Allow me to introduce you to my nephew, Jordan Benker. I know him as Jordy, and he is a very talented young musician. Why am I writing about Jordan today? Obviously, I care about him and I want to see him succeed. But I've got another angle. This past week I observed something very interesting happening with Jordan while following his Facebook posts. There was a discussion saying that his name trended worldwide on Twitter... Continue Reading

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

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

When was the last time you read a press release? Let's face it. The majority of press releases issued by companies are totally boring and uninteresting. Why is that? Certainly Company X is excited about their new product and they can't wait to tell the world about it. But why should a blogger or media outlet care about Company X's new product or service? Unless your company's name is Apple, odds are you will have... Continue Reading

I have surveyed online business owners a number of times over the years. I have discovered a common thread in the problems that the majority of them are experiencing. 1) They are frustrated with the amount of traffic they get to their websites. Can you identify? 2) They are concerned that their online presence is not generating enough leads and new customers. Does that describe you? 3) They are upset with themselves (or vendors) for... Continue Reading

It's been over two years since Apple approved iFart Mobile for sale in the iTunes appstore. During that time, iFart has become the defacto novelty app. Even after all this time, iFart finds its way into headlines again and again. I recently shared that I am changing my business model. In order to focus on my new efforts, I have decided it is time to sell some of my existing properties. I have already sold... 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

(Written by guest contributor Tim Golen) I'm going to tell you a true story. When I was first hired at Infomedia, I helped develop an online training program that turned into what today is known as The Profit Vault (http://www.theprofitvault.com). It was designed to be a 13-week course that contained all of our company's knowledge about how to set up a website and start earning revenue from it. I was in charge of developing the... Continue Reading

My name is Garrett. I live in a fantasy world that is a cross between a Victorian society and the Middle Ages, with a dose of Steampunk technology tossed in for good measure. You don't see me because I operate out of the shadows. I stealthily make my way in and out of places and across the rooftops of the city, making off with treasure and whatever goods I can find. The only evidence you... Continue Reading

One of the challenges some people face when first striking out on their own in the online business world is the problem of privacy. Especially for those born before, say, 1990, the prospect of putting your entire self online for all the world to see can seem daunting at best and unwise and dangerous at worst. Here are some things to think about to keep things in perspective and help ease you into the idea... Continue Reading

WARNING: What you are about to see may traumatize you. Parents of small children are cautioned from letting their kids see the photos on this page. I will not be held responsible if they have nightmares! As you may know, I have struggled with my weight the bulk of my adult life. (See how I used the word "bulk" in a sentence? I'm a punny guy...) There are two reasons this has been a problem... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joel Ownby) Accepting payment online for your products and services sounds like a pretty simple endeavor, and at a low level it is. Understanding what is happening behind the scenes is an entirely different proposition. Understanding the nuts and bolts of payment processing will grant you the ability to provide better customer service, generate more accurate cash flow and projection data, help you to better understand technical issues involving payment processing... 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