your program. Continue Reading

I love coming up with new ways to demonstrate the power of Twitter. With such a massive network of users, it's fun the push the boundaries and see what is possible. I decided I would make myself available to anyone who wanted to interact. I had to set aside time to do this because its just not possible to answer every @ reply that comes your way. So around 2:20 pm MDT today, I decided... Continue Reading

I've seen some really clever things done with ads on the Web. I've seen some pretty dumb things too, like whack-a-mole banners and flashing skyscrapers that make you want to look anywhere but at the ad. But some of the ideas have been incredibly creative. When Kontera first wheeled out its system, I loved the fact that its ads were so unobtrusive. When Chitika created its eMiniMalls and then its Premium ads, I thought the... Continue Reading

You've heard the saying about not being able to fool all the people all the time. You probably also know then that you can't please all the people all the time too. It's an impossibility. It doesn't matter how good your content, how wonderful your website or what a great job you do, you're always going to get people who write in and complain. Continue Reading

It's a national holiday! I know, it's not on the calendar. But I am declaring a national holiday. In fact, I am calling it a GLOBAL holiday! What's the special occasion? It's Twitter Power Day! Yes, that's right. Today is dedicated to recognizing and embracing the power of Twitter to build relationships, enhance branding and grow your online business... ... and it's all FREE! Continue Reading

I had the opportunity to be a guest on the Denver Morning Show today. The show broadcasts on Channel 2 out of Englewood, CO and is anchored by Tom Green. (Not THAT Tom Green.. the other one...) The interview was to focus on my new book, Twitter Power, and I certainly had a skeptic in Mr. Green! The set was typical as you would expect of a local news program. It's always fun to watch... Continue Reading

Few Internet companies have succeeded in seizing mindshare more than Zappos.com. One of the truly great ecommerce success stories, Zappos has built an incredible brand based on a culture-centric philosophy. They believe that their company culture is what drives their employees to provide premium customer service. And you know what? They are right. It works. Continue Reading

A year or so ago, I started my own book publishing program. Essentially, my goal was to provide opportunity to a select group of new authors who I felt needed greater exposure. Made Easy Publishing has accepted a handful of manuscripts and I'm pleased to announce that our newest author has just hit #1 on Amazon.com! My friend, Ewen Chia, has just released his book "How I Made My First Million on the Internet and... Continue Reading

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of enjoying a weekend in the mountains with my family. We stayed in a neighborhood called Summerwood, located in Dillon, Colorado. It's about two hours from Loveland, where we live, and it was an absolutely perfect retreat for the weekend! Just a few minutes from Dillon AND Keystone resort, you could spend the entire weekend inside this massive home and do nothing but enjoy the spectacular views... Continue Reading

Twitter Power is quickly moving up the charts, entering Bookscan at #45 in its first week! The first book on Twitter to receive mainstream distribution (it's at your local bookstore), my hope is that this is the big breakthrough for more businesses to understand how social media can be used to grow their business. I invite you to pick up your copy of Twitter Power at any of these fine booksellers. Barnes & Noble Amazon.com... Continue Reading

I get asked for joint ventures all the time. A day doesn't go by without some message landing in my mailbox from someone saying they've got a killer product and that I should tell my entire list about it. And each of those days ends with just about all of those emails landing in my trash box. Yes, some products I'll be happy to recommend to people who are trying to build Internet businesses. Usually... Continue Reading

My team and I came up with the idea for an iPhone fart application in summer of 2008. We knew it would be a hit. We just needed to develop it. We took great pride in developing iFart Mobile. It was more than another iPhone application. It was a true entertainment machine with a unique interface. It didn't LOOK like an iPhone app. When we submitted the application to Apple, it was put "in review... Continue Reading

I use Twitter very naturally. I rarely schedule a tweet. If I have something to say, I say it. If I feel the notion to reply to an @joelcomm tweet, I reply. If I want to take photos while on the move, I'll use Tweetie and Twitpic. And if I want to talk business, I talk business. I am not on Twitter all the time, but I also do check in at least once/day to... Continue Reading

A few weeks ago when iFart was at the height of its popularity, I was contacted by Rob Walker. Rob writes the Consumed article for the New York Times Magazine, published every Sunday. He thought that the success of iFart was an interesting barometer of American pop culture and asked if I would do an interview. Of course, I was delighted to provide whatever information he wanted. The article was just published in today's edition! Continue Reading

A few weeks ago we announced the release of our Mobile Syndication Solutions turn-key system where anyone could easily get their own iPhone app developed for a fraction of the going rate. I'm excited to say that a new app using this system has just been unleashed into the Apple iTunes App store. Not only that, but it is for a musician that you all know, none other than Grammy-Award winning MC Hammer! The HammerTime... Continue Reading

On today's broadcast Dan and I discussed the latest goings-on at InfoMedia HQ. We messed around with the co-host feature of uStream.tv and found out how difficult it can be to have a discussion with a 20-second delay! Dan created a new list featuring the top ten worst ideas for iPhone applications. It's funny stuff. Watch the replay below and be sure to leave your comments! Continue Reading

As I'm sure you read on my blog or elsewhere on the web, Facebook had suspended my account. After sending a few emails and having some friends with contacts at Facebook work on my behalf, my account has been reinstated. Here is the email I received from them... Continue Reading

You've probably noticed that some of my websites don't have any AdSense units at all. Some people certainly have. They find it surprising. After all, I make a living teaching people how to use AdSense. I get fat checks from AdSense every month. I think that AdSense is the greatest money-dispersing invention since the automated telling machine. And yet I still don't put AdSense on all my sites. Neither should you. Continue Reading

I've been a fan of Facebook for a couple years. I think it's a great way to network with others and build your business. I've used the site create my own groups, build a fan page, post videos, interact with family, friends and fans, and basically enjoyed its functionality. I've always abided by their terms of service, even though thousands of people break the rules every day. I'm a credible marketer with a 15-year history... Continue Reading

He's been President for just twenty-four hours, but we're already seen a global impact. On today's show we discussed the top ten signs that Obama is President. We also introduced our new Mobile Syndication Solutions service for those who want their own iPhone application. I also have a new sound button to push, which makes Dan crazy. All that and more on this edition of Joel Comm LIVE! Continue Reading

I'm sure you've heard all the reasons for working for yourself. You can set your own schedule. You can be your own boss. You won't have to commute. You can work in your underwear. (Does anyone ever do that?) Yada yada. All true, all wonderful (except maybe the underwear bit) and all good reasons for setting up your own business. Bu there's one reason that no one ever talks about, and that's very strange because... Continue Reading

As of this writing, There are over 13,000 applications in the iTunes app store. There are games, utilities, novelty apps, lifestyle apps, social networking, weather and several other categories. New apps are appearing every day. Some apps are original, but many are just more of the same. That's why I am excited to announce an entirely new genre of apps. Several months ago I and my team were considering ways to deliver our content to... Continue Reading

It doesn't happen often. But it does happen. And when it does, I have to shake my head and wonder what some people are thinking. What am I talking about? Well, let me set the stage for you with a little anecdote. Continue Reading

The start of any new business always contains the scariest moments. On the one hand, you're never going to feel more enthusiastic about your idea than during those first few months. You'll get to see your plan take flight and discover whether it really does have wings. On the other hand, you also have to cope with the fear that it's going to fail -- that what you thought was going to bring you a... Continue Reading

Yesterday I posted a video of my brother-in-law's legendary karaoke performance. Many have asked if I was going to post my performance. Being a high-profile marketer, I should no better than to do that. After all, why would I want people to see how badly I sing? But I thought about it and decided that transparency is a good thing. In fact, the more you share your life with your customers, the more they have... Continue Reading

It's all changed. It happened so fast, we hardly even noticed. But looking back, it's incredible how different everything is today. When I started out in Internet Marketing, no one had any idea who I was. No one needed to. All they had to do was know where my websites were and enjoy the content I was putting up. It was impersonal and it worked both ways. My users might only have thought of me... Continue Reading

You know what I like best about Twitter? It isn't the fact that it's easy to use and a ton of fun (although those are important). It isn't the fact that I can communicate with some fantastic people, get answers to questions and pick up information and advice that I couldn't have learned any other way (although those are important too.) And it isn't even that it's a fantastic marketing tool that drives traffic, builds... Continue Reading

I said I was going to go into silent mode regarding our sales, but so many people have asked me what happened through Christmas Day that I have decided to release stats just one more time. We left off December 23rd with stats current from our release date on 12/12 through 12/22. Everyone is curious about what happened next. You may be shocked. I know I was when I saw the numbers. Continue Reading

'Twas the night before Christmas and all across Twitter Tweeples eyes were lit, they were all a-glitter. The tweets they were flying with speed and delight as each one made plans for that great winter's night "I'm traveling", "I'm eating", "I'm hanging with family" "I just wrapped the presents, I can say now so happily" The news it broke fast, from Mumbai - attack we all were there to say "we've got your back" And... Continue Reading

Well, we've done it. A combination of marketing, timing, quality and providence has landed our application as the #1 best-selling app in the iTunes app store. I appreciate the coverage we've received through media outlets and blogs. Now that we've hit #1, I am going to post one more set of stats to add to those previously posted here. Continue Reading

A few days ago I became the first app store developer to reveal sales-to-rank data. Some other sites have confirmed an interest in this data, such as The UnOfficial Apple Weblog. With iFart continuing its move up the charts, I want to continue sharing data with you, especially since something very interesting has happened since we broke into the top ten apps in the world. Continue Reading

Since the iTunes App store launched, many developers have been wondering exactly how app store rank relates to actual sales. I haven't seen anyone release this data as of yet, and while mine is incomplete, it can give you a glimpse into how ranking translates to units sold. Our application, iFart Mobile (app store link) , was finally released last week, alongside other novelty apps that had been rejected or placed "in review." Continue Reading

How many people REALLY use Twitter? And what percentage of people account for most of the activity on Twitter? These are questions I posed on Twitter today. I asked "Would you say that 1% of Twitter members do 99% of the tweets?" Some answers from my followers and some of my own research has uncovered some interesting data. Continue Reading

I believe that anyone can make money as an online publisher. I've always believed that and I've seen enough people set up websites and generate income to keep believing it. But I know there's something wrong with this picture. I'm not going to kid myself and it would be plain wrong to try to kid anyone else. Some publishers are going to have an easier time than others. Continue Reading

I had the privilege of speaking to one thousand people at a seminar this weekend. One the things I hear from attendees again and again is how "real" I am on stage. I take that a compliment, because to be otherwise would be to act "phony." After considering these kinds of comments, I wonder how many people aren't "real" on stage or some other part of their lives. I think one reason that speakers/performers struggle... Continue Reading

You never know what web 2.0 site is going to take off like crazy. Just yesterday I found a new awards site intended to highlight the best of Twitter, called The Shorty Awards. As the site says, "The Shorty Awards honor the world's top Twitterers." I have been nominated for a Shorty Award in the #business category. If I have helped you in any way, please consider seconding the nomination for me! It's easy to... Continue Reading

It's been assumed that the more followers you have on Twitter, the more power you have. However, I think true Twitter power comes from the ability to have your followers follow your links. That's why I am not using TinyURL to shorten my urls any more. I am using Twitpwr.com. Dan and I discussed this new site on Joel Comm LIVE! today. We also answered questions and revealed our new iPhone application. Watch the replay... Continue Reading

I'm getting ready to bust loose with a four-letter word. You aren't going to like it. It might make you cringe. Too bad. It needs to be said. "Debt" There I said it. Do you feel relieved or does the word stress you out? Continue Reading

"Focus on what's meaningful, not what's measurable." I wish I'd said that. It wasn't me though. It was Warren Buffet, a man much smarter -- and a great deal wealthier -- than me. And not surprisingly, it's great advice and it's especially important for online marketers. The Web gives us access to all sorts of figures. Our AdSense stats tell us our clickthrough rates, our eCPMs, how our channels are doing and of course, our... Continue Reading

Today's episode found Dan in a very dark mood. Our top ten list was "Signs that the Christmas Season had started". Funny stuff. We answered questions about Internet marketing and had a spontaneous visit from my lovely bride. Watch the stream below. You've got nothing better to do, right? Continue Reading

I often hear grumbling from people who tell me how hard it is to make money online. And then I see a 16-year old kid do it and think "huh... maybe not so hard after all?" That's exactly what happened with my friend, Stanley Tang. Stanley understands the power of mentors... following those who have gone before and modeled the success you want to achieve. As a result, Stanley has found success on the Internet! Continue Reading

On September 11th, 2008, I received an email from Matt Holt at John Wiley and Sons Publishing. Matt asked me if I would write the definitive guide on Twitter for business. And he wanted me to write it FAST. As in, we have to have the manuscript in a couple months so we can release it by February of 2009. Wow, that IS fast! Continue Reading

Here's a new time-waster that may be fun. The application is called Photoswap. The concept is simple. Take a photo with your iPhone and send it. Photoswap will send it to a random user who is also taking a photo. They get your photo, you get theirs. Continue Reading

It happens even before your site really starts to make money. You post articles, market your content, pick up comments and find that other sites are talking about you. All of a sudden, you've moved from being one person with ideas you want to share to being the center of a community, part of a circle of online friends with a keen interest in what you have to say. Continue Reading

Putting together a conference is no simple task. In October of 2008, my team and I conducted our first live event, Elevate 2008. People from eight countries joined us for a three-day intensive in which we revealed strategies and techniques for building a successful online business. Take a look behind the scenes in part 1 of this video series. Be sure to leave comments, especially if you were an attendee! Continue Reading

I've been a huge fan of Amazon.com since Bezos launched the site out of his garage. When the pundits said "It'll never work", I said they were clueless. Of course it will work. I spend more money on Amazon then any other online store, as do many of you. I'm also a huge fan of my iPhone and I've used it to shop at Amazon many times. I joined Amazon Prime a couple years back... Continue Reading

The Internet has opened up business in all sorts of ways. It costs nothing to start a website. Anyone can write a blog. Putting ads on your pages takes minutes and requires no selling, no effort and almost no work at all. And the revenues can be fantastic. Millions of people have joined the Internet business revolution and have either swapped their day job for days of writing articles, or are enjoying some useful extra... Continue Reading

I'm fed up. I've really had enough. I've just seen it too many times. Again and again, I meet people who wonder why they aren't Internet millionaires yet. When I ask them how long they've been online, they say "Three months, and it's just not working!" It takes about ten minutes to buy a computer and another two minutes to turn it on. Continue Reading

I recently had the opportunity to do a book signing at our local Barnes & Noble store in Loveland, Colorado. The team at the store was very friendly and accomodating, setting up an area for me to do a couple presentations, interact with customers and sign books. They ordered plenty of copies of Click Here to Order and The AdSense Code, so there was enough for everyone. They placed a nice sign on the table... Continue Reading

Life must be hard for television executives. To decide how much to charge advertisers and whether they should commission another season of a show, they have to know the size of their audience. The only method they have to do that is by using a survey. The Nielsen ratings track what television viewers watch and then, based on demographics, make certain claims about what everyone else was watching at the same time. Those figures could... Continue Reading

I got an email from someone the other day asking me which "gurus" they should listen to. There are SO many people teaching how to make money online. How DO you know who to trust? Here's a checklist for you to help you determine the answer to this question: Continue Reading

If you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing. It's a great rule to follow when you're offline. Online though, saying nothing just isn't an option. As an online publisher, you have to publish. You have to keep a steady stream of new content appearing on your website so that your users will keep coming back, your ads will keep appearing... and your money will keep rolling in Continue Reading

"What's the secret to creating a successful online business?" I probably get asked that question about a million times a year. Here's the answer... But first, I should warn you. You're not going to like it... In fact, you're probably going to hate it and run off to Google to look for something else to read. But I have to give it to you straight, so here it is Continue Reading

What would you say if I told you that you can boost your profits by typing just 140 characters? (That's about the length of this paragraph.) If you're smart, you might say "Which ones?" If you're really smart though, you'd say "I know." That's because the power of Twitter isn't a secret any more. CEOs are using it. Bloggers are using it. Marketers are using it. Everyone's using it (including me) and not only are... Continue Reading

There are times when I really don't like surfing the Web. I'll toss a search phrase into Google, get a list of results that look interesting and when I click on a link... I'll get a junk page that's stuffed with ads. Back I go to Google to try again. I know, I could have clicked an ad. I could have done, but I didn't. In fact, I often won't even read the content on... Continue Reading

It's an unplanned Joel Comm LIVE! featuring Internet marketing discussion, a new top ten list, and a reference to the new bacon-flavored spread. Joel's mom drops into the chat room and we talk about upcoming product launches. It's fun and games with a side helping of useful instruction. Check out this week's episode now! Continue Reading

Steamboat Springs, Colorado has always been one of my favorite ski spots. Well, there's no snow... yet. But I am vacationing here with my family this week. After Elevate 2008, I needed a break, and this place is just what the doctor ordered. With that said, I took the Macbook on the deck to broadcast Joel Comm LIVE! The following videos are replays of today's broadcast. There are no flying monkeys or top ten lists... Continue Reading

It was a very special 2-hour broadcast live from my first Internet marketing conference, Elevate 2008. Streamed and filmed before a live studio audience, the show was packed with great content, a trivia showdown, questions from the audience, flying monkeys, prizes and special guests. We had a great time and I'm sure you'll love watching as well. We lost the stream at one point, so the show is available in two parts. Continue Reading

Online publishing has all sorts of advantages. You become your own boss, you have your own schedule, you get paid to produce content and bring in users. It's all great fun... and you can do it without leaving your house or having to cope with office politics. It's those last benefits that can look so appealing and be a little dangerous too. Social networking sites have made it so easy to chat with other people... Continue Reading

Here's a campaign ad that goes directly to the heart of this election. Who knows better how to spend YOUR money and run YOUR life? You or Government? We're at a crossroads. I pray we make the right choice. Continue Reading

There's a reason that online publishing is profitable. It's a fantastic reason and it's one of the things that makes earning income as an online entrepreneur so enjoyable. People want to learn. They want to know how to be a better gardener, a better dad, a better soccer coach, a better entrepreneur too. Anyone who can provide that information can make some money -- and help others too. And anyone can do that. You might... Continue Reading

Become an Internet publisher, and you'll need to learn a whole bunch of new marketing skills. You'll have to unwrap the mysteries of search engine optimization, figure out how to make pay-per-click advertising pay for you and get to grips with "link bait," banners and keywords to name just a few. None of it is really very difficult and all of it can be learned but for anyone just starting out, it will all be... Continue Reading

Just because the economy is suffering doesn't mean you have to. Thousands of people are supplementing their income by learning how to make money online selling ebooks. I've been selling my own ebooks for a few years. But I've been selling OTHER peoples' ebooks for a decade! How do you find out what ebooks sell? Continue Reading

I often talk about the different tools that you can use to complement the AdSense units you put on your site. Sure, AdSense is always going to be the most effective ad system on your pages. But you also want to earn for your impressions, and from affiliate links too. A mixture of different revenue generations systems will help to increase the value you receive for your users. Continue Reading

I've written a lot of content since I became an online publisher. I'd like to think that I've got better and better as the years have gone by but sometimes I'm not so sure. Although there are plenty of posts that still make me proud when I read them again, there's also no shortage of articles that really make me wince. They might have sentences I want to rephrase, points that aren't made clearly, and... Continue Reading

I don't go to the movies much. I enjoy movies, I just don't enjoy the theater experience. Why pay top dollar to sit in a crowded cinema with chatty teens and people noisily crunching popcorn and nachos when I can buy or rent the DVD for less and enjoy the peacefulness and comfort of my home theatre. I choose to go to the Metrolux today in order to get a glimpse of An American Carol... Continue Reading

There are two reasons that people will visit your website. They'll visit to read great content. And they'll visit to feel part of a community. There's one way in which you can add valuable content to your site, get that content for free and build up your community at the same time. By receiving comments. Continue Reading

I put Dan Nickerson under the gun and asked him to compose a Top Ten list ten minutes before our show today. He did it, and its pretty darned funny. On this edition of Joel Comm LIVE! we had a little bit of politics, answered questions, gave away some goodies and had fun. Ready for the replay? Watch below! Continue Reading

It's been a long time since I optimized my first AdSense ad. Many things have changed since then. Some things have stayed the same. The principles of AdSense optimization have stayed the same. You still have to blend your ads into your site. You still have to produce good quality content. And you still have to bring in traffic to look at that content. The content itself has changed though. Videos are now an important... Continue Reading

I was on Twitter the other day, noticing that I had passed 3300 followers (thanks everyone!), and also noticed that Twitter has no slogan. Well, there's "What are you doing right now?" But that's so 2007. So I asked my followers for some ideas for new Twitter slogans. Here is sampling of the responses I received... Continue Reading

There are easy ways of bringing traffic to your website, and there are hard ways. Most people focus on the hard ways. They spend hours playing around with their keywords and their Search Engine Optimization. They spend vast sums on AdWords and other forms of advertising. And they send out email after email in an attempt to swap links and create exchanges. That's fair enough. It's all part of the job of being an online... Continue Reading

Here's a cool find. Do the books your fellow countrymen are reading indicate which way their vote may be leaning? You'll be fascinated as you explore Amazon's Election 2008 Interactive map. Simply visit the site and you are presented with a United States map color-coded to the current political leanings, based on the titles that are being ordered by people living within each state. Red is for Republican. Blue is for Democrat. Continue Reading

It's always a thrill to see your new book on the shelf of a major bookseller. Mary and I went to dinner at Hu Hot last night (yum!), and then made our way to the Barnes and Noble on College Ave. in Ft. Collins. Lo and behold, there I was on the business shelf. I asked Mary to shoot a snapshot, and we were subsequently reprimanded by one of the employees. Apparantly store policy says... Continue Reading

I've got no idea how many blog posts, articles and pages of content I've written for the Internet. I've been doing it for years, so if you're wondering if there are ever times when I sit in front of the computer and wonder what I can write about today, the answer is... Yes. Continue Reading

New media may be taking over the world, but millions of people still listen to their radios everyday. I listen on my way to and from the office, usually to talk-radio. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of meeting a living legend of radio, Dan O' Day. A former disc jockey and leading radio guru, I instantly connected with Dan and invited him to come spend a day with me and my team... Continue Reading

I'm always going on about the importance of networking at conferences. That's because I don't know of any strategy that can improve an online publishing business's success rate faster. Networking puts you in touch with opportunities that you can't find any other way. It builds the sort of business relationships that can last for many profitable years. It really does make running a business fun. And there's just no better place to do it than... Continue Reading

There are millions of blogs on the web, but there are only a handful that are creating content of value. I learned about Tyler Cruz a few months back and have been paying close attention to his latest projects. One recent project is proving very useful to those in the affiliate marketing industry. It's called Publisher Spot and it is a directory of Internet ad network companies. It is a valuable resource because it provides... Continue Reading

When I was researching "Click Here to Order," there was a story I kept coming across time and time again. Marketers would tell me how they were down to their last penny, ready to throw in the towel, on their way to looking for a day job... when something happened. For copywriter Michael Fortin, who had already declared bankruptcy by the age of 21, it was the discovery of the power of a well-written sales... Continue Reading

What a fantastic book launch day! My book, Click Here to Order, took Amazon.com by storm on Tuesday, September 2nd, moving up the charts at record pace! As of this writing, the book has taken #1 in several categories, including Movers & Shakers, Web Marketing and Ecommerce. The book is currently sitting at #18 of ALL books available on Amazon.com! Continue Reading

Google. Amazon.com. eBay. Yahoo! MySpace. Facebook. Everyone has heard of these Internet giants. These companies have generated billions of dollars in revenue and made their founders multi-millionaires. The mainstream media talks about them religiously. But ask yourself a question... Continue Reading

When Apple released the iPhone in 2007, they effectively announced "game over" to the rest of the cell phone world. With the release of the 3G and the iTunes App Store, Apple puts another nail in the coffin of wannabees who will arrive late to this party. The moment I saw the App Store, I realized that I had to begin producing applications that the installed user base of 10,000,000 iPhone users would embrace. I'm... Continue Reading

"You're a social media expert", he said on the conference call. I guess I hadn't thought of myself in that manner before. He went on to tell me that I have provided him with tons of advice on using social media to leverage his brand and increase traffic to his sites. I pondered for a while and realized that I had gotten so used to sharing my knowledge that I didn't recognize just how much... Continue Reading

Social Media is all the buzz right now. It started with MySpace, continued with YouTube and has brought about Facebook, Twitter and a host of other sites promising the help people interact in new ways. These sites have become very popular and two were purchased for a tidy sum. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp purchased MySpace for $580 million and Google bought YouTube for for $1.65 BILLION. I'm sure the boys from Facebook and Twitter have... Continue Reading

Dave Taylor has one of the most popular question & answer sites on the web. His Ask Dave Taylor site welcomes thousands of visitors every day. Dave joins me for a fun session where we discuss blogging, social networking, flying monkeys, a top ten list and unexpected technical difficulties. You'll want to watch both parts to get the whole picture. Enjoy! Continue Reading

Twitter is one of the web's leading innovative sites. People are just discovering new ways to interact with others, build relationships, share ideas AND market themselves and their products/services online. I've put together a 30-page report that will give you an overview of Twitter and how you can use it to help accomplish your goals. Things are changing VERY quickly online, so forgive me if some of the material is dated by next month! What's... Continue Reading

While attending an Internet marketing conference in Chicago, I spent a lot of time networking with my peers. As I sat at the dinner table last night, I noticed that a bunch of us were twittering on our handhelds. Simon Leung, Donna Fox, Eric Farewell, Anik Singal and several others had their PDAs or phone out and were twittering away... sometimes to each other other, even though they were sitting across the table from each... Continue Reading

What do you do if you are 38 years old and told by a doctor that you have just one year to live? That's exactly what happened to my friend Sylie Fortin. Shortly after getting married, Michel and Sylvie were face-to-face with the horrible diagnosis of breast cancer. But if you know Sylvie, you would know that this is not something she would take lying down. She pursued radical treatment and is alive two years... Continue Reading

Today's show featured Jason West, my friend from the U.K. Jason has a knack for launching niche ecommerce sites and making great profits. In today's program, there is a Q&A with Jason, a new Top Ten list, some new toys, flying monkeys and more fun. Be sure to watch for the latest news about my new book, "Click Here to Order" Continue Reading

It's another wonderful day in Northern Colorado, and Dan Nickerson and I have placed another episode of "Joel Comm LIVE!" in the can. Did you miss the show? There's a visit from Rich Schefren (virtually speaking), a new Top Ten list, Q&A and Flying Monkey Time. Enjoy the show? Continue Reading

Life is a funny thing. Sometimes the most unexpected things take place, and often at the strangest moments! Somehow my name has gotten around and... well, someone thought I should be nominated to run for President! When you look at the two non-choices we have in this contest, I guess it's not surprising. But I didn't even know this was happening! Here's the cool thing... Continue Reading

You know that I am a huge fan of creating online video. We are most definitely a visual people and video is the natural way to communicate your message on the web, especially since broadband is now widely accepted. My friend, Jim Kukral, is quickly becoming an expert in video blogging. He does a video series called "The Daily Flip", filmed entirely with his Flip Video camera. I recently heard from him and he has... Continue Reading

Have you ever wondered what people did BEFORE they become Internet marketers? It's pretty cool to see that the greatest success stories are people just like you and me. I will tell you this about me. I used to be a DJ. Yup, I worked in the nightclubs to begin with, but then the entrepreneur in me discovered that there was more money to be made in playing music at private events. So I started... Continue Reading

Question: What is the one of the biggest obstacles that people have to creating an online business? Answer: Building a web site! I have a confession to make. I am NOT an expert at building websites. In fact, I hire out all website design and creation. I am just not good at it. But what if you can't afford to pay someone to do it? Continue Reading

I've been frustrated lately. Here's the thing... As you know, I speak at a number of conferences. At these conferences, I teach people how to make money online and many of them purchase one of my products to help them build their online business. I know that what I teach works and that the products I offer have value. I know this because I receive testimonials from people all the time. But its the ones... Continue Reading

I need to back up a bit because I left out Sunday from my journal. On Sunday, I spoke at Chris Howard's "Ultimate Wealth Symposium" on the grounds of the Sydney Olympic Park. I had a fantastic time sharing my story with 800 or so people. I've got to say, the Aussies are a bit difficult to get moving, but I think everyone had a good time and learned a thing or two. I also... Continue Reading

I'm currently in Los Angeles for the annual Book Expo America, otherwise known as BEA. Why BEA? I have a book coming out on August 1st and I showed up to support my publisher and do some networking. Now I must confess. I am a trade show junkie. I love the vast conference centers with aisles and aisles of vendors hawking their goods and services. I'm especially a sucker for the freebies and swag. It's... Continue Reading

Time for another episode of Joel Comm LIVE! Chris "The Hand" Harper, our Producer, took ill today, so Dan and I were forced to muddle through on our own with today's show. We answered questions, did a new top ten list, played with the monkey and had a great time. Thanks to our sponsor, BeMyFirstSale.com Continue Reading

Around noon on May 22, 2008, I was at Denver International Airport waiting for a plane to Dallas. My phone rang and it was my daughter calling from her school to tell me that Loveland and northern Colorado was under a tornado warning. Apparantly a tornado had been spotted and they had the students go to the safest place in the building. A tornado? On the front range? I spent 21 years of my life... Continue Reading

I came into the world without a goatee and mustache. Surprise, surprise. But sometime after I got married, I decided to give the goatee and mustache a try. It must have been around 1992, I believe. As it turned out, my wife really liked it. So I decided to keep it, rarely shaving it off over the years only to grow it back again. But times have changed... Continue Reading

I've been blogging since 2003. That seems like an eternity in Internet years! If you aren't blogging yet, you are missing out on a KEY component of your Internet business and online presence. The thing is, many people are totally and completely intimidated by the thought of blogging. You may even be reading this and thinking, "I'm too embarrassed to tell Joel that I don't even know what a blog is!" Don't sweat it. You... Continue Reading

I'm going to let you in on a little secret... I can't write computer code. It's true... I can't code my way out of a paper bag. Well, maybe that's not a big surprise, but here's another secret... I can't do graphic design. That is, unless you count stick figures. I can draw those. May I tell you another secret? Continue Reading

I was helping my wife clean out the closet yesterday and I've got a feeling I didn't pick up a box correctly. Yesterday afternoon, my lower back began hurting... all the way down at the base of my spine. I tried heat. I tried ointment. I tried advil. I managed to sleep through the night without any trouble, but man am I hurting today! Continue Reading

Everyone has heard of Chicken Soup for the Soul and the zillion titles that were derived from this massive best-seller. What you don't know is that I am friends with the man who helped make that series so huge! His name is Rick Frishman and he knows a few things about getting attention. ;-) Rick has just released a new book of his own called "Where's Your Wow?" that reveals 16 ways to make your... Continue Reading

Today's episode of Joel Comm LIVE! featured Internet marketer Rick Butts in an unusual guest appearance. We couldn't get Rick's audio on the stream, so he was forced to mime his communication. As usual, Dan and I answer questions, give away prizes and have a good time. Continue Reading

He is known as America's Personal Trainer... He is world famous for his late-night infomercials... He has sold over $3 BILLION dollars in products... His name is Tony Little, and he was my special guest on Joel Comm LIVE! Check out this fun replay of my time with Tony. :-) Continue Reading

I recently posed the riddle on Twitter, "How many Internet marketers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" I think pasoderholm and FunDivaCristy tie for the best reply. What do you think? Do you have a funny answer to this riddle? Continue Reading

Shopzilla is one of the largest online shopping sites. You've probably used them before for their price comparison tool. Recently, Shopzilla has been beta-testing a contextual ad program that would allow site publishers to place Shopzilla ads on their pages and get paid every time someone clicked on an ad, in the same vein as AdSense. I'm impressed with their program and I decided to research them further. My research led me to write a... Continue Reading

One of the most common questions I get asked is how did I get started online? It's time to tell my story! This series will feature the highlights of my online experience, as well as some of the things I learned along the way. Part 1 goes back to the VERY beginning. How exactly DID I get started in creating a website? It probably happened differently than you might imagine! I hope you enjoy this... Continue Reading

While I'm still enjoying my family vacation here in Hawaii, I wanted to take a moment to let you know about a ground-breaking new tool that is guaranteed to increase your sales. Part of the reason I am able to enjoy vacations like this is because I've leveraged technology and employees to keep my business running, even when I'm away from it. Most people understand the concept of hiring employees, but many people don't understand... Continue Reading

Ah... Kauai. We were here two years ago and had a great time. I think we did all the touristy stuff that week. Helicopter ride. Driving around both coasts... etc. Last year we went to Maui, and although beautiful, it doesn't match Kauai for beauty. Maui was also way overpriced and I can't see going there again just for a vacation. Anyhow, I don't think I've ever been in such need of a vacation and... Continue Reading

What is the definition of true success? Is it having a large bank account? Is it having a garage full of cars? Is it having a mansion with so many rooms you can't fill them all? I would say that all of these material things are an indicator that a person may have succeeded in business, but without one key component I don't believe a person is truly successful. Continue Reading

Who would have thought the rock band KISS would have survived for decades? I remember when Rock n Roll All Nite came out. I was just a young teen. And yet, all these years later, KISS has endured. It only makes sense that there would be KISS cover bands. Why not, right? Grab your instruments, throw on some makeup, act like you are anti-establishment and find a guitar player with an exceptionally long tongue to... Continue Reading

It was fall of 2005 when I was scheduled to speak at Robert Puddy's Focus 4 the Future Internet marketing conference. It was the first time I had spoken at an event and I was on a roster with Mike Filsaime, Gary Ambrose and Craig Perrine. Yes, I was nervous. But why should I be? My AdSense ebook was a huge success and my name had begun to spread in the Internet marketing community. The... Continue Reading

In March of 2006 I attended Yanik Silver's Internet Marketing Underground seminar in Washinton, DC. It was a life-changing date with destiny, for it was there that I met my future JV Partner, Eric Holmlund. I was also impressed by the high caliber of people who attended this seminar. It seemed that there was an awful lot of success in the room filled with over 300 people. Two years later and Yanik does not disappoint... Continue Reading

Episode 2 of Joel Comm LIVE was an extra-long episode that went over one and one-half hours. Dan and I ordered in lunch and I pretty much made a pig of myself choking down a chicken wrap and french fries. We answer tons of questions from viewers and enjoyed up to 150 people streaming the video at one time. There were three giveaways and we put some advertisers URLs on the whiteboard. All in all... Continue Reading

I'm not a big fan of the major airlines. In fact I have written several entries that demonstrated poor customer service by United and American. However, I had a uniquely good experience on United a couple days ago and wanted to share it with you. I was traveling to Los Angeles with Joel Ownby and Tim Prince, en route to Yanik Silver's Internet Underground conference in Los Angeles. The three of us board the 737... Continue Reading

I love to experiment with technology. And on Wednesday at 1 pm EST, I am going to give you an opportunity to experiment right along with me! You've participated in teleseminars... And you've participated in webinars... But now I invite you to join me for the very first "Joel Comm LIVE!" TV show streaming direct to you over the web! During this one-hour program, I will be answering questions from viewers in real time. Simply... Continue Reading

I've got a pretty colorful past. I got my first job when I was fourteen-years old, working behind the counter of a fast-food restaurant at Northbrook Court shopping mall in Northbrook, Illinois. After all, I needed to save up money to buy a TRS-80 Model I computer from Radio Shack! Once I acquired my driver's license, I worked in the health & beauty department at Venture. Yes, I was a stockboy. At the age of... Continue Reading

Just got a fun email from the Google AdSense team. They have printed up a batch of AdSense stickers and are offering them for free. All you need to do is send a self-addressed stamped envelope to them and they will drop a sticker or two in it for you. AdSense has been good to me, so I'll probably find a good place to put my sticker. Would it be sacrilege to deface my Macbook... Continue Reading

I just uploaded a new video to my YouTube channel, designed to encourage people to subscribe and follow my latest videos. Go to my channel and watch the one-minute featured video on the main page. Check out the very cool video production in the middle. You'll know it when you see it! Mad props to Chris Harper, my video producer. :-) Click here for my YouTube channel Continue Reading

Last summer, Revenue Magazine did an interview with me to discuss The Next Internet Millionaire. Lisa Picarille put together a great piece that you can read here. But one of my favorite things about the article were the photos taken by Alison Rose Williams of Fort Collins. Revenue hired her to come on location and take some shots of me for the magazine. While she was there, I asked if I could pay her to... Continue Reading

So I've got this great idea for a screenplay. The story goes like this... Due to severe beatings she had received as a child, a thirty-something year old woman develops a strange phobia and doesn't leave the bathroom for two years. I know, bizarre, yes? It gets more interesting. The woman spends the majority of her time on the toilet. Yes, on the toilet. In fact, she spends SO much time on the toilet that... Continue Reading

I'm about to share a hard truth with you. I hope you are sitting down, cause here we go... Most of the people reading this newsletter will never make money online. Ouch. Sure, read it again. You heard me right. Now before you go questioning me, calling me insensitive or flat out cursing me out, let me say this... Continue Reading

I have a confession to make. I love shopping online and I love using online coupon codes. I've been doing online shopping online since Amazon.com launched in 1995. In the early years, merchants would regularly offer fantastic discounts on merchandise in order to get new customers to their stores. For example, Reel.com (nbow defunct?) used to offer $10 off coupons on a regular basis. So I would buy DVDs for approximately $5 each. What a... Continue Reading

Wow, what an incredible day! Wait until you hear this. I thought it was going to be a day like every other day. But you never know what kind of curve balls life is going to toss your way. Here's how it started... First of all I wake up and find this email in my box from a producer at a MAJOR cable network ... "Congratulations on your show, 'The Next Internet Millionaire.' We've reviewed... Continue Reading

Whenever something big happens in the world of online advertising, I'm left scratching my head and wondering what it means for me. It doesn't get much bigger than Microsoft offering tens of billions of dollars for Yahoo!. So what does that mean for me... and for you too? At the moment, nothing. Yahoo! has rejected Microsoft's bid and probably holding out for more money. If the deal goes through, it won't happen overnight. Even then... Continue Reading

Do you ever go to Google to search for your name? A search for David results in 719,000,000 web pages. Zoiks! A search for Brenda presents 31,500,000 results. And search for Fred will get you 120,000,000 results, including a stock chart for Fred's, Inc, whoever that is. Last year, I Googled my name to see where I came up in the results. Continue Reading

I regularly receive joint venture proposals from people. A small percentage of them have some really good ideas and products, but the majority of them are not good at all. Today I received an email from a couple gentlemen in Australia. I hope the email and my response will be instructive for the recipients and for others as they seek to do joint ventures. Continue Reading

You can have a great idea for a web site. And developing the site can be a very rewarding experience. But without one thing, it doesn't matter how nice your site is... That thing is traffic. Traffic is really the "life blood" of our business. Without traffic you can't make sales, you can't generate affiliate commissions, you can't build a list... (you get the picture). So today I want to focus on traffic, and tell... Continue Reading

I've been wanting to meet Jason Calacanis face-to-face for some time. For those that don't know, Jason is the co-creator of Weblogs, Inc., which was sold to AOL for $25 million. I'm at Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas where Jason Calacanis delivered the keynote address this morning. I really didn't know anything about Jason as a person, so I was looking forward to an insightful talk with fresh ideas. Wow, was I in for a... Continue Reading

What are people talking about when they talk about RSS feeds? Let me make it simple. In fact, let me make it REAL simple. RSS stands for "really simple syndication". Basically, it is a format for distributing and gathering content from various sources across the web. This can include newspapers, magazines and ablogs. Using something called a "news reader", you can monitor headlines and summaries from many of your favorite sources without having to go... Continue Reading

Admit it. You are passionate. Oh, I don't know what you are passionate about. But I guarantee that you are passionate about SOMETHING! You may be crazy about parakeets. Or perhaps you know more about bonzai trees than anyone on the block. Maybe you are one of the world's leading experts on Mt. Everest. Or it could be that you make the best french silk pie in the hemisphere! The point is that everyone is... Continue Reading

A few months back, I launched this groundbreaking Internet marketing course to the world... The Secret Classroom ... and the feedback has been fantastic! I regularly receive emails from people telling me what an impact this course has had on their online business. I wanted to take a moment today and share one of these emails with you. I think it says way more about the value of The Secret Classroom than I could ever... Continue Reading

I get a lot of questions from people who are eager to start Home-Based Businesses. They wonder if they can afford office equipment, pay for outsourcing, purchase expensive courses, and go to Internet Marketing Seminars. What many people don't realize is that having your own home-based business offers many tax advantages that will really help you with these expenses. Whether you're joining a Network Marketing Company, starting a commercial website or plan on being a... Continue Reading

Today's entry may be one of the most important ones I have ever sent out. Why? Because your response to this newsletter is going to help guide the direction of all future newsletters! This is the day that I am asking for participation from every one of my readers... ... and I am counting on you! Continue Reading

Last week, I sat down in my office with several members of my team and we began doing a brain dump of all the great ideas for sites, services and products that we had. We filled my fairly-large whiteboard in no time at all. The fact of the matter is that we have more ideas than we have time or manpower to accomplish! But ideas are not exactly in short supply, are they? There are... Continue Reading

My new blog has been up for over 24 hours now, and the verdict is in! Visitors to this site overwhelmingly approve of the look and feel of the new JoelComm.com. In fact, many people are asking me questions as they want to know how I put this new site together. Well, I've got nothing to hide and I will tell all... Continue Reading

I've been blogging now for nearly five years. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't get started until 2003. Over the years, my blog has had several designs and the site regularly receive thousands of visits each and every day. But it was time for a face lift. (Not my face, the blog!) Continue Reading

I consider myself a fortunate person. Every day, I sit in a beautiful office, surrounded by great people and look out of my window towards a fantastic view of the Rockies. I think it's a great thing. Not everyone agrees with me. I know that lots of people want something different. They want to work from home. Continue Reading

I recently won a Mac Mini in Marlon Sander's affiliate contest and wanted to show him how I was putting it to use. So I made this video and then decided it would be fun to share it with everyone. I'd like to say thank you to Marlon for the Mac Mini, and recommend that folks check out his InfoProduct Dashboard tool for making information products quick and easy. Enjoy the video... Continue Reading

I just got done having an email conversation with my friend, Jeremy Gislason. We communicate via email because he is in Japan and on a totally different schedule. Anyhow, Jeremy and Simon Hodgkinson have been working on putting together a new member site that has tons of great content to help you build your member site! Basically, this site teaches you everything Jeremy and Simon know about building member sites... and they have over 100,000... Continue Reading

Psst... want to know a way to get tons of free users to your website instantly? And when I say tons, I mean the sort of numbers that will crash your servers, send your page views spiking through the roof and make you dizzy when you look at your AdSense stats. Here's how to do it... Just get your Web page on the front page of Digg.com. I didn't say it was an easy way... Continue Reading

I've had several people ask me what I'm going to be up to in 2008. I'm very excited, because this is going to be a breakthrough year for many people who will increase their online revenue. AND, I am excited because I am going to be doing several things that have never been done before! That's kind of a mantra with me. I don't like to do what everyone else is doing. You have to... Continue Reading

In November of 2005, I went to Armand Morin's Big Seminar for the first time. My eyes were opened to brand new possibilities, and I can say without reservation that it was one of the most significant events of my life. Since that time I have gotten to know Armand as a friend and a mentor. I've been a guest speaker at Big Seminar, he has been a guest teacher on The Next Internet Millionaire... Continue Reading

Yesterday, I blogged about my experiences with American Airlines Aadvantage desk in regards to a change I needed to make with a ticket. Thanks to everyone who empathized with my plight. It appears I am nowhere near alone. Apparantly, Google is showing me some love. Check this out. Continue Reading

Does American Airlines have good customer service? Once again, I find myself on the "I can't believe this is happening" end of a telephone conversation with a customer service rep. Here's the story. I had booked a flight using reward miles to fly someone from Dallas to Denver in a couple weeks. As it turns out, he is going to drive here a few days early and won't require the initial leg of the flight... Continue Reading

Have I mentioned that I love living in Colorado? Yes, I guess I probably have. I finally got around to resizing some photos that I have taken with my iphone since we moved here last year. Continue Reading

I make no secret of it. I am a 43-year old man who loves playing computer and video games. And why not? I was a teenage when Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede took over the arcades. I was sixteen when I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. It was great for primitive gaming. And I've got a great collection of old computer software in a special room in my basement. Perhaps I'll do a video... Continue Reading

I've been paying close attention to customer service wherever I go these days. In my business, I tell my support team to go the extra mile when assisting customers. I believe this pays off big time in the long run. But I am amazed at how many businesses do not pay attention to the simplest of customer service details. In the past few days, I have made observations at Best Buy, Gamestop, Qdoba and... my... Continue Reading

I'm at a loss for words. I've started this newsletter half a dozen times trying to find the right way to share some information with you. Sometimes the words don't come. Eloquence doesn't seem to be in the cards for me today. It's not that the topic isn't interesting. It's just that I've got writer's block. Has that ever happened to you? There are days that I am able to create new content for my... Continue Reading

Well, here we are on the brink of another New Year. I've recapped the highlights of 2007 on my blog As we enter 2008, I am more committed than ever to provide you with the best content... the best books... the best software... the best reviews... the best sites for making money online... the best of everything! 2007 was a groundbreaking year in many respects, but 2008 is shaping up to be even bigger. I... Continue Reading

I'm at Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City, getting ready to make the trek home to Colorado after a week of visiting with family and friends. I've had some time to reflect on the year and would like to take a stroll down memory lane. The year started with a crazy idea. I knew that others had dabbled with the idea of doing an Internet reality show, but no one had really taken the concept... Continue Reading

'Twas the Night Before Christmas An Internet Marketing Adaptation for 2007 ----------------------------------------- 'Twas the night before Christmas and all cross the 'net Marketers were hoping that clickthroughs, they'd get. The products were finished and ready to go outsourced and prepared by those "in the know" Continue Reading

With 2007 almost gone and 2008 on the way, I am doing quite a bit of reflecting on where I've been, where I am going, and how I can best serve you in the upcoming year. So this is going to be an interactive newsletter, because I am counting on you to tell me what you would like to accomplish in 2008, and perhaps give me an indication of how I can best help you... Continue Reading

I'm a huge fan of developing online communities for revenue generation. The wonderful thing about community sites is that the members create the content for you. However, it can sometimes be tricky to kickstart your forums in order to get people posting. If you launch forums and people visit only to find that there is no activity, odds are they aren't going to register, post or return. This is the primary reason most forums don't... Continue Reading

Buzzword. Defined as a word or phrase connected with a specialized field or group that usually sounds important or technical and is used primarily to impress laypersons. But Buzzword is more than that now. Look out Microsoft Office... there's a new player in town. Adobe announced the launch of their free online word processor, Buzzword. And I gotta say, it is a class act. There is a simple registration requiring your name, email address and... Continue Reading

Twitter this. Twitter that. Twitter, twitter, twitter. I must confess. I'm still not sure what the point is of Twitter. Basically, Twitter allows you to tell the world what you are doing at any given moment, embed a clever little widget on your site so they can keep up with you, and you in turn can see what they are doing. I'm not sure I get it. Nevertheless, apparantly millions of people do get it... Continue Reading

I don't know where I'd be without joint ventures. I'd still have my AdSense income, which is nice, but I'd certainly be a lot poorer. I'd have fewer friends. And the people who acted on my recommendations would be a lot worse off too. Joint ventures are a vital part of my business. They should be a vital part of yours too. I still say that the best place to find joint venture opportunities is... Continue Reading

The day has arrived! I don't think there has ever been such excitement over one of my product launches, and I am excited to say that the excitement really has nothing to do with me! Instead, this product is all about YOU, and the opportunity you now have to receive the Internet marketing education that can last a lifetime. The Secret Classroom It's not an ebook that overpromises and underdelivers. It's not a software tool... Continue Reading

You've heard this phrase a thousand times. "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know." Do you believe it? It's true! At the age of 17 I got a dream job at the local computer and video store... ... because I knew the owner. At the age of 20 I got a summer job at an advertising agency and learned a ton... ... because my mother worked there. At the age of 24 I... Continue Reading

A few months ago I wrote an article discussing why I dislike network marketing. One of the main reasons is because many organizations suggest that you recruit your family and friends to join you in your quest to get rich. Bah. I just don't like that. BUT, as I mentioned on my blog, the Internet now affords an opportunity to get involved in network marketing without having to sell to your "warm" market. Continue Reading

It was only a matter of time. Google is coming out with their own phone. But Amazon has beat the Big "G" to the punch with their own electronic device. It's called Amazon Kindle, and it appears to be a contender for the coolest device of the 2007 holiday shopping season. Imagine being able to access thousands of books wirelessly and read them on a crystal clear display anywhere you go. Continue Reading

I don't know about you, but I am still stuffed from the Thanksgiving meal! Anyhow, today is Black Friday. It's not a holiday, but with all the crazy shopping, you would think it is. You know how I always talk about building sites that interest you? Well, back in 1999 I was big into saving money online with coupon codes. Continue Reading

When I was at Blogworld last week, I came upon the booth of a company called "Entrecard." Their display caught my attention and I introduced myself to the CEO, Graham Langdom. To my surprise, Graham is also the creator of The Million Dollar Wiki. The reason I was surprised is that I had become familiar with that site the week before and had purchased a few pages on the site! Anyhow, knowing how innovative Graham... Continue Reading

Google is continually looking for ways to put the kabosh on click fraud. It is important that they protect the rights of their advertisers by making sure each click is an intentional click. That is, they want to be certain that the person clicking the ad is doing so deliberatel. Otherwise, the advertiser is paying for a visit that is not purposeful. So it has recently leaked out from a number of blogs that Google... Continue Reading

Do REAL people make money online? Well, I consider myself real people! Let's face it, before I became known for my AdSense ebook, I was just another anonymous Internet entrepreneur. It's true! Now my success story may seem out of reach... ... but it's not. No way. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. Trust me. I know myself and am still amazed that people consider me an Internet "celebrity." Continue Reading

Hey Are you sitting down? I hope so. It would be strange to check your email standing up. The reason I ask is because what I am about to show you is going to absolutely blow you away! How would you like to receive of $10,000 worth of bonuses for the price of one absolutely incredible book? Seriously. Continue Reading

It's not always easy thinking up something to write about. However frequently (or otherwise) you update your site, you have to think of a topic, decide whether your users will find it interesting, estimate whether it will bring in ad clicks and turn it into content. Often, that's not a problem. You might be bursting with things you want to say. Sometimes though, you'll be left scratching your head and wondering what on earth you... Continue Reading

It was a communal moment. I was thirteen-years old, and I remember standing in line with all the others. We were eagerly waiting... anticipating... fully aware that we were about to experience something that would be groundbreaking and revolutionary. Oh yes, there was a great deal of buzz. And we knew it. It was just a matter of time before we would be able to take our seats in the theater... ... and enjoy seeing... Continue Reading

I use Google Alerts to let me know when someone is writing about me or one of my web sites. It's a great way to keep tabs on you or your brand. Anyhow, I got an alert today and discovered that one of my AdSenseChat.com members had written a blog entry about me. It's always interesting to see what other people think. It's actually pretty amazing to hear another perspective, especially from people who don't... Continue Reading

Episode 8 of The Next Internet Millionaire is now online! In this episode, the contestants start the day with an intense competition where eCOMMerce chips pay off. Next, they are taught the principles of viral marketing by Mike Filsaime. The execution challenge tests their ability to put viral marketing into action, and the episode concludes with a surprising elimination. Things are heating up, so be sure to watch! Continue Reading

I recommend a lot of products to people, and sometimes I get emails from readers complaining that they can't possibly buy everything I recommend. I don't expect you to. Not all of the products I recommend suit everyone. All of them though will help someone. If you decide not to buy a product I recommend, that's fine. Just make sure that you're not turning down something that could genuinely help your site to grow and... Continue Reading

Episode 6 of "The Next Internet Millionaire" is now online... ... and in this episode, tensions are rising as the seven remaining contestants battle it out in a challenging immunity task and a team challenge that tests their sales ability. Special guest teacher Brad Fallon instructs the contestants on principles of business and ecommerce, and someone gets a special night on the town courtesy of Brad! Continue Reading

Episode 5 of The Next Internet Millionaire is now online. Watch Now! In this episode, the contestants face an individual immunity challenge that puts their writing skills and creativty to the test. A special appearance from online video expert, Michael Koenigs, provides the remaining eight with insight into how to leverage video to build their business. And an execution challenge that involves filming a 60-second commercial is entertaining and educational. Who will win? Who will... Continue Reading

I know I am opening myself up to criticism for this post, but it's been on my mind and I really just want to put it out there. I dislike the way multi-level marketing has been done by many companies. I don't dislike multi-level marketers, mind you (well, most of them anyway). I just think that business model has proven destructive to many individuals and families. Continue Reading

One penny. One cent. 1/100th of a dollar. Uno centavo. That's all it takes for you to instantly own your own Internet store! Yes, I'm serious. My customers have been asking me for a simple solution where they can tell people about great products and earn easy commissions... Continue Reading

What do poker, real estate and product launches have in common? Find out in episode 3 of "The Next Internet Millionaire", now available online! Last week found Laura and Steve joining Carly and Debbie in the"sandbox." This week, all four sandboxed contestants will have an opportunity to get back in the game. Will they succeed or fail? Continue Reading

Facebook. The first time I heard about this site had to be over a year ago. I was told it was a social networking site for college students, so I didn't give it much of a look. After all, I've been out of college for many years. (I won't tell you how many!) But about a month or so ago I started receiving invitations to use facebook from some friends and associates of mine. Hmmm... Continue Reading

I did it. I bit the bullet and picked up an iPhone. I've been a faithful Treo 650 user for two years, but the buzz regarding Apple's new device won me over. So I ponied up $599 + shipping and tax to get one of these puppies in my hands, though I was unsure of what I would find once I actually got to try it out for myself. I may now render the verdict... Continue Reading

Everyday I receive emails from people telling me that they have the best product since sliced bread, and asking me to do a joint venture with them. It is physically impossible for me to promote every product that comes my way. In fact, I am becoming more and more selective, making sure that I only share products with my customers if there is great value. Honestly, you wouldn't want to see a lot of the... Continue Reading

May I get your opinion please? I am giving away a FREE autographed copy of my book, The AdSense Code, to one person who will give me feedback on a one-minute video I have created. This will literally take just a couple minutes. Continue Reading

Bada-bing bada-boom. You know what I'm sayin'? Yeah, probably not. But it seems like everyone is talking like a New York mafia thug in all the emails I have been receiving about The Site Stealer. It's all in good fun, of course... ... but it's fun with a purpose. Continue Reading

You are invited to a one-of-a-kind webinar that you are going to love! On Tuesday, July 17th, you have the opportunity to listen in and watch as I interview Sheila Simkin, a seasoned world traveler who has been just about everywhere and knows how to travel the world on a budget. There is no one quite like Sheila. Not only does she blog her adventures on her site, but she provides tips that even the... Continue Reading

It was fall of 2005. I was in Charlotte, North Carolina, preparing for my very first public speaking engagement. I would be speaking before an audience of 25 people who had paid to hear me and a handful of other Internet marketers share how we make our millions online. It was at this time that I had begun preparing the manuscript for my first traditionally published book. But I was lacking a title for the... Continue Reading

I am freshly returned from Hawaii, slighty tanned, somewhat rested, and ready to share some great stuff with you! Please read all the way through as you aren't going to want to miss any of this... First of all, we have officially announced TWO of the contestants for The Next Internet Millionaire. Want to meet them? Meet the Contestants Be sure to join the discussion on the forums with your comments as we look forward... Continue Reading

Google's referral programs have never impressed me very much. Although the commissions are now fair, they started out very low. But even at the new(ish) rates, few sites are going to benefit from them. They're only good for publishers who aim their content at other publishers. That's always been the problem with Google's referrals: there were too few products aimed at too few topics. But Google has been working on a whole new referral system... Continue Reading

Thousands of people start businesses every year. And thousands of people fail miserably at their businesses every year. The reasons for failure are wide and varied. But more often than not, the problem comes down to marketing. After all, a useless or inferior product can be made quite popular with the proper marketing. Continue Reading

Aloha! As you know, I am on vacation in Maui. As I write this, I am watching the sun rise behind the mountains, listening to the waves crash and enjoying the small birds that are landing on my balcony railing. Yes, it is just another day in tropical paradise. And yet, I am compelled to write... to share what is on my mind. Because with all the success I have enjoyed, I am reminded that... Continue Reading

We arrived on Maui on Tuesday afternoon, snagged our rental car and made our way to the hotel. We're staying on the west side of the island in the Ka'anapali area. It's absolutely gorgeous here. From my fifth floor balcony I can see the ocean, the mountains, palm trees, sandy beaches and a beautiful landscape. It's 6 am Hawaii time as I blog this (my body says it is 10 am MST) and I've enjoyed... Continue Reading

Recently, I told you that I was pulling out of the Bookwise program. It looked like a good opportunity -- it still does look like a good opportunity -- but when they objected to the domain name I was using to profit from it, I decided to leave. One door closes... and another one opens. I've been playing around with AuctionAds, and I have to say, I've been very impressed. AuctionAds lets you put eBay... Continue Reading

Running your own business and making money online is fun. But if you don't stop to enjoy the blessings that come from having financial freedom... well, what's the point? I've spent the better part of this year setting up shop in Colorado, creating new materials to help you make money, traveling and speaking at seminars, and preparing to shoot the world's first Internet marketing reality show. Let's face. I've been busy! And now I am... Continue Reading

I wish I could tell you that becoming a successful AdSense publisher is easy. I wish I could tell you that all you need to do is sign up to AdSense and hey presto... at the end of the week, you'll be lighting your barbeque with hundred dollar bills and using fine china dishes as Frisbees. But it doesn't work that way. Optimizing your AdSense units is hard work. And it's work that never ends. Continue Reading

It's one small change for Google. It could be one giant leap in your income. Or at the very least, a nice little increase. Google has changed its policies (again). Want to know what the change is and what it could mean for your revenue stream? Read on... Continue Reading

I've been pretty lukewarm about Google's referral products. They've been pushing them pretty hard but I haven't been impressed. I'm not convinced that the Google Pack contains anything worth writing home about. I don't care enough about Mozilla to recommend that everyone downloads Firefox. And the commissions that Google is offering for its downloads just aren't big enough to take up real estate on my Web pages. I'd rather put together a joint venture with... Continue Reading

I can't take it any longer. I've seen a few trends taking place in Internet marketing lately, and I don't think they are right. It's time to take off the gloves because I've got something to say. I'm throwing caution to the wind because I think someone has got to stand up and speak the truth. If I take heat for it, so be it. Here goes... Continue Reading

"It was a dark and stormy night." That may as well be the beginning of this newsletter, because I have started writing it five times now. I get past the first line, read it, and delete it. So I figure you just can't go wrong with "It was a dark and stormy night." Well, perhaps if I was writing fiction... The fact is that I've got a lot to tell you this week and I'm... Continue Reading

Google's done it again. When Google declared that publishers could no longer put ad units near images, it set the forums-a-buzzing. How far do the units have to be from the images? Does it matter if the images aren't related to the subject of the ads? Has anyone actually been banned for putting ad units near images? Google didn't exactly clear up all those questions, but it did make its reasoning clear. Images shouldn't look... Continue Reading

You've heard it all before... $20,000 in one day! $100,000 in a week! A Gazillion dollars in a month! The Internet marketing community is being inundated with messages telling people how they can make outrageous sums of money in a very short period of time. Sometimes these claims are valid. Other times they seem like "pie in the sky". Continue Reading

When Google takes action, they really take action. The forums have been buzzing recently with news that Google is in the middle of a content "quality initiative." There's nothing about it in the AdSense blog, but Jennifer Slegg of Jenstar.com has reported that a number of publishers have received emails telling them that they have "an unsuitable business model" and that their account will be closed within two weeks. They will be allowed to keep... Continue Reading

"Take this job and shove it... I ain't workin' here no more" And so went the lyrics of the popular country-western song belted out by Johnny Paycheck. It is a common practice to place a phone call to a local radio station and ask them to play this song when you "fire your boss" Let's face it. It's a fun tune. And more people than ever before are telling their bosses to "take this job... Continue Reading

You asked. I answered. You have made it clear that you want direct answers on a number of topics related to Internet marketing, AdSense, list building, advertising, joint ventures, affiliate programs and any number of other topics under the sun. I believe that video is the wave of the future, and I intend to use it to its maximum potential. That's why I am pleased to announce the launch of AskJoelComm.com, a video-based blog designed... Continue Reading

Thank you to those who submitted questions on my blog yesterday. I really appreciate your input and will be sharing some exciting news with you soon. By now, you probably know that I like to provide as much free information as possible. There is a lot of worthless junk passed off as valuable in the Internet marketing niche, and I like to make sure you get good stuff for absolutely nothing when possible. In celebration... Continue Reading

Thanks for reading my blog today. I've got a problem and I really need your help. The problem is that I receive SO many questions about making money online there is simply not enough time in the day to answer them. So I realize that I need to focus the direction of my site to make sure I am serving as many people as possible in the time that I have. I sincerely want to... Continue Reading

OK... We all know most people are concerned about hackers and the safety of shopping online. And we all know that trust seals can help. But is there a best seal program to address this problem? Are there any real, proven benefits of one over the other? HACKER SAFE is proven to be the most effective trust seal... Ever! Think about it for one minute... * Used by over 75,000 websites * Seen on over... Continue Reading

Writer's block. Like the cement barricade at the end of an unfinished highway, the writer's block stands before me... mocking me... challenging me... It happens to everyone, but I sure didn't expect it to hit today. Because content creation is such a critical part of making money with your blog, writer's block can be the site owner's worst nightmare. What do I write about today?!?! Here's how I handle writer's block. Continue Reading

Here's a hot tip... Actually, TWO hot tips! First... If you want your website to have lots and lots of traffic, you need... links. Okay, that didn't sound so hot, did it? But it is hot, because so many people ignore it. I'm not talking about incoming links. Everyone remembers that they have to work their fingers to the bone to get those. I'm talking about outgoing links. Continue Reading

I'm sitting at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, awaiting my return flight to Colorado. After living on the front range for nearly three months, I already find myself missing the beautiful mountains and am eager to get home. I wanted to send this newsletter today because I have just spent the last few days at Big Seminar #9, where I had the privilege of speaking to four hundred attendees and teaching how anyone can make... Continue Reading

What is The Secret? No, no... not THAT Secret. That's an email for another day. MY secret is actually going to be revealed live at Armand Morin's Big Seminar on Friday morning. And the buzz is building. Everyone is asking me "What IS it, Joel?" My reply? You'll have to wait until Friday to see... just like everyone else. Continue Reading

Now that I am settled in to my new office in Colorado, I thought it would be fun to show you our new space and to introduce you to my staff. Yes, it is Joel unscripted and unplugged. Watch for a special appearance by the cows, and see if you can count how many times I give the "thumbs-up" sign. It's not exactly Masterpiece Theatre, so keep your expectations low. ;-) Continue Reading

I'm impressed. I don't say that much these days. While on the hunt for the absolute best resources and services that actually help people make money online, I find myself wading through a lot of nonsense. A LOT of nonsense. When a friend told me about a new product called "My Affiliate Store", I had to laugh. Continue Reading

FreeIQ is already gathering momentum. Just a few days after I mentioned it on this blog, I have recevied numerous emails from others who are excited about the concept. If you haven't signed up yet, you should go do so right away. FreeIQ Thousands of people have already signed up, and there is a new FreeIQ community site where people can discuss FreeIQ, as well as ask questions of Brad Fallon. It's called FreeIQ Talk Continue Reading

Internet publishing is a strange thing. On the one hand, you can do everything yourself. It doesn't take two people to write a blog post. It doesn't take a team to design an attractive website. And it doesn't take an entire office to optimize your ad units. But on the other hand, it does take thousands of other publishers to place links to your site on their Web pages to push you up the search... Continue Reading

A few days back, I told you I was working on some very significant projects. I am now prepared to reveal the first of them. What I am about to show you will be valuable to you on several levels... 1) When you see what it is, you will immediately want to use it on your web site. 2) Others will want it as well, and I will pay you 100% commission to share it... Continue Reading

You've probably already noticed it. The look of your AdSense units has changed. No, you didn't push the wrong button and accidentally wipe out all your formatting. And no one hacked into your code and played with your Web page. Google has redesigned its ad units. The changes aren't radical but they do offer a couple of small advantages. First, the "Ads by Google" tag is now at the bottom of the unit instead of... Continue Reading

They say variety is the spice of life. I have to agree. I love variety. It keeps things exciting. It's why you see me doing multiple projects and always coming out with something new. I just can't sit still. (My wife says it is ADD, but I think she is.. Oh! Look at the butterfly!) ;-) Well, you know how I teach people to find a niche and become the expert in that niche by... Continue Reading

Work in any industry long enough, and you'll find that there's a knack to it. Get that right and it doesn't matter what else you do, you'll always make money. For retailers, the rule is to treat the customer as king. For racing drivers, speed is king. For Internet publishers, content is king. And for Squidoo publishers? Well, that's a little different. I've been having a lot of fun with my Squidoo lens recently. I've... Continue Reading

I was on the phone with Armand Morin last night, and I've been thinking about something he said ever since. We talked about the great ebooks that are out there... We talked about some of the cool software tools that are now available... And of course, we talked about AdSense. But here's what he said that stuck with me. Continue Reading

The Million Dollar Template. Is there such a thing? You know I am a big fan of templates. Each month, hundreds of subscribers receive AdSense templates from me so they can shortcut the creation of their web sites and get down to the business of building original content. Apart from the ones I have created, I have not seen any templates that are really worthy of emulating... Until now! Continue Reading

Last week, I wrote how my World of Warcraft account was compromised over a wireless network while at a hotel in Washington, D.C. My entire account was emptied of my hard-earned gold and loot. I was left without anything. I wrote to the support team at Blizzard with complete details of my account and what had happened. They wrote me back telling me that my case would be escalated to the investigation team, and that... Continue Reading

I recently received an email from a reader. May I share it with you? "Joel, I appreciate your newsletters and great tips. Out of all the so-called gurus, I feel like you deliver more real value in your email than anyone else. But I am feeling very confused about all the different ways you discuss to make money. You tell us about a new software tool that is the supposed answer to our problems, but... Continue Reading

Last July, I wrote about how Amazon.com was breaking into contextual advertising with its Omakase program. Now they're at it again with another context-based advertising system. This time though, they've taken a leaf right out of Kontera's books. Instead of placing ads in ad units, they're linking to keywords in the text and serving floating ad balloons. You can see samples here and here. Continue Reading

Where in the world are you? I thought it would be cool for people to check in and share their location on this planet we share. Maybe even tell us what you like the most about where you live. I recently arrived home from Washington, D.C. where I attended an internet marketing seminar. While I as there, I got to spend some time with Tom Kulzer of Aweber.com. For those that don't know, Aweber is... Continue Reading

Everything has changed. I remember when I first discovered computers. I was in high school when Radio Shack came out with their TRS-80 Model I personal computer. I remember going to the store and staring at it... ogling it... feeling the power of its keyboard... Hey, I guess I just wasn't into girls yet. That time came along eventually as well. ;-) Oh, those were the days. Continue Reading

I am currently in the Nation's Capitol for an Internet marketing conference and I am the victim of a crime, even a felony. It happened while I slept. I was robbed and left for naked... and didn't even know it until late in the afternoon. Amazingly, there isn't a bruise on my body. Nor have I lost any material possessions. So what happened? Read on... Continue Reading

I treat my online businesses pretty seriously. I have to. They feed and house my family and that's a pretty serious business. But sometimes I wonder if I'm not missing something. Just surf at random around the blogs at Blogger.com and you'll come across a bunch of sites that have been put up for no other reason than to make the people who write them smile. They might make the half-dozen or so regular readers... Continue Reading

It seems like everywhere you turn, people are talking about Web 2.0. What's the deal with Web 2.0 and why should we care? In the past weeks, I have shared with you how I built my lists, increased my visibility and made more sales by using Squidoo. Many of you have written me thanking me for the free report on the topic as you are seeing results from using this new web technology. But did... Continue Reading

Ever since Google changed its Terms of Service to allow publishers to place other ad programs on AdSense pages -- provided those other ads don't look like Google's ad units -- publishers have been wondering how to make the most of this bonanza. It's like telling a child he can put as many different types of cake on his plate as he wants. On my blog for example, I'm using Kontera's text links to supplement... Continue Reading

I love to write my own newsletter. It gives me an opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings with you in a very personal way. However, my friend Eric Holmlund has written such a brilliant piece that I have asked him if I can reproduce it in its entirity. Being a great guy, Eric said no problem. With no further ado, here is Eric's post... ---------------------- I want to tell you about a young woman... Continue Reading

Vince Lombardi once said, "A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." Take inventory of yourself... Are you where you want to be? If not, why not? Continue Reading

I love it when people add comments to my posts. Sure, I write a blog to share my information and tips... and to tell the world what I think sometimes too. But it helps to know that someone out there is actually reading what I'm saying. It helps even more to see what they think about what I'm saying! But comments at the end of articles aren't just a nice boost for the writer of... Continue Reading

Andy Warhol once said that every person gets their fifteen minutes of fame. I don't know if that is true, but I do know that every person has a story to tell. I am in the process of writing a new book centered around Internet marketing and individual success stories... ... and I am looking for real life stories to include in the book! So what's your story? Continue Reading

When I talked recently about Darren Rowse's poll into the reasons that people unsubscribe from RSS feeds, I mentioned the biggest issue: the number of posts that publishers send to subscribers. That issue took up the first two reasons that people unsubscribe. But in third place was a much tougher question, and it's one I often wonder about: whether to include the whole article or just part of the article in an email or RSS... Continue Reading

Buzz! No, you didn't get the answer wrong. In fact, that would be impossible since I haven't even asked a question yet. I'm talking about a different kind of buzz. I'm talking about the kind of buzz that has generated over 1500 comments on one blog in just one week. I'm talking about the kind of buzz that indicates something BIG is about to happen. Here's the buzz... and the big news... Continue Reading

Last time I visited Arizona, I had the pleasure of visiting the Grand Canyon. Undoubtedly, one of the most moving experiences of my life, there is absolutely nothing on the face of the earth that compares to standing on the edge of the canyon face and looking down one mile into it's deep, deep enormity. It was an experience that actually moved me to tears. (Hey, when you spend the majority of your life on... Continue Reading

Important. Urgent. Critical. Essential. Crucial. There are so many words I can use to describe how imperative it is that you read today's email, and listen to what I have to say... REALLY listen, because this comes from the heart. Continue Reading

Darren Rowse has an interesting post over on ProBlogger.net. He explains the most common reasons that users unsubscribe from blog RSS feeds. Can you guess which reason came out on top? Nope, it wasn't poor content. (That came in at numbers 6 and 7.) It wasn't the advertising. (Only three people said that.) And it wasn't too much selling. (That was number 14 on the list.) It was too many posts. Continue Reading

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably noticed that I tend to say exactly what's on my mind. Sometimes, that will have nothing to do with AdSense or Internet marketing. It might be something to do with my life. It could be something that happened to me. Or it might just be one of my occasional rants brought on by... well, anything really. I'm not what you would call "politically correct... Continue Reading

Do you remember the television commercial for a hair shampoo where the key concept was viral marketing? The phrase in the commercial went... "They'll tell two friends... and they'll tell two friends... and so on, and so on..." Yes, it was a very clear example of viral marketing. And whether we are talking about shampoo, automobiles, candy bars or web sites, viral marketing still works! If you were able to take your next visitor and... Continue Reading

There are over 29 Billion web pages in the world. There are over 108 Million web sites in the world. There are over 85,000 Squidoo sites in the world. And mine is now #3... ...in the world! Continue Reading

Saturday morning ramblings. I know, it might be Saturday afternoon or Sunday... or even Monday, when you receive this. Nevertheless, it's Saturday morning as a write. So there. :-P Here come the ramblings, kind of a stew from me to you :-) Continue Reading

Five days ago, I wrote about my experience with American Furniture Warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was not a glowing moment for their customer service team. This morning, my home phone rang and my wife informed me that American Furniture Warehouse wanted to speak with Joel Comm. I had been anticipating a call from them. Surely they monitor the web for mention of their name, and just 48 hours after blogging about my experience... Continue Reading

Momentum. From Dictionary.com... "A force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events: The car gained momentum going downhill. Her career lost momentum after two unsuccessful films." Let me throw in one more example... Continue Reading

I've got a room with a view! My family and my office staff are finally settling in to our new home in Colorado, and it is stunningly beautiful. Every morning I awake to a new view of the mountains and every evening the sun sets behind them. This isn't heaven, but it will do for now. :-) I've put a webcam in my office, so you can see just a small portion of what I... Continue Reading

Ever since Google changed its Terms Of Service to allow other contextualized ad systems on the same pages as AdSense, I've been busy taking another look at its competitors. And what I've found was that Kontera has been pretty busy. Kontera has created an ad system that turns keywords on a Web page into double-underlined links. When users mouse over those links, they get a floating tool box containing an ad. It's unobtrusive and looks... Continue Reading

I'm going to do something I've never done before. No, I'm not talking about sky-diving or bungee-jumping. I'll leave those for my friend, Yanik Silver. I'm talking about giving you an opportunity to resell one of my best-selling AdSense ebooks... ... and keep 100% of the profit! Here's the deal... Continue Reading

NOTE! - This issue has been resolved by American Furniture Warehouse customer service as of February 22nd. Please see this blog entry for the rest of the story. We now return to you the initial entry as originally posted... American Furniture Warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado is officially on my "naughty" list. I write this entry today as an open letter to Jake Jabs, owner of this furniture chain. Since we moved to Colorado this... Continue Reading

Let's face it. Google's AdSense program is absolutely ingenious. It's not perfect, but it is ingenious. Occasionally, an ad will display that is not relevant to the content on the page. But more often than not, the AdSense bot knows what ads to show. This was never truer than the ad I saw displayed on my blog entry from yesterday. Continue Reading

Clutter. Our lives are full of it. And to be honest, I've never experienced more clutter in my life than right now. As I type this, movers are hauling my "stuff" into my new home in Colorado... ... and I can't believe how much stuff there is. I feel like I am being overtaken by boxes and furniture. And just when you think they've brought it all in, there is more. Clutter. Continue Reading

I love the way Google works. The company has created a fantastic system for turning space on Web pages into fat checks. Even though it's got a bunch of competitors all with their own methods of delivering contextualized ads, Google is still top of the pile. But not everything Google does is as big a success as AdSense. Its referral programs, for example, never brought me a great deal of revenue. I haven't heard of... Continue Reading

I hope it got your attention, because what I am about to share with you can be HUGE. And I have THREE things I need to share with you. So be sure you read all the way to end or you might miss out on the best stuff! Ok, here's the deal (pardon my excitement, but this really is big!) As you know, AdSense is not the only contextual advertising service on the web. Google... Continue Reading

There's a look that I've seen way too many times. It doesn't happen often, but even once is enough. I'll be standing in front of an audience at a conference or teaching a class, and I'll see my audience's eyes glaze over. Instead of looking at me, they start looking at the conference program or at their watch or at anything but me. It's a look that says I've lost them. Whenever that happens, I... Continue Reading

When you sign up to an ad program, one of the first decisions you'll have to make is where to put your units. Should you cram them into the sidebar? Place them above the fold? Embed them into the text? Or relegate them to the end of the page? Although there are some general guidelines you can follow, the best way to decide which are the best spots on your Web pages for your ad... Continue Reading

I'm sure you've heard the 'buzz' about social networking and Web 2.0. Millions of people have signed up for their own MySpace site, including me! Have you actually discovered how to make *REAL MONEY* with it and generate TONS of free traffic with MySpace and other social networking sites? Recently I managed to get hold of a "private" two-hour telephone conversation featuring two 'under the radar' experts discussing how they are driving BIG traffic and... Continue Reading

I hate it when it happens. I'm sure you do too. You've set up your site, you've optimized your ads, you've watched your income rise and at last you're getting your rewards. Each month you receive a nice fat check from the generous people at Google. And then all of a sudden, the numbers start to shrink. You haven't changed a thing. Your ad units are still in the same places. You're still discussing the... Continue Reading

There’s More To Marketing Than SEO... It’s the first thing most online publishers do. Right after they’ve built their site, picked the images and added the content. They start optimizing for the search engines and working a million hours a day to get the top spot at Google. Search engine optimization is always going to be an important part of marketing your website. After all, the only thing better than targeted traffic is free targeted... Continue Reading

It was a moment in time... ... and it went by in a flash. Did you miss it? Don't feel bad. Thousands of people did. Three months ago, I leveled the playing field as much as it could possibly have been leveled. On October 10th, the Instant AdSense Templates VRE Building System hit the web with a fury, and became one of the most-talked-about and valuable products of the year! On October 15th, the product... Continue Reading

Happy New Year! I'm very excited about what this year is going to bring, and from the comments on my blog, many of you are as well! I'll be announcing the winner of my contest tomorrow... Many have indicated that they are going to get serious about building their business online in 2007. Yet, a fair number are without direction. Let's face it. Without a compass, it can get awfully tricky to find your way... Continue Reading

I'm always going on about the importance of great content. It really is the most important thing you'll put on your website. Sure, the way you format your AdSense units is important. The affiliate products you choose to promote will affect your earnings. The design and layout of your page will determine whether it looks professional and invites users to stick around and come back for more... or send them screaming back where they came... Continue Reading

Well, Christmas is over and 2007 is just around the corner. I hope this has been a great year for you. But regardless, we must now look forward to the coming year and all that it has in store for us. I'm not a huge fan of resolutions for the new year. I find I'm not that great at keeping them. But I see nothing wrong with taking stock of where I am in my... Continue Reading

Yesterday, we went to church for Christmas Eve service. And the pastor put a twist on the message that I hadn't really considered before. He asked "How many of you believe that Jesus is the reason for the season?" Hands went up throughout the sanctuary. And then the room when silent when he said, "Jesus is NOT the reason for the season!" Continue Reading

Don’t you just hate it when someone comes along and spoils all the fun? For a long time now I’ve been recommending that publishers put little images next to their AdSense units to draw users’ eyes. So if you were showing ads for televisions and cameras, then you could put pictures of televisions and cameras right next to the ad unit. Your unit would have all the eye-catching attention of a graphic ad without the... Continue Reading

How would you like to get 10 hours of EXPERT Internet marketing coaching for just $25? And what if you knew that your small investment would not only help put money in your pocket, but would also benefit a very worthwhile cause? Read on, my friend... For many, Christmas morning will be met with the joy of exchanging gifts and seeing the smiles on the faces of children. But there are many children who won't... Continue Reading

Deck the Halls with boughs of holly... Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul... You'd better not pout, you'd better not cry... You get the idea! Christmas is coming! And you can spice up your AdSense blocks with a little holiday cheer using their "themed ads". Want to know how? Continue Reading

I'll be the first to admit that I have made some mistakes in my life. Hey, I'm human and I don't expect to always get it right. It was a mistake for me to tell people about Mike Filsaime's report, "The Death of Internet Marketing" before it was actually time to do so. Ooops. My bad. Sorry, Mike. It was a mistake to accidently use another marketer's trademarked name in reference to a different marketer's... Continue Reading

If you haven't heard of MySpace by now, chances are you have been living in the outermost reaches of Siberia. And if you don't have a MySpace page of your own, you probably will soon. Yes, even I have a MySpace page. Anyhow, if you are wanting to know how to master the ins and outs of MySpace, here's a handy online guide to help you along. MySpace Revealed Continue Reading

I am blogging from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where I am my family are awaiting an 8:55 pm departure to Oklahoma City. We've been here since 1 pm and our first flight was cancelled. With bad weather in Chicago and OKC, I'm not sure we're going to make it home tonight at all. Such is life, right? So I thought I'd make the best use of my time and write for a bit. In particular... Continue Reading

The information age really does move at the speed of light. Technology is advancing faster than we ever conceived possible. I've been online for 26 years now. In 1980, I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. This machine had 4K of RAM (not 4MB... 4K) and a cassette player that was used as a storage device. There wasn't even a floppy disc drive! I owned a 300 baud modem that I used to dial into... Continue Reading

Alright, we are now headlong into the holiday season, and I wonder... Would it be ok with you if I follow a rabbit trail today? I just want to get something off my chest. It may just end up being instructive, but right now I just need to... um... well... er... rant? Yes, that's it. I need to rant. So, if you aren't interested in my little hissy fit, go ahead and delete this email... Continue Reading

I’m always going on about the importance of great content. I don’t apologize for that. You can have ad units that are perfectly optimized, blended completely into your site and packed with high-paying ads. But if your content’s garbage, no one’s going to click on them because no one’s going to come to your site. I meet so many people who dream of getting rich with AdSense but never give a thought for building a... Continue Reading

I regularly receive questions from my readers and subscribers. In fact, I get WAY too many questions to even begin to address them all. Today, I have a question for YOU! In fact, I am soliciting your input. First, a little history... Continue Reading

Let's play a game. I am going to list several quotes from people, and you have to guess what they are talking about. These are all REAL quotes... Ready? Person #1 says... "Even though I am at loss for words I want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for an experience that I will NEVER forget" Person #2 says... "I've met with more JV extraordinaires, created more wonderful relationships, and have... Continue Reading

Can I simplify the steps to succeeding online? 1) Find a niche 2) Create a web site featuring a product or service in your niche 3) Sell to your market 4) Repeat Step 3 Ok, I know. That is WAY simplified! What's missing? Continue Reading

I've got three little words to say. No, not those three words. They aren't about love, but I do love them. Here are the three little words... Ready? Continue Reading

One of the most frequent comments I got during the launch of Instant AdSense Templates was how good the copy on the page was. Tons of people told me that the offer was just irresistable and that the copy sizzled! Some of the best Internet marketers have learned what they know about writing copy from Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer. Continue Reading

It was real exciting the first time my book hit the Amazon.com Best Seller charts. But it is even MORE exciting to see the book on the charts a second time! As of this writing, The AdSense Code is #56 of ALL books sold on Amazon.com. And even cooler, it is #1 in Computers & Internet category! I'd like to thank each one of you that has purchased this book. I hope it has helped... Continue Reading

Hardly a week goes by that you don't hear about the newest/latest/greatest/world's-best-thing-since-sliced-bread ebook, software or member site. I confess, I do like to share quality products and services with my readers, but there are many that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Why not? Because they aren't in your best interests. Yes, there is money to be made in selling "stuff". And while I have no problem with earning commissions, my reputation is... Continue Reading

I've had a BUNCH of people ask me if Brad Fallon and Andy Jenkins' product, StomperNet, is a bunch of hype... or if these guys and their product is the 'real deal'. I've known Brad Fallon for six years. He and I have shared many meals and spoken at length about what he does... and what he knows. I can say without a DOUBT, that Brad is THE leading expert on search engine optimization on... Continue Reading

When I was at JV Alert Live in Philadelphia, my friend Mike Stewart put together this video promotion for my book, The AdSense Code. It's quick and entertaining. Check it out! Continue Reading

2007 is really just around the corner. Can you believe it? And as sure as Christmas displays are starting to pop up in select stores, it is time to start shopping for your 2007 calendar. I've used this site to find my calendar for the past couple years, so I thought I'd recommend them to you as well. Continue Reading

On September 27th, I am going to award FIVE people with a free one-year membership to the Premier AdSense Coaching Club, my members-only site designed to help people increase the profitability of their web sites. How can you enter to win one of these five memberships? Easy! I present you with... The AdSense Code Sightings Contest! Here's the deal... Continue Reading

Once upon a time I promoted an offer from Ray McNally. I've only met Ray virtually and it was my understanding that he would do as promised. Due to the number of complaints received for his "pay once hosting" offer, and the apparant inability for people to contact Ray for support, I have redacted my support for the offer. I am leaving this entry online because of the comments only. Continue Reading

Here are some quick answers to questions that have been recently submitted at AskJoelComm.com. I read in your book "The Adsense Code" about taking ebooks and making them as free content website(s) and adding Adsense to the pages. I have several books I have authored over the years. Should each book (topic) be its own website or is a one "master" website with pages or directory by topic okay? This is a great way to... Continue Reading

It's been an incredibly exciting month for me. Not only did The AdSense Code hit the New York Times Best-Seller list last month, but it is hanging strong at #9 on the Paperback Business list for this month as well! Then, I discovered last week that I also hit #7 on the Business Week Best-Seller List! I'm absolutely floored at how well the book is doing and am glad to see people reading it. It... Continue Reading

Bionicles. A Lego creation that has an incredibly rabid fan base and has spawned numerous made-for-DVD videos and a comic book series. Why am I writing about Lego Bionicles? Because my son has been collecting them for years. And because he just dropped over $100 on the newest sets to hit the market and is incredibly upset. So much so that he is returning them to the store, disheartened and disappointed. I suggested that he... Continue Reading

Wouldn't it be great if we could optimize our websites for AdSense then just kick back and enjoy the income? We wouldn't have to worry about trying new ad formats or checking new strategies or wondering what else we could be doing to increase our revenues. We certainly wouldn't have to watch out for the sort of change that could radically affect the way our pages are arranged. One such change could be just around... Continue Reading

The kids have gone to bed and it is getting late. I decided to check in to the database of questions that have been asked recently at AskJoelComm.com and attempt to answer a few of them here briefly. As you might imagine, I receive more questions than I have time to answer. So if don't get to your question, please don't think I am ignoring you. There just isn't enough of me to go around... Continue Reading

Omakase is a Japanese word meaning 'leave it up to us'. It is commonly used in Japanese restaurants for a meal where the chef uses their experience and knowledge to select and prepare the meal for a customer without specific directions. And with the beta launch of Amazon.com's new contextual ad service, Omakase takes on a new meaning. DId you just say, Amazon.com and contextual ad service in the same breath? Yes... yes, I did. Continue Reading

When my book, The AdSense Code, was published in May, I was thrilled to see it go to #3 on Amazon.com. But it just got more exciting... I found out that the book is now a New York Times Paperback Business Best Seller, reaching #6 on the charts! Click here to see a PDF of the chart Continue Reading

My good friend Lee Dodd, who I feel is the king of online forums has recently rocked the forum world with the creation of Earners Forum. Watching the growth over the past 2 weeks has been an amazing experience, seeing the forum go from nothing to more than 1,000 members and 15,000 posts. Continue Reading

Last night, my family and I went to see Glenn Beck at the Mabee Center in Tulsa. For those not familiar with Beck, he claims to have the third most popular radio show in the country. I guess that would be behind Limbaugh and Hannity. I started listening to Glenn a few years ago when his program began airing on our local radio station. He says that you need to listen to the show for... Continue Reading

I picked up a copy of Crash on DVD this week because I had heard that it was a fantastic movie. Mary and I watched it last night. I really wanted to like it, but I feel like it fell short. When I learned that it was awarded "Best Picture" by the Academy, I was amazed once again at how out of touch Hollywood is. Continue Reading

Did you know that MySpace.com is one of the most popular sites on the internet with teenagers? And are you aware of the type of content that MySpace users are regularly accessing? If you are a parent, you might be SHOCKED to find out what your kids could be viewing! If you have teenagers that could be using MySpace, I want you to RUN, not walk, and download a copy of... "My Space 4 Parents... Continue Reading

I've been writing about Anik Singal's upcoming affiliate training course, The Affiliate Manger 1st Edition, for a week or so now. I created a special 15 minute video review of this course that has been viewed hundreds of times at Affiliate Classroom. This much-anticipated comprehensive course will go on sale at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 27th. And I've got a special BONUS DVD for those who order a copy of Anik's course through a... Continue Reading

I am pleased to announce that my AdSense ebook is now available in a fourth language. Joining the english, spanish and japanese versions is the brand new french version! The name of the book is "Ce que Google ne vous a jamais dit sur la facon de gagner de l'argent avec AdSense", or "What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense". It is the complete third edition, fully translated for our french-speaking friends... Continue Reading

Did you know that I have been doing business online since 1995? Many people assume that I came out of nowhere with my AdSense training materials, but the fact is that I've been online creating profitable websites for eleven years now! (Wow, has it been THAT long?) One of the ways I generate revenue is with affiliate programs, that is, where I make a commission on products that I sell for OTHER merchants... Continue Reading

I'd love to visit Japan one day, and now I might have the perfect excuse! Just a few days ago, the 3rd edition of "What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense" was released in the Japanese language. If you understand Japanese, you can check it out at AdSense-Secrets.jp Continue Reading

Everyone has their pet peeves, present company included. Being Saturday, I had to go to the store for a couple different things. I needed to pick up a framed poster at Hobby Lobby and I took my son to Best Buy so he could spend a gift card. At Hobby Lobby, I approached the checkout lanes and found there was only one girl handling all the customers. I took my spot in line behind the... Continue Reading

Who would have thought that my post about Arbonne would have generated so much discussion? Admittedly, it does get heated from time to time. But I have allowed the post to be a forum for free speech as long as people keep it clean and don't abuse each other. If you try to read it, expect to spend at least an hour... it just keeps going and going... A few months ago, I put up... Continue Reading

About six years ago, I met a guy named Todd Vinson. Todd is one of the most incredible people I have met in my life because he has dedicated his life to serving others. In particular, he has a heart for helping teenage boys who are displaced or whose families are in crisis by providing a long-term home solution where they will be properly cared for. This happens at Willow Springs Boys Ranch in Chandler... Continue Reading

If you've been following my life at all, you know I've been working with my mother to help her build her website, TravelsWithSheila.com. Acting on my advice, my mom has issued a press release today. Continue Reading

I've known Russell Brunson for a year of so. He is an incredibly smart young man who has become very successful online in a very short amount of time. Wildly successful. How has he done it? He has learned how to master the power of affiliate marketing. And now, Russell is offering a FREE CD called Affiliate Inferno. Continue Reading

The other nght, several Internet marketers departed from the conference room at the Hawthorn Suites in Orlando to enjoy each other's company away from the seminar setting. Destination? Universal Studios CityWalk... Continue Reading

I received this question via AskJoelComm.com Joel, I can't find my passion. I have been a workaholic my whole life in areas that I do not enjoy. I don't even know what I enjoy doing. To make matters worse, my experience is not something that can become a product unless I compete with the top corporations. I have gathered and researched a lot of information on how to market, sales pages, setting up websites, etc... Continue Reading

So, I am at this conference in Orlando and Paulie Sabol says, "Joel, you have the most recognizable face on the Internet". He is referring to the fact that my face appears as an avatar on Yahoo! Games. Recognize this guy? I'm pretty amused at the thought. I know that Brad Fallon is the coolest guy in the world (go ahead, Google the term "coolest guy in the world", but I hadn't heard of anyone... Continue Reading

I am currently in Orlando, Florida, attending Michael Penland's Internet Marketing Super Conference. I've been spending time with some great people, including Mike Filsaime, Gary Ambrose, Brian Edmondson, Keith Wellman and Tom Beal. Being here reminds me of how incredibly important it is to attend conferences if you want to be successful. Continue Reading

Internet entrepreneur Joel Comm and his new book: "The AdSense Code: What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense." reveal how anyone can generate passive income on the Internet. Since only those books that appeared on Oprah ranked higher, Comm figures Oprah and her audience would find his Internet income strategies the real story. Read on for today's news release... Continue Reading

What an incredible day it was! My book, The AdSense Code, officially launched yesterday. You can read the official news release at PRWeb.com. But the most exciting thing of all was that the book reached #3 on Amazon.com's Best-Seller list! Out of the million-plus book titles offered by Amazon.com, The AdSense Code was the third most popular! Continue Reading

I feel a rant coming on. Yes, it is time for "Joel's pet peeve". So what's my beef today? It's fast food restaurants that treat you like a second class citizen if you request water instead of a soft drink by giving you a special cup for your water. And this cup is different than the regular soft drink cup. It's always smaller than the smallest soft drink size. Continue Reading

I used to blog about current events all the time. But lately, I've been writing far more about Internet marketing and my travels. Why? It isn't for shortage of material. On the contrary, popular culture and politicians provide a plethora of opportunities for sharing a more rational point-of-view My reasons for avoiding current events are far simpler these days. Continue Reading

A few weeks ago, Andrew Fox phoned me and asked if I would speak to him for a bit about my AdSense strategies. I've known Andrew for a bit, having met him at Big Seminar in Los Angeles last year. (Remember, I always say how important it is to network at these seminars?) Anyhow, Andrew is a great guy... and he's pretty darned smart, too! Beating me to the punch, Andrew has put together a... Continue Reading

One of the biggest attractions of becoming an online publisher is that you get to become your own boss. You can work from home, at the hours you want... and completely alone. Well, the first two at least are right. Optimizing your ad units is certainly lonely work. It’s a task you have to do yourself and it involves no one but you, your computer and your stats tables. But playing with your ad units... Continue Reading

When I look at the Internet marketing landscape, I often see a vast wasteland of "me too" products and services. It seems many people are simply trying to capitalize on someone else's success. However, every now and then I see an ORIGINAL product come along... and I am excited to share it with you! Today I want to tell you about ZipSense, the world's first ZBook! Continue Reading

Here's a copy of the news release that went out on PRWeb today. Edmond, OK (PRWEB) May 9, 2006 -- With Internet publishers looking for ways to monetize their sites, Google has become one of the most revered sites due to their contextual advertising program, Google AdSense. This text-based ad service is generating four, five, and six-figure incomes for many website owners. With this increased interest in this revolutionary revenue-generating program, site owners are looking... Continue Reading

Got a question? I've got an answer. I'm not promising the RIGHT answer. But I do have an answer. If you ask me who won the World Series in 1978, I'd have to do a little research. But if you ask me a question about the best affiliate programs online, I could tell you off the top of my head. That's why I have launched AskJoelComm.com Continue Reading

Internet Marketers Invade MySpace... Or so the headline goes on Lynn Terry's blog entry. Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned how MySpace can be used to create a network of contacts? Remember how I indicated that the site can be used to link to your other sites and perhaps bring more visitors to your primary business? Continue Reading

As you might imagine, I get LOTS of email. Questions, questions, questions... and most of them are good! What do people want most? They want to see exactly how to implement AdSense properly on their sites. Did you get that? They want to SEE... Continue Reading

Google AdSense is currently the reigning King of contextual advertising services. But the King always faces challengers to the throne. Kontera, Chitika and Intellitext have managed to absorb a small piece of Google's market, but they've barely made a dent thus far. So who can take on the 100 pound gorilla? Only another gorilla. Enter Yahoo! Continue Reading

My family and I just returned from a wonderful week in Kauai, Hawaii. I'll say this. Six nights is not long enough to be in paradise. And a paradise it was... Continue Reading

I like the food at The Cracker Barrel. It's usually pretty good, whether we go there for breakfast or dinner. They have done a great job of positioning themselves as the "Old Country Store", a combination restaurant/retail shop, where every store is positioned on a major U.S. interstate. And every store looks virtually the same. Continue Reading

It's been just over a year since I first discussed my experiences with Arbonne, the multi-level marketing skin-care company. Since that time, over 600 comments have been posted to that single entry! Diehard Arbonne supporters and vehement detractors have enjoyed spirited discussion and debate via my blog. Isn't the Internet great? My take on the company remains the same. They have good product, albeit overpriced... and an unfair Internet marketing model that favors those who... Continue Reading

With over 65,000,000 members, Rupert Murdoch's My Space is a juggernaut in the online world. Sure, it is largely a wasteland of 18 to 22 year olds trying to "hook up" with each other. But I can see where the networking tools of the site can be used for those who aren't just looking for a "date". Continue Reading

Last week, I wrote about my encounter with Vern Troyer, the actor who portrayed "Mini Me" in the Austin Powers movies. It didn't go all that well. Regardless, I just received the photo that was taken with Vern and I want to share it with you... because I know how much you care. :-) Continue Reading

I am currently in a top-secret location with an unnamed group of people. What do we have in common? We are all online entreprenuers. Why gather? Because when people get together and begin discussing their lives, powerful stuff takes place. Continue Reading

It was a pretty exciting day yesterday. The UPS man dropped four boxes at my front door. I instantly knew what they were. Carrying the boxes insides, I quickly found scissors and gently cut the tape that sealed the cardboard boxes. It was just as I had expected. Books. Dozens of copeis of the same book. My book. It had finally arrived... Continue Reading

I occassionally receive email that looks like this... "Dear Joel, I have purchased your ebook and applied your strategies to my web pages. It's been a week and I am not making any money. It just doesn't work" Welcome to our microwave society. We want our popcorn done in sixty seconds. And if we can get someone else to put it in the microwave and prepare it for us, all the better. So what is... Continue Reading

I offended Vern Troyer, the actor who played the role of "Mini Me" in the Austin Powers movies. Why would I do such a thing? I didn't mean, to, but it happened anyhow... If you've been following my blog, you would know that I've been in D.C. attending Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar. Yanik was very clever in putting the seminar together. He gave the entire thing an "Austin Powers" secret agent feel, which each attendee... Continue Reading

I can't tell you how many times people have walked up to me at Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar and said, "You're Joel Comm!" Usually, I get a dumbfounded look on my face, look down at my badge to confirm their suspicions, smile, and look back up them... saying, "why, yes I am!" It's an incredilby humbling experience, actually, because I'm the same guy that I was before anyone thought of me as the AdSense guru... Continue Reading

I'm coming to you live from Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar in Washington, D.C. I'm sitting in my hotel room with Tim Carter and Christopher Knight. We've just enjoyed a long meal at a fancy-schmancy restaurant a few blocks from the JW Marriott. And, of course, we've all got our laptops jacked in as we catch up with our email and discuss ways to capture more doubloons! But I have another reason for blogging tonight... Today... Continue Reading

When I was sixteen years old and purchased my first computer (A Tandy TRS-80), my mother asked me "What are you going to do with a computer?" Many years later, she now knows exactly what I will do with a computer... My mother has been slow to adapt to new technology, but I have nudged her along gently and she now can't imagine not using the Internet to research her adventure travel escapades. Continue Reading

I am extremely impressed with the folks at TextPayMe.com. Not only is their "send funds by cell phone" service ultra-cool, but they have made good on their free Xbox 360 offer in record time! Continue Reading

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun playing guitar. No, I'm not talking about my Yamaha Strat knock-off or my Ibanez steel string. I'm talking about a plastic guitar with no strings and five frets. Huh? Continue Reading

John Reese has done it again. This time he has surprised the Internet marketing community by releasing a FREE copy of The Reese Report, John's ezine absolutely packed with incredible tips and strategies that he uses to build his Internet empire. John is offering a free copy and I wanted to pass it on to you... Click here John is very smart and you will learn alot from reading his stuff. Continue Reading

If you are an AdSense publisher, you know that Google tells you very little about your ads. They tell you how many ads you have displayed. They tell you how many ads have been clicked. And they tell you how much money they are paying you. If you use channels, you are able to gather a bit more data regarding the success or failure of a page or an ad to deliver revenue. But other... Continue Reading

Yesterday I wrote about TextPayMe and their free service that allows you to send and receive funds from any cellphone. It's like PayPal, only more 21st century. I also mentioned that they have a cool referral program. Simply get 36 other people to sign up with their service and they will give you a FREE XBox 306. The people who sign up get paid $5 just for signing up as well. This morning I received... Continue Reading

You've undoubtedly seen offers for free XBox 360's all over the web. Most of them make you jump through all kinds of hoops in order to get the goods. I just found an offer that anyone can take advantage of and win a free XBox 360! Seriously, read on... Continue Reading

Three months ago, I told you that my cholesterol levels were high. My LDL (bad cholesterol) was approximately 138. My total cholesterol was 214. My primary care physician immediately wanted to place me on Lipitor. I told him that I was not eager to get on this medication as I heard it had some long-term side effects. I also do not like the idea of becoming dependent on the chemical compound du jour. So I... Continue Reading

I don't like fishing. I couldn't care less if I ever catch another fish the rest of my life. However, my alter-ego, Zorigon, enjoys fishing quite a bit. It's even more enjoyable when I am providing fish for my son, BRMadcat. Sound weird? It's just another day in the alternate universe known as World of Warcraft Continue Reading

Several years ago, I owned a yellow tabby cat named Mr. Mew. Adopted as a tiny little kitten, Mr. Mew proceeded to grow and grow and grow. By the time he was three, he weighed over seventeen pounds. He was one big cat. Mr. Mew was a midget compared to this big fella... Continue Reading

It's time for my blog to "grow up". This coming week, I will be updating joelcomm.com with a brand new design. It will have remnants of the old and a whole lot of new. Watch for it and let me know what you think! Continue Reading

I love finding promising online businesses and bringing attention to them. Last year, one of my clients introduced me to a product that he was creating called Got-Zip. As a long-time affiliate to many merchants, I took special interest to this new service as it turned the affiliate system on it's ear. Instead of paying out commissions for sales that orginated on a link through your web site, Got Zip levels the playing field and... Continue Reading

Yes, people will talk. And the things they will say are quite interesting. Ever since my AdSense ebook has come into the spotlight, my name has become more well known. Once your name is "out there", commentary and opinion is not far behind. So how do you know when you have "arrived"? Continue Reading

We' ve all seen the commercials of orphaned children on late night television. The images tear at our hearts, but it is so easy for us to turn a blind eye to their plight. Ken Surritte is a great friend of mine. Not only is he a great guy, but he also has an extremely compassionate heart for people who are in need. Continue Reading

I have recently started adding my AdSense articles to EzineArticles.com. It's a great way to distribute content to the masses. A cool tool they provide is the ability to create your own RSS feed of your articles, which is exactly what I have done. Continue Reading

Just the other day I was telling you about Glenn Dietzel from Awaken the Author Within. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days with Glenn. We had a fabulous time getting to know each other and at the last minute decided to put together a podcast as I was driving him to the airport so he could catch his flight home. Since we recorded this in the car, I am calling it a... Continue Reading

When I was in Las Vegas, I spent a little time with Paul Colligan. Paul is an expert in Affiliate marketing. But recently he has began beating the drum for podcasting. Now admittedly, I have been slow to come to the podcasting table. However, after spending some time with Paul and Declan Dunn in Las Vegas, the light has turned on above my head. Ding! Continue Reading

I had two telephone consultations today. One of them was scheduled with a client. Another was spontaneous with a contact that I met at a seminar a few months back. But both of them had something in common. Each person was trying to figure out how they could create a profitable business online. Continue Reading

There are many activities one can partake in in order to grow their business. Whether engaging in the creative process, developing product and/or services or executing a long-term vision, all components are critical to success. However, I have found that one activity stands above the others in terms of long-term value to me personally, and to my business. Thus the title of my post. Continue Reading

This morning, I had the privilege of speaking before sixty Affiliate Summit attendees in a special AdSense workshop session. The room was a bit large (cavernous, even), but I managed to communicate my strategies to the attendees just the same. Here are a couple photos taken by my friend Mark Widawer. Continue Reading

Two totally conflicting stories out of Hollywood today that explain absolutely everything you need to know about how out of touch Hollyweird is with the American mainstream. Continue Reading

Here's an interesting story out of Pakistan. Pakistan censors poetic salute to Bush by Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad (12/05/2005) A poem in a school textbook has been removed by embarrassed education officials in Pakistan after it was found that the first letters of each line spelt out "President George W Bush." The 20-line anonymous poem, The Leader, lists the qualities of "a man who will do what he must" and bears a passing resemblance to... Continue Reading

For the past few weeks, I have gone on and on about what I learned at Big Seminar in Los Angeles. I continue to review my notes from this conference and my mind is still reeling with ideas. And beyond that, I have began developing great relationships with people that I met at the conference. Continue Reading

Are you going to Affiliate Summit? This is the PREMIER event for webmasters and merchants online. My friend, Shawn Collins, tells me that the event is nearing sellout and record attendance. I would love to see you there! Continue Reading

"Bush is stupid" is always a great way to start a conversation. Seriously... bold, definitive statements are the doorway from which we can expand our knowledge base and increase in wisdom. Continue Reading

I am sitting in Chicago O'Hare airport reflecting on this past weekend. Yes, I am taking the long way home from North Carolina, but you do what you gotta do. Anyhow... Continue Reading

A couple weeks ago at Big Seminar, I told you that I had the opportunity to meet world-class copywriter, Michel Fortin, along with his lovely fiancee, Sylvie Charrier. What I didn't tell you at the time was the news of a new contextual advertising tool that Michel revealed to me and other attendees. I didn't want to discuss it before it became available, but the day has arrived! Continue Reading

The Firebox browser has come out of nowhere to give Microsoft's Internet Explorer a run for their money this past year. Now, Firefox has Google on their side. The browser is superior to IE in every way and I recommend that you download and install a copy now. Your web surfing will be more secure. Your machine will crash and lock up less. And you will be a happier person. :-) Click the button below... Continue Reading

I just got back from one of the the most educational and inspiring seminars of my entire life. My friend, Jeff Walker, suggested that I go to Armand Morin's Big Seminar in Los Angeles. On his advice, I registered just a couple weeks ago. It cost $2000, but I trust Jeff and took his advice. Words cannot describe the weekend I just experienced. Continue Reading

I am currently in Los Angeles attending Armand Morin's Big Seminar, an Internet marketing conference unlike any I have previously attended. This is Armand's sixth conference of this nature (he does them bi-annually) and you can tell that he really loves what he does. There are over 400 people here and the atmosphere is absolutely electric. It is a top-notch, classy operation. From the hotel to the speakers to the food and everything in between... Continue Reading

About two weeks ago, I told you about a new advertising service called Chitika. What makes Chitika unique is that they have implemented features which make it completely compatible with AdSense. That means you can run it on the SAME PAGES as AdSense. I have been testing Chitika for these past weeks and I have come to the following conclusion... Continue Reading

In 1978, I was just a youthful fourteen-year old. But I knew the future when I saw it, and I wanted a piece of it. It was this year that Tandy released their first home computer, the TRS-80, via their Radio Shack stores. As soon as I saw this black and gray beauty, I knew I had to have one. Continue Reading

Here's a cool way to find all kinds of information on just about anything you can think of. The site is called HelpFox. Go ahead, click the link and enter something in the search field. You'll instantly have access to pages that contain the term in a number of categories, including encyclopedia, news, links, blogs, shopping and more. Your term will be highlighted in yellow everywhere it shows up on the page. Continue Reading

My family recently returned from a fall vacation to Eureka Springs. While it was unfortunately cut short by a death in the family, we still enjoyed a few days in a tranquil and beautiful setting. Continue Reading

If the radical Islamofascist plan for the world is not evident now to everybody, it will never be. The President of Iran has called for Israel to be "wiped off the face of the map". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made comments on Friday during an anti-Israeli rally. Continue Reading

I wanted to say "thank you" to those of you who have emailed or left comments on my blog in support of me and my family in the loss of my Aunt. I have enjoyed spending time with my family today. It is especially touching to hear my mom tell stories of her relationship with her sister. There have been a good many tears. Tomorrow we lay Joan to rest, and live will go on... Continue Reading

I don't know about you, but I spend lots of time developing my web sites. I put my heart and soul (not to mention money) into creating great sites that will generate traffic and AdSense revenue. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not respect other people's work. And they will STEAL your site. I've seen it happen. Continue Reading

It's one of those days. My eyes are watery. My nose is stuffy. My body is achy. And I don't want to do anything. The common cold strikes once again. Continue Reading

Uber-Geek, Chris Pirillo, has done it again. His new service, Gada.be, is a fantastic new meta-search that allows you to get results on any terms. You can save time and keystrokes. You can pull the results to your mobile device without much load time. You'll see results from Google, Yahoo, Amazon and many more with just a few easy keystrokes. Try it out! See what happens when you click http://joel-comm.gada.be I Gada Be Me! Continue Reading

As a follow up to my entry from June 2, 2004, regarding the Duggar family of Fayetteville, Arkansas, they have added another child to the mix. This brings the total to sixteen (16)! And the parents say they would like MORE! Wow, courageous people... Read all about it Continue Reading

All you hear from the liberal democrats these days is "Bush lied... no weapons of mass destruction... Get out of Iraq... Saddam was not tied to terrorists... etc and so forth." I came across this series of quotes from the beloved liberal leadership that should make anyone who has supported them in the past go "hmmmm" Their own words nullify their objections with this administration, and make clear that they have absolutely no platform to... Continue Reading

Since I became an Ebook author, I have realized the importance of each detail in the process. The topic, sales letter, price, marketing plan and other choices all have a significant bearing on whether or not the ebook will succeed. One commonly neglected area is the graphic design for the cover of the ebook. I am very pleased at how my covers have turned out, and I cannot recommend highly enough the designer who created... Continue Reading

If a conservative would have said what Howard Dean said on Hardball with Chris Matthews, the mainstream media would deem it worthy of front page mockery. But since it was far-left wacko Dean, he gets a pass. That's ok. The entertainment value is to good to pass up. So what did Howie say? On the October 5th edition of "Hardball with Chris Matthews", the chairman of the Democratic National Committee was asked this question in... Continue Reading

One of my best friends in the whole world is Mark Jones. I met Mark and his wife Rebecca when attending Trtinity Bible Church in Richardson, Texas. Mark was the worship pastor and we just gravitated towards each other. He and his family are the definition of kind and trustworthy. I love him like a brother and would do absolutely anything for him. *Though he did NOT ask me to do this...) Continue Reading

Who doesn't like popcorn? Seriously... I just came across this offer from Dale & Thomas Popcorn, and wanted to pass it on for your culinary please. For the month of October (apparanty it is "Popcorn Month"), they are giving away FREE popcorn to their site visitors. Don't believe me? Click here for free popcorn. These folks make all kinds of gourmet popcorn, including peanut butter with white chocolate drizzle, toffee crunch, caramel and more. You... Continue Reading

Mary was out of town at a conference yesterday, so I wanted to find something fun for the kids and myself to do together. Last week, I found out that a new place opened up on Northwest Expressway in Warr Acres, OK, where an old Wal-Mart used to be. It is called "Incredible Pizza". I asked a friend about it and was told that they opened up about six months ago. They described it as... Continue Reading

Arbonne is one of the fastest-growing multi-level marketing businesses in America. In the past, I have blogged about my experiences with Arbonne. Those posts have received more comments than just about anything else I have written about. So, I have decided it is time for the web to have dedicated Arbonne Forums where consultants and customers can discuss the product and the business opportunity. If you are either, or you are just curious, I invite... Continue Reading

One of my friends recently said to me, "I'm surprised you haven't written anything about Cindy Sheehan." Truth of the matter is, I have felt sorry for this woman. She is clearly being used as a pawn of the far-left radical socialists. She is allowing the tragic death of her son as a platform to advance anti-American ideals that are incredibly damaging to the war we are fighting. Here she is being carted away by... Continue Reading

I will never forget the thrill of seeing my first video game. Pong opened the doorway to electronic gaming bliss and most in my generation have never looked back. I remember when Space Invaders and Asteroids came out, displacing the pinball machine as the game du jour. I remember begging my father for a Fairchild video game system, the predecessor to the Atari 2600. I remember playing games on my TRS-80 and being absolutely floored... Continue Reading

Yesterday, I received a press release announcing a new book that my readers might find of interest. The book is called "Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed" by Katharine DeBrecht. Being a solid conservative, I got a laugh out of the title and had to read on to find out what the book is all about. Since I haven't read the book myself yet (but have ordered it), I will just post this... Continue Reading

Thanks to my friend Jim Kukral, my AdSense ramblings are now being posted in blog format at ReveNews.com, a fantastic site for anyone who is seeking to make money online. I will be posting at least one article each week, perhaps more if the spirit moves me. Thanks to Jim and Revenews for the opportunity! Continue Reading

Let's play a word game. I'll say the name of a popular camera-hogging celebrity, and then I'll say the first word that comes to mind. Yeah, I know. Not much fun for you, but it's not your blog. Here we go. I say "Reverend Jesse Jackson" First word? "Racist" "Al Sharpton" Racist Kanye West "Stupid Racist Punk" Oops, that was three words. I guess I lose. Actually, the minorities in America lose when these so-called... Continue Reading

Liberal democrats and the mainstream media have been incredibly quick to bash President Bush and the Federal Government for their handling of the rescue efforts in New Orleans. Sid Blumenthal, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , and Molly Ivins shots off condemnation pieces within 24 hours of this tragedy, revealing their true colors once again. Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling for a 9/11-style investigation of Katrina, seeking to point fingers and cause disruption for the President... Continue Reading