Eric's Tips

Eric has some good stuff at his site. A lot of it is free.

If you buy from the link I'm listing, I'll make a commission. However, the reason I'm telling you about Eric is two-fold. His free books are useful AND you can become an affiliate too. Eric has a program going right now that educates you online in little bits and pieces, starting from the beginning and going on for 100+sessions. It's all about internet business, offered in a logical and comrehensive progression and, best of all it's free.

He also has his 10 free E-books (with full resale rights) plus products you can buy. http://www.10-free-ebooks.com/download/?aff=29648 I've been developing my business for several months now and I like what Eric offers. It's worth your time to check it out. Of course he wants to sell something (we all do) but he offers good free stuff too.

Follow the link to http://www.10-free-ebooks.com/download/?aff=29648
I'm pretty sure we're all trying to make money from our online, internet marketing sites so, check this one out. Get back to me withyour comments.

Here's the link again http://www.10-free-ebooks.com/download/?aff=29648

And here's to success!

Chris

http://NewbieTerms.com/
http://onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.com/

Newbie Mistakes to Avoid on Affiliate Commissions – Clickbank is Newbie and User Friendly

Unfortunately, as newbies, we may not even know the right questions to ask to reap the benefits (commissions) from our efforts. I will share the basics now and ask you to do additional homework to make sure you are guaranteed your commissions on every single affiliate sale you produce!

As you may know, I AM A NEWBIE, meaning I have not earned my first $50K online.

As a newbie, are you aware of how your commissions are recorded? In other words, do you know how to set up your link so that, when a person clicks on a product from your site, or from your E-mail message, YOU get the commission when the sale occurs? I learned the hard way.

I used my prized personal mailing list to drive traffic to my sites. I had tested all the links to make sure they worked. What was missing was the necessary id for my individual account. Instead, I was giving my clients access to the regular commercial website meaning that if a sale was made, I was left out. The product owner (Publisher) got full credit for the sale. I got nothing!

Here's part of the problem...there is no way to track these sales without your ID. But it is very easy to set up a link in your site that just takes people directly to the publisher's site - completely removing you from any possible commissions!

How to rectify this? There is always a code that identifies you, specifically, to the publisher so that you will get your commission. Be sure you can identify this code and place it in your site. It varies from affiliate company to affiliate company so, be clear on how to do this with each company.

From my experience, Clickbank is the easiest company to work with in this area. I highly recommend them. Who wants to work though all the other steps and then give up sales because they didn't put in the right id?

Be sure to do your homework and understand the specifics of each affiliate program and how to identify your unique id/code so that you get your hard-earned commissions. This is what it's all about right?

I came across an excellent article in the Clickbank newsletter. If you are not already an affiliate with them, or if you have already set up an account, this article is really informative. The link is listed in my website. You'll need to paste this into your browser http://onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.com/compose_customer_web_site.php?smmDomain=onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.com&smmConfig=B&smmPage=ClickbankReview
or just go to http://onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.com/ and click on the menu bar for Clickbank.

I hope you are utilizing your membership in the online blog at http://onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.blogspot.com/ Your input is needed!

Have a good one,Chris

Affiliates Believe In Yourself, Sell A Product You Believe In

As an old computer user but really new online product/home business affiliate, I already know one big issue to avoid. Don't sell until you know what you're selling! Does this sound basic? Well, listen to this story...

You join Click Bank easily and start looking at products. There's so much out there! If you're like me, you see lots of stuff you might sell. How do you decide? Here's how you make that choice.

Sell it because you would buy it. In other words, if you wouldn't buy it yourself then why the heck are you trying to sell it to someone else? And, if you WOULD buy it yourself, then, maybe you SHOULD buy it first before you flaunt it to the masses. Make sense?

I've heard this mentioned in passing but have not heard it emphasized as ESSENTIAL. Think about it, how can you promote something you don't know? They don't tell us this when we sign on as affiliates, or pay big bucks for complete online businesses in a box. But think about it...if you don't take the time to know your product, what are you selling? How can you create those auto-responder letters and solicit your friends if you don't know (I mean really know) what you're selling?

If your beginning list of clients is your trusted, personal e-mail address list, are you willing to risk selling them something bunk? Unfortunately, I think the cost of doing business (even online business) requires an investment in the product. In the long run, this should stand you in good stead. The real issues here are time and money. If you're like me, you don't want to wait to get started AND you'd rather not spend the money.

I bought a product for $29 (money-back guarantee) that I started promoting right away. I was so excited I felt like a kid in a candy store. I took a lot of time to prepare my site and send letters to my best friends and business associates. Guess what?

I think the product is a loser. And now I've staked my reputation on it by telling my friends to invest in it. I lose in 2 ways. The product has been a disappointment and I'm going for the refund. My sales campaign is useless because I don't want to be associated with that product. Evidently other purchasers have a similar feeling because the "charge backs" are coming through. OUCH!

What did I learn?

• Know your product well
• Digital products may be especially easy to promote but, if you're selling junk, most buyers are going to be able to figure it out
• Don't let your enthusiasm and the big commissions outweigh your common sense
• Take your time. Think long term
• Sell something you can be proud of

I'll be continuing this series. Please follow along. We have a lot to learn but we're getting there. Thanks, see you later.

Ready to start a website? Try www.SmartMoneySmartYou.smmsite.com I'm making progress!

This Part's For You!

The Internet Marketing Cure e-book and online business in a box "Smart Money Websites" have official reviews below. Here are some products that I have purchased but have not yet reviewed. Please send your comment on these, or any other products that you have interest in. This is your page! Also, if you have questions for me, E-mail me at Skato51@gmail.com. And, if you would like to join this blog, E-mail and I'll send you an invitation!

• http://www.processathome.com/ To be avoided, in my opinion!
• http://www.godaddy.com/
• yahoo business websites - They control the format. If you want to transfer your account it's not easy!

The Internet Marketing Cure - Let The Review Begin! by Chris Best, M.A.

Let me start off by saying that I'm disappointed. I got the hype. I read the book. Now, I'm re-reading the book to start my commentary. If the quality and substance of the sales product is similar to the quality of the "pre-sell" e-book, it's likely I won't be buying. My review is about the book since the product hasn't been launched yet.

Admittedly, I have an M.A. in Communications so, wording things correctly and following through with a logical progression is important. I have a bias against Internet books because of the slip-shod writing overall. The Internet Marketing Cure by Scott Boulch is no exception to my overall impression.

Maybe I owe Scott Boulch an apology. And maybe not. In going through several pages of useless blathering, there is some redeeming information. I don't like the writing style. I think it's sloppy. But I do like some of the content. I think there is substance to it.

Stuff that I don't like. "Internet Marketers as a customer base are hurting." As my high-school English teacher said to me many times, what does this mean? I would expect some statistics and factual data rather than additional blathering. This kind of writing bugs the H--- out of me. Scott is by no means the only IM writer who uses undocumented junk statements but he's done it well.

"I have never been more disappointed with the way Internet Marketers treat each other". End of (and only sentence in) paragraph. Come on guys! This sentence needs more detail and an explanation of why the author is disappointed. I'm new to all this! Who's treating who badly and what are they doing that's bad! As a newbie, this kind of sentence just frustrates me. And I'm only on page 3...

Bad grammar is just plain bad. I don't know why this is so rampant in e-books except that I think there is a lot of self-editing AND I think there are keyword associations that create more profitable placement or something, with using certain words, including misspelled words. This is an area that bugs the H--- out of me. Scott is by no means...I'm repeating myself!

Good stuff. ..."build a business using the greatest TOOL ever invented for any marketer, "The Internet". Now, as a newbie, this makes me feel good. Maybe there is some hope for me to make some money from the greatest tool ever invented. Thanks for the encouragement, Scott.

When Mr. Boulch talks about character in some of his mentors and alludes to substance in life and work, it makes me more confident and comfortable. Wisdom comes with age and experience. I appreciate his comments on life outside of the Internet and that he has learned in other ways besides just the Internet. http://www.theinternetmarketingcure.com/go.php/91896

In the long run, I think this is what he's talking about when he talks "success". As a newbie, I'm trying to figure out who to follow, what to buy, and who to believe. This "stuff" helps me feel there might be some credibility in the author of The Internet Marketing Cure. I guess if you're old enough to remember life before the Internet then you're also old enough to believe in the value of analog vs digital, as a reality, and as an analogy! I think there's hope for our author!

"Today I am more excited and more optimistic than ever about the Internet as the perfect communication medium to build a virtual empire" S. Boulch

I haven't written a lot of reviews professionally but I'll be very blunt. I appreciate references.The writing jobs that I've been hired to do have all required some type of verification of where information came from. The Internet has changed this for many authors. Therefore, I add the caveat that Scott Boulch's entire book has no authorizations, verifications, or references. This seems to be SOP. OK, just bear this in mind when reading it. Does the word "hearsay" come to mind?

The Internet is a tool. This is a great point and good reminder. Scott makes an excellent point when stating that "the internet is not a product..." but a tool. I think he's wrong to say that it is "not an opportunity". Using the analogy of gold mining and selling useful products to the miners, rather than mining, as a means of making money, we can see that there are good ways and devious ways to use opportunity. If the Internet is used to sell "fool's gold marketed as the real thing, then Buyer Beware! We should all realize that nobody's watching out for our safety or success online and unscrupulous scoundrels will certainly attempt to take advantage of ignorance and trust.

The 30 Day Vaccination Challenge is right on! I love it. He's pinpointed a real problem with online businesses. It is Customer Service. The basic point here is that, if you can't get in touch with an online company (in reasonable time, by E-mail) then, maybe you shouldn't deal with them. There's more to it than that but that's the gist of it. Hurrah! This is so integral to long-time success.

Turning a $29 Sales into a Six Figure Income! OK, so now we know, what we're being sold. The membership concept is excellent for recurring income. Now that we've subscribed to the book, we have opted in to the Membership Program of Sales Team Scott Boulch, Don Bethune, and Keith Baxter. I haven't listened in to their Ustream program recently but, I have enjoyed when I was listening. They're truly offering free advice at this point with the reminder that, at some point they will be solicitng us for their program. Fair enough? I think so.

The live aspect of UStream is refreshing. The guys are just real people doing their version of online internet marketing. I'll keep an open mind on the upcoming sales program.

As for The Internet Marketing Cure e-book, I would like to end with saying that

• It was easy reading
• The substative portion could have been condensed to about 10 pages
• I like references and verification in books
• I'm OK with sloppy grammar and tabloid style writing but I'm fearful that this could be representative of the level of care that goes into the product the book represents
• I'm just a newbie. What do I know?

All information for this article came from the e-book The Internet Marketing Cure by Scott Boulch. Chris Best, the author, also used The Writer's Digest Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph.D. to confirm definitions and utilize interesting words. http://www.theinternetmarketingcure.com/go.php/91896

Sign-up today and make money!

Smart Money Websites - Time To Move On

Smart Money Websites - A Newbie Review

The following review is the entire commentary from the author regarding Smart Money Websites. It spans a period of 2 months. Enjoy. Please add your comments by contacting skato51@gmail.com. We'll add you to the list. Thanks!

Today’s online review is about Smart Money Websites, a home business trademarked as the "Internet-Business-In-A-Box”. You know what I think? I think there's a lot of good stuff here. But not all… I’ve read through the material a couple of times and I bought the product with my own money. Here is a beginning review. I’ll be adding more as the days go by.

Start March 19, 2008
I bought the $1 - 14 day Trial Subscription to Smart Money Websites today! Now I have some work to do including a lot of reading! I like the way Wayne presents his product and I especially appreciate the video that goes through the whole process (admittedly, pretty quickly, but it all looks so EASY!)

April 2
This is the first day that my paid subscription begins. Until today I was not able to use my own domain.com names. I was required to use name.smmsite.com sites.

The Good Part - The feeling I get from home based business owner Wayne Van Dyck is one of integrity and genuine interest in helping us newbies succeed. An example of this is in his e-book How To Make Your First $50,000 Online (which comes with the $1 introductory segment of his program). He talks about goals and commitments. “If you don’t know where you’re going, the chances are you’ll never get there”. This is the stuff I struggle with, for sure. Making a plan and sticking with it isn’t easy. Wayne gives us a platform to work from (p.39 in his $50K book) under Goals and Commitment. It’s similar to the goals I entered on my blog http://www.onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.blogspot.com/.

The reality, as Wayne states is that his program “is NOT a get-rich-quick program”. I have to accept this and be patient but it’s not easy. Of course he is right. I’ve worked with computers since 1980 and feel like I should know a heck of a lot more than I do! My problem…

The Bad Part - I have found the Customer Service process extremely frustrating. The process makes you subscribe to a different company Six Degrees Media, then

1. Log-in to your SMM Account
2. Click on the “Contact Support” tab at the top of the page
3. Click on the RED link “Ticket System”
4. Click on Submit Ticket (You do need to register for the ticket system before you can use it, if you have not previously registered)
5. Select the type of issue and its importance (Low, medium, high, urgent)
6. Enter how you bought the product (EVERY TIME) you enter a new request
7. Submit the entry
8. Wait for a response that can take hours or even a day (in my experience) When you get a response, it is through your E-mail but the message comes as a “do not reply” so you have to go through the whole ticket process again to continue the dialogue. I find this inefficient and frustrating. I admit to good answers once they come but, sometimes to get to a resolved problem we are talking a few days! I am already frustrated when I request help so, waiting for hours or days really bugs me.

April 7 - SPAM!! So today I get an E-mail message from Six Degrees (the customer service segment of Smart Money Websites) that my last mass e-mailing has produced more than a dozen spam complaints. I didn't even know that I had mailed out a message! Last week I imported 200+ names from a list of personal E-mail contacts. Somehow this list was mailed to. I honestly had not wanted, nor was I aware that this mailing had occurred. So, the question for customer service now is why and how this happened. The last thing I want to do is offend my prized list of current, personal E-mail addresses! Obviously I have a lot to learn... I need stress relief!! 300 Breakthrough Stress Relief Tips or Conquer Stress Depression, and Anxiety Naturally in Just 90 Days

April 8 - SPAM 2 Now I know that I do not import names into my site mailing lists unless I am ready to have those E-mail addresses automatically sent an "opt-in" message. I did not know what an "opt-in" message was before so this is something I've learned. It has made me re-think the process of importing mailing lists as I now believe that this method is expected to be used when you buy a mailing list, rather than when you import a pre-qualified list, already nurtured through other business relationships. April 9 I am a slow but steady learner. My confidence is diminished a bit as I find myself struggling with getting the free report E-mail part of the site to work. How do I offer a free report that somebody clicks on while also directing them to a sales page where I can ultimately give them the report and sell them something? There is a sign-up "squeeze" page (just for getting someone's E-mail address, even if they don't buy the product) and a sales page. These are supposed to be attached to each other. When you introduce the reader to the "squeeze" they usually move on to the sales page by leaving their E-mail. I'm having a heck of a time getting them to work cooperatively and realize I have limited patience. Without easy access to customer service one doesn't know where the problem lies so, I have turned off my computer and am going for a run...

April 10 - Panic Attack - Wayne says that 90% of our time should be spent on conversions (sales). I had a panic attack today because, if I get the traffic to my sites and they don't want to buy and/or don't even leave their E-mail address then I have wasted a mailing and all the effort (and possible expense) that goes in to it. In my case, because I want to do a mailing with the 1500 or so, pre-qualified names I have from Yahoo contacts, I want to give that list something I'm proud of when they follow the link. I realized I have to feel positive about the capability of the copy to SELL! I'm also not entirely comfortable with the quality of the copy on many of the websites or the "used car salesperson" techniques. I absolutely HATE the misspellings and am tired of Bold Red and Black letters! What I'm learning is that there is an element, an ongoing thread of "who you are and how you want to be represented" in cyberspace. I really don't want to be The Used Car Salesman". I want to look classy, sincere, and well informed. I want to make people see the sincerity and integrity in the author and owner of these sited. I also want to MAKE MONEY, no doubt about it. April 16 - Cookies I've been re-reading, listening to webinars, and going through tutorials. This has helped immensely. The tutorials are dry as heck but they do give useful information in small batches. This is what I need or I get overwhelmed, really quickly. I learned that, once you review your own site; and click on the E-mail button to take you from one page (squeeze) to the other (sales page); a cookie is placed that will automatically keep you from going back to the squeeze page. I don't understand the technology here but now I know WHY I can't get back into the previous page to look at it "live". There is a lot to learn. Be sure to keep looking at the tutorials. Overall, I feel like I'm making progress. Michelle D at Six Degrees Customer Service hasn't heard from me for at least 2 days in a row!

April 23 - Mass Mailing - I now have 2 sites up and ready to the point that I am going to do a mailing from my Yahoo E-mail List. I'm excited about this because I believe I have enough pieces together to get some sales from it. http://www.helpingwomentrade.com/ and http://www.smartmoneysmartyou.smmsitecom/

April 24 – Testing I really feel like I’m making progress. In part this comes from being better at describing the help I need when contacting Customer Service at Six Degrees. I’m learning that testing everything is essential. Last night I had a friend test my 2 sites above and, lo and behold! the site for Helping Women Trade did not click through from squeeze page to sales page! This means that, if I get someone far enough along in the cyber process to be interested in buying, they can’t get to the product! NOT GOOD. So, I contacted customer support this A.M. and will work on it after this post. The Smart Money testing and editing process seems a bit tedious to me. This may be my own impatience rearing its ugly head or, it may be that, to accommodate ignorant technocrats, there must be a great deal of redundancy? I don’t know enough yet to be able to judge. I’m only able to comment!

April 29 – Mass Mailing and Transfer of Domain Names - I have a few observations but one stands out – I really wish there were someone to talk to! For example, today I had to restart my site for TheWeeklyPepTalk.com. I deleted everything and started over. Not a big deal. I hadn’t entered much but here’s where it became an issue. Because the domain is my own domain and does not belong to Smart Money Websites I can’t enter the name without waiting for them. They have to do it for me. This means I have to send a message to Customer Service and ask them to re-direct the name to the site. It also means that, if I owned the domain name before coming to SMMSITE they would charge me $10.95 to make the transfer! Most companies don’t do this if they get to host the name so I’m not sure why Smart Money charges, but they do!

As I’ve said before, I don’t like to wait for this indirect chat line customer service because there is always some lag time. And you know, when I have one question, I usually have more once that first one is answered. I’d love to see live help but I believe that cost is what prohibits this. Anybody know for sure?

Regarding the Mass Mailing, I have started a systematic mailing to my personal Yahoo list. This is a list that has evolved over several years of various contacts so it is important to me that I mail to them only once, unsolicited. Unlike my mistake with the SPAM on April 7 I prepared a mailing that came directly from the Yahoo Mailbox rather than transferring the names over to SMMSITE first. I’m using the auto responder system for anyone who leaves an E-mail address directly on the site. So far that part has worked very nicely. Oh yes, be sure you test your auto responder first, (as SMMSITE recommends). Send yourself a test message. I’ve made several mistakes that have been fixed before those mailings went to my precious “clickers”!

May 6 - I have a tendency to want to reinvent the wheel. Here’s what I’m learning in regards to online business. I’m a newbie, I need to follow directions and keep it simple. I have gotten myself into more formatting issues than I care to tell. The latest was based on trying to put Adsense ads (Google fee advertising) into the Smart Money site. BAD! As Wayne says, “Since you have a limited amount of time to spend on your business, where and how you spend that time determines your success”. OK, that means accepting my limited knowledge and listening to the pros. JUST DO IT! OK, I’m trying…

May 15 – Read and Read Again I started my mailing on April 29, mailing to 50 people a day. In 2 weeks I have had one conversion. This feels a bit discouraging but I think my expectations may be too high. I guess I felt that if I took my time to get my site together and learn a few things about the Smart Money System that I could be more successful in 2 weeks. Well, that is only 14 days! Stick with me; I’ll fill you in as things start to get better.

Today I started reading from the beginning of the sign-up material, once again. This is a third or fourth time for some of the material... There is so much to take in! I am impressed by how much I have learned to date and humbled by how much more there is to learn. Wayne talks over and over about going simple with your first site (Smart Money Websites) and getting it up and running quickly. I chose not to do it this way but, in hindsight, I think he’s 100% right. The satisfaction of making even a little money right away can be a great motivator. I’m already feeling a bit discouraged. However, I am not a quitter!

May 16 - Auto Responder Letters Today I reviewed my letters and adjusted them slightly. I also decided to add more of them. At present I have one immediate response (0 days) prepared (that includes this review), a 2 day follow-up, a 4 day follow-up, and that’s it. I think I read somewhere that it can take up to 7 reminders for folks to follow through and actually purchase something. So, on my list of things to do is to write some additional letters, and change the timing. I’m going to do the immediate response (0 days), 1 day, 3 days, 6 days, 9 days, 13 days, and 17 days. I don’t want to pester but I guess I should believe the pros and do what they say. More to come ….

May 22 - Time to Move On
This is my final review for Smart Money Websites. I am not even close to being finished working with this web hosting "business in a box". However, except for the success rate that I will keep posted, I'm ready to review something new.

Here is a recap of what I've gotten out of this program...

Stay Simple. I have learned that Smart Money Websites is truly designed for marketing digital affiliate products. THAT'S IT IN A NUTSHELL. They have done a great job of putting all the pieces together to work with Clickbank and sell digital products that return a high commission with each sale. When you try to deviate from this, you start to run into problems.

No Adsense. No, it's not that you can't use Adsense ads but you cannot get indexed by Google, and you can't put metatags or load html for verification that you own the website. As you know, I am a newbie so, if this is not the case, or if it doesn't matter, I don't know! I have asked Smart Money Customer Service and their rather lame reason, why they don't allow indexing, just leaves me wondering what I'm not getting from having them host my domain names. By the way, this is true with "mydomainnames.com" as well as sub-domains that have the smmsite.com ending. And, if you haven't gotten involved with Google Adsense, you may be blessed...who knows!

Responsive Customer Service. I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly I get a response from Customer Service. Except for the initial set-up call that took a while, there has been reasonable response time. Two issues are still outstanding however.

One, I would still love to be able to speak to someone - a live body because one answer almost always leads to another question. This still bothers me.

Two, the answers I've gotten are often more technical than I am. I read them and think, D...! now what do I do. Often I just wait a while and try to re-read the answer and make sense of it. Sometimes it helps.

Wayne VanDyck is Long-Winded and Redundant on the Seminar/Webinar Calls. I learn well by listening and want to commend Smart Money Websites on producing audio programs. My complaint is that I have to sit through long periods of redundant material before owner and creator VanDyck gets to the "new stuff" or the questions, or lets others speak. I have read through the material in my binder several times (five or six times) and, when I use an hour or two of time to listen to a webinar, I would like more substance, please.

Every webinar that I have listened to has included a major amount of time on the basics. I promise, I've listened to several of them. Now, I approach the experience as one of trepidation. I hate wasting time listening to what I already know when the title of the webinar indicates something different.

No Clinics, Workshops as Indicated. I read in the sign-up material that we would be getting Wednesday evening webinars on a regular basis. I either got dropped off the list or these are not happening. I looked through my E-mails and have not seen these notifications. As indicated above, I like listening to learn. I would like to hear other people ask questions and see what our similar issues are. I would even ask some of my own questions now that I know more. I signed up in March and am aware of only 2 webinars. Did I get deleted from some list or what?

Limited Income but Going Cheap. The income I've received speaks for itself. It's posted on my site at http://onlineproductreviewsfornewbies.blogspot.com .

For promotion, I am cutting out pieces of these reviews and using them as articles. I've only published on Go Articles thus far. I also did a mailing to my personal list in Yahoo and have an "opt-in" list of 1200 free names that came from some site on the internet. It's slow going. It's been a month and I have one conversion. I can see that the number of people through your site makes a huge difference and, if you don't buy key words (or any other type of pay-per-click sales promoters) it's slow going.

Now that I've got all the pieces in place I may try some paid advertising. Truthfully, I am thankful that I didn't waste money before I knew enough to feel I have a complet product to offer. I've made a lot of mistakes but I've been able to correct most of them. Some big, like not putting in my affiliate code, some little, like correcting spelling on my autresponder letters.

So, all in all. I want to thank Wayne Van Dyck for his contribution to my ability to make money online. There has never been an inkling of a feeling that Smart Money Websites doesn't care. I believe Wayne and staff truly want each of us to succeed. Keep perfecting the product Wayne. I'll try to do my part to promote it.

Here's to our mutual success!