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Monday, April 30, 2007

70+ Free HTML Templates

The freebies keep coming at WebsitePalace.com. I recently blogged about the free ebook software you receive with each new order, and now they are offering 70+ html templates.

What a great way to encourage newbies to choose them as their domain registrar and/or web host... especially since most web hosts don't offer templates and cater to the newbies.

Read more about the free offer here.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Starbucks, My New Office

I've always had a dream of being my own boss and having the freedom to go to any Starbucks and work while I watch the busy 9-to-5ers scurry in and out. Well, that time is finally here and I owe it all to affiliate marketing.

You too can have this life, and the quickest way to get there is follow your passion. What do you love? What can you help someone with? Write a site about it and go into the business of providing useful content. Yes, it's a lot of work, but the concept is very simple.

So what are you waiting for? Get started today. There are millions of people out there searching Google for information that you could be providing. Your dream lifestyle is only one website away. ;-)

Wanna talk about this? Come to WebsiteBabble.com and find out how a website can help you achieve your financial and lifestyle goals.

Cheers!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

"How Long Before I Succeed?"

It's THE age old question heard around the Net. "How long does it take before I start making money with my website?" It's a question that's very difficult to answer and one I'm usually very careful about addressing.

The Internet is flooded with products and websites that make ridiculous claims about getting rich quickly, and if you're not cautious... you could get sucked in. I know many people who have.

I cannot emphasize enough that making money no matter whether you're online or offline is work. The Internet is glamorous. There are countless stories of people like myself who are earning a living online. And to some, this "Web thing" appears to be a quick and easy way to escape a humdrum or stressful 9 to 5 job.

You read the stories all the time, but you rarely hear about the work that actually went into making these successful sites. While I've had a ball out here the last 9 years, I've definitely done my time and worked very hard. Anyone who is making good money out here will tell you the same.

Now, back to the "How long before I succeed?" question. There is not one answer to this question. It depends on your dedication, work ethic, and enjoyment.

Yes, I said enjoyment.

That's another factor that's often left out of these success stories. If it's not fun for you, it will feel like a job.

Then you're in trouble.

One thing I can say is that I have enjoyed every step of this journey. I continue to learn new things almost everyday and I truly love helping people. So the enjoyment didn't come because of the money. The money came because I enjoy what I'm doing.

People who attach a timer to their success often begin this journey with the wrong focus. After all, there is no right answer to the "how long" question. Some people take a few months, others take years. But when you are doing what you love... that success clock stops ticking, and the money will naturally come over time. I promise.

Here's a great thread from my forum that does a great job of addressing the age old question.

Monday, April 09, 2007

I'm Giving Away $300.00

No there's no typo in the title. Yes, I'm giving away $300 in an effort to promote my new site, WebsiteBabble.com. It's a brand new forum site (just launched yesterday!) where people can go and post questions related to website building and making money online.

To be honest, I've never had too much success with getting people to participate in forums, so I thought I'd add a little incentive and offer $300 to the MVP (Most Valuable Poster). In other words, the person who can offer the best advice over a period of time will win the handsome reward.

No, this is not a hoax. I will be paying someone out of my own pocket on July 31, 2007. The details are here.

So if you've got some great advice to give, head on over to my brand new forum and I'll be watching. If this $300 incentive works, I'll be running another contest after this one ends.

Please support my new forum!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Free e-Book Software

WebsitePalace.com is offering free e-Book software (Windows users only) to anyone who purchases from their website.

All you do is create your book on your computer using your favorite program, (Microsoft Word, Notepad, or even an HTML editor) and tell the software where your files are located.

Within seconds, your book is compiled into an .exe file that you can upload to your server and it's ready for your visitors to download. You can even set it up so a password is required to open it.

I've actually used the software and it's not as cheesy as I thought it would be. (You know how some of those freebies are!) Sure, it doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles that a non-free program like eBook Edit Pro would have, but you can still create a very presentable e-Book with this software.

Special Tip: The link to the free download is located on the order confirmation page, so don't miss it!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Cheap Web Host vs. Site Build It!

So I've decided to give this "video thing" a whirl. After countless questions from people who ask me "Why should I pay $299 for Site Build It! when there are tons of web hosts out there for under $10 per month?"

Well, here's my answer... video style!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Yahoo! Answers Builds Traffic

In case you don't know, Yahoo! Answers is a free Q&A community that allows people to ask and answer questions on virtually any topic.

I was doing a backlink check on Yahoo the other day. (A backlink check is a way to see how many other sites link to you. Go to Yahoo.com and type in linkdomain:www.yoursite.com to check your site's backlinks.)

And I was pleasently surprised at the number of people who posted a link to my site on Yahoo! Answers when answering questions about website creation.

Wow! Free traffic and I didn't have to do a thing.

This further drives the point of how important it is to build the most useful site you can in your niche. Whether you reach golfers, doctors, stay at home moms, you name it. If your site is useful, people will link to it volunatarily. The other benefit to this is that the search engines will notice these multiple one-way links and reward you with higher rankings.

So don't just put up a 3-page site and hope for the best. Build a site with a wealth of useful information. Check your competitors and offer tools and advice that they don't. Get people to remember you, and you will be rewarded long-term.