As you know, I've been building websites since 1995. I've always been a big fan of creating content-rich sites that bring value to others. That's why I have always spoken against creating spammy sites designed to game the search engines. It's not a good model for building a long-term business. I've sold a number of my sites over the years. In 1998, Yahoo! purchased my multiplayer game site, ClassicGames.com. Today you know it as Yahoo... Continue Reading

Being unhealthy is no fun. I spent many years being obese and not having energy. I had finally had enough. A couple months back I wrote about how I went from 225 pounds to 175 pounds, dropping eight inches off my waist. But people continue to ask me how I lost so much weight. So I decided to shoot a video to review the basics of "The Joel Comm Diet." Continue Reading

Despite what the doomsayers would have you believe, there is plenty of opportunity to conduct business online. However, there is a big difference between trying to make money online and running a business online. The make money online pitch has unfortunately become synonymous with "get rich quick." The mentality is that you simply create a product and make money selling it. That's NOT building a business. That's trying to make a few bucks. Maybe it... Continue Reading

If you are a chronic consumer of information about Internet businesses and making money online, but have yet to do so yourself, this post is for you. What are you waiting for? Lots of people are waiting for that perfect idea, or maybe for a way to find extra time. Here's the thing: no idea is perfect and in the time it just took you to unnecessarily check your email for the fifth time in... Continue Reading

Google does a great job. It's managed to create an advertising system that allows anyone to make money from their website. It's created opportunity, and given it to anyone with patience, a willingness to learn, and entrepreneurial drive. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Dan Nickerson) In preparation for writing this article I thought I would look for a great quote about learning from your mistakes. You know what...that was a mistake, because honestly there are a ton of them online. They all boil down to one basic principle: You can learn far more from your mistakes than from your successes. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen) This article is for three primary audiences. It's for the business owner who does his own programming and development. It's for the business owner who has hired or contracted a developer to work for him. It's for the developer doing the work. I will be discussing the single piece of software that can increase your efficiency more than any other investment. Yes, it is an investment in your business... Continue Reading

Whether or not your online business plans include you writing anything, there is a lot to be said for developing a consistent journaling habit. Many, many people (especially those who have to be creative on a daily basis) attest to the fact that doing a morning "brain dump" of all of your worries, ideas, plans, etc. by writing them down helps to clear you out to do your best work later in the day. This... Continue Reading

There's a lot to be said in this day and age of rabid consumerism for decluttering. There are websites and books galore that will help you declutter your possessions so that you can have a neater, simpler existence and basically get more room and space to breathe in. If you've never tried decluttering your physical possessions, you should give it a try. It can give you more energy, confidence, and free you up to pursue... Continue Reading

Whether you are just starting out in learning the web / mobile app development ropes, or are looking to hire someone to do your development for you, it can be useful to know what basic developer tools there are out there. For the purpose of this article, we define a developer as the following: Someone who writes code for launching a PTA offer, develops an app, or writes software. Developers know the different programming or... Continue Reading

It's Monday morning and I am thinking about what I should write about today. As I ponder the things happening in my life, I consider my options. The new Twitter is coming. But I haven't seen it on my account yet, so that will have to wait. I'm a week into Project Fit, but I'm feeling kind of under the weather today. I've been invited to speak in Asia. It's exciting, but I don't think... Continue Reading

Have you been putting off starting your online business because you can't decide what kind of business to start? If deciding on which direction to take with your online business feels like trying to map the desert, you need to list out some of the more obvious possibilities and then pick one. It's time to get moving. One of the first steps to getting going is to take some time to outline a rough business... Continue Reading

So you've got your website up and running, complete with some key products and ads and maybe even a sales page. So now what, you just sit back and wait for the sales to roll in, right? Well, in your rush to get online, you may have overlooked the importance of a key task that just might be the single most vital thing you do as a marketer: split testing. This, in a nutshell, is... Continue Reading

If you're experiencing a bit of sticker shock when it comes to your software needs, don't fret. Even if you are just getting started, you don't have to drop loads of cash on software right off the bat. Continue Reading