Winning today’s Battle for Business Survival

The Mission Plan: Battlefield Strategies for Crisis Management The bottom line in business these days has become both simpler and more challenging: all businesses globally are in, or will soon be in, a state of financial crisis. Destructive forces not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930’s have ravaged our economy. Small businesses, those with fewer than five hundred employees, not only employ about half of all U.S. workers; they comprise 99.7 percent of all employer firms, according to the Small Business Administration—some 27 million businesses. Today, a great number of those businesses find themselves in a fast changing, brutally challenging, and dangerous Darwinian struggle for survival. You need to be almost compulsively vigilant over your own cash flow and operating costs; you can’t trust people’s credit anymore. You have to be aware of the changing character of your customer, a long-reliable ally in business who now may be having problems with loans and other obligations. Listen carefully and you might pick that up. That’s why I cannot overstate in this manual the importance of what I call CCC—constant customer communication. The need for a practical, thorough survival guidebook is greater than at any time I can recall in more than 25 years of experience. In my CPA and consulting practice at my accounting firm of Nelson, Mayoka & Company, I’ve done audits and tax planning for corporations, partnerships, and individuals; worked on numerous mergers & acquisitions and IPO’s; done international tax planning for multi-billion-dollar Japanese firms listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange; served as an expert witness in court; provided CFO functions for large public and private firms. Over the years, I have worked closely on tax, audit, fraud, corporate governance, and strategic planning with businesses across an entire spectrum of sectors—from the low-voltage industry to banks. That’s one key reason why I’ve created The Essential Financial Crisis Planning Manual: Winning Today’s Battle for Business Survival. A financial mission plan requires strategic analysis of your business’s focus, direction, and short-term goals. It must be fluid, dynamic and it must embrace a commitment to change. Do the means always justify the ends? Not necessarily. This isn’t a manual about business ethics, but about above-board crisis management. It’s about being strict and maintaining sharp focus as you fight to stay in the game. Make no mistake: you don’t need to drill down too deeply to realize that the target audience for a crisis-survival manual is, virtually, all small businesses. Their owners are the people who need and want this information the most right now. The crisis management strategies presented here could just as readily apply to plumbers and sheetrock installers as they could to executives I’ve worked with in defense contracting and the garment center. My approach to crisis analysis and optimizing solutions has for years been my passion, my calling, if you will. I decided to put pen to paper and get down to the brass tacks and help business owners do the problem-solving they need to do now to keep their doors open. We’re talking about survival. Mark Mayoka, is a C.P.A. with over 25 years of diverse Strategic Business experience.He has just recently published the Financial Crisis Planning manual for the Low Voltage Industry, which has received brilliant reviews and is helping 100’s of businesses. Mark is expected to complete a manual for all small owners please visit - http://www.businesscrisismanagementgroup.com
About The Author
Mark Mayoka, is a C.P.A. with over 25 years of diverse Strategic Business experience.He has just recently published the Financial Crisis Planning manual for the Low Voltage Industry, which has received brilliant reviews and is helping 100’s of businesses. Mark is expected to complete a manual for all small owners please visit - http://www.businesscrisismanagementgroup.com

AdShip: New Parcel Alternative Offers Unparalleled Opportunities for Shippers and Advertisers

For the money-conscious individual, finding new ways to earn money will always be welcome. So wouldn’t it be nice to earn money from something that you were planning on doing already? Like shipping a package? This week marks the initial launch of AdShip (http://www.AdShip.com), a shipping alternative that combines two seemingly unlikely, yet complementary concepts: shipping with advertising. The forward-thinking ideas presented by AdShip offer myriad benefits to multiple markets. AdShip works by first offering advertisers of any size the chance to create or upload advertisements that will then be sent directly to the advertiser’s pre-designated industry and demographic. Then, individual shippers experience substantial savings by selecting an advert from the AdShip website, printing it out during the process of printing their label, and including that advert in their shipment. Package pick-up can be arranged online, or the shipper can conveniently drop it off at major carrier locations like FedEx, UPS, or USPS. The shipper saves money while the advertiser gets several sets of directly trackable exposures both through package insert inclusion of the advertisement and through online tracking and confirmation e-mails. On a grander scale, AdShip also offers benefits to volume shippers, like e-commerce websites, by matching these companies up with mutually beneficial advertisers. For instance, a health product website could open up an additional stream of revenue by being linked up with the advertisements from a vitamin or supplement company through AdShip. These AdShip-facilitated relationships benefit both parties since shippers can now receive a dollar value for every parcel shipped, while advertisers receive a minimum of three instances of exposure to a pre-designated targeted audience. Both parties win. Both parties save. “AdShip is a revolutionary idea, both for consumers and advertisers. Never before has a shipping alternative of this sort been offered, and we have put a world of work into perfecting all that goes into it,” said Patrick Blanchet, Founder and CEO for AdShip. “By offering the benefits of Pay-Per-Ship advertising, AdShip guarantees multiple amounts of directly trackable and tangible exposures for the advertisers, unlike online advertising which can easily be subject to click fraud. With advertisers always looking to stay on the current beat, AdShip can fill this niche by offering this brand new service,” he said. Regardless of whether you are an individual consumer, a large corporate account, or a brand looking to circulate a message, anyone with the desire to save in this new and efficient way can sign up and start reaping the benefits of AdShip. Senders also have the option to receive their discounts immediately, or to compile their rewards into bulk reimbursement checks

The Next MySpace?

When some Webmasters set out to build their websites, they have a lot of big ideas.
They want forums, profiles, user interactivity and all the Web 2.0 features that make a website look cool and fun to visit.
Nothing wrong with having goals to build the baddest site on the planet, but it’s important to think realistically and put things into perspective.
Unless you are a skilled programmer, have a good understanding of Net marketing and possess a ton of money for promotions, then I would not suggest that a new Webmaster begin by creating an interactive Website that targets a large audience.
You can’t assume that if you build it, they will come. You have to know how to bring people to you.
And unfortunately, the average new Webmaster doesn’t know much about building traffic.
Getting ranked high in Google, having the top article on digg.com and getting thousands of visitors per day doesn’t happen just because you’ve launched a “cool” site.
Internet Marketing is a complex subject, and it’s getting more complex as the Net matures.
Start small. Target a small group of people by providing valuable information they would find interesting. Then as your site gains popularity, look into launching forums and other user interactive tools to support your audience.
Here’s an Example…
Say you love video games. While I know it would be cool to create the Net’s largest video game networking site, you have to take this in small steps.
1) Start by focusing on one video game niche (Role Playing, for example.) Build a simple site that offers reviews and the latest news on games in this niche.
2) Learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization) and start generating traffic from people searching for these games. Your reviews are important because that content will help the search engines find your site.
3) Once you start building an audience, install a forum or a simple chat room to get your visitors talking.
4) As your audience grows, now it’s time to think about expanding and developing more advanced applications where your visitors can interact on new levels.
Useful content builds traffic, not Web applications (unless you have deep pockets for advertising.) So you might as well start out small, learn the basics of free SEO and then launch your fancy website when you have the traffic to support it.
Nothing worse than learning how to build a complex, MySpace-like site (or paying a programmer big dollars to do it) and your site goes virtually unnoticed.

Creating RSS Feeds for Your Website

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or it's sometimes referred to as Rich Site Summary. It's an XML-based content format for distributing news, headlines, content, etc. Most popular sites provide RSS feeds these days... especially news-related sites.
All you need is a feed reader and you can download the feeds from any site that offers the feeds.
Feed readers come in all shapes and sizes these days. Firefox has one built in to the browser, Google, Yahoo and Live all have a way for you to collect your favorite feeds - so the choice is up to you. BlogExpress was the first one I ever used.
You can also create feeds for your own website so your audience can subscribe to them. If done right, you can drive more traffic to your site on a regular basis.
Advantages of Creating RSS Feeds
More Traffic
For webmasters this is an excellent way to bring repeat traffic to your site. Think about it....every time a web surfer opens their RSS reader to get the headlines for all the sites they monitor, they'll also see your site's updates.
Instead of relying on them to bookmark your site and return at a later date, their RSS reader keeps your site fresh in their minds.
So when they open their reader to check the headlines for CNN, Yahoo or any other feeds they subscribe to, they'll also get the latest updates from you!
Avoid Email Spam Filters
Many webmasters are now dumping their newsletters and switching to this method of content distribution because you don't have to worry about dodging the spam filters.
I don't think that RSS will completely replace email newsletters, but I can see them definitely being used as an alternative more and more.
When you send an email newsletter more than 40-50% of the people won't even receive it due to spam filters or because of the fact it gets lost in all the junk mail your subscribers receive.
With RSS feeds, you don't have to worry about that because you're not sending an email, your simply sending out a news feed for all the readers to pick up.
Export Your RSS Feed
The cool thing about these feeds is that other people can use them as content on their site. So if you have a feed that is of particular interest to another webmaster, they can post your content on their site with a simple javascript code. This is another great traffic opportunity!
How to Create an RSS Feed
First you need to build your feeds. I would suggest using some type of software unless you like writing XML by hand. (Yuck!)
I use http://www.feedforall.com/. They have an easy-to-use feed builder that lets you create and manage all your feeds in one place.
Then once you've created your feed you have to upload the XML file to your web server. FeedForAll.com will automatically convert your feed into the XML format so you don't need to worry about additional formatting or coding.
The URL will be something like http://www.yoursite.com/yourfeed.xml. This is the link to your RSS/XML feed, and the one you'll be advertising so people can subscribe.
So any time you add a new article to your feed, that XML file is updated.
FeedForAll also has a built-in upload feature so you can upload the XML file right to your web server with their software, assuming your web host has FTP access.
Use a Blog Instead
If you don't want to buy extra software to create your RSS feed, there is another way to create one for free.
You can create a free blog at Blogger.com and the RSS feed URL is automatically generated for you. This is the easiest way to go. So every time you post to your blog, the feed is updated instantly.
WordPress is another site that offers a free blog equipped with and RSS feeds. Read about creating your own blog here.
Announcing Your Feeds on Your Website
One of the easiest ways to announce your feed on your site is to use FeedBurner.com. They provide a redirect URL (address) for your feed that your audience subscribes to.
The benefit is that if you move your blog and your RSS feed URL changes, you don't have to worry about losing your subscribers because the redirect URL they provide stays the same

Untold AdSense Facts

Due to all the AdSense buzz generated by the media lately, I felt it only fitting to write a small e-book that addresses many questions I receive about AdSense.
Yes, the concept of the program is super simple, but making a lot of money takes time and work.
Right-click here and download my free e-book Untold AdSense Facts to learn what separates those who make money from the program and those who don’t.
Warning: This book does not contain any secrets, hype or unrealistic info. It’s a great reality check for those just starting with AdSense or those who can’t seem to make much money from the program.

Finally! AdSense Ads for Feedburner

If you login to your AdSense account and try to create a new ad unit, you may notice a new link titled “AdSense for Feeds”.
Yup, you guessed it. Now you can display AdSense ads right inside your Feedburner feed.
You probably knew this was coming because there were rumors about Google testing this out on certain accounts.
Well, now it’s available to all AdSense account owners.
Before you can activate this long-awaited feature, you need to migrate your Feedburner account over to Google by simply emailing adsense-support-aff@google.com the following details…
1) Your Feedburner username
2) The email address you used to sign up for AdSense
After this, Google will follow up with migration instructions (I’m still waiting on my e-mail.)
Once activated, you’ll be able to choose your ad type (text or image), frequency, post length and position of the ads.
This is pretty exciting. It’s always great to have additional ways to monetize existing content.
Happy feeding!

My Top 7 Money Making Programs

I’ve noticed from reading other blogs, readers seem to enjoy learning how other sites make money. So I’ve developed a “Top 7″ list of my top income generators based on nothing more than monthly income earned.
Note: This list is from all my sites combined.
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1. Domain and Web Hosting Reselling
This program is a great example of why you should look for affiliate or reseller programs in your niche that pay residual commissions.
If my site got wiped out today, I would still be able to live off the residual income I’ve generated since joining this program in 2002. If you have a site that targets Webmasters, reselling domains and web hosting is a great way to build a long-term income that continues to grow and grow.
As a reseller, you receive your own customizable website that allows you to set your prices and determine your profit. The parent company handles all the customer and technical support, so all you do is promote your own reseller store.
It would be hard for any other affiliate program to bump this from the #1 spot.
2. SiteSell
I’ve been receiving checks from SiteSell’s affiliate program since 1999, but nothing like the ones I started getting when I bought Site Build It! and displayed my own success story.
(See the post about my February 2008 check)
This was my biggest lesson in the importance of knowing and actually using products you refer from your site.
SiteSell’s affiliate program pays a generous $75 per Site Build It! sale, plus residuals on all yearly renewals. I really wish more affiliate programs would put the same amount of time and energy SiteSell does into helping affiliates.
I’ve never known another company to offer so many tools to help their affiliates make sales. From videos with your affiliate links embedded in them to over 60 audience-relevant landing pages, this program has it all.
3. Affiliate Networks (CJ.com, ShareASale.com, etc.)
I promote a variety of products that I find on some of the larger affiliate networks. From web software, web hosting, HTML editors, to anything I can find that’s useful and related to my audience.
Belonging to an affiliate network has its advantages…
1) If you’re looking for a specific product to promote, you can do a search to see if there are any relevant affiliate programs that offer the product.
2) You can join multiple programs with a few mouse clicks.
3) All of your earnings are tracked in one place, so you have one-stop reporting instead of multiple affiliate account logins.
The downside is that many companies who run their affiliate programs through large networks tend to have sub-par customer support.
There have been many occasions where I’ve sent an email to a company I’m affiliated with through CJ and never received a response. Companies that run their own in-house affiliate programs seem to have better customer support over all.
Nevertheless, large affiliate networks are definitely worth exploring, particularly if you’re looking for a specific product to promote on your site or blog.
4. AdSense
I hate using the term “easy money”, but if you have enough traffic, AdSense has got to be one of the easiest ways to generate an income from your site or blog.
AdSense performs much better on my sites not targeted to Webmasters and Bloggers - which is a big reason why you don’t see AdSense on this blog.
Bloggers and Webmasters tend to be immune to Google ads so they ignore them. However on my fitness site, my click-thru ratio has been as high as 8 or 9%.
My main site, 2CreateAWebSite.com, does OK with AdSense because it gets enough traffic to make displaying the ads worthwhile.
5. ClickBank
With ClickBank, you really have to feel it out and see what works for you. Even though it’s on my Top 7 list, I must admit there is a lot of garbage on ClickBank.
Many of the eBooks you can sell are a bunch of recycled facts you can find anywhere on the web.
They are usually promoted by an over-hyped landing page with a loud sales pitch that promises you to either get rich quick, lose weight tomorrow, or get out of debt in seconds.
However, if you really comb through the ClickBank marketplace, you can find some winners. I was able to find a few good digital products to promote that convert well on my sites.
The great thing about ClickBank is that the commissions are extremely high since product development and delivery costs are low. You could earn up to $75 on certain products in their marketplace.
6. AdBrite
Many people use AdBrite’s cost per click program (similar to AdSense). However, I use them to manage my own flat-rate ads.
I have various advertising spots on 2CreateAWebSite.com where I charge a flat fee for the week, month, etc. and AdBrite manages the payments, ad rotation, etc.
If you’re looking to offer advertising on your site, but don’t want to deal with collecting the payments and setting up an ad rotation script, you may want to check into AdBrite.
They still have some kinks to work out (support response time, ad rotation options, better targeting for network ads, etc.) but they are getting better with time.
7. Amazon.com
With its extremely low commission payout, it’s amazing this even made it to number 7.
Even though Amazon only pays 3-4% on most products, it’s still not a bad program to belong to because they sell almost every product known to man.
They also have widgets you can place on your pages that will display a small selection of products that match the theme of your site.
Let’s say you have a site on stress relief, you can add an Amazon widget that will display 3-4 books on stress relief with links directly to the product pages.
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I didn’t create this list so you’ll join all seven programs here. Many of these programs perform well on my sites because of my traffic and theme. Of course, you’ll have to discover what works best for your audience.
I encourage you to diversify your income streams as much as you can. If you are only earning from AdSense, join some of the larger networks (CJ, ShareASale, etc.) to look for other relevant products.
Take a peek at AssociatePrograms.com. Allan has a nice directory of affiliate programs organized by subject.
And finally, don’t discount lower paying programs like Amazon.com. Even at .50 cents per sale, if you can sell large volumes, that money can add up over time.
The large product selection and brand recognition is what keeps Amazon.com on the list of good affiliate programs to join

Why Most Fail With AdSense

I call it the “Hodgepodge Theory.” And if this applies to your site, it may be a big reason why you aren’t seeing your AdSense earnings increase.
Watch the video below to learn more about why I believe many people struggle with building their AdSense revenue

AdSense Member Earns $120,000

One of my Website Babble forum members posted a link to an article from USA Today about a retired gentleman who earns $120,000 in Google ads in one year.
I wasn’t as amazed by his story as I was the skeptical responses to the article. Then again, people are often skeptical when they hear stories about people making extreme amounts of money online.
Especially when they’ve tried it and haven’t had much success themselves.
No one is saying it’s easy, but it is doable. One guy even replied and said that you had to have millions of hits to your website just to make $1,000/month with Google ads.
I wish I could tell this skeptic that he’s dead wrong.
Either he’s been burned by other programs in the past or has tried the “Google AdSense thing” and hasn’t had success, so he assumes no one else can.
It really is a shame that there are so many scams out here that it is difficult for people to believe some of these programs are legit and do work.
I’m not making $120,000 in Google ads, but I’m doing quite well and I sure as heck don’t have a million visitors in a month.
If you want success with AdSense, the formula is super simple. Notice I said the formula is simple, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be rich in 2 days.
You do have to understand that it takes time and it’s about building a useful site, understanding the basis of Internet Marketing and having some patience.
Now, if patience and hard work is not your thing, then maybe Google AdSense isn’t for you. But if you…
1) Set realistic goals
2) Build a site on something you enjoy
3) Be prepared to L-E-A-R-N
4) Understand you may fail once or twice before you succeed…
You really can make a lot of money with the program.
The bottom line is, most of these AdSense success stories you read about are true. And my response to the person who said, “…if this is true then why doesn’t everyone do it” would be…
Everyone doesn’t want to put in the work required to become successful with AdSense. They are often wowed by the earning potential, but when they suddenly realize it does take work, they quit.
My hat goes off to the senior earning $120,000. And I’m sure he could care less that some don’t believe his story… especially when he’s headed to the bank with a fat check courtesy of Google.

Beware of AdSense Overload!

As the AdSense popularity grows among Webmasters, it’s hard to find a site without at least one AdSense unit displayed.
And in my opinion, many Webmasters overdo it.Because you want to get as many clicks as possible, it can be very tempting to lace your page header with multiple AdSense ads. After all, the more ads, the money you’ll make right?
Not necessarily…
… especially if your site is in a niche that targets Webmasters or other Internet savvy groups. These audiences are often immune to Internet ads in general and are twice as likely to ignore them.
So instead of AdSense becoming an additional revenue stream, it becomes a sign that may suggest you’re more interested in getting clicks than giving useful content.
Too Many Ads Looks Amateur-Ish
Arial of attackdepression.com told me she immediately thinks “amateur” when she comes across a site where the Google ads take up more real estate than the actual content.
And she really hates the sites where you have to scroll down just to see the first line of real content because the AdSense ads are in the way.
I have to agree. First impressions are everything. And if your visitors first impression of your site is “too many ads and not enough info”, you’ve immediately lost some interest, credibility and perhaps a repeat visitor.
Your visitors shouldn’t have to dig through your ads to find your content.
Maximize But Don’t Overdo It
Don’t get me wrong. I think you should maximize your AdSense revenue potential by using multiple AdSense units - that’s why Google allows up to three.
Just make sure they don’t overpower your site’s layout and you have good content to supplement the ads.
Remember, it’s your content relevance and site usability that keeps people interested and encourages them to return - not your advertisements.
So rather than being so eager to show off your AdSense ads with the contrasting bright yellow background, why not show them why your site is worthy of a bookmark and a return visit. There’s no better way to do that than through useful info and site usablity.
AdSense Awareness
These days Web surfers are much more ad conscious than they were years ago. And with the media stories that have flooded newspapers and news programs, it’s getting harder to find people who don’t know a little something about “making money with Google ads.”
In other words, people are much more aware, and it’s getting easier for the average surfer to spot a greedy Webmaster.
A few years ago, more people would click ads out of curiosity or confusion. These days the only click many surfers are making is the “Back” button because they know exactly what this Webmaster is up to.
It’s all about balance. There’s nothing wrong with using 3 AdSense units on a page. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with having them highly visible to increase the chances of a click thru.
But if your ads overpower your content, and it becomes obvious you’re only out to make a fast buck, is it really worth the loss of credibility and a potential repeat visitor?
AdSense should supplement your content, not BE your content.
It doesn’t matter how you slice it. Content has and will always rule. And I’d much rather sacrifice a few clicks with the hopes they will find my site useful and want to return again.
And should they happen to click an ad in the process of browsing my site, that’s an added bonus!
And who knows, maybe on their next visit they’ll make a purchase that is worth a whole lot more to me in commissions than 8 cents from an AdSense ad click.
AdSense is a wonderful, lucrative program. But don’t let the dollar signs overshadow what it really takes to make a site succeed for the long haul.

Protecting Your AdSense Account

It’s a fear many Webmasters have — getting pulled from AdSense for fraudulent clicks or other activity deemed “against AdSense TOCs”.
The fear is pretty valid. I’ve heard of people getting pulled from the program for “no apparent reason” (according to them).
Of course there are two sides to every story, but it reinforces that Google’s #1 interest is protecting their advertisers, not you, the publisher.
And rightfully so.
Google watches AdSense accounts like a hawk, especially if you’re a new member.
They track IP addresses and monitor for fraudulent clicks on a regular basis. A friend of mine clicked her own ads and was removed from the program within 2 days of joining.
While I have no fool-proof way to ensure your account won’t get dinged, here are some tips to keep you in good graces with Google.
1. Report Accidental Clicks
If you accidentally click on your own ads (and people have done this), the best thing to do is report it to Google immediately. In fact, Google even advises you to do this.
If you’re honest and upfront about it, Google probably won’t remove you from the program. Your account may get flagged temporarily and/or you may lose some revenue, but it’s better you report it than having them find out about it.
Just make sure this doesn’t become a habit.
2. Stop Telling Your Friends & Family to Click on Your Ads
Some people join Adsense with the intent of getting rich by having their friends and family click on their ads. While you may think this is pretty fool-proof idea, it’s not very smart or ethical.
First of all, advertisers pay for those ads through the AdWords program. So when you tell people to randomly click the ads, you are throwing their hard-earned money down the toilet. In a way, it’s stealing.
Second, what if Google notices the multiple clicks from the same IP address. Yes, maybe it’s not your IP address, but is it really worth the risk? Plus, I would imagine Google would eventually ignore those clicks anyway.
3. When Google Calls…. Answer… And Keep Your Records
Some thieves are not too bright. Once I caught someone who literally ripped off my entire site. Not only did they forget to remove my AdSense code, but they violated the AdSense T&C’s by calling attention to the ads.
Google discovered this site, and because the person was using my AdSense code, they contacted me because they thought it was my site. I explained to them what happened.
After I replied, I didn’t hear back from Google and that made me a little nervous. So I contacted them again and included the previous correspondence.
This time I received an answer and Google told me they added a note to my file that said I was not the owner of the domain that violated the T&C’s. More importantly, I saved this reply for my own records just in case.
4. Obey The Rules
Even though Google doesn’t seem to be enforcing this much, they recently added a section to their T&C’s that require any site that uses AdSense to have a Privacy Policy. See the end of Section 1 of their terms and conditions.
Many Webmasters aren’t taking this too seriously, but if it’s in their T&C’s then why not take 10 minutes to set it up?
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A lot of people feel Google owes them something or they are doing Google a big favor by being an AdSense publisher.
I have no way of knowing how AdSense affects Google’s bottom line, but I can tell you this. Thousands of advertisers are paying to advertise with Google through AdWords, and we know that’s where Google is making its money.
AdWords advertisers funnel thousands of dollars into Google everyday and indirectly earning you money from AdSense. Google’s best interest is keeping them happy, not the publishers. Remember, AdSense publishers aren’t paying Google a cent.
So the next time you try to sneak a click or encourage your visitors to click an ad or two, ask yourself if the 12 cents you’ll gain is worth losing your account for good

AdBrite - A Good AdSense Alternative?

Some people wanted to know if it’s legal to use with AdSense. Others were curious if it pays well.
First of all, yes, it’s OK to use AdBrite in conjunction with AdSense. It does not violate Google’s Terms of Service if you want to use both programs on your site or blog.
As far as earning potential goes, you’ll get the same answer as you would for any contextual advertising system. A lot will depend on your traffic, niche, and ad targeting.
A Few Kinks
Unlike Google, AdBrite has got lots of work to do in the targeting department.
In fact, the network ads were so unrelated I had to turn off the “auto approve” feature because I had ads for cars and jewelry showing up on my site about web development. Yikes!
I guess AdBrite must realize this is a problem because they give you the option to approve the ads before they show up on your site.
This can be a pain because it requires you to login to your account and manually review each new ad. However, if showing targeted ads on your site is a priority (and it should be), then this step is a must.
As I mentioned in my last post, I didn’t join AdBrite for their CPC (cost per click) program. I personally think AdSense is the best program for that.
I use AdBrite to sell ad space to 3rd parties. So the only time the network (CPC) ads appear on my pages is when I have not sold all my flat rate ad spaces.
Their 3rd party ad management is pretty good. You have complete control over how your customer’s ads will appear. You can change the font style, text size, etc. and choose either a horizontal or vertical layout.
Is AdBrite Worth It?
That’s one of those things you’ll have to test for yourself. I certainly like them better than programs like Kontera where they underline your text and display the ad when the person hovers over the hyperlink.
I don’t know why, but I find those kinds of ads to be terribly annoying and distracting. Yet, others may say the same thing about AdSense, AdBrite and the likes. So, to each their own, right?
Even though AdBrite’s targeting needs work, they’ve certainly gotten better over the past six months. And the good thing is, it’s not going to cost you a thing to try them out.
For me, they are worth it because I like having a 3rd party manage my flat-rate ads. So if you’re looking to sell ad space from your site, you may want to look into AdBrite.
And if you’re searching for a new monetization option or perhaps you’ve been booted from AdSense and you’re looking for other CPC programs — give AdBrite a try to see how it works with your site or blog.
In my opinion, it doesn’t hold a candle to AdSense in terms of earnings for CPC, but depending on your niche, you may find that certain ads perform very well on your site

AdSense: Are You Earning Your Max?

Mel Ann and Tim of the Australian AdSense team put together a nice video (below) to help you optimize your AdSense earnings.
While some of the information in the video is common knowledge to most publishers, there are also some very useful tips.
Create Channels
Pay close attention to the part about creating channels so you can track and compare different ad units.
Most people don’t do this. They just create different sized ad units and slap them all over their pages, then focus on their overall earnings without tracking the results of each unit.
However, when you learn which ad units perform the best, you can maximize your earnings from the program.
Blend, Blend, Blend
I was also glad they pointed out that blending the ad background with your site’s background has proven to generate higher click-thru rates.
Many people still think it’s best to make the ads stand out by using outlandish or contrasting backgrounds. Mel Ann and Tim explain that it’s best to make the ads look as if they are part of your content.

Learn CSS Quickly With This FREE Template

Since my flat stomach site has been completely “CSS’ed”, I’ve really been pushing the benefits of using CSS on your site. If you are looking to start your first site or want to redesign your existing one, this blog post is important.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) allows you to control large sections of your site’s design and layout by updating one file. Not only does it make your HTML code much cleaner, but it makes for faster loading Web pages and quick site-wide updates.
You should never build a site or blog without it.
To help you learn CSS, I’ve taken my template from flat-stomach-exercises.com and provided it as a free download. I’ve inserted notes so you can learn how to make updates. This is something I wish someone had done for me. I probably would have picked it up faster had it been presented like this.
Now, don’t be frightened when you first see the template because it looks nothing like my finished site. I did that for a reason. First of all, I want you to create your own design, and I want you to understand how the CSS file controls the various areas of the site.
So what you will find when you download the template is a completely “dumbed down” version with no logos or cohesive colors. I’ve provided instructions in the index.html file so you can customize the template to your liking.
Download my free 3 column CSS template here and don’t forget to read the instructions.html file first! Also do not try to view the template file (index.html) through the zipped folder.
It will not display properly if you try to double-click the index.html file while inside the zipped folder.
Open the zipped folder and drag the “CSSTemplate1″ folder to your Desktop (or some location on your PC) and then view the index.html file.
When you open the folder you should see 3 files…
1) instructions.html file - Please read this first
2) index.html - Your homepage and template you can modify
3) style.css - This is your style sheet and controls the index.html file’s layout and design
To get the most out of this, it’s best to open the template files in a Web editor like FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Nvu (free) or CoffeeCup

SiteSell Says Blogging is a Mistake

SiteSell recently launched a new site called Blog or Build? — their definitive answer to those who ask the big question…
“Blog or Website?”
From a business standpoint, the page is brilliant. SiteSell sells websites, not blogs. So of course it makes sense to push the benefits of a website and display blogging in a less favorable light.
Let’s be honest. Blogging threatens SiteSell’s business because so many people are lured into starting a blog over a website. After all, blogging is free, quick and easy to setup.
As a result, SiteSell is making its case for why most Webmasters should start with a website and not a blog.
They offer some very valid points on this page, but I don’t agree with everything written. For example, the statement below was taken from the page…
“Blogs usually have high Bounce Rates no matter what since normal visitor behavior is to read the newest post and then leave.”
This is true for many new blogs with small readerships. Most new blogs only show the recent posts because the authors tend to use standard templates and very little static content. So people read the latest posts and leave without exploring older content.
Blogs often appear as a plethora of disjointed information scattered about with no cohesiveness. And if you write a post that doesn’t fit with everything else, just add a new category and suddenly it fits! Right?
Some readers get lost and have trouble connecting with the content as a whole.
But there is a remedy for the high bounce rates… to a point.
If you learn how to strategically display mature content, you can increase your readership depth and lower your bounce rates. WordPress plugins are a great way to accomplish this.
Before I added the “Related Posts” plugin from WordPress, many of my recent posts received the most traffic while the older posts were buried and ignored.
If you want people to read more of your blog, you should find ways to make the older content visible. Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net does this extremely well on his homepage with his “Best of Blogger” section.
This not only allows his audience to read more of his older content, but the static links have a greater chance of gaining and/or maintaining their search engine rankings because the content won’t fall off the homepage like “recent posts” tend to do.
This also gives him a chance to display his “important” content that shapes his blog’s identity. I find that many bloggers have trouble with this part due to how blog content is published.
In order to give your blog more staying power, you should create static pages that “stay put” and help give your blog direction and focus — rather than relying on the typical blog post that is hot for a few days and then falls off the radar.
So you can work with a blog so it shares some of the content benefits of a website. This is definitely something I know I need to improve upon in the near future.
My point is, some of the disadvantages SiteSell speaks of can be fixed. The question is…. “Will the average new blogger understand how to do this effectively?” Perhaps that’s SiteSell’s point. In their eyes, the average person usually doesn’t.
Stirring The Pot
This article won’t sit well with some bloggers, particularly those who’ve had any kind of success. But that’s not who the article was written for. It’s for those on the fence trying to decide if they want a blog or a website.
And quite honestly, if I was teetering between the two and read that page, I’d have to say SiteSell makes a pretty compelling case for why the average person should start with a website instead of a blog.
They want people to know that creating a blog is not necessarily a shortcut to success. And while they are some benefits to blogging, it’s not an ideal start for most e-businesses.
I also want to point out they are not saying that no one should ever create a blog. There are definitely the exceptions and they are clearly explained in the article.
The point was also made that successful bloggers earn their status because they are exceptional writers and know how to generate traffic. Not necessarily because they chose a blog over a website. Content is always king.
I’ll Continue to Blog Because I Enjoy It
I have a blog now, but I’m glad I started with a website. I now have a traffic base that I can use to help promote this new WordPress blog.
And because I already have a site with steady traffic, I don’t feel that added pressure some bloggers feel when it comes to generating fresh content to keep that traffic coming in.
If this blog never gets to 8,000 visitors a day like my regular website, I’m OK with that. I also have proof this blog is beneficial to my overall goals.
One good thing about owning an established website is you can leave it for months and traffic can continue to build. This is not always true for blogs… especially if they are new.
Of course more established, heavily trafficked blogs can take a content break and still benefit from the traffic and revenue. However, most bloggers never reach that level.
Despite the odds SiteSell declares, I’ll continue to blog. I enjoy it. It allows me to talk about what’s on my mind at the moment.
I can appeal to the people who prefer to hear from me in a blog format and let my website appease the rest. I’m at a place where I can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Could I be one of those exceptions SiteSell speaks about? Maybe. Only time will tell. And while I do think SiteSell made some great points, I also know quite a few people who have successful blogs and no website.
But I wholeheartedly agree that the blog buzz can be misleading. When it’s that easy to setup and launch a blog, it can give newbies false hope that it’s somehow an easier route to success.
Nothing out here is easy, my friend. And every website owner or blogger who is making good money definitely earned their stripes.
So take some time to read SiteSell’s argument about blogs. There are some valid points, but you also have to keep in mind this is written from a company who sells websites, not blogs. So a touch of biasness is to be expected.
Should you create a blog or a website? Do you need both like me? There is never a definitive answer to that question. Educate yourself on the facts, read SiteSell’s article and decide what’s best for your situation.

Google Gets Strict and Frustrates Bloggers

If you are already an AdSense member, you may not know that Google recently tightened up their acceptance policies for their popular AdSense program.
Gone are the days where you can throw up a quick Blogger blog today and get accepted into the AdSense program by tomorrow.
According to their policies, you must adhere to the following guidelines…
1) Your website must sit on a top-level domain (yoursite.com not yoursite.host.com).
2) Your domain must be active for at least 6 months
3) Your AdSense application info must match your domain records
Due to the fact I am already a member, I was not aware of some of these policies until I began getting more emails from people who were getting rejected because their site didn’t adhere to one or more of the guidelines.
One blogger was quite upset, saying he believed his Blogger blog had very well written content that was unique. Another lady complained that the guidelines were just too strict and should be relaxed.
Take note that both of these blogs were created with the free Blogger service and neither had their own domain name to redirect to their blogs.
Here’s My Take…
If you want to make money online, understand that you are setting up a business. Businesses require investments and work. If you are not prepared to fork over $3-$10/month for hosting then maybe this is not for you right now.
I personally don’t think the criteria is overly strict, and it will eliminate many of the low-quality sites throughout the network. If you ask me, this is long overdue.
What people need to understand is that Google must protect their advertisers — the lifeblood of their business. And because Google started out with such a relaxed acceptance policy, things got out of hand.
Worthless blogs and websites with plagiarized content were going up left and right. Numerous people tried to cheat the system by inviting friends to click their ads or using other computers to click their own ads.
Instead of treating AdSense as a monetization model for their business, people behaved as if this was some way to get-rich quickly with Google ads.
What Publishers Should Know
If you’re an AdSense publisher, understand that being a member is a privilege, not a right. Some webmasters seem to feel they are entitled to get paid by Google because they have a website, but as I stated earlier, Google’s top priority is the AdWords advertisers.
We the publishers are helping Google advertise and Google is paying us a percentage of what they earn. If the advertisers complain about the quality of the sites or click fraud, then it’s in Google’s best interest to rectify the situation.
Now of course, the AdWords advertisers can choose NOT to display their ads on the publisher websites, but that’s not the point. Publishers need to respect and understand how the AdWords and AdSense relationship works.
I applaud Google for their policies. If you think about it, everyone wins in the end. If the overall quality of the publisher sites improve, more AdWords advertisers may opt in to display their ads on our sites, thus giving us publishers the opportunity to earn more.
In the last two months my AdSense earnings are up quite a bit. Some analysts speculate Google’s cleanup and stricter policies are causing more AdWords advertisers to opt into advertising on the publisher sites.
There’s no way I can know this for sure, but I wouldn’t doubt this has an impact.

Serious About Making Money From a Blog?

If your goal is to make money from a blog, you might want to consider Yaro Starak's Blog Coaching Service. This guy is no amateur and makes 6 figures per year from blogging alone.
In his free report, Blog Profits Blueprint, he lays the groundwork for creating a successful blog and helps you keep your expectations in check when it comes to making money. Very solid advice here.
Also, Yaro wrote a very good piece that explains why so many blogs fail. I've published a copy of the report here so make sure you read it.
In Conclusion...
Whether you plan to create a stand-alone blog or use it to compliment your existing Web site, they can be a great asset to your online business.
Some of the keys to success include...
Blog with a purposeJust like a website, a blog should have a focus and target audience. Don't just blog to sell products. Give your audience useful information that will entice them to subscribe. Blogs with too many ads and no useful content are a turn-off.
Keep it relevantRemember, people want to know what's in it for them, so your blog's info should be relevant to your audience's needs and desires.
Blog often when you have good info to shareMore is not better when you are putting out junk or recycled material. One of the top reasons people unsubscribe to blogs is lack of originality or the "heard it all before" syndrome.
Add personalityDisplay a photo. Crack a joke once and while. Let your audience know there's a human behind the words. Don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun and develop your unique blog voice

Why a Blog and a Website?

Even though I already have a successful website, I decided to create a blog too.
Here on my site, you'll find more static/unchanging tutorials, and my blog is more like a journal where I talk about current topics in the world of website creation, blogging and making money.
As I mentioned in the video above, whether you use a blog, a website or both is up to you. There is no rule of thumb. You really have to feel your way around and see what's best for your needs. But if you're just starting, I'd definitely only focus on one or the other.

Why a Blog and a Website?

Even though I already have a successful website, I decided to create a blog too.
Here on my site, you'll find more static/unchanging tutorials, and my blog is more like a journal where I talk about current topics in the world of website creation, blogging and making money.
As I mentioned in the video above, whether you use a blog, a website or both is up to you. There is no rule of thumb. You really have to feel your way around and see what's best for your needs. But if you're just starting, I'd definitely only focus on one or the other.

Remotely Hosted Blog or Self Hosted Blog?

Remotely Hosted
There are two ways to host a blog. The first way is to remotely host it-- which means your content/files literally sit on the server of the blogging platform (WordPress.com, Blogger.com, etc.)
There's always a risk involved with doing it this way because if Blogger or WordPress decide to shut your blog down (for whatever reason), you would lose all your content.
It also doesn't look as professional to have a blog address like http://yourblog.blogspot.com or http://yourblog.wordpress.com. And if you want to make money, first impressions mean a lot.
For the record, I don't endorse remotely hosted blogs. I think hosting is so cheap these days that it's worth spending a few extra dollars to own your content and have a real blog address like http://yourblog.com -- especially if you want to make money.
Self Hosted
With a self hosted blog, all your content sits on the hosting account that you own. Your blog address is more professional and easy to remember because you can have a true domain like http://yourblog.com.
My blog is a self hosted WordPress blog. What that means is my blog's content is published to my own domain, 2CreateAWebSite.com and I even got to create a subdirectory called "blog" so my blog address is http://blog.2createawebsite.com

WordPress? Blogger? Which is Best?

WordPress and Blogger are hands down the two most popular blogging platforms. I honestly see no reason to consider any of the others.
I started with Blogger, but when I started learning about the flexibility WordPress provided, I switched over in December 2007 and I'm so glad I did.
Blogger is great because it's super easy to use. However, WordPress has a lot more features and plug-ins that will allow you to enhance your blog.
And even though setting up a WordPress blog is slightly more involved, it's well worth it in the long run

Blog or Website? Can't Decide?

A lot of people get confused and wonder if they should create a blog, website or both?

How to Create a Blog

Blogs are another kind of website. The content is usually organized by date and category with the most recent post/content displaying first.
Blogs are also easier to setup than websites, and because of this reason people are often lured into thinking blogs are a better option than websites.
But don't be fooled.
That doesn't mean they are easier to promote, build traffic and generate a profit (if that's your goal).
Both websites and blogs require work, patience, an understanding of Internet marketing and search engine optimization (the process of getting ranked high in Google, Yahoo, etc.)
So please don't go into this thinking that creating a blog is an easier way to make money online. Even bloggers making a lot of money have put in their share of time and effort.

Another thing you should know is that blogs can be somewhat limiting compared to a website (in terms of design and data manipulation) until you learn more about how blogs are coded.
However, if you use WordPress, you'll have the flexibility to do so much with your blog's content and layout. (More on that in a sec.)

The Yahoo Pay Per Click Program

It took a while before I jumped on the pay per click bandwagon. I wasn't a fan of paying for advertising, particularly when search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo have been providing plenty of free traffic to my websites for years.
However, once I learned and understood the benefits of Yahoo's pay per click program (formerly Overture) , I figured I'd give it a try. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised with the traffic I've received and how easy it is to manage my account.
Not to mention, it's getting harder and harder for newer websites to land top search engine rankings in places like Google and MSN, so pay per click is becoming a more attractive option to webmasters who desperately need traffic.
Where Will My Site Show Up?
If you use Yahoo's pay per click program, your site will show up at the top of the search results pages for MSN, Yahoo, AltaVista and many more search sites. The traffic potential is tremendous....especially if you bid on the top 3 spots.
Try it now. If you go to http://www.msn.com/ and do a search for "home employment", those sites in the box at the top of the results page are people that are paying for their site to be listed there. These people are participating in the pay per click program.
Benefits of Yahoo's Search Pay Per Click Program
You can set your daily budget (never spend more than you want)
Only pay when your site receives traffic
Very targeted traffic since you pick the keywords you want your site to show up for
Extensive reporting tools
Great research tool that shows what keywords people are searching for
Free conversion tracker to see how your traffic converts into sales
The Key to Success with Yahoo's Pay Per Click Program
Many people get discouraged over pay per click advertising because they quickly discover that certain keywords they want to bid on will cost them anywhere between $2.00 and $5.00 per click. The average webmaster can't afford to pay that kind of money.
The trick to finding success with any pay per click program is to bid on keywords that are less popular. Now of course this means that these terms won't bring you as much traffic as some of the competitive phrases, BUT if you bid on hundreds of "lesser searched" keywords then the traffic begins to add up.
For instance...even though one keyword may only bring you 3 hits per day, if you bid on 90 different keywords that bring 3 hits per day, that's a total of 270 visitors per day.
Here's an Example...
Let's say you have a site about home employment. Well, the last time I checked, a #1 ranking for the keyword "home employment" would cost you $1.50 per click for the #1 spot. That's a lot of money for each visitor if you're just starting out.
Well, if you use Yahoo's research tool (this will be provided when you sign up), you'll find that the keyword "jobs from home" will only cost you .33 cents for a number one spot. That's a big difference if you look in terms of total cost.
So the point is, don't go after those competitive terms, use Yahoo's research tool to find those "gems" that aren't searched for as much and will cost you much less. I don't pay more than .10 cents for most terms because I only bid on less competitive terms.
So not only am I getting relatively cheap traffic, but I can also be confident that these people actually want what I have to offer since I only bid on terms that are relevant to my site.
Just Try It!
If you're a little leery of paying for traffic, just test it out. Take advantage of Yahoo's daily budget feature and set a daily spending limit to an amount that's comfortable for you.
Sign up today and receive a $25 credit towards your account

Broadcast Your Website on YouTube

YouTube has become an amazing way to generate free traffic to your site. Just like a website, you can optimize your videos for the YouTube surfers who use the search feature.
Just as someone could type in "golfing tips" in Google.com and find your site, they can do the same with your videos on YouTube.
How?
Because you can enter a title and keywords for every video you submit and this information helps people find your video when they do a YouTube search.
More and more people use YouTube every single day and this can funnel quite a bit of traffic to your video... especially if the video is done well.
And not only can you capitalize on targeted YouTube traffic, but you can entertain your own site's audience by embedding your video into your web pages by simply copying and pasting the provided code.
Getting Your Video on YouTube
Computers and cameras are making it easier and easier to get video on the Web. It used to be you had to buy additional software just to get your video on the right format.
Now most digital camcorders come with the necessary software, or your PC or MAC may already have the software you need to make it happen. Plus YouTube accepts so many different video formats, you don't have to worry about converting the file.
Not to mention, Windows Vista has a free video editing program called "Windows Movie Maker" which is super easy to use.
You simply download your video from your camera to your PC. Then open up Windows Movie Maker to make edits to your video. You can add captions, credits, crop and more.
Since Windows Vista is a free program, there are some limitations. For example, you can't control the placement of the captions. So if you've centered yourself in the video, you'll have to deal with the fact that the captions/text may cover your face temporarily.
Also, you can't control how long the credits stay on the screen. After all, the credits are a great place to re-emphasize your website address so you want people to remember it.
But in my opinion, these are very small drawbacks. Remember you only get so much for free and you can still create a nice quality video with this software.
Other Video Editing Software Options?
If you would like more control over your video, you can opt to by video editing software. I used to use Pinnacle Studio . Unfortunately my version was not compatible with Vista so I had to stop using it. I'm assuming their later versions are now compatible, so it's worth a look.
It's a big resource hog as far as computers are concerned, but a very nice video editing tool if you don't mind spending the money.
Power Director is another popular program with good reviews. I've never used them, but they seem to have large share of the video editing market.
However, if you're on a budget and you have Windows Vista, then Windows Movie Maker will do just fine for starting out.
And sorry to MAC users, I'm not familiar with options for you but I can only assume you have many more cooler options than us poor Windows users. :)
More Video Production Tips
1. Have adequate lighting.
Make sure people can actually SEE you. What are you hiding anyway? ;-)
2. Don't memorize a script...
unless you're good at delivering it where it doesn't sound like you're talking from memory. I've found if you just talk off the top of your head, it comes across much more conversational and natural.
3. Watch the time.
Your video should be as long as it needs to be, and get to the point. If you start rambling for 10 minutes about nothing, you could lose your audience before the video is finished. If your video seems long, think of ways you can summarize and condense certain points.
4. Check your backdrop.
Remember, this video is representing you and your site. If you've got a junk heap behind you, it will distract your audience. If you don't have a nice background, then just film in front of a blank wall.
5. Watch your filler words.
We don't realize how often we say "Um" and use filler words until we see ourselves on video. It's normal to need a sec to think about what to say next, so practice just being silent in those moments if you are an "Ummer." :)
The Bottom Line
No matter what method or software you use, it's definitely worth experimenting with video to help promote your site. And since YouTube is owned by Google, that can only mean good things if you make a good video and optimize the title and keywords for your audience.
Just like Google.com, YouTube can bring you a good amount of targeted visitors, and people can even subscribe to your YouTube channel so they'll be notified any time you add a new video.
And if your video is good enough, others will want to embed it into their sites. What a great, viral way to promote your site and get your name out there.
So take your time making a quality video. Once the viral effect kicks in, it can make quite an impact in your traffic levels.

Search Engine Optimization of the Future

If you've been involved in SEO (search engine optimization) for a while, you may remember the time when you could create a web page and get it ranked at the top of any search engine with little effort.
All you had to do was load up the page with the keywords you wanted to rank high for, make sure your meta tags were stuffed with those same keywords, submit the page and within a few days or weeks you've captured a top 20 or even top 10 result.
The major search engines were pretty easy to figure out. Some focused on the first 90 characters on a page, others gave more weight to the title tag in your HTML, another paid more attention to the overall content and finally some used a combination of factors to determine a page's rank.
If you were a search engine expert, you knew what each search engine looked for and it was pretty easy to optimize your site for a top 10 rank.
Back then, you didn't get penalized much for keyword stuffing, hidden text, and some of the other tactics that can get you into trouble in today's world.
The bottom line is search engine optimization for the average webmaster was almost like a cakewalk years ago.
That was then. This is now.
Times have certainly changed! Those same methods described above will not only hurt your rank, they can even get your banned from the engine permanently.
There are no shortcuts to search engine success anymore. You have to work it. All those lazy webmasters who steal other people's content or use the tricks mentioned above are now discovering that the search engines mean business.
Confidential Google Report Disclosed
In early 2006, a Google employee broke a non-disclosure agreement and revealed a report that shouldn't have gotten out to the public. Actually the information wasn't surprising by any means.
In a nutshell, all we learned is that Google is cracking down on spam and sites that offer little content - a.k.a. "thin affiliates".
A thin affiliate is one that offers very little information and the main purpose of their site is to send visitors to the affiliated merchant's site in order to collect a commission.
Often times these sites have more external links than they do actual content. They also may contain several doorway pages (more on those later) that do nothing but link to the merchant's website.
The report even revealed examples of live sites that Google considers "suspect." Trust me...this is NOT a place you'd want to see your site appear. You can bet these sites won't be getting much traffic from Google anytime soon.
This report seemed to indicate that Google has hired humans to evaluate the accuracy of Google's search results. Can you blame them?
Google has always said their main focus is to provide relevant results. The main reason the engine has been so successful is because it gives searchers what they want.
If you've noticed, you don't see lots of ads, banners and other distracting revenue-sucking techniques on their pages. They want their customer, Joe Surfer, to find what he is looking for.
They don't want their index to be turned into a hodge-podge of doorway pages made by those thin affiliates. They want unique quality content that offers valuable information to their customer - the web surfer.
Search engine spiders are not humans. They are programs. They can only do so much when it comes to weeding out the good and bad sites. It only makes sense to me that Google would help protect its reputation by hiring real people to ensure their results are as clean as possible.
Without going into detail over the report (I wouldn't want Google to penalize me!), I've just outlined a few of the topics that were touched upon. You probably won't be shocked by what you read.
In fact, none of this may be new to you. But if you are performing any of these techniques, stop now!
SEO Techniques to Avoid
Useless Link Exchanges
It used to be you could go scout out other websites that were related to yours and swap links to help boost your link popularity. These days the search engines are frowning on certain link exchange strategies.
The best kind of link exchange is one that offers a contextual link to both parties. So instead of creating a "page-o-links" that no one will even read, offer your potential link partner a contextual link in an article that is related to their site. Ask your partner to do the same for you. The search engines will see this link as a much better quality link than a link from a page chuck-full of other sites.
Let's say you have a website on dieting. Instead of creating a "list-o-links" page titled "Other Diet Resources" where you list 300 different partner links, write some diet-related articles and recommend a few of your link partner's sites within the context of the article.
I'm not saying avoid link directories altogether. There are some good ones like Yahoo, JoeAnt and The Open Directory to name a few. None of these directories require a link back to them and they all have a pretty high PageRank.
Doorway Pages
Doorway pages are small, keyword focused pages that mainly serve the purpose of getting the visitor to your affiliated web site. They usually offer no value to the website as a whole, and often times they are cluttered with several different affiliate links.
Google is smart and can scope those kinds of pages out. You may be penalized if it finds these on your site.
Hidden or Tiny Text
This is an OLD tactic and it amazes me people still use this.
Using white text on a white background or making your text so small it is hardly visible to the human eye is one of the oldest search engine tricks in the book.
Many people would use this technique to hide tons of keyword phrases they wanted to rank high for by hiding the text at the very bottom or top of the page and make it match the background color so they are invisible. Others would use a tiny font to add these keywords in various places all over the site. The human eye may have a difficult time finding them but the search engine spiders would.
So as you can see, the above info is not shocking by any stretch of the imagination. Those are all very bad optimization practices and will never work for the long run. You may get lucky here and there but the engines will eventually find you and penalize you for it.
Too Much Duplicate Content
It's OK to use some of the article directories (ArticleCity.com or EzineArticles.com) and reprint some of their content. That's what they're there for and they are useful if you want to add information on a topic you may not be well versed in.
However, if 90% of your site is from these sites or if you are illegally using copyrighted material without a webmaster's permission then you deserve any penalty that Google gives you.
Google loves relevant, unique content. After all, it's what drives their success. They don't want the same articles showing up in the results so they pay close attention to duplicates.
If you don't like to write, try hiring a copyrighter to do the writing for you. Trust me, it will be worth it in the long run.
What You Should Be Focusing On...
Unique content rules. Don't get stressed out about your meta tags, link lists, number of backlinks (sites that link to you), etc.
If you want the search engines to love you, build a website with lots of unique content, get a couple of high-quality sites to link back to you (Yahoo, The Open Directory, etc.) and develop a good link exchange program (described above).
That's it! Keep building content and make your site as useful as possible. Pretty soon people will link to you voluntarily and your link popularity will begin to increase.
Write for humans, not the search engine spiders. Forget about keyword density (the ratio of a keyword phrase to total body content), just write for real people. After all, Google is starting to use humans to review sites anyway!
Bottom line: Don't take shortcuts. Be ethical and work hard to build the best site you can. You'll be rewarded in the end.
"Make Your Links Work"
My mentor, Ken Evoy wrote a valuable book on how to make the search engines love your site. It's an excellent piece and it goes into detail about how SEO is coming to an end. It's free and you can download it here.

FREE Affiliate Tutorial With Every Order

Did you know that even if you are creating a personal website, you can place Google ads on your site and earn money?
Or you can recommend other company's products and get paid a commission when people buy as a result of your referral?
This is called Affiliate Marketing.
I've been doing this with every website I create and it's the simplest way to earn money on the web when you don't have a product of your own to sell.
If you like to exercise, build an information website about fitness and link to products related to health and exercise. If you like food, build a recipe site and link to companies that sell cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and more.
The Affiliates Masters Course is a one-of-a-kind guide that shows you where to find affiliate programs like the ones described above and you'll discover how to maximize your earnings no matter the topic of your site.
I promise you. This is not some cheesy, info-product that shows you how to make money overnight. There's no such thing as "fast cash" and that's not what this eBook is about.
It's a very well-written tutorial jam-packed with solid, detailed information that will show you how to profit from your website by linking to and referring products and services offered by other companies.
This guide is over 200 pages and has an $80 value. It will be yours for free when you register any domain name.
If you register a domain name by May 1, 2009 this FREE, Affiliate Masters Course is all yours.
Another Free Offer - Domain Forwarding
You will also receive a free domain forwarding account with every domain name. This comes in handy if you want to register multiple extensions like .com, .net, .org, .info, .tv, .us, etc.
For example, you can create your site on the .com domain, and have the .net extension automatically forward to your .com site. So when someone types in yourdomain.net, you can set it up to automatically redirect to the .com version of your site (or vise versa).
PLEASE NOTE: If you decide to do this, you'll need to register both the .com and .net extension of the domain (or any other extension you'll want to use to redirect to your main site.)
Domain Forwarding used to be priced at $16.99 per year, but for a limited time WebsitePalace.com is offering it for FREE!
More Freebies
If you register your domain with WebsitePalace.com you will also receive the following items...
Free Blog
Free Starter Page
Free Parked/For Sale Page
Free Domain Locking
Free Domain Status Alerts
It's Time to Register Your Domain . . .
Register your domain here, but before you leave this tutorial you may want to read about the 2nd step in creating a website - selecting a web host (recommended). You cannot build your pages until you have a web host.
That may save you from having to come back here to learn about web hosting, and you'll be able to take care of steps 1 and 2 all at once when you register your domain(s).
However, if you want to reserve your domain now and come back to this tutorial to read about step 2 later, go to WebsitePalace.com now or search the database for an available name by using the search box below.
New! Watch a Video Demonstration of Registering a Domain & Selecting a Web Host
This is a screenshot tutorial that demonstrates registering a domain name and selecting a web host at WebsitePalace.com.

Free Walk-Through Video

You will get access to an online video of me using my own Website Palace account (yes, I'm a customer too). This will give you an idea of how to set up your website, blog, shopping cart or whatever you want to do with your site.
Think any other website is going to do anything like this? Think again! :)

70+ Design Templates - FREE!

One of my pet peeves with web hosts is that they don't offer any help for first-time website builders.
I think they fail to realize a large percentage of their customers are new to website development.
Well I understand that you may be a beginner and you probably need some assistance. So if you register your domain name or purchase any product from WebsitePalace.com, I will provide over 70+ HTML templates for you to choose from to begin your site.
You simply choose the design you want and edit the text accordingly. Template setup instructions are provided with the download file.
Note: The download link to the templates is on the order confirmation page after you've placed your order - so don't miss it!

Free e-Book Software

Windows Users Only!)
Order any product from WebsitePalace.com and 2CreateAWebSite.com will provide you with this free e-book software. (Windows users only.)
This easy-to-use program will allow you to create electronic (downloadable) books that you can sell or give away from your website.
All you do is develop the contents of your book on your computer using your favorite software (Word, Notepad, etc.) and this software will convert the files into a download-friendly book you can offer to your website visitors! There's even an option to password protect it if you wish.
Note: The download link to the templates is on the order confirmation page after you've placed your order - so don't miss it!

Your Getting Started Guide

Almost all domain registrars and web hosting companies are notorious for taking your order, sending you a welcome email and leaving you to figure out how to get started.
At WebsitePalace.com, that's not going to happen.
To help you along, I've created a step by step guide that will not only walk you through launching your site or blog, but I provide tips on generating traffic and making money from your site. There are even instructions for setting up a blog.
It's perfect for newbies.
When you buy your domain name(s) at Website Palace, you'll get this free book to help you setup your account and prepare to launch your site and/or blog.
The manual is an electronic book (PDF) and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
Most computers already have this program installed, but just in case you don't, you can download the free reader here.
Note: The download link to the book is on the order confirmation page after you've placed your order - so don't miss it!
If you register a domain name or buy anything from WebsitePalace.com by May 1, 2009, I will provide this book for free

Top Notch Support Available

If you should ever have a question, support is available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
Most people that come here are new to the website creation scene. Their number one fear is that they'll invest their money into something that is new and unfamiliar, and then get stuck with no one to help them should they have a question. Well, that's not going to happen here.
It is understood that many of you may be new to this and should you ever have a question you can call or email us at anytime.
Phone support is available around the clock and WebsitePalace's dedicated customer service team makes every effort to answer emails within a 10-12 hour period

You Should Protect Your Privacy

As you're registering your name, you will be presented with the option of keeping your domain name private - a deluxe feature you'll probably want to take advantage of.
A private domain registration will keep your information (name, email address, etc.) out of the global Internet database, and will prevent a lot of spam from reaching your email box.
Even though registering a "private" domain is not mandatory and will not block all spam, I highly recommend you select this option. I certainly wish this had been available when I created my first site

How to Register a Domain Name

Reserving a domain name is easy and very cost friendly. The big name companies like Register.com and NetworkSolutions.com charge ridiculous prices such as $30-35/year for one domain name, and you get the same service at WebsitePalace.com for much less.
It doesn't matter where you register your domain. Every registrar provides the same services.
You can save a bundle at WebsitePalace.com, and you get a bunch of freebies such as a blog, domain forwarding and a free starter page

Selecting The Best Domain Name

If being found in the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) is important to you, I highly recommend you register a name that contains your major keywords instead of your company name.
Think about it. The average surfer searches by subject, not by proper name. So why it may seem cool to have a name like TimothysToolTyme.com, you'll want to choose a name that includes keywords that your target audience would likely use when they search.
So with that in mind, a name like Tool-Tips-for-Beginners.com would be much better than TimothysToolTyme.com.
Sure, you can still list your company name on your web pages, but I believe it's more important to make sure the domain name includes your important "search friendly" keywords if you want to receive traffic from all over.
Of course, you can still list your company name on the web site some place, but your domain name will include all the important keywords you'll want to be found with.
Now, as always, there are exceptions...
If you are just creating a website for a local business, getting traffic from all over the web may not be as important to you. This is because your customers will be local and you may want to grow your brand name in a specific area.
If this is the case, it may make more sense to register your company name and create brand awareness locally instead of trying to capitalize on search engine presence.
For example, let's say you have a company called J.W. Reed & Co and you help people get rid of debt, but you're based in Kansas and can only cater to residents in this area.
Since you are only servicing local clients, you may not care if someone in California can find your site in Google since they are not likely to become one of your customers.
In this case, it's not as important to register a name filled with "search optimized" keywords. You may decide to just reserve the company name, JWReedAndCo.com.
NOTE: Keep in mind that the domain name is not the only factor weighed by search engines when deciding your rank.
The content on your web pages and your site's popularity (inbound links from other sites) is very important too. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to make sure your name is optimized for maximum results.
Here are some more tips on choosing the best domain name:
1) Don't register domain names that are too long and have too many syllables if you can help it. Yes, you can register names up to 63 characters long, but that doesn't mean you have to use all 63 characters.
You want your name to be easy to remember. Not everyone will bookmark your page initially so try to think of something that can be easily remembered -- although I realize this may be tricky since a lot of names are taken these days.
2) Use hyphens if your name is more than 3 words long (unless your name includes 3 short words). A name like carbuying.com doesn't really need a hyphen because it's readable the way it is.
However a name like used-car-buying-scams.com looks better than usedcarbuyingscams.com since there are so many words in the name.
3) Protect your name by registering multiple extensions (.net, .org, etc.) This deters people from copying your name. For example, if you own garden-tips-for-us.com you can also register garden-tips-for-us.net and any other extension that's available.
You don't have to build a site on all the domains, but you can reserve the others to keep people (copycats) from registering them

How to Register a Domain Name

Congratulations! You've made it to the 1st step of creating a website. It is highly recommended that you read this ENTIRE page as it contains important information that most sites don't tell you about domain name registrations.
Please don't rush this step? If you're trying to make money with your website, hopefully you've taken the time to read 2 Plan a Website first.
There is very important advice there about choosing your topic and doing the proper research and planning before you begin.
NOTE: If you already know about domain names, go here to register your domain. If not, I highly recommend you read on to understand why the name selection is so important.
There are two basic steps to getting your site online and registering/reserving a domain name is the first.
A domain name makes up the address of your site and can end in .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .biz, .tv and more. Throughout this site you will also see the domain name referred to as the "dot com name".
Once you have registered your name, you will select a web host (2nd step). The web host is the guts of any website because this is where you create and publish your pages, build order forms, add functionality and maintain your site.
First, let's focus on selecting the best domain name for your site...
Free e-Book Software &70+ Design TemplatesWith Every Domain Registered Register by May 1, 2009See details below.
Selecting The Best Domain Name
If being found in the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) is important to you, I highly recommend you register a name that contains your major keywords instead of your company name.
Think about it. The average surfer searches by subject, not by proper name. So why it may seem cool to have a name like TimothysToolTyme.com, you'll want to choose a name that includes keywords that your target audience would likely use when they search.
So with that in mind, a name like Tool-Tips-for-Beginners.com would be much better than TimothysToolTyme.com.
Sure, you can still list your company name on your web pages, but I believe it's more important to make sure the domain name includes your important "search friendly" keywords if you want to receive traffic from all over.
Of course, you can still list your company name on the web site some place, but your domain name will include all the important keywords you'll want to be found with.
Now, as always, there are exceptions...
If you are just creating a website for a local business, getting traffic from all over the web may not be as important to you. This is because your customers will be local and you may want to grow your brand name in a specific area.
If this is the case, it may make more sense to register your company name and create brand awareness locally instead of trying to capitalize on search engine presence.
For example, let's say you have a company called J.W. Reed & Co and you help people get rid of debt, but you're based in Kansas and can only cater to residents in this area.
Since you are only servicing local clients, you may not care if someone in California can find your site in Google since they are not likely to become one of your customers.
In this case, it's not as important to register a name filled with "search optimized" keywords. You may decide to just reserve the company name, JWReedAndCo.com.
NOTE: Keep in mind that the domain name is not the only factor weighed by search engines when deciding your rank.
The content on your web pages and your site's popularity (inbound links from other sites) is very important too. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to make sure your name is optimized for maximum results.
Here are some more tips on choosing the best domain name:
1) Don't register domain names that are too long and have too many syllables if you can help it. Yes, you can register names up to 63 characters long, but that doesn't mean you have to use all 63 characters.
You want your name to be easy to remember. Not everyone will bookmark your page initially so try to think of something that can be easily remembered -- although I realize this may be tricky since a lot of names are taken these days.
2) Use hyphens if your name is more than 3 words long (unless your name includes 3 short words). A name like carbuying.com doesn't really need a hyphen because it's readable the way it is.
However a name like used-car-buying-scams.com looks better than usedcarbuyingscams.com since there are so many words in the name.
3) Protect your name by registering multiple extensions (.net, .org, etc.) This deters people from copying your name. For example, if you own garden-tips-for-us.com you can also register garden-tips-for-us.net and any other extension that's available.
You don't have to build a site on all the domains, but you can reserve the others to keep people (copycats) from registering them