I've long been a proponent of using contests, sweepstakes and giveaways to drive traffic to web sites. In fact, if you do it correctly, you can get others to provide all the prizes in exchange for a link back to their site! Gyutae Park of WinningTheWeb.com has done just that. Gyutae has pulled together over $7600 in prizes and I am guessing that the amount will grow as more people catch wind of this contest. Continue Reading

On Sunday at Affiliate Summit, I bumped into Shawn Collins in the hallway. He had rented a Segway scooter for the day and I had an opportunity to take it for a test drive. It's really an amazing device! It takes just a few seconds to find your balance the first time and then to get a handle on how to make it move. But in just a matter of moments, the Segway becomes an... Continue Reading

I've just spent an incredible three days in Las Vegas at the Affiliate Summit. This gathering of nearly 3000 people was one of the largest concentrations of affiliate marketers in history. While I did enjoy some of the workshops, the greatest benefit was from networking with others in the industry. I finally got to meet famous bloggers such as Amit Mehta, John Chow, Andrew Wee and Zac Johnson, just to name a few. All these... Continue Reading

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

I'm in Las Vegas for Affiliate Summit and am looking forward to the a few days of networking and learning. And while I have nothing to say about the conference yet because it hasn't started yet, I do have an experience to share with you. As you know, I enjoy blogging about my customer service experiences... especially the bad experiences. Why do I do this? I place a very high value on customer service and... 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

Tag me once, tag me twice. What the heck. Both Rosalind Gardner and Kris Jones 'tagged' me to create this blog entry. Here goes... Continue Reading

I'm not a negative person. Generally, I've got a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. But the moment I got off the plane in Miami for Affiliate Summit, I felt like I needed a shower. No offense intended to any of my subscribers or friends that live at the tip of Florida, but I found it to be just a notch below absolutely miserable. 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

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

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

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

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

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

I've had the privilege to meet quite a few people in the Internet industry over the past ten years. I've had the pleasure of turning many business associates into dear friends. One such friend whom I am honored to know is Dave Taylor. Dave is one of the brightest, thoughtful individuals I know. And that's on top of being a super nice guy! Dave is also a "go-to" guy when it comes to blogging. In... Continue Reading

I've been in a Las Vegas this week, participating in Affiliate Summit, a conference for Internet merchants and their affiliates. I dragged a couple friends along with me and we're having a great time. Monday night we went to see Blue Man Group at the Luxor Hotel (the big pyramid...) What a fun evening! Continue Reading

I just love this guy. The President is in Chile for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He is entering the cultural center and gets inside the building when he notices a scuffle taking place outside. As it turns out, Chilean security officials had detained one of Bush's Secret Service agents and were not letting him inside. The President went back outside, reached in to the crowd for his agent and pulled him in. End of... Continue Reading