"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

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 took me a while to figure it out. It took me a little longer to accept it. (My wife, by the way, was way ahead of me on this one. She'd been telling me this for years...) I'm not... 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

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

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 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

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'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

It sounds like a terrible idea. You spend ages thinking up an idea for an article, doing the research and writing it out... then you give it to someone else to put on their website. They get all the ad revenue and you get... what, exactly? Well, you get a link and if the site is good that could be worth more in steady streams of traffic 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

With all the speculation that John McCain would select Mitt Romney to be his running mate in the 2008 election, I find it rewarding to see that he has chosen far wiser. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been thrust into the limelight as McCain has selected her to be his Vice President should he be elected in November. I am very pleased with this selection for a number of reasons. 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

We had a great time in Glenwood Springs. From taking a Segway tour of the area and a day at the world's largest hot springs pool to downtime for rest & relaxation and a trip to a rain-covered Snowmass, my family and I enjoyed our brief vacation. I may put up some video once I get the chance. But I've had a lot of people curious about how the return train ride went on Amtrak... 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

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

I remember seeing Ben Stein for the first time in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Who could forget the monotone deadpan teacher repeating "anyone... anyone... Bueller... Bueller". And then there was "Win Ben Stein's Money", a campy television quiz show that demonstrated Ben's ability to stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. I sure would have liked to have seen him go up against Ken Jennings. As a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a... 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

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

Be careful... If you don't add the right amount of each ingredient, you could ruin the entire meal. Easy now... If you mix those chemicals incorrectly, it could be explosive. Watch it... If the calculations aren't perfect, the shuttle may never make it off the launching pad. Many things in life demand precision. There are some absolutes that do not allow for the least bit of give. One wrong step and the greatest ideas can... 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

I'm currently in Atlanta for Matt Bacak's Marketing Madness conference. I'm set to speak to 150 or so people tomorrow. So Dan Nickerson and I are in our hotel room right next to the airport. I mean DIRECTLY next to the airport. Our balcony overlooks all the runways, so we've enjoyed the sights and sounds of planes continually taking off and landing. But as we were coming back from dinner tonight, I noticed lightning in... Continue Reading

There's a fun game people like to play that goes like this. Take any sentence or phrase and add the words "in bed" as a suffix to make it funnier. For example, "John ate a steak... in bed" or "Jill picked out the latest hat to wear... in bed" It's especially fun with fortune cookies, where the game has become part of our pop culture. For example, "You have very good skills and exceptional talents... 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

If you saw The Next Internet Millionaire, you will remember our third runner-up, Thor Schrock. Thor is an impressive guy with a natural ability to speak and a strong desire to succeed. He is very creative and he's about to demonstrate that creativity to the world. Thor is taking on the task of creating his own reality show, The Top Affiliate Challenge. Unlike my show, Thor is seeking to broadcast his show much closer to... 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

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

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 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

At conferences, you can spot them a mile away. They're shaking hands with everyone they meet. They're passing out business cards like they're free hundred dollar bills. They attend every talk and scribble notes furiously through each of them. And you can bet that when they go home they'll spend every waking hour -- which might be twenty in a day -- sitting in front of their computer working on their site, building traffic and... 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

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

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

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

Just got a Flip Video camera. It is a nifty little device. Great to carry anywhere. You never know when you'll come across something worth filming. Anyhow, I stopped through the local Target today and happened to have my Flip handy. This is the fastest I've ever gotten in and out of that store... without buying anything. 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

If you aren't doing video.. ... do I really need to finish this statement? Ok, I will. If you aren't doing video, you are missing out on one of simplest and sure-fire opportunties to promote your website, business, yourself and your services. Missing out. Those who keep an eye on hot trends know that video is it! This is why I want to you to RUN, don't walk, to the site I am going to... Continue Reading

Last month I was in Atlanta for the Big Seminar. Now usually I'm not much of a morning person, but when I took a peek at Friday's schedule, I knew I had to wake up early... Over the past five years or so I'd been hearing the first  speaker's name over and over again... "Joel you've got to check out this young kid Jermaine. He's from the inner-city, but Corey Rudl is taking him under his... Continue Reading

That's it. I've had it. I know it's been said thousands of times before, but I decided it was time that I said it. I hate Windows. The only reason I use Windows is because we live in a Microsoft Windows world. As a computer gamer, I have found that there are more options for games on the PC than the Macintosh. But I've had enough. 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

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

There's no doubt that Google is challenging Microsoft's dominance of the desktop. Search, office applications, email... the list goes on. But here's a surprise that was discovered as an easter egg hidden in Google Earth... ... The Google Earth Flight Simulator 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

There are lots of things to enjoy as an online publisher. There's the thrill of creating content. The pleasure of meeting friends at conferences. The sheer freedom of being your own boss and setting your own schedule. And then there's publicity. That's a whole other world of fun. Not every online publisher uses publicity to drive traffic to their website. Some think it's a bit like a lottery. You'll send out hundreds of press releases... Continue Reading

I keep saying that anyone can make money out of an AdSense site. I still think that's true. Anyone can find something to write about that will interest other people and bring them in to click on ads. Everyone has a job, a favorite activity, a hobby, a pastime or some other interest that they can write a few hundred words about several times each week. And yet, so many people choose to write about... 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

Let's run down the basic flowchart and checklist for creating a money-making website. 1) Do you have a website? If so, go to #2. If not, you need to start right there. The fastest way to get started is with my training, tutorials and templates. Joel's System Continue Reading

Whenever I see a news story about Google's development plans, I usually give it a read, make sure it's not going to affect my AdSense earnings... and daydream for a minute or two about running a multi-billion dollar business. Google's recent spat with eBay though caught my attention. It was one of those rare times when Google's news could actually affect my income. In case you missed it, Google scheduled a party to promote its... Continue Reading

I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of my brother and his family this past weekend. They live in suburban Chicago, so it was a treat for them to come to the mountains and enjoy a little slower pace for a few days. By the way, you'll want to watch for my bro. He is a brilliant CPA with some keen insights into money management. I foresee a website and a book in the... 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

One of the challenges of building pages for AdSense is that until the page is up and running, you can't really tell which ads you're going to get. And that's vital information. Apart from the fact that you can't know which ads to filter out if you don't even know which are going to show up, seeing the ads before you go live can help you decide which keywords to focus on. 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

"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

Darren Rowse's blog at ProBlogger.net is always worth a read. He's a guy who's making a great income out of online publishing, and he's not afraid to share his knowledge. Recently, Darren put up a very interesting post about giving a second chance to old content. Sometimes, he points out, you'll put up a post that you're sure will get lots of traffic only to find that it dies away without doing anything special. There... 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

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

You already know that ad units placed above the fold tend to get the most clicks. But did you also know that Google automatically places the highest-earning ads in the first ad unit on the page? That's very helpful. Before you've done any optimization, you're already getting the most valuable ads in the best spot on your page. The problem comes when you start optimizing. Continue Reading

The writer Anne Lamott likes to tell a story of how her brother had to create a school project describing a huge number of different birds. He didn't know how he was going to complete it. Lamott's father had some wise advice. He told his son to do it "bird by bird." Lamott used that analogy to describe the process of writing a book. You can think of it as a way of creating a... Continue Reading

Road Trip! I remember when those two words were shouted out in my college days. It meant, "grab what you can get yer butt in the car and be ready for anything hurry up the engine is running dude good times ahead!" hehe... Fortunately, none of us every got arrested. ;-) 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

So when was the last time you checked AdSense's TOS? I know, I know, it's all small print. It's boring. It doesn't change very often. And when it does change, the changes don't mean anything. Right, right, right... and wrong. Very, very wrong. The Terms of Service of any program, especially contextual ad programs, might be about as fun to read as the ingredients list on a TV dinner but they're important. They're important to... 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

Creating a successful online business is tough. Sure, creating a site is simple. You can buy a domain name, find a hosting service and use a template to have your site up and running within a day or two (or even less) of first thinking up your business idea. Affiliate systems and contextualized ad programs can then have you earning without ever touching a product or a shipping form. That's the easy part. The hard... Continue Reading

People have been asking me three questions about the AdSense program, and their new terms of service and AdSense support team have now clarified all of these issues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question 1) Does Google allow other ads to run on the same page as AdSense Ads? Answer 1) The official word is a qualified "yes". You may not run ads that are designed to resemble AdSense ads. For example, Yahoo! Publisher Network ads look very similar... 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

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

Building a successful website doesn’t happen overnight. You have to create the pages, write the content, optimize your ads, drive traffic. You can be up and running within minutes but to earn the sort of revenues that make the whole thing worthwhile (and more) you’re going to have to invest time. And much of that time is going to be spent troubleshooting. A poorly-designed, badly-optimized site might make a little bit of money. A site... 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

He beat me to it. I'm not angry... it's not my style. But I am just a little.. bit... um... er... envious? Ok, I said it. I'm envious. And I think I have a right to be. Continue Reading

For those who were online in 1999, you may remember the very first "Get paid to surf" program. It was called AllAdvantage. Basically, by displaying the AllAdvantage toolbar while you surfed, you got paid. And when you referred people to the program and they surfed, you got paid. It worked VERY well, except that the management team at the company messed up the opportunity. Don't get me wrong. I earned THOUSANDS with this program. And... Continue Reading

Like most things on the Internet, marketing can be divided into two distinct periods: Before Google and After Google. Before Google, getting a link to your site on other sites took a huge amount of work. You'd have to write to each publisher separately. You'd have to try different CPC networks until you found one that worked for you. And you'd have to create a new Web page just for reciprocal links. After Google... well... 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

It's just been an incredible month for new revenue-generating resources! First we had the SEO product of the year, The Stomper from Brad Fallon. Then Instant AdSense Templates helped people get a site up and running quickly. Next, Anik Singal and Rosalind Gardner launch their Blog Classroom, which is only available for a couple more days, by the way. If you haven't signed up yet, visit Blog Classroom And now, there's this... Continue Reading

I've gotten to know Mike Filsaime over the past year, and consider him a good friend. Not only is he an incredibly smart marketer, but he is a good-hearted guy who really wants to see people succeed. When Mike launched Butterfly Marketing earlier this year, he hit a huge run. Not only did he sell tons of copies of his course, but the results have been equally impressive. Testimonial upon testimonial of success stories find... 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

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

As of this entry, 483 of the 500 words at 500 Words are taken. And due to the number of Link Sizzler sites popping up, I have created a blog to keep track of them. Link Sizzler Blog This thing has really taken on a life of its own... it's like watching a baby crawl, walk and run. :-) 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

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

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

I met Anik Singal at Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas last year. Anik runs the site, Affiliate Classroom, and is responsible for helping many merchants learn how to run successful affiliate programs. Anik has just announced the upcoming release of a much-needed Affiliate Manager course that will help thousands grow their business by leveraging the power of affiliates. Continue Reading

The Sony PSP is a handy little gadget. I've been getting a lot of entertainment mileage out of it while traveling miles across the country. It acts as a great diversion to pass the time on an airplane. From Hawaii to Orlando to Vegas, I've enjoyed playing Daxter and have just about finished the game. But the PSP is good for more than just playing games. Whether you want to listen to music, surf the... Continue Reading

A week does not go by that I don't get an email from someone telling me that their AdSense account was closed. Most often, the email from the AdSense team starts with... "It has come to our attention that invalid clicks have been generated on the Google ads on your site(s). We have therefore disabled your Google AdSense account. Please understand that this step was taken in an effort to protect the interest of the... Continue Reading

Friday, May 5th, was my 42nd birthday. So I decided that I would throw a virtual birthday party and invite some of my readers to join me! I scheduled a teleseminar and began thinking of who I wanted to interview as a special guest for my birthday. Now, I could have called up one of my Internet marketing buddies, but I decided to invite an "unknown" to join me for the call. Continue Reading

So here's the deal. I met this bloke in Charlotte, North Carolina last November. I can call him a "bloke" because he is decidedly British. His name is Robert Puddy... 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

Ok, so Dick Cheney accidently shot a guy. The mainstream media has had a grand old time focusing on absolutely nothing. I figured by this weekend it would be over. Not so. 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

It's been at least seven years since I have attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Since I was coming into town for the Affiliate Summit, I thought I'd come to town a day early and enjoy free entry as a member of the press. It took little arm-twisting to convince my good friend, Dave Taylor, to join me on this excursion. Continue Reading

Several months ago I was going through email from readers. As you might imagine, people have a lot of questions, not just regarding AdSense, but also related to other areas of Internet business. I began noticing a recurring theme in these emails. 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

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

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

Google AdSense ads have become ubiquitous. It's hard to find many sites that aren't running their contextual text advertisements. However, there ARE other options available for site publishers wishing to monetize their web pages. I recently came across a site called Kontera. They have a different approach to contextual advertising. Rather than display ads directly on the site, their engine looks at a web page and highlights certain keywords on the page by placing a... Continue Reading