I recently wrote a few articles that created quite a bit of response from my readers. Where is the Integrity in Internet Marketing? challenged many of the all-too-common tactics used by unscrupulous marketers. I invited my readers to share their thoughts and experiences related to these issues, and the comments that followed were both insightful and instructional. Let's face it. When it comes to selling a product or service, marketing approaches are all over the... Continue Reading

If you've been using AdSense for Search, you'll know that last year, Google shut it down. If you wanted to continue to offer your users a search function -- and earn revenue from ad clicks when those users conducted their searches -- you needed to use Google's Custom Search Engine and attach it to your AdSense account. Continue Reading

I recently enjoyed a meal with my daughter at Hu Hot Mongolian Grill in Fort Collins. It's our favorite place to enjoy build-your-own stir fry. Very tasty. As we were leaving the table, I heard my name called out. "Joel"... I turned around to a gentlemen looking at me. I didn't recognize him so I am scanning the recesses of my brain very rapidly to try to recall where I know him from. As it... Continue Reading

No firm has done more to enable the monetization of the Internet than Google. Its AdSense system has gone through a lot of changes since it launched in 2003, but it's still the backbone of my online business, the channel around which much of my content is built. Continue Reading

If you have been following this blog for any time, you probably know that it is not like other blogs. I don't have a template or formula for this blog. It is mine and I use it however I want. When I started blogging in 2003, my first entries were about my dog, my family and my travels. I blogged about my political views, current events and films I had recently seen. Then it happened... Continue Reading

It's not always easy to put yourself out there and develop the online presence that is going to be so essential for the success of your business. If exposing yourself and your ideas to the unwashed Internet masses sounds like a nightmare of privacy concerns and defenselessness, you are definitely not alone. But, counter-intuitive as this may sound, in the end it doesn't have to be about you. Instead of hiding behind your fear, start... Continue Reading

It's been terribly dry in Northern Colorado. I can't remember the last time we had a substantial rain. Last week, the big news was the fire in Boulder County that claimed over 600 acres of land and at least 92 homes (nine of them belonging to firefighters.) Fortunately, no one was injured. As we were leaving church Sunday morning, it was impossible to miss smoke rising due west of our town, Loveland. It did not... Continue Reading

Traffic and conversions are the bread and butter of our industry, but if you aren't willing to spend at least a few hours each week generating traffic, your bread is going to be really dry. Continue Reading

Now that you have your phpBB forum installed on your website, we're going to set everything up. To access the admin panel for your new forum, you need to log in and then click on the Administration Control Panel link found at the bottom of the page. Note: This link will only appear if you are logged in. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Dan Nickerson) If you asked someone off the street (let's call him Joe Internet) what it costs to start an online business, chances are he would say hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars. Those with basic Internet knowledge probably realize it's not that expensive, and most online marketers know you can get started for free. All you need is a Blogger account, AdSense, and the ability to write articles. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Andrew Albritton) No, it doesn't have anything to do with armed agents kicking down doors. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, and doing a SWOT analysis on your business is an essential step in the process of branding and marketing your product or service. It also helps you come up with business strategies. SWOT analyses help you to identify and capitalize on your strengths, and they can help... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Sarah Jane Griesemer) Having an idea, product, video, or marketing plan go viral is something of a holy grail for online marketers. Sure, everyone wants it to happen to them, but how do you do it? What is the magic formula for a successful viral marketing campaign? The answer, unfortunately, is that there isn't one. You know a good viral campaign when you see one, and since by its very definition... Continue Reading

Where Are You Now? Location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and BlockChalk are all the rage these days, possibly because they're still so new, but probably also because they offer users the ability to turn their mobile phone addictions into something that can have very tangible real-world benefits in terms of building and maintaining relationships. And while a lot of the attention has been on how these services can facilitate impromptu run-ins with your friends, there... Continue Reading

We knew it would happen. It always happens. Not long after Twitter's popularity hit the stratosphere, the spammers began swarming. Now direct messages boxes are packed with Mafia invitations, follower lists have been infiltrated by pornbots, and I had to put up with dozens of impostors trading on my name before my verified account was able to show who's really me. Whenever something gets big and successful on the Internet, you can bet that there... Continue Reading