It's been almost THREE years since iFart stunk up the iTunes Appstore. On December 12, 2008, iFart exploded on the scene and the world has not been the same. I was perhaps the first app creator to go public with statistics related to sales and rank shortly after the app came out. iFart has now become a part of pop culture and iPhone history, even worthy of it's own Wikipedia page. Celebrities such as Helena... Continue Reading

According to an article in Mashable, iFart has been dubbed the #12 most popular iPhone app in a new infographic created by three companies specializing in iOS apps. Game-maker Chillingo, app search engine Chomp and app blog 148apps, released this very interesting infographic to celebrate the milestone of Apple having 500,000 apps in their iTunes AppStore. A great feat, indeed! Continue Reading

I remember the first time I encountered an "easy button" at Staples. Push the big red button with the word "easy" printed on it and the family "That was easy" voice was played. I loved it and had to have one. A couple years ago I came up with an idea for another button which I thought would have great appeal to business people around the world. A green button with a dollar sign on... Continue Reading

You've hopefully heard that the point of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook isn't just to amass followers. You could have totally healthy numbers and still not see much of a return in terms of sales or clicks or engaged readers. So if the goal isn't just numbers, what is it? Some of the signposts that you are doing things right: People retweet your tweets. People comment on your blog posts and on other... Continue Reading

On September 1st, 2010, I weighed in at over 225 pounds. I didn't step on the scale often because it wasn't very good news. My energy levels were low. My blood pressure was high. And I was moody. I didn't want to feel that way anymore. I had lost weight in the past, but I wasn't sure I could do it again. After all, I DID balloon back to my previous weight AND put on... Continue Reading

You've made your website, done the SEO, created content that people like and optimized your ad systems. You're getting visitors, those visitors are clicking the ads and your site is finally making some serious revenue. So what do you do now? Continue Reading

Yesterday I scared little children around the world with photos of me at 225 pounds. I did warn you beforehand, so please don't send me your psycho-analysis and therapy bills. For the past three months I have been on The Joel Comm Diet, which is not a diet at all. Instead it combines common sense with a plan that works for me. I am pleased to say that three months later I have lost 35... Continue Reading

Someone recently sent me a link to an information product suggesting I look at their sales letter. It was a typical "make money online" pitch with a well-dressed guy sharing his story of how he went from zero to hero using strategies and methods that he would share with us at the designated price. There was the big house, the pretty girlfriend and the sports car. Ooh. I'm impressed. (Note the touch of sarcasm, please... Continue Reading

Carpe Diem, goes the phrase. Literally translated "Seize the Day" from Latin, I first became familiar with the term from the film Dead Poets Society. While the film had a depressing twist, I am coming to understand more and more the need to take hold of the moments in our lives. It seems like just yesterday that my son was born. I remember changing that first poopie diaper as though the smell still lingers in... Continue Reading

It's not uncommon for marketers to use upsells and downsells in order to gain a new customer and make a sale. Downsells typically offer the same product or some derivative of that product at a discounted price. Upsells will usually come after a sale has been made, and offer extra goods or services for an additional fee. There's nothing wrong with upselling or downselling in theory. But I do believe there are cases where integrity... 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

I've got a confession to make. I am fat. That's not P-H-A-T as in "cool". That's F-A-T as in chunky, large, and overweight. On top of that, I am not physically fit. It's no surprise. As an online entrepreneur who spends a lot of time in front of a computer, I've become sedentary. It's a fairly common story. Once upon a time I was both slim AND physically fit. In fact, you might be surprised... Continue Reading

As online marketers, we put a lot of stock in social networking, and rightfully so. There really is no better way to get the word out about your business, its mission, and your brand and to build valuable relationships that will create opportunities and help your business grow. Or is there? Back in the day, before Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and even Friendster, all they could do was network the old-fashioned way: face-to-face and in person... Continue Reading

I'm not a very good cook, so I tend to eat out a lot. I don't do a lot of fancy dining, but it's not unusual to find me and my family at a national chain or local diner. My experiences as a patron of restaurants has helped clarify what I believe makes a good waiter and what makes a bad waiter. Waiting tables is a difficult job. Hectic kitchens... unruly customers... angry cooks... wrong... Continue Reading