A Famous Internet Entrepreneur In The Making | DatMoney.com

How to Limit Bandwidth Usage

Jay — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:57:52 +0000

How to Limit Bandwidth Usage – Since I recently upgraded to a dedicated server, one of my main objectives was to limit my bandwidth usage especially since it’s no longer a shared server and I don’t want any of my sites to load extra slow. There are quite a few ways in which you can limit your bandwidth and I’m still working on a few myself!

Don’t Host Images… Or At Least Minimize Or Outsource

A large portion of your bandwidth usage comes from hosting images on your server. The logical thing for people to do is to simply avoid hosting images on their own server but not all of us can do that. Or at least, I know I don’t want to.

There are quite a few places in which you can outsource your image hosting. A few places include Imageshack, Flickr, Photobucket, etc. Though, some of these sites give you a limit on the bandwidth usage you can use and some of these places charge a small fee.

In my experience, the larger (or the more images) you have hosted, the slower your site gets and the more bandwidth it uses. If it is completely necessary for you to use images and you don’t want to outsource, I would simply put small images, if you can.

HTTP Compression

I’m finding out more and more with this upgrade to a dedicated server and HTTP compression is something that will be extremely helpful. Basically, what it does it compress your content so your site can load faster. Just think about it like it’s a zip file for your website.

By doing the HTTP compression, you can actually save up to 75 percent on your html page size. Again, this helps extremely well with load speed for your content. I’m actually still trying to work this portion out on my websites.

If you want to check your website and see how much space you can save, go to this HTTP compression checker and just type in your URL and it’ll tell you how much space you can save, if its uncompressed or not, etc. And don’t worry, it’s free to check and you don’t have to sign up for anything.

Prevent Hotlinking

Yes, I have definitely done my research because now I have to take things more seriously since my upgrade. One of the things that can actually increase your bandwidth is letting people directly link to your images and content. Well, particularly your images since that takes up most of your bandwidth usage.

When people link directly to your image that’s hosted on your website, it’s known as “hotlinking”. Basically, they are stealing your bandwidth from your hosted images. So, say 100 people decide to hotlink to your image and they get lots of traffic, your bandwidth is going to spike very high.

There’s a way to put a coding in so people can’t do this. I’m actually in the middle of trying to figure this out so I’ll try to update you guys with how to do it once I do it correctly.

There are more ways to limit your bandwidth usage but here are just a few that are pretty important. I figured I would share this with you guys but we all want to keep our spikes in bandwidth low, right?

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Dedicated Servers Here I Come!

Jay — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:40:23 +0000

I finally made a decision (plus, I’m sort of getting forced to) and I’m going to upgrade to a dedicated server for hosting. I’ve been considering this for quite sometime and even wrote a post about it back in October but since a couple of my sites traffic have been exploding on a regular basis, I’m in serious need of my own personal resources.

I was actually contacted by my hosting company letting me know that I’m using a lot of resources because of the traffic that I’m getting for a couple of my sites. The main issue I’ve been having is the fact that its slowing down my loading time and since I’m currently on a shared hosting server, its going to slow down everyone elses’ site on the server as well.

So, I’m not trying to be selfish here, plus, I just look at this as taking my online entrepreneurship a step further in the right direction. I know I’ve been slacking a little bit but whenever I get a little kick in the ass, it’s usually for the good. Plus, we all need a kick in the behind sometimes just to get that needed momentum once again.

If you guys are wondering how much traffic my sites are getting, I’ll just say its in six figures on a monthly basis. And since I’m getting so much traffic and people are visiting my sites, its slowing down my loading time.

I’m not exactly sure which dedicated server plan I’m going to choose just yet but more than likely I’ll be choosing just a basic one with the intent of upgrading, if needed.

I’m sure a lot of you guys have more experience with dedicated servers than I do, what are your thoughts on this? Is there anything you guys can recommend for me to add/check out before I upgrade?

And just a heads up if you’re reading this, if my site is down, more than likely it’s due to the fact that my site is being transferred over to the new server.

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Free Blogger Template: MoneyBlog

Jay — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:27:10 +0000

So, sorry for the extremely long delay in updating you guys with free blogger templates but since you guys have been patiently waiting, here’s the latest converted WP theme to Blogger for you guys. Since we’re a MMO type blog I figured this new theme titled “MoneyBlog” would fit perfectly.

MoneyBlog is a three column Blogger template that has a feature section right on the homepage. So, if you’re using Blogger and you’ve always envied the featured post section from Wordpress, now you don’t have to envy anyone anymore. You get simply get it for yourself!

Check out the screenshot below:

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the green colors but luckily changing the colors is really simple. But for those you guys that like the green to match the whole “money” theme of it then no adjustments needed!

If you guys are looking for a live demo of this converted Bloggered theme, click here.

Click here to download the Moneyblog Blogger Template

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My First Copyright Infringement Claim

Jay — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:05 +0000

When I got back home last night I received an odd e-mail from my hosting company with the subject line “Account WILL Be Suspended Urgent Response Required”. Of course, I’ve had numerous chats with my hosting company for help and support so I already knew this e-mail was legit. But I was very curious on what I did wrong to potentially get my account suspended.

As you know, you should always abide by their rules and regulations because they can delete your entire site(s) if you break any of their TOS without even warning you. I’m just lucky they notified me because it looks like a company filed a copyright infringement claim against one of my sites. Well, technically, it was one single post that was apparently ranked second for a popular search term.

My hosting company doesn’t automatically take sides but just like any other claim they have to take it extremely serious. And I’m taking this pretty serious as well and cooperating. They never accused me of anything but when it comes to legal stuff they obviously have to take things seriously.

Of course, I deleted the URLs that I was being accused of because it’s simply not worth the hassle.

Though, I’m not 100 percent sure what I did wrong given the fact that I wrote that post myself. I’m going to have to assume it was either the image I used or maybe I posted about a trademark company. It could very well be both but as of right now I couldn’t tell you until I hear back.

The reason why I’m posting this is to inform you guys to be careful on what you post about, what you include in the posts (images, URLs, etc) and where you get the information from. More importantly, always read TOS carefully before committing to anything.

I try to be positive and look at this situation in a brighter light. I’ve always said that the more haters you have and the more attention your sites are getting whether it’s positive or negative, you’re definitely on the right path to being successful.

Think about it, if I wasn’t ranked on the first page of that particular popular keyword, do you think they would be after me? Probably not. I’m a nobody. Well, a nobody that was ranked second in Google.

But this was my first copyright infringement claim and I am hoping this will be my last as well. Has anyone else had a similar experience before? What do you think was the reasoning for mine?

Any legal people out there? I would definitely like you to drop some knowledge on this. Thanks!

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Link Wheel Your Way to the First Page of Google with LinkWheeler

Jay — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:30:16 +0000

Getting on the first page of search engines for a popular keyword can be hard but if you know enough SEO and proven link building strategies than you should have no problem. Though, all that link building can take precious time and we all know time is money. So why not consider outsourcing?

I recently had a very good conversation with David of Link Wheeler about their services and how it works. The conversation actually came shortly after I wrote the post “Interesting Way to Get 3 Sites Ranked on the First Page of Google” and his services goes way more into depth with how it works. If you liked my technique, Link Wheeler goes above and beyond on helping with going through the entire process of “natural link building” so you don’t get suspected of spam.

You guys already know about the blog commenting, submitting to directories and those other generic link building strategies. Well, they actually have this system with Link Wheels in which you feed off the juices of links through a link wheel cycle of powerful websites.

Confused yet? Don’t be. Let me explain their process a little more.

The Process of Link Wheeler Link Building

What they do is use the powerful link juices of, say, a Web 2.0 website such as Hubpages or Squidoo, let’s call that “Site A”. They would write a completely unique article specifically for “Site A” and it would be related to your niche. Then they would take another website such as article directories (we’ll call that “Site B”) and then write another unique post. From there, they would link “Site A” to “Site B” and then “Site B” to your website.

So, not only will you get the powerful link juices from “Site B” but you’ll also get it from “Site A”. They almost use “Site B” as a filter which definitely works. I say “filter” but it might actually be called a “gap” or “break” which is seen by search engines as a natural link building process which they love. And if they love your site then it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get on the first page.

Remember, it’s not about the amount of backlinks you get, it’s the type of backlinks you get. I mean, wouldn’t you want 1,000 powerful one-way backlinks from reputable sources rather than 10,000 trashy links? Me too! And they use various sites which include, but not limited to, Web 2.0 properties, article submissions, blog posts and even Youtube videos.

Here’s a grid that I took from their site which displays exactly what they do. Feel free to click on the image to see a larger version.

Does Their Strategy Work? Here’s Proof!

Honestly, I’ve already heard of his technique before so I can tell you based on experience that it does work. For instance, remember when I told you that you guys should always comment on contest posts? Well, most contests require you to link to their post (say 100 people link to it) and then you comment with your link. Even if it’s nofollow, you still get the domino effect of all those links linking to that post and then the post linking to you.

But I decided to check out their portfolio section and do my own search. Well, I saw their first client (abforum.org) and Googled the keyword they targeted which was “Australian Business Forum” and to my surprise, that website was number one for that keyword. Check out the screenshot I just took:

Okay, that wasn’t really a surprise because like I said again, I know the technique works. And if you look at the screenshot, you’ll see there are over 73 million search results so we know that keyword is pretty competitive.

What I Like Best About Link Wheeler

Well, besides the fact that their techniques work which would equal traffic for us which would also equal money in our pockets… I actually like the fact that they are honest and they tell you straight up what is realistic and unrealistic before you spend any money. Just contact them if you have questions and they’ll be glad to answer it in depth. Personally, I’ve had numerous e-mail exchanges and they answered every single one of my questions. Thanks David!

With that said, they obviously have great customer service. I’m a people person and if they you go out of the way to communicate with me and help me out, you’ll definitely get an “A+” from me. And yes, they already got that grade from me.

Conclusion

They have a staff with SEO experts that are committed to helping you build links in a natural fashion. They have various packages you can order and all of which include high powerful one-way backlinks from PR4-PR9 websites. The money you spend will basically pay itself back in a short time and like I said, its proven that it works.

Anyways, you should at the very least check out how the Link Wheel goes and if you have questions, feel free to drop them here or contact them directly. I know they’re reply back to all your questions!

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DatMoney Weekly Updates – Where Did We Leave Off?

Jay — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:13:55 +0000

I think my “weekly” updates are becoming more and more like “monthly” updates but that’s fine because I don’t always have too many updates for you guys. But I will be addressing a few issues that include password protected posts, joint ventures, spammers and more.

Ad Spots Back to Original 125×125 Buttons - If you visited my blog the past month then you would have seen a big 336×280 ads instead of the 125×125 buttons on the sidebar. Well, I did that to accommodate an advertiser and I’m not sure if they had great results or not but if you would like to help me keep this blog going, please, at the very least, click on my banners, read my paid reviews and check out their sites. I’m sure you guys will find great sites, products and services and if these advertisers keep purchasing ad spots that helps me raise money to get great prizes to give away on future contests.

Please keep that in mind. I mean, it only takes a second to check out their site and if you’re not interested once you get there then that’s fine, you can leave. But please do me that favor of giving them a shot.

Passwords to Protected Posts Sent Out - Actually, I sent out a mass e-mail about a week and a half ago so if you subscribed before January 12th then you should have received the passwords. If you did not receive it and you were subscribed prior to January 12th then check your spam filters before contacting me.

And please, if you subscribed after and you’re sending me e-mails asking for the passwords then I will assume you did not even bother reading that entire post. More than likely, you probably didn’t receive a response from me either.

Inconsistency in Posting - I know some of you guys are curious on the inconsistency of my posting updates and there are a few reasons behind it. The main reason is the fact that I have to prioritize and DatMoney actually comes behind a few other things on my checklist.

With that said, I’ve been working on other projects that should be really big if I stay according to my plan(s). Of course, plans on nothing without action and that’s what I’ve been trying to do, hence, the lack of time to post.

Lastly, if I don’t have much to say with helpful and informative posts every so often then I don’t want to bombard your inbox or RSS Feeds with random stuff, you know?

Bigger Projects and Joint Ventures - I’m actually still working on a few other projects with a different strategy on how to make $100/day. As you know, I’m not that type to put all my eggs in one basket so I’m always trying to work on different revenue sources incase something happens to another revenue source.

On top of that, I’m actually in the process of teaming up with a couple of people on joint ventures. This time around, these JVs definitely seem as though it’s going to be good and successful in these business relationships and projects. Let me put it this way, I’m very impressed with my future long-term business partners.

Damn Spammers… - I swear I give people too many chances especially when it comes to commenting and being on my top commentators list. Recently, a couple of people have been commenting a lot (all in one day) and 90% of their comments have nothing to do with the post content so I marked them as spam and was forced to blacklist them on my top commentators list.

If you were blacklisted and you feel as though it was done wrongfully then all you have to do is stop spamming. It’s not that hard, really.

And let’s not even get into my spam on my e-mails…

Cell Phone Update - Thank you everyone who took the time to give me their advice and opinions on what cell phone should I get. I haven’t decided but I’m sure I’ll eventually just dive in and just take a chance on one.

If I end up purchasing the cell phone you suggested then I’ll mention it on a future post if you won the free 125×125 ad spot for one month. Look out for that…

Upcoming Contest on Slight Hold - I decided to put my upcoming contest on hold because I’m considering donating to the support of Haiti. Originally, I was going to purchase a cool prize and have a few gift cards to giveaway but I’m just going to hold off for a little bit because again, there are priorities that come first.

So, that’s the end of my weekly updates because that’s all I can think of at this very moment. Feel free to comment if you have any questions or concerns. And okay, okay, I lied, this was definitely more updates than I thought I was going to have… but hey, it’s been a month man!

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What Cell Phone Should I Get?

Jay — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:00:30 +0000

What cell phone should I get? There’s no trick to this question and this post probably won’t help you too much unless you’re looking for a new cell phone or possibly a new cell phone carrier in 2010. But since I’m in need of a new cell phone, I figured I would ask you guys for your opinions. Hey, you help me and I try to help you guys, right?

Matter of fact, if I end up choosing a phone you recommend, I’ll give you a 125×125 ad spot for one month FREE. But keep reading for details…

What Cell Phone Should I Get?

It seems as though I’ve been getting pickier and pickier on my decisions as the years go by. And that’s not just cell phones, it’s a lot of things. But here are the main things I’m looking for in a cell phone: internet access to surf any webpage anywhere I go, camera, video camera, text and the ability to actually talk on the cell phone.

More recently, I’ve been attracted to touchscreen features but for some reason I don’t want an iPhone. On top of that, if I talk on the phone, my greasy face will be pressed up against it. Though, the Android or something equivalent seems to catch my attention.

Below are just a couple of choices I managed pick out that caught my attention.

Palm Pre

The thing I like about the Palm Pre is the slide-out keyboard feature, touchscreen, internet access, camera with flash as well as the 8GB internal storage for your music, pics, etc. Also, you can also view Word docs, PDF, PowerPoint so that would be helpful for my business aspects.

The biggest downfall that I noticed is the fact the Palm Pre does not have a video camera feature!

Samsung Moment

It seems as though I’m favoring the Samsung Moment because it’s like the Android but a little better. The things that I like are the slide-out keyword feature, touchscreen, internet access, corporate e-mail (outlook) which can hook up any of my sites e-mails, SD memory card, camera with zoom and video camera (but no flash)… also, it comes with an optical joystick.

The thing I’m not a big fan of is the size and weight. I think it’s slightly larger than the iPhone by half an inch. I usually like to carry my cell phone in my pocket and, well, it’s huge man!

HTC Phones

There are various HTC phones and they are similar to the other two phones mentioned here except smaller and with a few things missing. Though, the biggest thing is the cost difference is almost twice as expensive as the previous two mentioned.

Others

Any other recommendations? Also, I’m not a huge fan of the Blackberry’s for some reason. Don’t ask me why but I just don’t find it too appealing or comfortable for my needs. Also, keep in mind I’m currently with Sprint… and with that said…

What Cell Phone Provider Should I Get?

My contract is up with Sprint and even with all the bad reviews and things people say about them, I don’t mind them. They have good service and most of the bad reviews is because they have sucky customer service even though good customer service is what they try to preach.

On top of that, the rare times I had a dispute with them over the past few years, they mentioned to fix the problem at no additional cost and supply me with additional free service stuff. And even when I replaced my phone they didn’t charge me a dime (usually you have to pay the insurance fee or whatever for like $50?).

The main cell phone providers that I know of are T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T. And honestly, I’m not a fan of either and I also heard bad things about all of them as well.

I would probably cross off AT&T already because the only reason why I would sign up with them is for the iPhone but since I’m not getting one, it’s an easy decision.

With T-Mobile, I heard the phone service isn’t that good but they have a lot of cool phones and features.

Verizon, well, I have them for my internet provider and home phone and I’m not really impressed either lol.

More than likely I’m going to stay with Sprint unless I’m convinced otherwise. What do you guys think?

Win a Free 125×125 Ad Spot for a Month

So, help me pick a cell phone and if I end up buying that cell phone, you could win a 125×125 ad spot here for one month. Of course, a lot of people may end up picking the same phone for me to get and if that happens, that group of people will go into a random drawing for the 125×125 ad spot.

Also, keep in mind that I do not want to advertise spam, porn, illegal or any site that will get me in trouble or whatever.

I’m sure there will be a fine more guidelines coming out but as of right now, I’m pretty open.

But… um… help? Please?

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Pagerank Update 2010

Jay — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:18:25 +0000

I’m a little late but I actually just noticed this earlier last week. There was a pagerank update 2010 that was apparently done on New Year’s and we’re all seeing it now. Of course, I’m always mentioning that pagerank means nothing and pagerank is useless and so on but some of you guys like to live and die by it.

Currently, DatMoney is still a PR0 on this update and I’m perfectly fine with that. I checked most of my keyword rankings and nothing has drastically changed. I may have moved up a position or down one but all and all, it seems as though I’m still ranking just fine in Google. That’s all I care for and that’s all you guys should really care for too.

Some people assume things about how valuable pagerank is but in actuality, you don’t need one to get ranked on the first page of a popular keyword. If that were the case, a lot of smaller blogs would outrank just about everyone!

One of my sites is a PR4 and ever since the new pagerank update, I swear I’m getting ranked and indexed worse than I was before. I see a lot of my posts getting ranked 10-15 when previously it was in the top 5. Also, I noticed that instead of my posts getting indexed within a day (or two), it seems as though it takes about a week on average now.

Shoot, I rather have a PR0 and have my posts indexed within a day than a PR4 and having it index a week later! I guess that’s just an example that pagerank is basically useless.

It’s pretty useless similar to this post. I just figure some of you guys like to know when Google updates their pageranks and stuff so I figured I’d mention it. Though, most of the time I’m just bashing how worthless a pagerank really is and how unimportant it is when it comes to getting traffic or making money online.

Anyways, how did you guys do on this pagerank update?

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Affiliate Summit 2010

Jay — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:51:42 +0000

Is anyone attending the Affiliate Summit 2010 that is taking place in Las Vegas? Well, it starts this weekend and I heard it’s going to be a blast. Unfortunately, I will not be attending (again) because I have other responsibilities. Though, who wouldn’t want to go to Sin City?

I’ve had plenty of chances to go to previous Affiliate Summits particularly the one that was held in Boston, where I currently live. The unfortunate part is I don’t plan ahead too often and there’s a reason behind that. Most of the time when I plan far in advance, those same plans just collapse and nothing goes right.

On top of that, I have a busy schedule to begin with. Remember I still work full-time at my day job as well as try to keep up with all my online stuff. And of course, I try to balance that out with somewhat of a social life to keep myself sane.

But if you have never been to an Affiliate Summit, such as myself, then I heard you’re missing out. Every single time a new summit comes around the number of attendees just continue to increase. And since this time around it’s going to be held at Las Vegas, I would assume that they will have even more people attending.

I heard they have a lot of events that sound interesting enough to join. This year, in particular, they are going to have a charity poker event on top of the expo halls, interviews, dinners, etc. I’m sure you guys know that I’m a big poker fan and I’ll play when I have a chance. Unfortunately, I haven’t had as much time to go dedicate myself to playing poker as of late.

Besides going to Las Vegas, enjoying the scenery and events, the other primary reason why I would go is the simple fact of networking and finally getting a chance to meet a bunch of other online entrepreneurs. I’ve been networking more and more and it’s always nice meeting people, learning new things as well as teaching.

Plus, meeting people in person is completely different from meeting online. They will actually get a chance to see who you are, talk to you and get to know you. I’m a goofy/funny guy who almost always has a smile on my face and if there are some people like me, it’s always good to see who that person is behind the computer screen.

Anyways, are any of you guys attending the Affiliate Summit West 2010 or have you ever attended one before? Let me know and I’d be interested in your experience with it.

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Get Paid For Your Ideas?

Jay — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:22:21 +0000

So, I’ve run into various places in which you get paid for your ideas but to me, it’s all on an honor system and believe it or not, a lot of people are not honest.

There are plenty of websites like this. The very first one I ran into was a website in which you come up with domain name ideas for potential clients and if your domain name idea gets picked, you get paid.

The one I noticed most recently was on Sitepoint. They have a new section on their website entitled “Name My Thingy” in which people post what they are looking for and you guys come up with the idea and get paid for it. The thing I’m not a big fan of is the simple fact that you really have no way to prove an “idea” is yours.

Of course, you can go through the whole legal system, create a blueprint of your idea and get it copyrighted but then again, who really wants to go through all that hassle to get paid a few dollars? A few hundreds? Okay, if it were thousands, then I would definitely consider getting my “idea” copyrighted.

But the thing about it is when most people see someone offering $100 for an idea they think that’s a bargain. What if they liked your idea, decide not to pay you and then use your idea anyways? There’s nothing you can really do but report them to Sitepoint or whatever third party company you’re using if you actually see them doing it, right?

On top of that, I’d feel kind of weird if my “idea” was used by a company and it exploded into a million dollar theme. For instance, the guy that came up with the slogan for Nike, “Just Do It”.

Anyways, I guess this just became more of a rant with question more than anything. If you guys are interested in paying someone for ideas, Sitepoint’s Name My Thingy is currently FREE to get things listed. Take advantage of the free opportunities while they’re still around.

But have you guys ever tried out places that pay you for your ideas?