Prepare yourself for torture. Well, not really, unless you’ve married yourself to your first draft while writing it.

Carrying on, I’m going to stress the importance of editing your report for quality because I’ve come across far too many of these cheap reports that look like they were thrown together by a third grader and in every case, I felt jilted. And you know what else? I will never purchase anything else put out or recommended by those authors.

You don’t want your customers to feel that way, you want them to feel as though they received real value from you because it helps to build trust.

Before you begin the process of editing your report, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some basic copy editing symbols. (This should bring back some memories from grade school English class.)

Prepare your document for editing

As with making edits to a web page, make sure you always have a good working copy safely backed up somewhere. In case something happens or you accidentally wipe out a chunk of text, you’ll have a copy to revert to. And make sure that you don’t overwrite this copy.

Since it’s much easier (in my opinion) to edit a hard copy of a document instead of doing it on screen, it’s a good idea to prepare the document for printing. This will not be the standard format for the document when it’s ready for release, however, it will be optimized for offline editing.

Increase the right margin by .25 of an inch (left margin if you’re left handed). This extra space in the margin will allow you to take notes and document any necessary edits. Turn on page and line numbering. The numbers will help you transfer the edits from the hard document to your digital version without too much searching through the text. Double space the document. The additional space between lines will allow you to make editing marks and take quick notes.

When you have your document prepared and printed, grab yourself a red pen and step away from the computer; the computer may distract you from your editing duties.

Begin the editing process

In my experience, I’ve found it best to edit a document in waves, otherwise it’s incredibly easy to overlook something.

The first wave is all about catching the spelling and grammatical errors. Don’t allow your mind to think about anything else except catching the egregious errors.

On your second wave, tighten up the language and flow of the report; remove unnecessary words or passages. Read it out loud as you go along and see if you hiccup on any lines, chances are, if you do, you need to revise it.

The third wave is for good measure. Read your report with a fine-toothed comb to spot any errors in spelling, grammar, tone, and flow that you may have missed previously.

Some Lessons Learned (in bullet point format)

• Write about 35 pages (double-spaced) for the first draft because you will edit down.
• Make sure you have a back up copy safely stashed somewhere.
• Set an extra bit of margin, turn on page and line numbering, and print a hard copy for editing.
• Use a red pen or pencil for marking edits (or use a pen with a different color from your font color).
• Edit the document in waves (first wave: spelling and grammar; second wave: flow and pace; third wave: polish).
• Get a second pair of eyes to catch anything that you’ve missed in the waves of editing.
• Keep the end reader in mind when preparing the document for conversion to PDF format (i.e. hyperlinked ToC, large legible font, black text on white background)

Tags: seven dollar secrets, 7 dollar secrets, jonathan leger, writing reports, write that report, seven dollar reports, 7 dollar reports

Before beginning the actual report, I decided to review the $7 Secrets ebook again, especially my favorite part — keeping it short (30 pages or less short). Knowing that I had a limited number of pages to work with made planning it a bit easier, however, I learned during the editing process that you’ll want to make your first draft about 35 double-spaced pages and then edit down.

Planning the Report

Planning the book wasn’t difficult; it was a matter of preparing the table of contents (ToC) which would double as an outline. It took about 30 minutes for a working version to serve as a nice guide thoughout the process.

1. Title page/copyright/disclaimer
2. Introduction
3. First Section
   1. Supporting section
4. Second Section
   1. Supporting section
5. Third Section
   1. Supporting section
6. Conclusion
7. Affiliate Program

In case it isn’t too obvious from the example, I used a variation of the 5 paragraph essay format we learn in grade school. Of course, the ToC evolved throughout the entire writing process, but it set nice boundaries to help curb the wild tangents.

Writing the Report

During the first phase of writing, I focused only on getting the contents down on paper. It was difficult not self-editing as I wrote, but I constantly reminded myself that it was just a sh*tty first draft (a great concept I picked up from a hilarious book on writing called Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott).

Another function of the ToC that I didn’t expect is that it allowed me to bounce around while writing. If I was hung up on a particular section, I’d simply skip on to the next section and come back when the mood hit me.

As you write, remember to bring forward your human voice. Envision that you are writing this report for a friend or colleague — keep it light and unpretentious. However, don’t make it so informal that it sounds trite. I mention this because when you’ve already built the human voice into your report in the first draft, you don’t have to worry about editing it in later.

Tags: seven dollar secrets, 7 dollar secrets, jonathan leger, writing reports, write that report, ebook writing

You could conceivably write a report on any topic, but if there’s no market for it, you will need to work harder to get a return on your efforts.

For my report, I lucked out on selecting a topic because it had just become popular due to increased exposure. It was a subject that I enjoyed immensely and had studied for quite a while, so writing it wouldn’t be difficult for me.

To double check the marketplace, I decided to do a couple searches for other websites, forums, and products. I deliberately opted to hold off on the keyword research because SEO would need to come later.

These reports aren’t about building traffic via search engines, it’s about finding creative ways to market. Of course, you can’t rule out search engine traffic altogether, but it’s something that can wait until later.

If you’re writing your own report and are looking for a topic, start with something that is near and dear to your heart. Look at your hobbies, your friends and family’s hobbies, watch television to spot any new trends on popular shows, or read what topics the magazines are covering.

One note, however, is that discovering a new topic from watching a popular television show or reading a magazine means that you will need to work quickly to get the report out before the wave of interest dies down.

Once the topic has been carved out in stone, it’s time to begin writing the report and preparing it for its debut.

Tags: seven dollar secrets, 7 dollar secrets, jonathan leger, writing reports, writing an ebook

The process wasn’t a short one by any means, although it was prolonged due to time constraints and my overwhelming need to be a perfectionist.

My own case study actually started well before Jonathan came up with his follow-up report, Write That Report, so my own process doesn’t follow that outline. However, I did learn quite a bit by venturing out on my own and I hope to impart some of those lessons on you.

(By the way, if you haven’t already purchased the $7 Secrets report, order Write That Report instead. Jonathan includes the $7 Secrets ebook and scripts as a bonus.)

Although my process took me a while, it was actually straightforward and simple.

1. Choose a topic
2. Write the report
3. Edit the report
4. Prepare the report
5. Set a price point and prepare marketing materials
6. Gather testimonials and affiliates
7. Start marketing

Each section will be broken down into its own page to make it easier to follow, beginning with topic selection and working through to marketing the product and my results.

Tags: seven dollar secrets, write that report, 7 dollar secrets, jonathan leger

But, before I get to my success habits, I do have a confession to make: I haven’t attained my ultimate success and probably never will (at least, not in this lifetime) because there are always new ideas to try, places to visit, people to meet, and things to learn. But all of that won’t stop me from enjoying the journey. After all, that’s what life is all about, the journey, right?

Let’s begin. Here are the things I do each day, in no particular order, which I feel contribute to my successes:

Music. As I listen to music — especially classical — I think about the skill of the artist and all that goes into the creation of each note. Imagine, for a moment, all that it takes to create such harmony, flow, and timing. Music, in and of itself, can be a huge inspiration for developing your own skills. Music also has the power to push you forward, even when you feel like lagging behind.

Journaling. Since I was a young girl, I’ve captured moments of my life in a journal. Happy moments, sad moments, my hopes and fears all laid out on paper. Even now, when I go back and read those captured moments, I realize just how far I’ve come in my life and it motivates me to keep pushing forward.

Appreciation. It’s easy to take things for granted, especially if you’re not exactly where you want to be in life. But, even when you’re not where you want to be, there is still plenty to be grateful for. I try to take time each day to reflect on what I’ve accomplished , what I have in my life, and just appreciate all of it.

Dancing, regardless of the style, is a release; energy surging through the body and spilling out into the world with each movement. Dancing teaches you to control and direct that energy — of course, I’m sure the same could be said of any physical activity.

Reading. The written word has become a dear old friend whom I try to visit each day. Reading expands your imagination, knowledge, and wisdom by sharing in the experiences of another. In essence, reading gives us an opportunity to see the world through another’s eyes. Although I haven’t been able to get as much pleasure reading done as often as I’d like, I do read something each day.

There are far more things than what’s listed above to include planning, positive thinking, writing, drawing, enjoying nature, and maintaining an open mind. Each person, however, will need to discover her own combination of positive habits for success, because, like most everything, success is different for everyone.

Now, it’s time for a game of tag.

Belle Wong
Linda Buquet
Brian Clark
Mark Cuban
Rosalind Gardner

There are quite a few other people I’d like to tag, but I needed to stop somewhere.

Tags: success habits, goal setting, meme, belle wong, linda buquet, brian clark, mark cuban, rosalind gardner

In case you needed something to cheer you up, it looks as though the fine folks at Google have a sense of humor. The above is a snapshot from the results when you search for directions from New York to London.

(Courtesy of Vlad)

Tags: google maps, new york to london

The human brain, with its hundred billion neurons and hundreds of trillions of synaptic connections, is a cognitive powerhouse in many ways. “But a core limitation is an inability to concentrate on two things at once,” said René Marois, a neuroscientist and director of the Human Information Processing Laboratory at Vanderbilt University.

…

“We are under the impression that we have this brain that can do more than it often can,” observed Mr. Marois…

Slow Down, Multitaskers; Don’t Read in Traffic (NYTimes)

I believe we, as humans, simply like to feel as though we’re more productive by trying to juggle a bunch of things at one time…

Personally, I’ll stick to the sage advice I was given a long time ago: Whatever you’re doing in the moment, give your full attention to it. If you’re working, focus on working; If you’re eating, focus on eating; If you’re playing, focus on playing; And if you’re sleeping, well, sleep soundly.

In order to consolidate e-mail, we often set up a catch-all e-mail account, then forward e-mail from various other addresses to this account. Recently, however, I started receiving someone else’s e-mail to my Gmail account.

At first, it took me a minute to figure it out (when it started, I figured that Gmail was simply letting an inordinate amount of spam slip through the filters), but when I received a sale notification for an affiliate program I was 99% certain I never signed up for, I decided to investigate. Sure enough, someone had set up their e-mail forwarders improperly. The worst part? Every e-mail I try to send to this person lands in my mailbox. In other words, there’s no way for me to contact this person letting him know I’m receiving all of his e-mail.

The e-mails I received aren’t simple “hey there and hello” e-mails, they are account confirmations, usernames/passwords, website updates, statements and so forth. His e-mails even give me a glimpse into all his marketing techniques. Everything he’s set up for his affiliate business is being directed to me.

Trying to live by the golden rule, I’ve contacted each of the affiliate programs, but according to them, there’s not much they can do. Some will hope he provided a valid and working phone number and call him, some will snail mail him, and a few say it’s out of their hands — he’s responsible for keeping his information safe and up to date. Unfortunately, sorting this out will take time and the only thing I can do in the interim is filter all his e-mail into my trash bin.

Let this cautionary tale serve as a reminder to double check your own e-mail forwarders. You never really know who’s on the receiving end of your e-mail, and it may end up being the downfall of your business if it should fall into the wrong hands.

Tags: affiliate marketing, email management, business management, online security, email security

Tags: spam

Darren Rowse listed too many posts (the post levels are overwhelming) as the number 1 reason why people unsubscribe from feeds. I can attest to this because I’ve unsubscribed from many feeds, not because I didn’t enjoy them, but because I didn’t have the time to keep up.

Thankfully, there are ways to scale back on the RSS updates, but still get the information from your favorite sites.

Weekly Updates or Newsletter

Check to see if the site offers a weekly e-mail update or newsletter. Some sites may even offer daily blog updates — once a day, you’ll receive an e-mail compilation of all the posts published that day.

One bonus, which you may not realize, is that some bloggers offer extra information or other exclusives for e-mail newsletter subscribers.

Subscribe to Category Specific Feeds

WordPress blogs offer category specific feeds and many larger blogs will also offer category specific feeds. Instead of subscribing to the entire site update, choose which sections you’d prefer to receive updates about, only when an entry is posted in that category will the feed update.

If the blog author is using WordPress, but doesn’t have the category feed buttons visible, you need only add &cat=# (replace # with the category number) to the end of the feed URL or /feed/ to the end of the category URL if the blog has pretty permalinks enabled.

Use Your Feed Reader Like A Pro

Whichever feed reader or service you decide to use, make sure that you understand how to use all of the features to its fullest potential. Learning how to organize, search, and list your feeds within your reader can make your feed reading that much more productive.

Consider upgrading to a power feed reader if you need to manage large amounts of news and information. Personally, I’ve been using Newzie without too much complaint. It displays which feeds were most recently updated in a color coded list, allows you to search through feeds, quickly delete and add feeds, along with a number of other tasks.

Tags: feed management, information overload, increase productivity, blog reading, feed reading, newzie

One method of gaining traffic and backlinks for a new blog is to submit the blog to directories and the feed to the rss directories. Considering that there are hundreds of these sites, it can become time consuming.

For Firefox users, there is a new extension, called Submit ‘Em Now, that could save you some time. It helps you submit your blog to 100 blog and RSS directories. The site also offers a manual submission service for a price ($59.95 at last glance); this option is good if you’re short on time or patience, but have the spare cash.

Tags: blog directory submission, blog marketing, free blogging tools, firefox extension

Using keywords, the script will pull results from the ClickBank marketplace; the potential problem I see, though, is with the ClickBank product descriptions. Some product owners write their descriptions to gain affiliates, not customers. That means the ad click through rates may be sketchy.

ClickBank AdBox Pro is only selling for $7 (as you guessed, modeled after $7 secrets), but it reminds me of the ClickBank Ads Genie, a product from some time ago — right down to the link to the website in each ad. That was actually what stopped me from using the ClickBank Ads Genie and will probably stop me from using the ClickBank AdBox Pro script in any major capacity. It would have been wise, on both accounts, to allow webmasters to remove the links or to, at least, provide their own affiliate link to the site. Otherwise, it’s like free product advertising.

I haven’t noted any major differences between the two scripts, so my recommendation is that you download the ClickBank Ads Genie for free. In the off chance that CBAG doesn’t suit your needs, splurge on ClickBank AdBox Pro.

(I’ve purchased the ClickBank AdBox Pro script, but haven’t had a chance to test it thoroughly yet. The above is based on my initial impressions.)

Tags: clickbank, clickbank adbox pro, clickbank ads genie, affiliate marketing, contextual advertising, adsense ads, ypn ads

Reviewing the site reveals that it’s still fairly new and in need of some products; by my count, there are only 38 products listed, but there is potential hiding in there. Though the site is plain looking, a bonus to listing your product is that products are randomly featured on the front page which means greater exposure for your product(s).

The only requirement of the site is that you’re using Jonathan’s script to sell the product; he’s actually making a nice profit because all the products pay directly to his PayPal account*. Now, before you think this is a bad thing, remember that you will be building your mailing list from each purchase , so you can forsake the $7 now to get more later.

This is just another perk to the $7 Secrets report, in my opinion. If you don’t already know about it, then you’re welcome to read my $7 Secrets overview.

Also notable is that Jonathan has also put out a couple updates to his included script. Some have been minor bug fixes and security releases, however, some additional features have been worked into the script since its initial release.

* Before you think you can substitute your PayPal account in place of Jonathan’s, think again. PayPal doesn’t allow you to send payments to yourself, so it makes it very difficult to steal affiliate commissions — another bonus to the $7 method.

Tags: secrets, seven dollar secrets, internet marketing, online marketing, affiliate marketing

One great way to build up a reputation online is to participate in forums. It’s also a great way to market your products and network with like-minded people. The downside to marketing in a forum, however, is that people tend to be wary of new members with unverifiable information.

When joining a new forum, it’s important to give the readers and participants some information that will humanize you in this virtual world.

• Introduce Yourself. Most forums will have a section specifically for introductions or general discussion. It’s always a good idea to make use of this forum by letting people know who you are, your goals, and what you hope to provide/accomplish at the forum.
• Mention Your References. We often participate in other forums and move around. If you’ve built up a name for yourself in another forum, don’t be afraid to mention it in your introduction. Linking to those profiles may even help win you over with the new forum members. But, caution: make sure those profiles are legitimately yours.
• Create A Profile. Many forums allow you to create a small bio area called a profile. Take a few moments to update your profile with some tidbits about yourself, goals, and business. People actually do read them, and seeing that you enjoy canoeing (or other activity you enjoy) will make you seem more personable.
• Add A Signature. A signature is a line that shows up under each post you make in the forum. Some forum masters allow links, so you can link out to your website. If you’d prefer not to reveal your website, you could also add a quote or other quip to brand yourself on the forum.
• Use Your Name. Attaching a name to your post will help greatly in personalizing your messages and gaining trust. Addressing someone as “coolscreenname” can become tiresome. Even if you don’t use your real name, create a penname that people can relate to and can use to address you.
• Participate. Welcome other new members to the forum, answer questions whenever you can, add a different perspective to a question that may have been answered, ask questions, and get involved.

Building your forum rep doesn’t happen over night, but in time, people will come to see your contributions and think of you as trustworthy. From it, you may experience an increase in traffic to your website, more joint ventures, and even a boost in your sales and income.

To learn more about how you can boost your business with forums, Harvey Segal has written a nicely laid out (free) ebook called Forum Supertips.

Tags: forum marketing, building trust online

I knew blogging had arrived two years ago when I heard it casually mentioned on an episode of Gilmore Girls and an episode of Half and Half started with the main character blogging.

But, now I know blogging has officially arrived because even Oprah is writing about it. An article in the March 2007 issue of O Magazine discusses weight loss through blogging. Losing It on the Web, by Sara Reistad-Long, briefly explains what a blog is and goes on to say how having a blog may help some women stick to their diets and support each other.

The article even explains how to set up a new blog. The instructions are very basic, such as set up a free blog at Google’s blogger.com or Yahoo’s 360.yahoo.com and they even tout Six Apart’s services. Once you have your blog set up, then the article urges you to submit it to a blog directory, leave comments on other blogs, and even ask other bloggers for a link exchange.

If you want to read all about it it’s in the March 2007 edition of O magazine, it should be available on news stands.

Tags: oprah magazine, o magazine, diet blog, blogs in mainstream media

Though their service only caters to IE users, there’s no reason the site should be that degraded in other browsers. At very least, degrade gracefully with a clear notice stating the site is intended for use in Internet Explorer only — it’s about usability. While some sites that are not heavily trafficked can get away with this (and I don’t suggest they try to), Wal*Mart does not fall into that category.

As it stands, since TechCrunch revealed this faux pas on Tuesday February 6, 2007, the site is still borked beyond recognition in Firefox on Wednesday February 7, 2007. I would like to think someone has already informed Wal*Mart of the problem, and I would like to think it wouldn’t take a team more than a few hours to correct. Of course, my thinking could be completely wrong.

On a parting note, I randomly clicked on the upper right hand portion of the screen (which appears blank) and was brought to the Wal*Mart homepage. Wasn’t expecting that. By the way, their homepage appears just fine in Firefox.

The Gmail trademark is owned by Daniel Giersch who founded a company called G-mail as a competitor to the German postal service. It’s like UPS to our Postal Service and I’m sure UPS wouldn’t hand over their trademark for a measly $250K.

According to the affiliate blogger (Bobbie), EuroGoogle lost its appeal for the trademark to Gmail. As much as I love Gmail, I’m glad to see that the court systems are sane over in Europe and don’t buckle under the dollar signs followed by all those zeros. Giersch held the trademark long before Google even launched its e-mail service.

Looks like we’ll be seeing Google Mail Germany (hey, look, the domain’s already registered).

Tags: google, gmail, trademark, giersch, g-mail

Initially, LO didn’t appear to have much selection. Frankly, all their images seemed to center around food, but it looks like it’s growing.

I broke down and signed up when I was captivated by the photo of the moment by Victoria Alexandrova. The composition was so lovely I racked my brain thinking of where I could possibly use that image (alas, no where at present).

The site itself is very similar to iStock. (Not the visual design. That’s very different.) Like iStock, LO uses a token system where you can purchase as many tokens as you like and then purchase images. Each token is worth about $1 (you get more bang for your buck if you buy tokens in bulk). The images start at 1 token for the super tiny blog entry size up to 20 tokens for the super mega high resolution images. Chances are, if you’re a regular web designer, you’ll be hovering in the 2-3 token range per image.

As I navigate the site, I’m discovering adorable little nuances - for instance, LO uses a Shoebox instead of a Lightbox to compile and keep track of images you like. LO can definitely become the place to go for stock photos as more people find out about it. Especially if they keep up the quality that they have now. Visit Lucky Oliver and judge for yourself.

Tags: lucky oliver, stock photos, stock photography, web design

Desktop Keyword Tools (for Windows)

• Good Keywords - great software which I use at least three times a week. Great to find ideas and to do drill downs.
• The Dowser - requires you to provide your name and e-mail to download, but there’s always a work around. There’s a pro version which isn’t free, but I don’t use it enough to warrant spending the money.

Online Keyword Tools

• Overture - Good for drill downs and keyword suggestions, however, it’s very general.
• Digital Point Keyword Suggestion - Uses Overture and WordTracker data. There’s a very annoying (and difficult to read) captcha, so it’s a tool I use only when I absolutely have to.
• Google AdWords Keyword Tool - The bonus is that you can search for multiple keywords at a time and it will also search synonyms.
• SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool - Great tool for generating ideas. It gets Overture data, but links out to Google, Yahoo!, MSN searches (for quick checks) and Google trends.
• WordTracker (which no longer requires you to sign up to trial it - woohoo) - this is probably the de facto keyword research tool, especially for hardcore niche marketers.

When I’m stumped for keywords, I usually open up The Sage and start scanning it for synonyms and play around with various word combinations. After creating a list of keywords, run it through a keyword list cleaner to get the list neat and organized.

Tags: keyword research tools, keyword list cleaner

In order to do something different and worthwhile, we thought it would be a good idea to release a deftly written and high quality product for a fraction of the usual info product going rate. But, it looks as though someone already beat us to the punch.

When it first crossed my path, I dismissed it as noise and I wasn’t the only one. Let’s face it, the headline screams hype — How I made over $3,000 in just 7 days by selling a 30 page report for $7 (complete with 50pt bold red letters and all). It wasn’t until I received a private message from Allen Says that I snapped to attention and shelled out $7 to see what the big deal was.

To be frank, I’m glad I purchased it; $7 Secrets is a huge internet marketing reality check — a much needed one, too. There are only 10 sections in this short, 33 page double-spaced ebook, and only 8 if you don’t count the promote this ebook and about the author sections.

Section one explains why you should be promoting information products. If you already understand the benefits of creating and promoting information products, go ahead and skip this section; it’s only a refresher for intermediate to advanced marketers.

The second section is also a bit of a refresher if you’ve already been selling information products online. It deals with the four main problems of selling information products (which all center around actually selling the product).

Section three is where you start getting into the meat of the ebook. It explains how and why the $7 method works. We see it (and do it) every day, but it’s so simple, we rarely pay attention to it. And when I came to the subtitle, “Does Anything Really Need 300 pages?”, I wanted to jump up and clap. Finally, someone understands that more doesn’t mean better.

The fourth section breaks down the concept of multiple sales, affiliate sales, and future list sales. Selling a $7 product may seem like small potatoes, but when you do the math, the numbers can add up quickly. One thing I didn’t agree with in this section, though, is that free reports don’t have viral capabilities (just look at Michel Fortin’s Death of a Salesletter report).

Section five’s title made me giggle like a schoolgirl - Seven Dollar Super Affiliates - but, the concept is one astonishing way to get affiliates. Give them 100% commissions and nix the sign up process.

Section six is a summation of the five step $7 method. It puts everything in an easy to follow bullet point format. You could probably print off that single page and use it as the business plan without a problem. If you’re in a hurry, or like to read a synopsis first, then you could skip right to pages 25-26.

In section seven, Jonathan provides you with the scripts to make it all possible (that’s mighty generous of him) and section eight discusses the best methods for creating your info product covers. His recommendation is to hire a professional — I concur.

The final two sections, as I mentioned earlier, deal with promoting the ebook and gives you some background on the author (Jonathan Leger).

If you’re looking for an ebook that takes you by the hand and explains every single detail of how to write an ebook, set up a website, and market it - you’ll be disappointed. But, it does give you enough information to get you started and lays out a formula to start your own info product empire — that, to me, is worth the $7.

After finishing the ebook, which took all of 15 minutes, I’m brimming with ideas. The book has reinforced my desire to create a high quality product and sell it for a fraction of what other marketers would, because, when you get down to it, there’s something good in it for everyone — the marketer, the affiliates, and the customers.

Read $7 Secrets

Tags: 7 dollar secrets, jonathan leger, online marketing, affiliate marketing, ebooks, info product creation

Taking a general inventory of my domain names revealed that I had a number of websites collecting dust. I’m sure I had big plans for some of them at the time of registration, but after a couple years and a shifting business, I knew the likelihood of growing those domains into bustling websites would be slim to nil.

After discussing the problem with a couple friends, I’ve decided to sell the websites I’m not passionate about or require more time than I can give. Instead of letting them rot, I’d much rather place them in capable hands. This will be a huge leap for me as it’s the first time I’ve ever sold a website.

To make things more interesting, the website I’ve decided to put up as the test subject comes with a product, full content, and an already existing user base — in other words, it’s a completely functional website, not just a domain name; It also happens to be one that I’ve poured a lot of time and attention into.

Now, it’s all about the leaning curve…

Preparing For the Sale

For the first website to sell, I chose one I do love and felt I’d been neglecting for the past few months. With an objective eye, I decided that my personal business and desires were moving in a different direction, but I didn’t want to see it go to waste. Personally, I would love to see it flourish.

The website already has an existing customer base, however, I was concerned about their privacy and their feelings. After some deliberation, I’ve decided that I will ask whether they want to stay in the customer database after the sale.

However, it would need to be made clear that the new owner would have no obligation of providing them with an update or support if they choose to remove themselves from the customer database.

Another aspect of preparation is the actual packaging of the website. That means the databases need to be backed up, the files need to be downloaded, and the entire website needs to be zipped for shipment.

Places to Sell A Website

Doing a quick online search reveals a number of places to sell a domain, but based on the type of domain I’m selling and the target audience, I figured the Warrior Forum and 5 Star Affiliate forum would be the ideal places to put up an offer. The website may also be listed at the Digital Point and Site Point forums for additional exposure. Because each forum has its own specific rules, it’s important to note them and abide by them to avoid ruffling any feathers.

Domain Valuation

Thinking back to a conversation with Paul Short late one evening, I remember he mentioned that a website can be valued based on its net revenue per anum. Some other factors I’m taking into consideration are:

• Domain name: the domain has an easy to remember name and is returned for multiple searches for the phrase.
• Current marketing: though the domain has not been marketed to its fullest potential, there are already a number of back links and recommendations in place.
• Age of domain and length of registration: the domain itself is relatively young (only a year), however, the registration has been renewed. (At the time, I had extremely high hopes for this site.)
• Number of domain names: Because I wanted to be prepared, two other domains were registered in addition to the main site name. The other two domains redirect to the main site, however, any three can easily be used as the main one.
• Content: the website comes with a pre-written salesletter, graphics, and video, all of which are unique.

Deciding On Sale Terms

Since this will be my first website sale, I want to make sure my assets are covered. Ideally, I want to transfer complete ownership and rights to the website and product. For the first month, I may offer basic support (i.e. answering product or website functionality question), but nothing beyond that. The goal is to simplify. On on the flip side, I also want to make sure the new owner makes a smooth transition and can properly grow the site into the powerhouse it was meant to be.

I’m beginning to think it would be much easier to sell a domain name as opposed to an established website because there is much more to consider when you’re selling a website. Before finalizing anything, I will certainly be seeking the advice of those who have been there and back — successfully.

My hope, by selling off the unnecessary websites and domains, is to simplify my life. Simplifying will allow me to focus more intently on the sites I truly love and am passionate about without the others looming over me like a bad dream.

Tags: selling a website, website valuation, domain valuation, domain value, website value, website sale

Everywhere you turn, there is another marketer asking for your e-mail address so he can sell you something. Now you need to provide an e-mail address before you can even find out what he’s actually selling.

Today, I received an e-mail which was promoting a new product. This was a physical product that could be ordered through Amazon, but it also came with a bonus for those who purchased it.

When I went to the site, I was greeted by a squeeze page — a page designed to get your name and e-mail address. No problem, I filled out the form and it redirected me to a page asking for my Amazon order number. Again, no problem, until I get to what I expected to be a download page and was greeted by yet another squeeze page; This time I wouldn’t be subscribed to just one more list, I would be subscribed to 15.

Sure, you could uncheck each of them (which I did), but I nearly missed it. It’s easy to overlook if you’re not paying attention because half of the list was below the fold. Finally, when I thought I was home free, it redirected to a sales letter for another product and informed me that my free download link was in my e-mail. (For the curious, I instantly closed the page when I saw my bonus was in the e-mail.)

Thankfully, I’ve been around the block a time or two, so I subscribe using a fake name with a throw away e-mail account at Yahoo! or Gmail, confirm my subscription so I can get the download link and click the unsubscribe link immediately. When the e-mail address becomes too laced with spam, I junk it and get a new one.

That seems like a lot of trouble to go through, but marketers who abuse the name squeeze technique with infinite loops of squeeze page upon squeeze page followed by a sales pitch have made it necessary. It’s those same marketers who don’t deserve my money or my e-mail address. I suspect, as this technique proliferates, others will start finding workarounds and these e-mail lists will become useless.

Tags: squeeze page, sales page, salesletter, guru marketing, opt-in email

After signing up for an affiliate program, a “special offer” for affiliates to receive a product at a “discounted rate” rate appeared. A “thank you” for becoming an affiliate.

The product offered, though very similar, wasn’t the same product available for marketing through the affiliate program. Otherwise, it would have been like saying, “Hey, I know there’s a chance you’re just going to purchase through your affiliate link anyway, let me cut out a step for you.” and that just wouldn’t be right.

Tags: increase sales, affiliate back end sales, upsell

Before you get started, you should select your color palette and the fonts you want to use. This will help to make it a smooth process, similar to laying out your ingredients before baking a cake.

The colors you select can be taken directly from the website you’re promoting, or you can visit other websites for color inspiration; a great site would be Color Schemer where users can create and submit their own custom color schemes.

Font selection can quickly become an intricate science, but in general, the font will give it a classic or modern feel. Without getting into the complete art of typography, select a serif font (examples: Georgia, Times New Roman, Garamond) for a classic and conservative feel, or sans-serif font (examples: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial) for a more modern feel.

To get started, create a new document in Photoshop and give it the dimensions of your text banner. For this example, we’ll be making a 125×125 square banner.

Make sure you also open up your color scheme or have it handy somewhere.

Set your foreground and background colors in Photoshop. Because we’ll be making a slight gradient, the background color is simply a darker variation of the foreground color.

Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools menu by clicking and holding the small triangle in the lower right corner of the Paint Bucket tool.

While holding down the shift key (this will create a perfectly straight line), click in the top center of the canvas and while holding down the left mouse button, drag the cursor about halfway down the canvas. Assuming all went well, you should now have color filling the canvas going from light, at the top, to darker at the bottom.

Create a new layer by clicking on the new layer icon from the Layers window. This second layer will become the design nuance. What you use on this layer will depend on the product or website you’re promoting. If there is a logo, you may want to consider using that.

For the Blogossary banner, I’ll be using the letter b just for the decorative nuance. After selecting the text tool, set the text color to slightly darker than the background color, add the decorative nuance, and then position it on the canvas. Once it’s in place, set the opacity to 50% to give it a washed out effect.

The final step before saving will be to create the banner text. Create another layer as we did in the previous section.

From the text menu, set your font properties, making sure to reset your font color.

Click in the canvas where you want your type to show up and start typing your text. Don’t be afraid to position the text for the best possible layout using the move tool, you can always go back to editing the text if you want to change it.

That’s really all there is to it. Stand back and look at the results, and make any final tweaks. If everything is where it should be, click on the File menu and select Save for Web (this is a neat Photoshop feature that saves an image optimized for websites).

Since this tutorial was about creating a simple text banner, we didn’t use many of the Photoshop frills, but don’t let that stop you from experimenting on your own. There are a variety of free brushes, shapes, and filters for you to use. Go forth, and play creatively.

Tags: photoshop tutorial, simple text banner, create a banner, creating text banners, graphic design, ad creative, advertising, marketing

Over that time, other AdSense guides and some knock-offs have made their way into the mainstream. Suddenly you could barely follow two links without bumping into someone offering AdSense tips. But, despite that, there will only be one Joel Comm who actually walks the walk time and again.

Now, Joel has gone and done something I believe is pretty cool — he’s made his AdSense Secrets guide affordable for a wider audience. He’s offering his updated, third edition, ebook for $19.95 and is throwing in a blogging and adsense guide. So, if you’ve been waiting to buy the AdSense Secrets ebook because of the price, jump on the offer quickly because it may not last long.

Tags: joel comm, adsense secrets, contextual advertising, text ads, save money