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

Did you feel it? It was just a tremor, but the effects are global. In fact, I'll say this... The world just got smaller. Alright, Joel. WHAT are you talking about? 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'm a big fan of Amazon.com. I spend far too much money there but they also give me a fair bit of money too through book sales and affiliate links. I think they've done a fantastic job of selling products online and helping website publishers earn from their content. They might be the Walmart of Internet retailing, but they're definitely not the Apple of whiz-bang gadgetry. Their new Kindle book-reading machine is a great idea... 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 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

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

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

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 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

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

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

Take a look at some of the most famous web site brands online today. Imagine that it is 1994 and the World Wide Web is a new novelty. What would you name a store that would sell books at discount prices? How about Amazon.com What would you name a site that would become the world's largest garage sale. How about Ebay? What would you call a site that would become a premier portal to the... Continue Reading

Here is a tip especially for those who own a Sony Playstation portable (PSP). I love that you can download video to your psp, but I was getting tired of having to download video to my computer to transfer them to my psp. With the help of Joel Ownby, I now have a way to pull video direct to the psp memory card by using the RSS feed feature. As long as you have a... Continue Reading

I remember when I bought my first DVD player, many years ago. I instantly fell in love with the high quality audio and video that came from the DVD. And I also loved the "special feature" aspect that DVDs allowed... deleted scenes, out-takes, behind the scenes documentaries, etc. I've got a DVD collection featuring over 750 discs to date. Now I just need time to watch them! And speaking of DVDs, my friend Russell Brunson... 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

I'm blogging from my office PC... only I'm not in my office. I am, in fact, in the American Airlines Admirals Club at D/FW International Airport, awaiting my flight to Oklahoma City. With GoToMyPC, I can login to my office PC from any PC in the world. It's pretty cool stuff! And I must say, the Admirals Club is awfully nice. I'm on a one-time visit pass and am not sure it's worth the annual... 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

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

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

I did it. I bit the PSP bullet and forked over my cash to Sony. I've been playing video games and computer games ever since there was such a beast. I remember when Pong first arrived on the scene. I owned a Fairchild Channel One video game system (the failed precursor to the Atari home video game system that sold millions of units). I've owned Nintendos, Playstations, XBox's and who knows what else. It was... Continue Reading

Spore is Will Wright's latest computer game, and it is set to revolutionize the PC gaming world. Creator of Sim City and The Sims, Spore is unlike anything else you have ever experienced in computer gaming. Due out in 2007, Spore will offer an open-ended gameplay style that will appeal to a wide variety of gamers. Continue Reading

When I came out with "What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense" in January 2005, I never imagined that it would become so popular. Since that time, I have released a second edition, several other ebooks, a member site, a telecourse series and find myself booked for multiple speaking engagements. Life is funny... Today marks another milestone for me as I am pleased to announce the revised and expanded third edition of... Continue Reading

How can articles be used to make more money with Google AdSense? That is the topic of the first module in my telecourse series, The AdSense Code. Starting on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 8 pm EST, I will be speaking with Christopher Knight, owner of EzineArticles.com. Chris is the web's foremost expert on article content creation and syndication. His site features over 100,000 articles created by over 17,000 expert authors. And along the way... 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

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

Clever copy and limited supply is the modus operandi at Woot.com. I wish I had thought of this concept. But I didn't. Instead, I am a customer. Woot.com features one product each weekday. They have a limited supply of these products and they offer tham at a great price. But the coolest part is the witty copywriting that accompanies the product of the day. No reason to copy their text here. It is fresh every... Continue Reading

Did you know that just about anyone can make money online? With knowledge, discipline and persistence, the Internet can be a pot of gold for anyone willing to pursue their dream. Let's face it. Even though the world wide web is about ten years old, it is still in its infancy. And it is NOT too late to claim your piece of the Internet pie. Continue Reading

I've had my developer working on a bunch of new sites as part of an experiment. They are all built on a similar template with similar features. Animal World Travel World Tech World Coupon Codes Family Time Continue Reading

A few months back I really got sick of my computer always being slow and having system errors. As it turned out, many of the problems I am having are related to the Internet Explorer browser (surprise, surprise...) Some friends told me about a new browser called "Firefox". Continue Reading

After many months of programming, design and delays, I've finally got an almost finished site that I am excited to tell you about. Since 1999, DealofDay.com has been a leader in online coupon codes. We post dozens of deals each day from many of the web's leading merchants. Whenever someone makes a purchase through one of our links, we get a commission. Now I am providing others with the tools to create their own coupon/deal... Continue Reading

I am blogging this entry from my new cell phone/pda/camera/toy, a PalmOne Treo 650. It truly is a remarkable device and does just about everything but laundey. The keyboard is smaller than the Sidekick that I have been using, but the other features make up for this. More on my new toy, er, necessary business tool... stay tuned. Continue Reading

Finally, a documentary about the left that I can't WAIT to see. This just in from Drudge... HBO MOVIE SHOWS RADIO 'AIR AMERICA' CHAOS HBO is set to air a behind the scenes look at the launching of liberal radio network AIR AMERICA. The DRUDGE REPORT has obtained a director's cut of LEFT OF THE DIAL, a grossly entertaining docu-drama of life on the other side of the AIR AMERICA microphone. The doubts. The lies... Continue Reading

This year, WorldVillage.com turns ten years old. Yup, that's TEN big ones. An eternity in Internet years. For all that time, I have been giving of myself to millions of visitors. Giving, giving, always giving. And what do I get? Email complaining about this feature. Posts whining about that web page. Blah blah blah. (Oh, I get paid a few dollars for advertising, but does that count?) Now people can really show their appreciation for... Continue Reading

I had a nightmare of a day yesterday, mostly due to problems with one of my web servers. The computer kept slowing down to a crawl and then locking up so that no one could access any of my pages. I had two techies look at the site and it wasn't until this morning that my webmaster solved the problem. As it turned out, a feature of the site was no longer functioning properly. When... Continue Reading

We are in the process of designing a new home which we intend to build this year. A few years ago, we bought two acres of land in our city. We have been holding on to it and think the time is ripe to place a home on the property. My father is an architect, so he is drawing the plans. Thanks Dad! But I thought it would be a fun thing to play with... Continue Reading

Over the past few months, I have helped several family members, friends and associates remove spyware from their computers. Often, people don't even realize they are infected with this insidious stuff. All they know is that their computers are running slower and those blasted pop up ads just keep coming. My son didn't know any better when he clicked on a popup ad for "free smilies". He meant well, but that one click managed to... Continue Reading

The Incredibles is Disney/Pixars' latest cash cow. Can these people do no wrong? Pixar has animated toys, bugs, monsters and fish. But one realm they had not covered to date was people. The wait is over. I took the kids to see The Incredibles yesterday and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The Incredibles is a story of super heroes who have been exiled by the government and the people, due to ever-increasing litigation incurred as... Continue Reading

The most requested DVDs of all time are finally going to be hitting the retail shelves today. Faster than you can say, "Use the Force, Luke", The Star Wars Trilogy DVD set will probably break all records for DVD sales. I know that I will be contributing my $45 to George Lucas's pocketbooks as I plan on picking up my copy on my way to work today. If you can stand to wait a few... Continue Reading

After the somewhat scathing replies I got regarding my review of the Christian film, Gone, I am somewhat reluctant to step up to the plate again. Regardless (or irregardless if you want to annoy people), I will now attempt to convey my thoughts on a film I viewed today. Six: The Mark Unleashed is a futuristic end-times thriller focusing on the coming one-world government and the ubiquitous "mark of the beast" which must be taken... Continue Reading

Serious or superfluous? Truth or propaganda? These are some of the questions we must ask as we view political campaign commercials. Often influential and sometimes backfiring, political parties and their public relations teams attempt to discuss the issues of the day and portray their candidate as the best man for the job. Often, this entails little more than communicating how their opponent is the worst man for the job. The Living Room Candidate is a... Continue Reading

The pioneering spirit of the Internet continues to inspire people to build a better mousetrap. Nowhere is that spirit better exhibited than in the now ubiquitous search engine known as Google. While not the first search engine on the scene, Google has now surpassed all the rest to become the most useful tool for finding what you want on the web. Today's site highlights a new free download which makes the Google experience ever more... Continue Reading

Remember the Rocky and Bullwinkle show? "Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!" Among the other characters that were featured on this classic cartoon were a pair named Sherman and Mr. Peabody, in a bit called Peabody's Improbable History. In this toon, Mr. Peabody (the dog) would send Sherman to a period in time to see living history. The machine he used was called the WABAC (pronounced "wayback" machine). Fast-forward to... Continue Reading

Mary and I attended a marriage conference at our church the past two days. It featured Gary and Michael Smalley of the Smalley Relationship Center. Gary is a best-selling author and speaker, with over 30 books in print. He has spoken to millions regarding relationships, marriage, parenting and so forth. His son, Michael, is equally gifted, and now has a counseling center and his own syndicated radio talk show. The seven hours spent in the... Continue Reading

A few years back, I purchased a Pioneer DVD recorder for my home PC. I enjoyed burning a handful of videos onto disc (home movies), but I haven't really gotten much use from the unit. Incompatibility problems, buggy drivers and other obstacles have made it a bit less attractive then when I first purchased it. I've had my eyes on a DVD recorder for my home theater ever since that time, pining for the day... Continue Reading

A Review of the IBIZ Virtual Keyboard Up until now, portable keyboards for PDAs have been clunky and fragile This review is being written on a device the size of a cigarette lighter with a keyboard that is invisible. I am speaking of the IBIZ Virtual Keyboard, a new device from IBIZ Technologies that combines infrared and laser technology to deliver a keyboard that is both functional and portable. Using a standard laser, the VKB... Continue Reading

And now, the continuing saga of the T-Mobile Sidekick, as featured in yesterday's entry. So my Sidekick finally activates around noon today. Around 2 pm, my phone number is ported from Sprint. All is well and good. (except dealing with Sprint.. but I'll save that rant for another time...) I am able to surf the web and received a couple calls. However, I immediately noticed that the "e" key sticks a bit. Sometimes it works... Continue Reading

In the infancy of WorldVillage.com, I was fortunate to acquire the assistance of one Ron Enderland, aka, the Bald Guy. Ron provided several services to WorldVillage.com, including reviewing software, writing humorous articles and reviewing web sites. The latter is continued to this day with a new review being posted every other week. Another feature that lived on for some time was Ron's original cartoon, The Nature of Things. Inspired by The Far Side and Ron's... Continue Reading

Call me Mr. Wonderful. No, its not Mary's pet name for me. And no, I don't have a super-inflated sense of self. Mr. Wonderful has been my alter-ego these past two weeks in City of Heroes, a massively multiplayer online game recently released by Cryptic Studios. The fictional location of Paragon City has had a difficult time lately. What with an alien invasion and several gangs of thugs battling it out for control of the... Continue Reading

My investment in GameZNFlix.com is starting to pay off. Trading as GZFX on the OTC bulletin board exchange, this little penny-stock company has got guts. As mentioned in a previous entry, Ben Curtis of "Dude, you're getting a Dell" fame was on CNBC Wednesday afternoon and he talked about the company. He will be featured in three commercials to be broadcast nationally in early May. The stock hit a high of .14 today and is... Continue Reading

Admittedly, my tastes run a bit eccentric. I don't enjoy odd films just because they are odd. Maybe I am odd. Anyhow, I ran across a documentary that I just had to have. It promised thrills, excitement and all the fun that is inherent in a National Spelling Bee contest. For real! Spellbound is a fascinating and fun film that follows eight children in their quest to become National Spelling Bee Champion. The eight children... Continue Reading

Want to do a good deed? Here's an opportunity to help someone in need with one click. Coty-Girl is a dog that was featured on 11Alive News in Atlanta, GA. Coty-Girl has been diagnosed with Cushing's Disease and she requires a very expensive diet. Her owner is strapped for cash but knows that Coty-Girl needs the food. Prescription Diet is currently running a contest for a one-year FREE supply of food for the winner. Coty-Girl... Continue Reading

A few days ago, I posted a humorous photo of two penguins and asked people to submit a humorous caption to go with the photo. It has been one of the more popular entries on my blog, so I decided to do a spin-off and launch a photo caption site! Check out Caption-This.com, where you can enter a humorous caption for a different photo each day. There is also a referral feature built in so... Continue Reading

Here's an incredibly useful site for you. DictionaryWords.net is a fantastic reference resource. Do a search for a single word or term and it will pull up results from several sources, including The CIA World Factbook (2002), WordNet, Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, The Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms, The Jargon File, Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary, The Collaborative International Dictionary of English, The U.S. Gazetteer, The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, Elements Database and Easton's 1897... Continue Reading

When I look back on the past few years of technological advancements, several computer-driven products cause me to wax eloquently. My iPaq 3835 has been a trusty PDA for almost two years. But it has lost its shine and there are newer models that have stolen my affections. My Dell laptop rocks, but in a mere few months I am certain its big brother will find me coveting at its front door. My Pioneer CD... Continue Reading

Fred Langa is a staple on the web. The guy has been writing technology articles since dirt was new... well, for a long time anyhow. In fact, he used to write for the now-defunct NetGuide Magazine and featured WorldVillage.com as one of the web's best Family friendly site. Fred's mailing list, the Langa List, is a weekly digest featuring useful info and links for a general audience (that's you!). I highly recommend signing up to... Continue Reading

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a fellow 'net pioneer this week. Barbara Feldman of SurfNetKids, one of the best kid sites writes a nationally syndicated article, writes books and keeps up with a handful of web sites. She is a really neat lady with great ideas! Barbara's latest feature is an inspirational flash movie called Light an Educational Fire. If you are parent, teacher, grandparent or if you are in any category that... Continue Reading

Let's face it. Since Michael Eisner took the helm at Disney, the "Walt" has literally been taken out of the Walt Disney Company. In the past decade or so, Disney's motion picture studio has continually promoted and released dozens of films that are anything but family-friendly. The theme parks have celebrated alternative lifestyles by promoting "gay days". Money has become the absolute bottom line and many supporters have protested this direction. Well, things are shaking... Continue Reading

Mary and I had the opportunity to escape for a rare "date night" last night, and what a great night it was! We started the evening with dinner at Cascata Ristorante, a fine Italian dining establishment in Edmond. The atmosphere was charming and it was a pleasure to be waited on by a very professional wait staff. It all looked quite good so we decided to order two plates and share them. We ordered the... Continue Reading

About six years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a new Christmas CD by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For those not familiar with the band, they are all rock and rollers, many with a heavy metal background. Their first album, Christmas Eve and other Stories is unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's a rock opera. It's spiritual. It's progressive rock. Simply put, it is an album that captures the essence of Christmas better... Continue Reading

We checked out of the Red Roof Inn around 9:30 or so and drove a few miles to Paramount's King's Dominion Theme Park in Doswell, Virginia. I purchased tickets online last night to save a few bucks. We checked Socrates into the kennel at the park and went on our way. Our first stop was the Spongebob Squarepants 3-D attraction. It was a standard theater/simulator ride with 3-D effects. The ride was very jerky, but... Continue Reading

This is hilarious! The wackos at Earth Liberation Front (E.L.F.), the criminals that are vandalizing SUVs and buildings in order to liberate the earth from the clutches of corporate greed are at it again. This time, their zany hijinks backfired. SULTAN, Wash. -- An animal rights group's plan to free 10,000 mink from a farm turned deadly after many of the emancipated mustelids became cannibals while others went on a carnivorous feeding frenzy. About 9,000... Continue Reading

Here's the story. A sick cartoon in which cuddly characters are maimed and decapitated is coming to UK audiences. Happy Tree Friends features a series of happy-go-lucky woodland animals which end up ripped to shreds in pools of blood in each short episode. Click here for full story There is an image from this cartoon, but I did not put it on the main page because it really is disturbing. Feel free to click here... Continue Reading

Bought an ultra-cool cell phone today. It's a Sanyo 8100 for the Spring PCS network. It's extremely lightweight and is loaded with cool features, not the least of which is the built in camera. Simply point the camera, view the image on the color screen and SNAP. You've got a photo. If you like it, you save it. Then, you can send it to another Sprint PCS Vision user, email it to any address, and/or... Continue Reading

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Life has just been busy this week. I'll be picking up a dot.com story and other topics this week. Stay tuned for more crunchy goodness! Continue Reading

Always glad to see our friends in the media give a nod to one of my web sites. On June 8th, USA Weekend Magazine did a brief feature on shopping online in their "Where on the Web" section. DealofDay.com received a paragraph as one site of four mentioned. Thanks to Christina Wood for the mention! Continue Reading

Today, I am eight-years old for the second time. Sure, I carry myself in the body of a 39-year old. I'm hairier and heavier than the last time I turned eight. But make no mistake. Thanks to the magic of eBay, I am reliving my childhood in a very meaningful way. I submit to you photographs of my favorite childhood toy animal. It was a kangaroo puppet named Foopy Doo. Foopy Doo - 1 Foopy... Continue Reading

While on vacation in Enid, OK, we took the kids to see Finding Nemo. It may just be the BEST Pixar animated feature to date! As they have done with several recent flicks, Pixar first taunted us with a short film. Knick Knack was their very first computer animated short film. This story of a snowman in a snow globe pining for the disproportionate blond from Miami had me in stitches for several minutes. 'Nuff... Continue Reading