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

It was early September 2010. At over 225 pounds and sporting a size 40 waist, I decided it was time to make a change. After all, at 46-years old, I wasn't getting any younger. In order to hold myself accountable to my desire to get fit and lose weight, I went public with my goals. I wrote about the changes I would be making extensively on this blog. My first entry was posted 9/14/10. By... Continue Reading

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

Facebook can be very frustrating. Early on, I accepted every friend request that came my way. I was being social, right? Shortly after hitting my 5000 friend limit, my account was suspended. After creating a bit of a hullaballoo (don't get to use that word very often), my account was re-activated. Then came pages. Now I had a place to send people who wanted to follow me. The numbers quickly grew. But my Facebook stream... Continue Reading

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

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

"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1 Nothing lasts forever. Change is inevitable. Over the past fifteen or so years I have created dozens of websites, products, services and applications that run the gamut of new media. Content sites, information products, member sites, web-based software, iPhone applications, mobile marketing platforms, entertainment sites and more. During that time I have had some tremendous successes and some... Continue Reading

If you're not regularly reading up on ways to make your online business grow, you should be. And while blogs and ebooks are extremely valuable, don't overlook reading the old-fashioned way: print books. While some in the Internet world might argue that books are out of date the minute they hit the shelves, there is still a lot to be said for exposing yourself to ideas that stood the test of editors and publishers and... 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

In order to be successful online, you have to put yourself out there. Running a business online is a very public endeavor, and it differs from running businesses in the past in that you can't just hide behind your storefront or LLC. These days, people want to know exactly who they're dealing with, and social media marketing works best when there is a face and a name. So you steel yourself and start making your... Continue Reading

You are probably catching on to the fact that I am not promoting many products these days. That's because most products and services coming out are not worth promoting. When you see the proliferation of traffic products, social media products, list building products and all the other rehashed same-old, same-old coming out, I'm sure you'll agree that there aren't many original ideas out there right now. So when I DO have something to share with... Continue Reading

You've heard the old philosophical riddle "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Raising questions about reality, this question has undoubtedly claimed countless hours of debate in the halls of our colleges and universities. I find it relevant today as I make changes in my business and life. As I pull back from my business, I begin to wonder what would happen... Continue Reading

How do you feel about celebrities? Are you in awe when you meet someone that is well-known? Do you get nervous when speaking with them? Do you attribute value to people based on their status? How do you treat those that appear to have achieved the level of status, wealth, fame or power that you may aspire to? 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