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

Want to know the difference between a successful entrepreneur... and an entrepreneur who wants to be successful? It's really very simple... An entrepreneur acts. An entrepreneur who wants to be successful thinks of acting. But successful entrepreneurs don't just act. They act at the right speed. 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

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

Amazon.com recently reported that they had sold nearly 250,000 Kindle units since the digital book reader launched in November 2007. This beats many analysts estimates and perhaps an indicator of where the book industry is headed. I am excited to announce that several of my books are now available in digital format for Kindle users! Here are the titles you can now enjoy on your Kindle... Continue Reading

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

Dan Nickerson is on vacation, so today I was joined by my friend and joint venture partner, Eric Holmlund. We answered a bunch of questions about Internet marketing and played with our toys. Our sponsor for this week was KeywordExcavator.com Enjoy the show! 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 regularly receive joint venture proposals from people. A small percentage of them have some really good ideas and products, but the majority of them are not good at all. Today I received an email from a couple gentlemen in Australia. I hope the email and my response will be instructive for the recipients and for others as they seek to do joint ventures. Continue Reading

There is a lot of talk about niche marketing strategies. What are the things that smart marketers do to get their site listed high on the search engines? Well, things online have changed dramatically since I got started in 1995. Back then you could register killer domains for a song and be the first kid on the block to have a site established in a major niche. But as the years have passed, certain sites... Continue Reading

I'm glad I broke it. I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't broken it. No, I'm not talking about a vase I won in a church raffle. And I certainly don't mean the world 100 meter sprint record. I didn't break a nail, though I could probably use a good manicure. And I didn't break a vow of silence. I'd have to be silent for more than ten minutes for that to take place... 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'm at Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City, getting ready to make the trek home to Colorado after a week of visiting with family and friends. I've had some time to reflect on the year and would like to take a stroll down memory lane. The year started with a crazy idea. I knew that others had dabbled with the idea of doing an Internet reality show, but no one had really taken the concept... Continue Reading

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

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

I'm not a big sports fan. I used to watch a lot of baseball when I was a kid. And I watched a good bit of football in college. But as an adult, I just haven't made much time for sports. Continue Reading

Cost-per-click advertising, contextual advertising, cost-per-mille advertising, domain name investing, affiliate networks, joint ventures, resell rights, floating ads, banner ads, video ads... It's enough to give anyone a headache. There are so many ways of monetizing a website these days that it can all get a bit overwhelming. How can you tell which ads would best match your content and which system you should be using to squeeze the most out of your pages? Continue Reading

I finally persuaded my mother to buy a video camera to take with her on her adventure travel excursions. She bit the bullet, got a Sony camcorder, and shot some video on her recent visit to Tibet. She has been visiting me this weekend, so I helped her make her first videos and get them uploaded to YouTube. Check out her YouTube Channel here. Continue Reading

If there's one thing I keep saying time and time again, it's that anyone who wants to make lots of money online needs to go to conferences. And every time I say it, I see some people looking back at me with blank faces. I understand. Conferences cost money. If you're just starting out, it can feel like they cost a lot of money. And if you've never been to a business conference before, it... Continue Reading

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

Put a Google search box on your website and you'll give yourself an opportunity to pick up some extra revenue. You'll also give your site a bit of extra functionality by letting users search your old posts. But you'll also be granting yourself a golden opportunity to create some joint ventures that could land you some finely targeted traffic. When you generate the code for the search box, you'll be asked if you want to... Continue Reading

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

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

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

Survivor. The Apprentice. American Idol. We are drawn to reality television like a moth to the flame. We watch... and we watch some more, intrigued by the characters, the challenges and the inevitable prizes. Let's face it. Secretly, many of us wish that we could be a contestant on one of these shows. Now imagine this... Continue Reading

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

There isn't a day goes by that I don't receive at least two or three emails asking me to do a joint venture. Everyone and their mother (and their mother's dog?) has a product, ebook, software, telecourse or some other idea that will make me a zillion dollars. Now don't get me wrong. I am all for people pursuing their dreams and fervently believing in their product. It's just that I can't possibly look at... Continue Reading

Friday the 13th? This is your lucky day! I'm not superstitious, and I believe that this Friday the 13th is going to be a huge winner for you! Why? Because I've just had the opportunity to speak with Brad Fallon of Stomper fame, and he is doing something that is about to rock the Internet marketing world! (And it won't cost you a dime, so breath easy, ok?) 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stop the presses! Jeremy Gislason just sent me an email telling me that the Marketing Main Event 2 is now available for 1000 people. What is the Marketing Main Event? Only the largest collection of membership reseller licences, private label rights, master rights, resell rights, contributed products, instant sales pages and sales links, exclusive joint ventures, special offers, V.R.E. content generators, training and learning zones EVER! Continue Reading

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

I don't travel nearly as much as I would like to. There's just something about visiting foreign lands and new places that is exciting! My mother is the world traveler in the family. Her adventure travel web site is rapidly becoming an incredible resource for those interested in planning their own exotic vacation, as well as those who just enjoy a good travelogue. 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

Whenever I do teleseminars and publicly speak, I tell people that we are entering a new age of the Internet. Internet v1.0 was the beginning of the web. Money was tossed about like confetti as venture capitalist waved millions of Benjamins at anything with a dotcom for a suffix. Then the bubble burst. Enter Internet v2.0. Continue Reading

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

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

I remember receiving an email from someone in early 2005, just after the first edition of my ebook had come out. He asked me if I was interested in doing a "JV". Being mostly ignorant of Internet marketing jargon at the time, I only knew JV to mean Junior Varsity. Since that time, I have found out that JV means Joint Venture. And Joint Venture means MONEY. Continue Reading

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

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

A long time ago in galaxy far, far away, a thirteen-year old boy discovered a new world of action and adventure which had captured his imagination unlike anything before. Star Wars hit the theaters in 1977, and I still remember sitting in the very front row, completely in awe by the images on the screen. I probably saw the film ten times in our local cinema, and waited patiently for George Lucas to churn out... Continue Reading

For the past few years, I have been slowly building a collection which has taken over my closet. Having grown up playing video games, I was there when the first home PC was introduced. I remember the thrill of playing Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as a text adventure. (Incidentally, you can now play online for free. I remember when the first person shooter was born in the form of Wolfenstein 3D. I was there... 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

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

What a busy day! We started out with some breakfast and then a chairlift ride to the top of Keystone mountain. We were fortunate to have good weather this morning and the view from the top was spectacular. Zach and I decided that we would hike down the mountain, figuring it would take us an hour or so to make the 2000 foot, 3-mile descent. As it turned out, it took us 90 minutes and... Continue Reading

We checked out of Beaver Creek around noon today, leisurely packing and enjoying the remainder of our stay. Jenna wanted to try the bungee trampoline, so we let her bounce for a few minutes before we left the resort. I think the height intimidated her, but she had fun. The drive from Beaver Creek to Keystone was less than an hour, but we stopped in Frisco en route to get something to eat. We enjoyed... Continue Reading

I have been wanting to find a new PC game to play, of the massive multiplayer style. I went through my Star Wars Galaxies addiction last year. I played City of Heroes for about 3 weeks recently, before getting bored. And I am having a difficult time finding something new that peaks my interest. I tried the Sim onlines for about 10 minutes when it came out last year. Yawn. I downloaded a free trial... Continue Reading

The Emmy Award-Winning "Amazing Race" has not been victorious in the ratings race. In fact, there was a question of whether or not CBS would bring it back for another season. I am thrilled to announce that they have indeed renewed the show and the premiere of Season 5 is to take place on July 6th. My Tivo will be capturing every moment. Eleven teams of two, bound by some sort of relationship (father/son, best... 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

Any fan of Jerry Seinfeld knows that he loves Superman (no, not in THAT way...) What a treat to find this gem from American Express. The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman Click on the movie reel that says "Uniform" and prepare for classic Jerry. You too will be singing, "Oh, YES! Wyoming" Continue Reading

For your entertainment pleasure, I present five fun sites to liven up your surfing experience... Chicken Shoot - a barnyard blast! Home of the Underdogs - Download old computer games Just Adventure - a dying genre of computer games Yahoo! Games - Look for my face as an avatar in the table games Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - play the original Douglas Adams/Infocom text adventure online Continue Reading

I have been a computer gamer ever since I encountered Space Invaders on my TRS-80 (that REALLY dates me) about 25 years ago. Dozens of computer games are published every year, but only a handful of those I try actually keep my attention for the duration of the game. The last game to do so we Star Wars Galaxies (which has since lost my attention and I am cancelling my account). I had a great... Continue Reading

We left Philadelphia early this morning and jumped on the highway towards Hershey, Pennsylvania. The kids have been looking forward to our visit to Chocolate World for the whole trip, so the anticipation had been building. Hershey's Chocolate World was just plain fun. Pulling into the parking lot gives you the feeling of, "Uh oh, there goes the diet!" The first thing we did was check out the free Chocolate Tour Ride, a Disney-style track... Continue Reading

It was another walk in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers. The city of Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was composed and signed. We can trace much of that which makes America great to the heart of this old city. We started the day by hopping a bus downtown. If I had known how crowded the bus would have been, I think we would have taken a cab. Anyhow, we arrived downtown and... Continue Reading

Here is the big news from the Comm household. As many of you may know, we homeschool our two children, Z and J. One of the subjects the children are learning is American History (without the revisionism perpetrated by the National Education Association). We have decided to take our homeschool on the road in order to give the kids a hands-on experience with our Nation's great heritage. To that end, we are taking a one-month... Continue Reading

One of the best-loved action/adventure series of all time is coming to DVD! George Lucas and Stephen Spielbergs' Indiana Jones Trilogy is due to be released on October 21st. This is Harrison Ford as his absolute best. Action, adventure, romance, Nazis and snakes (why does it always have to be snakes?) It's all there in this four disk special edition. That's right. Each movie gets special treatment with tons of extras, including commentaries, documentaries... Continue Reading

Finally! The third sequel to the best-selling adventure series, Myst, is gearing up for release. Unlike its predecessors, Riven and Exile, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is going to be massively multiplayer online role playing game. The game will have both single-player and multiplayer components, taking place in a a myst-like environment, surrounded by places to explore and puzzles to solve. It is a very ambitious project, to be sure. Continue Reading

Well, I have been playing Star Wars Galaxies for three days now. I can safely say that this stuff is digital crack. Highly addictive and just plain fun. See that strapping young lad above? Yup, that is my alter ego, Mmoc Leoj. Already sharp with a pistol and an up and coming rebel, I have ventured forth on many missions, encountering a good number of beasties and critters. I have met some very nice... Continue Reading

I have finally gone and done it. I have purchased my first Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game for the PC, Star Wars Galaxies, from LucasArts. I have dabbled with the game for a few hours today and have found it to be quite entertaining. I am beginning to see the appeal of this genre. Certainly, there is a fair amount of battling to be done. But most impressive is the interaction with other people simultaneously... 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

We decided that the continental breakfast at the Comfort Inn had a lot to be desired. Fortunately, there was an IHop not far from the hotel. Just can't beat a belgian waffle with lots of butter and syrup! Afterwards, we headed to Leonardo's Adventure Quest, a very cool hands-on science museum and the largest outdoor fort/playground you've ever seen. The kids had a great time and we spent the better part of the day hanging... Continue Reading

After the week I had last week, the icing was put on the proverbial cake yesterday afternoon. I found that I have been paying way too much for my health insurance thanks to my agent at Al Boenker insurance (The link is there so you know to avoid them). He is no longer with the company, but I was ticked just the same. I left the office at 2 pm and came home to find... Continue Reading

Just picking up on this story? You may wish to click here to read so far So Ken and I created The National Software Review (not very pretentious, huh?). Ken did a great job on the design and interface, but I have to laugh in retrospect. We coded a password scheme into the interface so that you would have to email us wih a randomly generated code in order to access the magazine. It was... Continue Reading

Come and listen to a story of boom and bust. A tale of exhuberent highs and devastating lows. A yarn so dramatic, so engaing, so tragic... wait... wrong story. This is about my experience with the Internet and how I rode the wave from the beginning, only to end up here. Ready? Come gather 'round... Part I: I can do that! I have always been a computer freek. Since Radio Shack launched the first TRS-80... Continue Reading