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

When I was working on Click Here to Order, I had a problem. How could I describe all of the accomplishments achieved by the people I was interviewing? Although each of the marketers I spoke to was usually best known for creating one unique model, which they were now sharing with others, almost all of them had hugely rich pasts as well. Continue Reading

I'm scared of change. There, I said it. It's not big news though. Everyone is scared of change. Change is a scary thing. It means giving up what you have now for something better that you can only hope you'll have in the future. It's risky. It's dangerous. It's disruptive. It's also thrilling, exciting... and inevitable. Continue Reading

When I started work on Twitter Power at the end of September 2008, I had about 5,000 followers. That was a pretty good amount back then: it was only a year ago that Twitter's blog was reporting that anyone with more than 80 followers was among the site's top ten percent of users. Boy, have things changed! Continue Reading

There are times when I've sat in a conference, looked around a room full of bright, hopeful entrepreneurs and wondered how many of them will become successful. I don't mean how many of them will be successful this time next year or how many will be millionaires in five years' time. I mean how many will be successful at all. Continue Reading

I can't tell you how many times I've done it. I reach a website, enjoy the content, then head for the search box to look for more. I type in the keywords, hit the Search button... and find that I'm searching in the subscription field. Now I have to look for the search box and start typing all over again. Or more likely, I'll give up and look for another website. Putting the RSS subscription... Continue Reading

I wish I hadn't done it. And I wish I could tell you all the things that I wish I hadn't done but there are too many incidents to remember them all. I probably smack my forehead about a dozen times a day and wonder what I've let myself in for. I know lots of people say that they have no regrets. They might even be telling the truth. But that doesn't mean that they've... 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 already know that most small businesses fail. It's a warning that's been given out to every entrepreneur with an idea, drive and the imagination to succeed for as long as people have been saying, "I should be working for me." Well, here's something you probably don't want to hear. Most blogs die too. People start them with the best of intentions. They tell themselves that they'll write every day, they'll pick up masses of... Continue Reading

I love meeting people who are just starting out as Internet entrepreneurs. I love their enthusiasm, I get a thrill out of hearing their plans for the future, and I pick up a buzz from their energy. They've got J-O-Bs that they often H-A-T-E. They've got every motivation they need to swap their spare time for marketing time, and they absolutely believe that it's only a matter of hard work and patience before they'll be... 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

"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

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

You've probably noticed that I'm often talking about seminars and conferences. That's not just because I talk at some of them. It's because I think that they're essential stepping stones to online business success. I'd like to believe that's because the information that I and other marketers provide at these seminars is more valuable than magic-encrusted gold dust. As soon as someone takes it home and applies it to their business they immediately become an... Continue Reading

Over the years I have spoken at a number of Internet marketing and personal development conferences. The one question I am asked again and again is "when are you going to hold you own conference?" The time has arrived! On October 24-26, 2008, I am going to welcome fifty (50) people to join me for a 3-day event in Denver, Colorado. It's called "Elevate 2008" What is going to take place at this event? 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

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

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'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

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

I've Got Three Little Words To Say To You... No, not those words (although I'm sure you're very nice). I mean these three little words... Just do it. I know, Nike got there first. But they were right. You get nothing by doing nothing. Back when I started out on the Web, becoming an online publisher meant buying a book about HTML the size of the Yellow Pages. It meant spending half a year reading... 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

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

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

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

Google is very protective of its AdSense code. Start changing bits here and there and you can't expect to keep your account open for very long. But there's one exception to that rule and it's a very important one. You can put this code on your Web pages: <script type="text/javascript">    var random_number = Math.random();    if (random_number         //your first ad unit code goes here     } else {         //your second ad unit code goes here     } </script> <script type="text/javascript... 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

It's time to drag out the cliches. "Wow, can you believe it's 2007 already?" "Man, that year zipped by so fast!" "Before you know it it'll be 2008..." You get the picture. It's another turning of the page. 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

Video... video.. video... I know. It probably seems like I have been harping on about video a whole lot lately. Well, there's a good reason for that. And if you haven't caught on yet, I'm hoping that you will now. Think about this. Continue Reading

Most new businesses fail. It’s a fact we’re all familiar with... and as entrepreneurs, one we all ignore. It’s easy to do. For one thing, online those statistics probably aren’t that bad. With AdSense, you’re almost guaranteed some income. Use the right strategies and techniques, and there’s no reason why that income shouldn’t be very good indeed. Continue Reading

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! The rumors of the so-called "death of AdSense" have gone too far. Now, it is time for someone to SHATTER the Myths and TELL THE TRUTH! I invite you to download my new report... "AdSense is ALIVE!" The report contains an entertaining fable and a point-by-point rebuttal to the half-truths that are being believed by way too many people. Can you handle the truth? Download "AdSense is ALIVE!" Now! Continue Reading

I was at the Big Seminar in Los Angeles last year when Rich Schefren got up to speak. He began talking about the way most people do business online. I was listening with half an ear. Then he started talking about all the hats the online entrepeneur wears at the same time. I was all ears. Continue Reading

I am leaving Las Vegas after speaking at Carl Galletti's Internet Marketing Superconference. It has been a great weekend of learning, networking and hanging out with friends. Before I spoke on Saturday, I ordered some breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The portion was very large and I just didn't want to eat it all. So when I took the platform to speak, the first thing I did was ask if anyone was hungry! A lady... Continue Reading

I got invited to the beta test of the MSN AdCenter a month or so ago. Not many people have had the opportunity to advertise via MSN, so I thought I would give it a a try. I finally got around to running a test campaign to promote my AdSense ebook using their contextual ad system. MSN rejected my ads! Continue Reading

Random thoughts for today... I'm finally starting to see through the scam known as "insurance". What ticks me off most is health insurance. It doesn't matter how healthy you are. Once you are accepted by a company, they religiously increase your rates every premium period just because they can. So what to do? Change insurance companies. My premium got cut in half when I did this. Of course, in just a few years, it will... 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

I've been slaving away attempting to make sense of this thing we call the Internet. In order to put things in proper perspective, I have composed this paper which I hope will prove useful. Continue Reading

In 1996, Eidos Interactive came out of nowhere with a game that has become one of my all-time Top 10 computer games. (Maybe I'll do a top 10 series if I ever finish my 15 Best Movies of All Time) Continue Reading

After a long drawn-out fight, Michael Schiavo has succeeded in his goal to starve his wife to death. Terri Schiavo is dead and has entered eternity. Michael Schiavo must live on with the consequences of his murderous choices. It is a dark day in American history. We have been tested ethically and morally, and have failed as a nation. We are moving towards the European model of euthenasia, where other people decide whether or not... Continue Reading

I love finger food. There's nothing like the simplicity of enjoying cheese sticks and chicken fingers off the platter. But Wendy's has apparantly taken finger food to the next level. SAN JOSE, Calif. Mar 23, 2005 — A woman's meal at a Wendy's restaurant brought a whole new meaning to the term "finger food." The woman bit into a portion of a human finger while eating a bowl of chili Tuesday night at the San... Continue Reading

Over the years, many atheists and agnostics have enjoyed mocking Christians and people of religion who choose to believe in God. The most frequent criticism is that belief in God is unscientific, therefore it is foolish. What many people don't realize is that the Bible and the stories within have an incredible amount of evidence to support them. More and more scientists are recognizing that the complexity of the universe necessitates a divine Creator as... Continue Reading

Mary and I had the opportunity to enjoy a "date night" on Friday. First we enjoyed a nice dinner at Johnny Carinos Italian restaurant. Next we went to the mall and pigged out on ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery (superior to Marble Slab in case you are wondering). Finally, it was on the cinema to take in a showing of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I received a great deal of chastisement... Continue Reading

I've already had enough of the upcoming Presidential elections. The media is spinning out of control in an attempt to bolster the unelectable John Kerry. Bush-bashing is at an all-time high, despite the fact that more than half of America is supportive and "gets" the war on terror. It's just mind-numbing and I think my head shall explode if November doesn't hurry up and get here. Someone hand me the duct tape, please. Continue Reading

I'm wiped out. It's not that we did a LOT today, but combining the altitude with the activity seems to have taken its toll on me. We started the day with a complimentary breakfast at the lodge. Bread, cereal, fruit, etc. Then it was off to the Steve Jones Stables for horseback riding. We scheduled a one hour scenic ride. All four of us are a bit more seasoned riders than we were a few... Continue Reading

I recently read a book that has given me much to think about. It is called The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson (of The Prayer of Jabez fame). The Dream Giver is actually two books in one. The first portion is a modern-day parable that tells the story of Ordinary, one who dares to leave the Land of Familiar in order to pursue his Big Dream. The second half discusses the meaning of the parable... Continue Reading

The Republican National Committee launched a new web game today that illustrates the massive tax increases required to pay for John Kerry's promised spending. Earlier this week the RNC unveiled the Index De Le Miserables, which calculated Senator Kerry's promised spending, promised tax increases, and unidentified tax increases. Senator Kerry's IDM was 20.46 the same as Carters MI in 1980. "John Kerry has promised $1.9 trillion in new spending and that’s just on the... Continue Reading

Holy Moly. May I present to you dinner for the entire state of Rhode Island. This pig was a 1900 pound porker who died just last week. He made his home in China and the owners are appealing to the Guiness Book of World Records on his behalf. The pig belonged to Xu Changjin, a farmer of Wafangdian city in China. Xu said that he had kept his pig in a nicely built sty... Continue Reading

As the World Wide Web enters its second decade of existence, .com has become a ubiquitous surname. From the obvious pets.com and business.com to the unique sendmeadollar.com and hollywoodjesus.com, it is clear that .com has become King of the domain roost. .net and .org have been around almost as long, but they are like the red-headed stepchildren at K-Mart. (No offense to red-headed kids, but all offense meant to K-Mart.) .net was initially intended for... Continue Reading

Ladies and gentlemen, we now have proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that God exists, and that He has an incredible sense of humor! This story from the Drudge Report... In what political watchers are calling possibly the biggest gaffe in years, former Vice President Al Gore is set to give a speech on Thursday on the perils of global warming -- on what is expected to be the coldest day in New England... 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

We had a casual morning, taking our time to get packed up and on our way. Packing is such a hassle and I do not look forward to "the big schlepp" each time we leave. I have streamlined the procedure a bit more with each stop, but we are also acquiring more souveniers along the way, so the van is getting more and more stuffed. We left our hotel around 12:30 pm and went to... Continue Reading

We got to sleep in a bit this morning. After the kids did their schoolwork and I did some work, we went to lunch. Next stop was the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Museum and Library, south of the city. It is a beautiful building designed by I.M Pei. I was only two years old when President Kennedy was assasinated, so this was a great opportunity to learn more about this man that was much loved and... Continue Reading

We left the Best Western in Niagara Falls this morning and I had a brief run-in with the general manager. When I looked at my itemized bill, I noticed that I was being charged $5.00 for each local call I made. He explained that local calls are free, but any call over 30 minutes was subject to a $5.00 charge and that this information was clearly printed in the hotel information. Well, I had called... Continue Reading

Finding a church to worship at while out of town is always a challenge. You just never know what you are going to get. As it turned out, I opened the yellow pages, placed a call to a church, asked a couple questions and decided that I had found a place. Redeemer Bible Church is a medium-sized church about five miles from the falls, just off the highway. The church placesa high emphasis on music... Continue Reading

Went to see The Matrix Reloaded this evening. Following are some brief thoughts on the film. WARNING! There are spoilers here, so you many not want to read if you haven't seen it! . . . . . . . . . . Naturally, The Matrix Reloaded faced many challenges, not the least of which was being the sequel to The Matrix. With that said, the film was a disappointment on several levels. 1) The... Continue Reading