Posted on November 20, 2008 08:00 AM
Online publishing is a business. Like any business it requires work. It requires paying taxes. And it requires investments of cash to keep going.
That last hurdle is the one that many people stumble over.
They think that because the only equipment they need to set up an online publishing business is a computer, that's the only expense they'll ever need to pay.
Wrong.
Continue Reading
Posted on November 17, 2008 08:00 AM
"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
Posted on November 13, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on November 10, 2008 08:00 AM
Every Internet business -- every business of any sort in fact -- starts in the same place.
In the future.
Most entrepreneurs think first of how they want their business to look when it's all set up. They imagine the products prepared, the marketing streams in place and the revenue flowing in while they relax and cash the checks. Continue Reading
Posted on November 6, 2008 08:00 AM
No, this isn't another invitation to a webinar. (There will be another of those along soon, don't worry.)
And it's not about another live video release. (There will be another one of those soon too.)
In fact, it's not about me at all. It's about you. Continue Reading
Posted on November 3, 2008 08:00 AM
There's a huge amount to learn when you set up an online business. You have to know how to build a website, how to bring in traffic, and how to monetize your visitors so that your site gives you an income.
There are plenty of very experienced experts around who can teach people how to do all of those things.
There's one thing though that no one ever has to teach a new business owner. Continue Reading
Posted on October 29, 2008 12:02 PM
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
Posted on October 27, 2008 08:00 AM
Stuck for a blog post?
Fed up writing how-tos and list posts?
Want to write a piece of content that will not only be original, unique and genuinely interesting but which is almost guaranteed to deliver at least one return link from a targeted traffic source?
So try
Continue Reading
Posted on October 23, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on October 16, 2008 08:00 AM
Did you ever walk into one of those old mom-and-pop hardware stores, the sort of place where piles of dusty boxes filled with metal things are stacked from floor to ceiling and nothing's got a label on it? You walk up to the counter, explain what you're trying to do and the store owner nods, starts bringing down boxes and in no time at all finds exactly the widget you were looking for. Those people... Continue Reading
Posted on October 13, 2008 08:00 AM
Become an Internet publisher, and you'll need to learn a whole bunch of new marketing skills. You'll have to unwrap the mysteries of search engine optimization, figure out how to make pay-per-click advertising pay for you and get to grips with "link bait," banners and keywords to name just a few. None of it is really very difficult and all of it can be learned but for anyone just starting out, it will all be... Continue Reading
Posted on October 11, 2008 12:59 AM
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
Posted on October 9, 2008 04:29 PM
Google AdSense. Over the years, I've generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in passive income with this incredible program. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who have no idea what it is all about. The fact is Google takes in $15 billion (that's Billion with a B!) dollars each year in advertising revenue. The best part is that they are sharing a portion of that revenue to people like you and... Continue Reading
Posted on October 8, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on October 6, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on October 2, 2008 08:00 AM
There are two reasons that people will visit your website.
They'll visit to read great content. And they'll visit to feel part of a community.
There's one way in which you can add valuable content to your site, get that content for free and build up your community at the same time.
By receiving comments.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 29, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on September 25, 2008 08:00 AM
This is a hugely exciting time to be an online publisher. It used to be the case that if you wanted to earn from ads on your website, there was only one thing to do.
You signed up to AdSense, pasted in the code, optimized the units and brought in traffic while following your stats.
You still have to do that.
But these days that's just the beginning.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 24, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on September 22, 2008 08:00 AM
I'm amazed that there are people out there -- somewhere -- who aren't making money from AdSense. It's not as though you need a doctorate in computer studies and a professorship in literature. You just need a website and an AdSense account.
And ever since blogging came along, the website bit has been a breeze. It takes all of about five minutes to sign up on Blogger and it's a perfect match for AdSense.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 21, 2008 02:00 AM
Click Here to Order continues to sell very well and is showing up in more and more stores.
I'd love to hear your CHTO Sitings if you spot it in your city or town.
However, thanks to my friend Michael Copeland, I've discovered a way that you can read my new book for free and get some extra bonus material along the way!
How can that be? Continue Reading
Posted on September 16, 2008 08:00 AM
It's probably the most important decision you can make as a publisher...
What are you going to create a website about?
So much depends on your choice:
The value of your ads.
The pleasure you get out of writing your content.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 15, 2008 08:00 AM
There are easy ways of bringing traffic to your website, and there are hard ways. Most people focus on the hard ways. They spend hours playing around with their keywords and their Search Engine Optimization. They spend vast sums on AdWords and other forms of advertising. And they send out email after email in an attempt to swap links and create exchanges. That's fair enough. It's all part of the job of being an online... Continue Reading
Posted on September 12, 2008 08:00 AM
I've got no idea how many blog posts, articles and pages of content I've written for the Internet. I've been doing it for years, so if you're wondering if there are ever times when I sit in front of the computer and wonder what I can write about today, the answer is...
Yes.
Continue Reading
Posted on September 11, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on September 9, 2008 08:00 AM
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
Posted on September 8, 2008 09:16 AM
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
Posted on September 4, 2008 03:46 PM
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
Posted on September 2, 2008 10:42 PM
What a fantastic book launch day!
My book, Click Here to Order, took Amazon.com by storm on Tuesday, September 2nd, moving up the charts at record pace!
As of this writing, the book has taken #1 in several categories, including Movers & Shakers, Web Marketing and Ecommerce.
The book is currently sitting at #18 of ALL books available on Amazon.com! Continue Reading
Posted on August 13, 2008 01:31 PM
I was joined today by my friend, Nathan Anderson.
Nathan is famous for developing MetaWebs.com and is now the owner of SEO Club.
Rule #1 of SEO Club? Don't talk about what you learn in SEO Club!
On today's program we discussed search engine optimization, answered questions and had a great time.
Check out the episode below! Continue Reading
Posted on July 27, 2008 10:34 PM
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
Posted on July 23, 2008 01:57 PM
Dave Taylor has one of the most popular question & answer sites on the web. His Ask Dave Taylor site welcomes thousands of visitors every day.
Dave joins me for a fun session where we discuss blogging, social networking, flying monkeys, a top ten list and unexpected technical difficulties.
You'll want to watch both parts to get the whole picture.
Enjoy! Continue Reading
Posted on July 20, 2008 12:21 PM
Twitter is one of the web's leading innovative sites. People are just discovering new ways to interact with others, build relationships, share ideas AND market themselves and their products/services online. I've put together a 30-page report that will give you an overview of Twitter and how you can use it to help accomplish your goals. Things are changing VERY quickly online, so forgive me if some of the material is dated by next month! What's... Continue Reading
Posted on July 10, 2008 12:03 AM
It's another wonderful day in Northern Colorado, and Dan Nickerson and I have placed another episode of "Joel Comm LIVE!" in the can.
Did you miss the show?
There's a visit from Rich Schefren (virtually speaking), a new Top Ten list, Q&A and Flying Monkey Time.
Enjoy the show? Continue Reading
Posted on July 6, 2008 09:11 AM
Thor Schrock is catching a lot of heat over his online reality program, The Top Affiliate Challenge. I remember when Thor first told me about his idea for the show. I encouraged him to do it, but I warned him that it would take a miracle to pull off a quality show on a daily basis. When Eric and I produced The Next Internet Millionaire, we filmed for two weeks straight and had a two-week... Continue Reading
Posted on July 4, 2008 10:29 AM
What is hype?
From dictionary.com, one definition is "exaggerated publicity"
For example...
"The amazing super-duper fantasmagorical stapler can save thousands of dollars each year in lost time and help you lose 30 pounds in three minutes!"
Ok, that IS over-the-top hype.
What about where Internet marketing products are concerned?
Is there hype?
Continue Reading
Posted on July 1, 2008 04:26 PM
You know that I am a huge fan of creating online video. We are most definitely a visual people and video is the natural way to communicate your message on the web, especially since broadband is now widely accepted. My friend, Jim Kukral, is quickly becoming an expert in video blogging. He does a video series called "The Daily Flip", filmed entirely with his Flip Video camera. I recently heard from him and he has... Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2008 12:47 AM
Have you ever wondered what people did BEFORE they become Internet marketers? It's pretty cool to see that the greatest success stories are people just like you and me. I will tell you this about me. I used to be a DJ. Yup, I worked in the nightclubs to begin with, but then the entrepreneur in me discovered that there was more money to be made in playing music at private events. So I started... Continue Reading
Posted on June 17, 2008 08:20 AM
Question: What is the one of the biggest obstacles that people have to creating an online business?
Answer: Building a web site!
I have a confession to make.
I am NOT an expert at building websites.
In fact, I hire out all website design and creation. I am just not good at it.
But what if you can't afford to pay someone to do it? Continue Reading
Posted on April 16, 2008 09:43 PM
On January 30, 2005, website owners all over the world rushed to pick up a copy of Google AdSense Secrets. It was the first edition of the ebook that has now become the definitive guide to making money with AdSense. That summer, I released a second updated version of AdSense Secrets. In March 2006, the much-demanded third edition hit the virtual newstand. Checking in at 199 pages, it is the bible of the industry and... Continue Reading
Posted on April 13, 2008 11:04 PM
Shopzilla is one of the largest online shopping sites. You've probably used them before for their price comparison tool. Recently, Shopzilla has been beta-testing a contextual ad program that would allow site publishers to place Shopzilla ads on their pages and get paid every time someone clicked on an ad, in the same vein as AdSense. I'm impressed with their program and I decided to research them further. My research led me to write a... Continue Reading
Posted on April 9, 2008 01:23 PM
One of the most common questions I get asked is how did I get started online? It's time to tell my story! This series will feature the highlights of my online experience, as well as some of the things I learned along the way. Part 1 goes back to the VERY beginning. How exactly DID I get started in creating a website? It probably happened differently than you might imagine! I hope you enjoy this... Continue Reading
Posted on April 9, 2008 12:58 AM
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
Posted on April 3, 2008 01:19 PM
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
Posted on March 27, 2008 10:43 AM
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
Posted on March 26, 2008 12:32 AM
I was at a conference recently and someone asked me if I had anything in the works.
I had to laugh.
Ha!
When I think about how many projects we've got in the works, I can't help but laugh!
Seriously, me and my team are projectaholics. We just love creating and coming up with new stuff that people will like. Continue Reading
Posted on March 25, 2008 12:00 AM
I love to experiment with technology. And on Wednesday at 1 pm EST, I am going to give you an opportunity to experiment right along with me! You've participated in teleseminars... And you've participated in webinars... But now I invite you to join me for the very first "Joel Comm LIVE!" TV show streaming direct to you over the web! During this one-hour program, I will be answering questions from viewers in real time. Simply... Continue Reading
Posted on March 16, 2008 05:50 AM
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
Posted on March 12, 2008 02:54 AM
I try to be very transparent about the ways I make money on the web. It's really no secret and I've nothing to lose by sharing this information with you. I don't like to hold back as that doesn't contribute to your success at all. So I'm about to reveal one of my biggest secrets for profiting online. Ok, it's really more along the lines of "incredibly obvious", but I'm amazed at how many people... Continue Reading
Posted on March 11, 2008 12:15 PM
Google is a behemoth that continues to swallow everything in its path.
Back in April 2007, Google offered Doubleclick over $3 BILLION to buy them out.
Today the transaction is complete...
I received this email from Kim Malone at Google today... Continue Reading
Posted on March 10, 2008 01:32 AM
I'm about to share a hard truth with you.
I hope you are sitting down, cause here we go...
Most of the people reading this newsletter will never make money online.
Ouch.
Sure, read it again. You heard me right.
Now before you go questioning me, calling me insensitive or flat out cursing me out, let me say this...
Continue Reading
Posted on March 6, 2008 12:02 PM
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
Posted on March 4, 2008 03:58 AM
Do you ever go to Google to search for your name?
A search for David results in 719,000,000 web pages. Zoiks!
A search for Brenda presents 31,500,000 results.
And search for Fred will get you 120,000,000 results, including a stock chart for Fred's, Inc, whoever that is.
Last year, I Googled my name to see where I came up in the results. Continue Reading
Posted on March 2, 2008 08:11 PM
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
Posted on March 1, 2008 02:52 AM
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
Posted on February 29, 2008 12:57 AM
You can have a great idea for a web site. And developing the site can be a very rewarding experience. But without one thing, it doesn't matter how nice your site is... That thing is traffic. Traffic is really the "life blood" of our business. Without traffic you can't make sales, you can't generate affiliate commissions, you can't build a list... (you get the picture). So today I want to focus on traffic, and tell... Continue Reading
Posted on February 25, 2008 05:54 PM
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
Posted on February 23, 2008 12:47 AM
What are people talking about when they talk about RSS feeds? Let me make it simple. In fact, let me make it REAL simple. RSS stands for "really simple syndication". Basically, it is a format for distributing and gathering content from various sources across the web. This can include newspapers, magazines and ablogs. Using something called a "news reader", you can monitor headlines and summaries from many of your favorite sources without having to go... Continue Reading
Posted on February 21, 2008 12:33 AM
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
Posted on February 20, 2008 01:54 AM
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
Posted on February 19, 2008 04:16 PM
The Pink Floyd classic album, Dark Side of the Moon, is though to be the greatest rock album of all time. I might support that assertion. If you listen all the way to the end of the album, Roger Waters says, "There is no dark side of the moon. Actually, it's all dark." I know, it's profound. Still, the album is an absolute classic and one for every music-lover's collection. And speaking of the moon... Continue Reading
Posted on February 18, 2008 12:28 AM
Last week, I sat down in my office with several members of my team and we began doing a brain dump of all the great ideas for sites, services and products that we had. We filled my fairly-large whiteboard in no time at all. The fact of the matter is that we have more ideas than we have time or manpower to accomplish! But ideas are not exactly in short supply, are they? There are... Continue Reading
Posted on February 15, 2008 12:53 AM
My new blog has been up for over 24 hours now, and the verdict is in!
Visitors to this site overwhelmingly approve of the look and feel of the new JoelComm.com.
In fact, many people are asking me questions as they want to know how I put this new site together.
Well, I've got nothing to hide and I will tell all... Continue Reading
Posted on February 5, 2008 12:17 AM
I'm a big fan of Amazon.com. I spend far too much money there but they also give me a fair bit of money too through book sales and affiliate links. I think they've done a fantastic job of selling products online and helping website publishers earn from their content. They might be the Walmart of Internet retailing, but they're definitely not the Apple of whiz-bang gadgetry. Their new Kindle book-reading machine is a great idea... Continue Reading
Posted on January 31, 2008 12:07 AM
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
Posted on January 29, 2008 11:05 AM
Psst... want to know a way to get tons of free users to your website instantly? And when I say tons, I mean the sort of numbers that will crash your servers, send your page views spiking through the roof and make you dizzy when you look at your AdSense stats. Here's how to do it... Just get your Web page on the front page of Digg.com. I didn't say it was an easy way... Continue Reading
Posted on January 28, 2008 09:29 AM
I wish I had thought of this.
It's so simple, yet it's brilliant.
If you are like me, you own a few domains.
Ok, you may own a LOT of domains.
I own approximately 400 domain names.
The problem is that most of the those domains do not have a web site on them.
They are "parked" pages. Continue Reading
Posted on January 25, 2008 05:46 AM
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
Posted on January 24, 2008 11:23 AM
"Get Google Pay-Per-Click Ads for Free" was the title on the report that promised an amazing way to advertise on Google AdWords without having clicks ding your wallet.
This ebook was #1 on Clickbank's Marketing & Ads category, so curiousity got the best of me and I paid $97 to see what it was all about.
Want my honest assessment? Read on... Continue Reading
Posted on January 17, 2008 12:48 AM
Blogging is a huge opportunity... and a lot of people are missing out. They're missing out for one reason. They don't believe they can write. They might have slept through their English classes at school. They don't know what a semi-colon is for. And since entering the workforce, they might never have had to write anything longer than a grocery list. And now I'm telling them that they can make their living -- and more... Continue Reading
Posted on January 2, 2008 11:51 AM
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
Posted on January 1, 2008 11:15 AM
Happy New Year! It's officially 2008, and you know what that means. It means I'll probably mess up a bunch of checks by writing 2007 as I get used to the idea of the new number! But it also means the holidays are over. Time to get back to work. It's a good thing I enjoy my work! How about you? Maybe you've bought revenue-generating training material and software but you aren't using it. Is... Continue Reading
Posted on December 29, 2007 07:05 AM
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
Posted on December 3, 2007 12:12 AM
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
Posted on November 29, 2007 10:13 AM
It's a sad moment, but it was easy to see coming.
Google has now officially killed off site targeting.
The function that allows advertisers to choose to advertise directly on your Web pages still exists. But now it's called "placement targeting."
There are two differences. Continue Reading
Posted on November 22, 2007 08:55 PM
I don't know about you, but I am still stuffed from the Thanksgiving meal!
Anyhow, today is Black Friday. It's not a holiday, but with all the crazy shopping, you would think it is.
You know how I always talk about building sites that interest you?
Well, back in 1999 I was big into saving money online with coupon codes. Continue Reading
Posted on November 21, 2007 05:11 PM
The finale of "The Next Internet Millionaire" reality show is now online...
... and we have a winner!
Charles Trippy and Jaime Luchuck are the two finalists in the world's first competitive Internet reality show, vying for a $25,000 cash prize and the title "The Next Internet Millionaire."
Who won? Continue Reading
Posted on November 19, 2007 12:40 PM
When I was at Blogworld last week, I came upon the booth of a company called "Entrecard." Their display caught my attention and I introduced myself to the CEO, Graham Langdom. To my surprise, Graham is also the creator of The Million Dollar Wiki. The reason I was surprised is that I had become familiar with that site the week before and had purchased a few pages on the site! Anyhow, knowing how innovative Graham... Continue Reading
Posted on November 12, 2007 10:55 AM
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
Posted on November 8, 2007 10:13 AM
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
Posted on November 1, 2007 11:57 AM
It's not always easy thinking up something to write about. However frequently (or otherwise) you update your site, you have to think of a topic, decide whether your users will find it interesting, estimate whether it will bring in ad clicks and turn it into content. Often, that's not a problem. You might be bursting with things you want to say. Sometimes though, you'll be left scratching your head and wondering what on earth you... Continue Reading
Posted on October 25, 2007 12:13 AM
The blogging world is cursing the big "G" and scratching their heads as their Google pagerank has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Not unlike a stock market tumble, this change caught everyone off guard and has left many bloggers and content-based sites wondering what they did wrong. The pagerank algorithm has been a supposed indicator of the authority and value that Google has placed on a web page. On a scale of zero... Continue Reading
Posted on October 24, 2007 12:34 AM
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
Posted on October 16, 2007 12:21 AM
I use Google Alerts to let me know when someone is writing about me or one of my web sites. It's a great way to keep tabs on you or your brand. Anyhow, I got an alert today and discovered that one of my AdSenseChat.com members had written a blog entry about me. It's always interesting to see what other people think. It's actually pretty amazing to hear another perspective, especially from people who don't... Continue Reading
Posted on October 15, 2007 09:11 AM
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
Posted on October 9, 2007 01:46 PM
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
Posted on October 5, 2007 08:05 AM
I recommend a lot of products to people, and sometimes I get emails from readers complaining that they can't possibly buy everything I recommend. I don't expect you to. Not all of the products I recommend suit everyone. All of them though will help someone. If you decide not to buy a product I recommend, that's fine. Just make sure that you're not turning down something that could genuinely help your site to grow and... Continue Reading
Posted on September 19, 2007 06:49 AM
It's one thing to have consenting adults eat worms on a reality show.
It's a totally different story when children are being exploited for entertainment.
And that is exactly what is taking place with Kid Nation, CBS television's much-hyped reality show. Continue Reading
Posted on September 4, 2007 04:05 PM
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
Posted on September 1, 2007 12:34 AM
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
Posted on August 17, 2007 03:01 PM
1990 - Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web
1993 - The Mosaic web browser is released... The Internet is on the rise
2000 - Survivor is on television and the reality tv crave begins
2002 - American Idol hits the airwaves and reality programming numbers surge
2005 - YouTube launches and eventually is purchased by Google for $1.65 Billion
and now... Continue Reading
Posted on August 9, 2007 02:11 AM
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
Posted on August 8, 2007 02:10 AM
Did you miss it?
A couple weeks ago, I did an exclusive webinar with one of the world's most traveled women.
She is a grandmother who has been in almost every country and knows how to travel on a budget.
She has camped at the base of Mt. Everest, rode camels through the desert, interacted with the gorillas of Africa and gotten lost in Siberia. Continue Reading
Posted on August 7, 2007 03:07 PM
It's history in the making...
... and you will be able to say that you were there!
For several months, I have told you I was very serious about producing the world's first competitive Internet reality show.
Sure, there were those who questioned what this would actually be. Continue Reading
Posted on July 27, 2007 12:28 AM
You knew it would happen...
Corporate America is making its way into the Internet Marketing community. This industry is growing up!
The doors just opened on a partnership between three Fortune-100 internet corporations and a software tool for online success.
The new software is called Rip2it, the brainchild of Sean Roach and Nathan Anderson and the company's corporate partners.
Continue Reading
Posted on July 23, 2007 12:26 AM
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
Posted on July 20, 2007 01:20 AM
OK, you know that I love AdSense... it's a great way to build a business.
But if you've been watching me, you know that I like all kinds of different online businesses.
And one type of website that has COMPLETELY transformed MY business is membership sites.
Or another fancy term for this is "continuity programs". Continue Reading
Posted on July 18, 2007 08:59 AM
Bada-bing bada-boom.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Yeah, probably not.
But it seems like everyone is talking like a New York mafia thug in all the emails I have been receiving about The Site Stealer.
It's all in good fun, of course...
... but it's fun with a purpose. Continue Reading
Posted on July 15, 2007 06:16 PM
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
Posted on July 13, 2007 10:34 AM
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
Posted on July 2, 2007 01:07 AM
I've got some. In fact, I've got a few.
They've helped me get to where I am today, and they keeping me moving forward all the time too.
Know what I'm talking about yet?
Role-models.
Continue Reading
Posted on June 28, 2007 12:00 AM
Recently, I told you that I was pulling out of the Bookwise program. It looked like a good opportunity -- it still does look like a good opportunity -- but when they objected to the domain name I was using to profit from it, I decided to leave. One door closes... and another one opens. I've been playing around with AuctionAds, and I have to say, I've been very impressed. AuctionAds lets you put eBay... Continue Reading
Posted on June 27, 2007 12:40 AM
A couple months ago, I shared the Bookwise opportunity with you. It appeared to be a solid MLM with potential.
I've seen some people jump on board this, but the past few weeks I've been skeptical that they could really make it work.
I've been using the domain BookWiseProfits.com to build my BookWise business.... until today. Continue Reading
Posted on June 25, 2007 12:09 AM
I wish I could tell you that becoming a successful AdSense publisher is easy. I wish I could tell you that all you need to do is sign up to AdSense and hey presto... at the end of the week, you'll be lighting your barbeque with hundred dollar bills and using fine china dishes as Frisbees.
But it doesn't work that way.
Optimizing your AdSense units is hard work. And it's work that never ends. Continue Reading
Posted on June 22, 2007 12:30 AM
Let's play a game...
Simon says start your own website.
Simon says sign up for Google AdWords.
Start building your list.
Hey, I didn't say "Simon says!" Continue Reading
Posted on June 21, 2007 12:10 AM
How long is a piece of st