Affiliate Articles by The Gurus

An Introduction to Google AdSense

2007-03-05T10:24:00.000+02:00

By Cody Moya

Many smart web entrepreneurs have discovered how to use the power
of Google AdSense, but the first step is to understand just what
this program is and what it has to offer web site owners.

Google AdSense is a program which serves up ads on the hosting web
site, but the key is that the ads that are placed there are related
to the subject of the web site on which they appear. For instance,
a web site devoted to the antique car hobby might host ads for
companies selling cars, promoting car shows and the like.

In fact, AdSense is part of an advertising principle known as
contextual marketing. Placing the ads in context, as with the old
car web site, increases the chances that those ads will be seen and
responded to. After all, the general public may not be interested
in buying fancy chrome wheels or hubcaps for a Model T, but owners
of classic cars may be.

The possibilities for contextual advertising in general, and Google
AdSense in particular, are endless. A hockey site can host ads for
hockey equipment and hockey sticks, a tennis web site could host
ads for tennis balls and tickets to tennis tournaments. It is easy
to see why this program has become so popular and so well respected
with internet users and web site owners alike.

The good news for web site owners is that Google AdSense can be
quite a lucrative endeavor, especially for high profile sites and
those sites with excellent, high quality and in demand content.
One of the best things about the Google AdSense program is that the
ads are highly targeted and relevant to the subject of the web
site. Targeting the ads makes a great deal of sense, since
targeted ads are more likely to get the click throughs that
generate revenue.

Google AdSense ads are text only, unobtrusive and very easy to
read. Unlike banner ads and pop up ads, these ads do not get in
the way of the web site visitor`s experience, and they are designed
in such a way that they do not overwhelm or overshadow the content
of the web site itself. Chances are the average web user has
already seen hundreds, if not thousands, of Google AdSense ads.

There are not many places left where web site owners can make money
directly off of their web sites, but Google AdSense is one such
destination. Google AdSense allows web site owners to make an
income off of every page of the web site. In addition, the
algorithms used by Google to index web sites automatically select
the best ads for each page of the web site, providing highly
targeted and effective ads for their advertisers and lots of income
for the owner of the site.

Those web site owners and designers who have been around for awhile
may remember a concept known as AdWords. In essence, Google
AdSense is an offshoot of the initial AdWords model. It is
important to keep in mind, however that AdWords and AdSense are not
the same thing.

When you do a Google search, you have probably noticed the small
text ads which are displayed to the right hand side of the search
results. These are contextual ads, served up based on the search
criteria. These targeted ads are known as AdWords, and they are
used by various companies to generate revenue and drive new
customers to their web sites.

Google AdWords uses the pay per click model to generate income for
Google. When a user clicks on one of the AdWords, that advertiser
pays Google an agreed upon amount of money. This process is fully
automated and easily trackable by all parties. The amount of money
changing hands with each click varies all the time and is subject
to word bidding. The placement of the ads, and the amount of
revenue received for each click, is subject to market forces, just
as in the brick and mortar advertising world.

With Google being the predominant search engine today, the company
has continued to exert its power and influence, and the ads served
up by Google, both through AdWords and AdSense, can be powerful
revenue generating machines. Many smart web site owners have
already discovered the power of Google AdSense in generating
revenue and profiting from their web site content, and many more
web site owners are discovering this power every day.

This free Course is spread apart over a long period of time. If you want to get whole course immediately you can get it for reasonable price here:

http://adsensetipsezine.com/course/

Here For Your Success

Cody Moya

P.S. Make sure to check http://adsensetemplates.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cody Moya writes about "Adsense Tips"
in his Adsense Tips Ezine. You can sign up
for his free Ezine and get additional information at his
website: http://adsensetipsezine.com/
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James Martell's Coffee Talk

2007-02-13T18:15:00.000+02:00

...with Super Affiliate, Bronwyn Bamber

When Bronwyn Bamber joined James and countless other merchants and online publishers for Affiliate Summit, little did she know her life was about to change.

It took a chance meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia at a small Alexander Keith’s pub, for Bronwyn to realize that she was on the wrong side of the field, so to speak. So, after talking to James, Arlene, and a handful of their students, Bronwyn made the life-changing decision to resign from her job as an affiliate manager and start her own online business as an affiliate/publisher.

Bronwyn tells listeners all about the mistakes she made as she painstakingly built her first site and how she used James’ Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook to bring her back around to the 8 steps, which she applied to achieve her own online success.

Listeners also hear how Bronwyn and her partner started out by working around-the-clock to get nearly 20 sites (and 5,000 pages of content) on the Net before realizing they were doing something wrong. Frustrated and questioning her decision to work from home as an affiliate, Bronwyn called James.

Ready to throw in the towel, she found information in James’ Handbook about linking and refocused her efforts. She also quickly signed up for James’ Affiliate Marketer’s BootCamp, which was held in James’ hometown of White Rock, British Columbia and got the clarification on the 8 steps that she needed to “get back to the basics” and build two new sites which now make her more than $40,000 a month!

Bronwyn talks candidly with James about the trials and tribulations and even the hard lessons she learned, such as success on the Net is based on quality and not quantity. Proof, she points out, is in the fact that two of her websites (the two she built after referring back to the Handbook and attending the BootCamp) are what bring in her jaw-dropping income. And she credits James’ training and her work on creating high-quality links to her site’s pages that she needs to “rank” as the real difference.

As someone who has been in the trenches and found her way to financial freedom, what does Bronwyn advise to those of you who are just starting out and to those of you who need a bit of help? And what does Bronwyn suggest you never, ever do? Listen in now and hear these insider’s secrets and more – all from an online publisher who has succeeded, despite never having built a website and having absolutely no technical skill at all!

Way to go Bronwyn! :)

Click the 'MP3' icon below to download and listen.

About James Martell

James Martell, a successful affiliate marketer and natural search expert has published many dozens of sites over the years, and uniquely derives most of his traffic through natural search at the major search engines. James shares this knowledge with other webmasters in the THIRD EDITION of his highly acclaimed Affiliate Marketers Handbook, his twice monthly Affiliate Buzz audio newsletter and his online Affiliate Marketers BootCamp where he holds classes via the Internet. James resides in a seaside community south of Vancouver, BC Canada with his wife Arlene and four children, Adam, Justin, Shelby and Victoria.

Comment from Listeners (32)

Bronwyn's story is so inspiring. There have been many times I've felt like "I'll never make it" but listening to Bronwyn I know that sticking to the basics I can and will! -Don Conner

Refreshing. Bronwyn’s honest and straight talking style is a testament to her. Like James, she is open, honest and the story she tells is pure gold dust. Thank you James, and thank you Bronwyn; this interview is a real pleasure to listen to and learn from. Paul GB

I just want to say that Bronwyn was very inspiring and confident. I myself have over 100 sites online and i have kind of lost focus, especially with merchants. But this call has really given me a boot in the right place. Writer Unknown

Just the information we needed. Bronwyn gives us a great model to follow - fun, sharing, and successful with her site-building.... Mike and Beth, Port Townsend, WA

It was terrific that the interview with Bronwyn was not long after her getting started. It was extremely helpful in giving insights to the start-up phase, along with the mistakes as well as the potential. I know this will shorten my learning curve tremendously. I‘ll surely be listening to this interview a number of times. James is right on target in getting to the fundamentals by asking Bronwyn to discuss the pitfalls to avoid and take the audience through a process step by step. Often in interviews of people who have become successful in affiliate marketing a lot of the steps may not be as fresh in their mind. That is not the case in this interview. By James asking for an example or to clarify a process it becomes understandable. He recaps to make sure the audience understands and by doing so reinforces the point. That is so helpful and appreciated. .I came away with a much clearer idea of the process and what obstacles might be encountered and hopefully avoided as well as expectations and amazing possibilities. Well done I forward to the other Coffee Talks. Denise, Cedar Grove, NJ

The interview was useful and gave clarity to the issues associated with getting inbound links to a website. It was useful to hear about mistakes and how they were overcame and the importance that was given to trial and error as a method of learning. Clayton Palmer, Shanghai

This would have to be the most inspiring interview. I listen to it regularly and in fact I am listening to it again now. This interview keeps me focused. Paula, Australia

I was a bit overwhelmed with all the information in online bootcamp. Then I attended the first Coffee Talk with Bronwyn and became inspired again. I love her story, and I appreciate her sharing her insights, particularly about launching a site with 18 pages and growing it from there. As Bronwyn said, and as James has often stated, “just get that first site out there.” Regina, Denver, CO

The number one tip I took away from the interview that changed my PAD prospecting strategy forever, was to target similar but non competing sites. My current list is in the hundreds now and growing. Thanks James and Bronwyn. Leanne Tremblay, White Rock BC

After going through a whole lot of second guessing myself and listening to this it seems to have gotten me back on track and instilled new confidence in myself. John, Sechelt, BC Canada

Very inspiring, thanks Bronwyn. I have been online for a little over 12 months now and started out down the AdSense track. Twenty four sites later and just into the four figures a month I thought I was doing well. I have always said James' Affiliate Handbook is the best product I have read since being online. Duh! Bronwyn has just re-emphasized to me I need to start practicing what I preach! Thank you Bronwyn for sharing your story and to you James for being one of the trustworthy guys out there. Dean, Atlanta, GA

All of the interviews in the Coffee Talk series have been great and each helpful in its own way but these two interviews with Bronwyn are really where the rubber meets the road for affiliate marketers. Don, Barrie, Ontario, Canada

A final reason for to not give up. Refreshing and straight forward. Thanks again! JT Bo, Norway

The interview with Bronwyn has left me with two important things to remember. One, that a regular "non-guru" person can do it if she applies the correct methods to her site building and promotion. Two, that I should focus my efforts on just a few proven methods - e.g. using PAD for back links. I have been hearing and reading about so many tricks and techniques that it's so difficult to determine what actually works. Thanks, James and Bronwyn. Willie B

Thank you so much Bronwyn for your infectious enthusiasm, openness, and wonderful insights. One of the biggest hits of your coffee-talk series to date, James

I loved this interview. Bronwyn's story is inspiring. I appreciate her candour and her energy is infectious. Thank you. Charlotte Bradley, Ottawa, Ontario

As a relative newcomer to the Affiliate Marketing business, this interview was extremely informative and encouraging. Thank you for bringing folks like Bronwyn into our loop. I so enjoy listening and learning from people succeeding in this interview. Lord willing, maybe you'll be interviewing me in the next few years. :) Keep up the great work! Tim W - Virginia, USA

The timing was awesome. I am in the middle of building my first sight and this interview was encouraging and pointed out some things I hadn't thought about or overlooked. Great interview! Writer Unknown

Great Coffee Talk! We had the opportunity to met Bronwyn at the first Bootcamp, so we knew she is a work-holic. It is great to see that she has come so far in such a short time. She is one to watch. THANKS Bronwyn for sharing the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Really do appreciate you putting it all out there for us to learn. Gerald & Linda, Lafayette IN

Very inspiring talk, Bronwyn has definitely got this figured out. This was a real eye opener as to where to invest my time & effort and more importantly where not to waste my time. Very timely and relatable...well except the income part. Dan, Surrey BC

I very much enjoyed this interview with Bronwyn. I would say the biggest thing I took away from this interview, is the fact that a site could be put up in March and be so successful in November. I was also inspired by the story of someone who would take out a second mortgage on her house and then give herself a year to "do or die". This lady has the guts of a river boat gambler. I realize that Bronwyn is a good business person and would probably be a success at anything she put her mind to. I also realize that any one of us could duplicate this success if we are only willing to do what she has done. She's been kind enough to share exactly what she's done. To sum it up I was inspired by Bronwyn's story. Tony Pompano Beach, FL

I found the interview HIGHLY effective. I always appreciate it when James will ask the person he is interviewing to reiterate certain points, and in some cases request concrete real life examples of how certain techniques are performed. The interview with Bronwyn was particularly helpful in this manner. Sometimes I need a visual perspective so that I may grasp the concept thoroughly. I want to make sure that I have the correct "mental model" of how the technique is performed. I find that his interview process reinforces the proper "mental model" of how to go about executing various techniques. So far the Coffee Talks have been well worth the investment! Thank You! Christian Chapa San Francisco United States

Refreshing, honest insight by a student who has "grabbed your training by the throat" and forged a successful affiliate publishing career. Best information: It's all about the links first, then quality content. Think fewer sites, pages, & merchants, but do it "right" (follow the 8 steps). This is not & never will be a "static" business. Thanks so much Bronwyn for being a positive role model. Ed P. Chambersburg, PA, USA

Bronwyn's enthusiasm is infectious! It's apparent that she has worked very hard and is a “student of James' 8 steps”. It sounds like the “magic pixie dust” is working smarter and following the system. I am looking forward to future interviews with Bronwyn and James. Congratulations to you both! All the Best, Joel Smith

I can relate to her original focus on building huge sites (that have no traffic). For me this comes from the fact that building a site is completely under my control. But, the best site with no traffic makes no money. She emphasized the key point, product pages on my sites need inbound links to get traffic, and then make money. I got great encouragement by hearing how Bronwyn experienced many of the same things I experienced. It was a great Coffee talk. Mike R. Sunrise, FL

I just want to let you know, this has been the greatest positive shot in the arm for me since I started my online business as an affiliate. Some two months in, mainly researching day and night with my site still not seeing any page rank, and having only made $1.36 from Google's ad sense, some doubts were starting to appear. Even though in your manual James, you warn of this likelihood. So for me the discussion between James and Bronwyn has been very timely, and I plan to trot it out again if ever any doubts appear again in the future. Bronwyn has blown away all the clouds of doubt for me, and reinvigorated my motivation completely. I really hope someday to be in a position financially to come across to the States and meet you all, hopefully with a success story like Bronwyn's. Cheers, Pete, Australia

Bronwyn is someone worth keeping an eye on to learn, even borrow some of her special techniques. Anyone who has reached the plateau Bronwyn has in such a sort time-span is to be highly commended and watched closely. Cool interview. Writer Unknown

I can't thank you enough for the invite to the Bronwyn coffee-talk. It's exactly what I needed at this point. My story is very much like hers so far, having the fortune to meet you both at bootcamp, building a site, and watching it mature. Just a few weeks ago I received my first page ranking of 4 on my site. Woohoo! I'm hoping now that things will pick up and my success will increase. Hearing Bronwyn's successes AND failures have both been equally important to me, giving me direction and warning simultaneously. I can relate to some of her struggles, having fumbled a few things here and there. Her knowledge, personality, and experience shared is like a beacon to me in the midst of sometimes overwhelming circumstances in progressing this business. Thanks Bronwyn! And thanks to you James and Arlene! All the best, - Eric Nunamaker

Great interview. Way to go Bronwyn... Ted, Issaquah WA

At my next visit to an affiliate related event, I'm looking for the table full of food and Bronwyn Bamber! This is one of the most helpful coffee-talks in the series! Thanks, Bobbie Grennier (Affiliate-Blogger.com)

The best coffee talk to date! Very inspirational and informative. It proves James point that if one is persistent, works hard, and pays attention to detail good things happen. Writer Unknown

Bronwyn is someone worth keeping an eye on to learn, even borrow some of her special techniques. Anyone who has reached the plateau Bronwyn has in such a sort time-span is to be highly commended and watched closely. Cool interview... Darryl Ruff, Kelowna, BC, Canada

DOUBLE Your Profits Now!

2006-11-21T20:21:00.000+02:00

By John Reese

I just thought I would share a little "wisdom" with you that I learned the "hard" way over the past 12 years of running online businesses. Hopefully, some of you will be able to benefit right away from what took me YEARS to figure out and finally DO. It was the major difference in finally finding big success online.

1. Have many Internet projects you are working on? Have many ideas you are developing that you want to make money with?

YOU'RE IN DEEP DOO-DOO AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.

One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was that working on several projects at the same time was literally the KISS OF DEATH for my online ventures. I was under the impression that if I could create TEN little online ventures that could each make a measily $2,000/month, then when the day came that they were all online I'd be making $20K/month.

Take it from me, that will NEVER happen.

I once had over 20 projects being developed at the same time. I even had a TEAM of employees at that time to do it. It still FAILED.

FOCUS. THAT'S THE SECRET TO MAX PROFITS.

Just as you cannot make a million dollars without making just ONE DOLLAR first (there's no other way around that order) you really can't succeed online unless you work and FOCUS on just ONE PROJECT and work on it until it's profitable. Then and only then should you work on Project #2.

It's too easy for entrepreneurs like us to surf around the Internet and see opportunity everywhere. It's too easy to come up with yet another new "plan" to create yet another little venture -- often sidetracking us from our original project.

So stop working on multiple projects at the sametime -- at least not until you have ONE project making you enough money that you can sitback and relax and "play around" with a 2nd and 3rd and 4th project. Until you create just ONE project that is able to support your lifestyle you have no reason to be working on other projects. YES, many people will disagree with me, but it's a FACT.

The way to succeed online is to FOCUS. It's better to do one thing "great" than to do many things "fair". If your primary project is just not growing to the size you want it to to support your lifestyle, then you should probably focus on another project instead. Pick another market. Do some research. Don't be afraid to try something else.

DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR PROJECTS.

If you give them an honest effort and they prove not to be as profitable as you want, don't be afraid to DUMP THEM. Online ventures are very inexpensive to start. Don't be afraid to bail out on a failing project and start another to focus on.

You'll make a lot more money by making one project as best as you possibly can. Instead of spending your time trying to get another project going, work on GROWING your original project -- go out and get more affiliates or test more advertising campaigns. THEN work on creating a backend product that compliments your initial product/service.

MILK YOUR MARKET.

Work on making your original project as big as possible. When you can't do anymore, THEN considering starting a second project.

2. Make Lists And Prioritize Based On One Thing -- PROFITS.

You should do "brain dumps" often. Pour everything in your head onto paper. Get everything off your mind. We all get a gazillion ideas everytime we surf around. Don't clog your mind with these ideas, write them down.

THEN RELAX AND STOP DWELLING ON THEM.

You don't need to let these ideas encompass your thoughts -- they are safe on paper or in a computer file you've created to note them.

Make a list of "tasks" you need to work on for your business. Write down every conceivable thing you'd like to accomplish. Then prioritize this list from top to bottom based on what will you make you the most money or have the biggest impact on your bottom line.

It's funny how we often will spend a lot of time on tasks that don't necessarily bring in new profits for us. So work on those things that will most directly affect your bottom line FIRST -- then work on the rest of the list.

Also work with a better PRODUCTIVITY "BALANCE". Plan to work 3-4 hours a day working only on some tasks on your list. As Internet entrepreneurs it's too easy to surf this site and other sites and PROCRASTINATE. The Information Age makes it too easy to procrastinate -- because we can NEVER know everything there is to find online, so we can surf INDEFINITELY.

Kill your web browser for a few hours a day if you don't need it to accomplish the work you need to do. Surf only when you've accomplished your day's tasks. Same with email. Close your email client if you don't need it.

(AND HERE COMES A "BIGGIE")

3. STOP TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE NEXT "BIG THING". LET OTHER PEOPLE *SHOW YOU* WHAT'S MAKING MONEY.

For many years of my life as an entrepreneur I was trying to come up with the next "Big Idea". I was always trying to innovate. I was always trying to invent something. I finally realized that it's much easier to make money THE LAZY WAY.

Let other people do all the hard work for you. Let other people figure out what people want to buy. Then you can DIFFERENTIATE yourself and offer something similar to the same market. No, don't copy off of people. But create a product that compliments a popular product/service. Not only have you created something to offer to that same "hot" market, you have also created something that makes for the perfect JV for that original person that "showed you" the market.

Online, you can find out ANYTHING about any business. Do some research and check out other successful people online. Notice what kind of ad copy they use. Subscribe to their ezines or autoresponder series. See what they send you -- realize WHY. Buy your competitors' products. See what they sell you on the backend. Figure out HOW they are making money.

THEN EMULATE SUCCESS.

Stop trying to do things the HARD WAY. Keep an eye on people that have already figured it out.

OBSERVE ADVERTISING

Check out the keywords for your market. Notice the companies that are bidding for your keywords. Keep an eye on these listings for at least a couple of weeks. The companies that remain at the top are most likely MAKING MONEY with that advertising or they wouldn't keep paying for it (unless it's some Fortune 500 company just wasting money). Go to their site and see WHAT they are selling. How much they are selling their product for. What autoresponder series they might be using. What their offer is. Buy their product. Figure out their backend.

Do a little RESEARCH and you can find out the exact "blueprint" for success in any market.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

4. Be proactive.

If you want more subscribers, go get them. If you want to bring more traffic to your site, go find some partners that can send it to you. If you want more email subscribers, create more ways for people to opt-in and take more advantage of the traffic you already have.

Don't sit back and "hope" your business grows, MAKE IT GROW. No matter what your goals are, you CAN make them happen if you TAKE ACTION to make it happen.

This is your year to do it. Make it happen.

-----------------------------------------
John Reese is an Internet Marketing pioneer that has been actively marketing online since 1990. John has sold millions of dollars worth of products and services online and his network of Web Sites have received over 1.4 BILLION Web Site visitors since their inception. You can learn more about John, his home study courses, and subscribe to his free ezine by visiting:

http://www.marketingsecrets.com

(c)2003 MarketingSecrets.com. All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Reese

The Single Biggest Marketing Mistake Online

2006-11-17T10:49:00.000+02:00

By John Reese

I have been marketing online since 1990. Long before the Web came about. I have been actively marketing on the Internet as we know it today since 1994.

Yes, I'm an Internet Marketing old geezer.

I have pretty much tried it all and seen it all online when it comes to marketing tactics.

Certainly, there are new strategies and tactics being thought of and tested everyday, and that's why I continue to buy new ebooks and teaching products from others because you can never know it all -- no matter how successful you are.

But the single biggest mistake I see online, and have seen for many years, regardless of the strategy being used, is one simple thing...

POOR TRACKING!

People often ask me...

"John, is there any ONE thing that you can attribute your online success to?"

The answer is simple... TRACKING.

I am a tracking FREAK. I track everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.

As my good friend Jonathan Mizel likes to say...

"As online marketers we are not in the 'marketing' business we are in the MATH BUSINESS."

If you want to know the difference between success and failure online it comes down to one thing.

If you want to know the difference in making 10 dollars online or $10,000, it comes down to one thing.

If you want to know if your hard work is not going to waste, its comes down to one thing.

TRACKING.

I like to joke that the secret to being successful in Internet Marketing is this really complex "formula."

Then I go on to explain this exact formula...

When we do things online, such as our marketing tests, site changes, place ads, buy clicks, do a JV, whatever, one of TWO things happen EVERY TIME.

Yes, only one of two things happen.

1. THEY MAKE US MONEY 2. THEY LOSE US MONEY

Amazing rocket science isn't it?

The fact of the matter is Internet Marketing is EASY. It's an absolute JOKE to make money when you have the basic fundamentals down, and that you TRACK your efforts.

The tracking results will tell you what works and what doesn't. Then it's EASY...

YOU KEEP DOING WHAT WORKS AND STOP DOING WHAT DOESN'T!

In order to be extremely successful online you must learn to track everything. You must learn the value of tracking and get used to doing it.

You make a change to a headline on your site you must track it.

You test a different price you must track it.

You use a different description on your Web Site to get people to opt-in to your list you must track it -- not just the percentage of people that opted in, but also the QUALITY of the people that opted in. I.e. Are they buying or taking the necessary ACTION you want for them to take AFTER they have opted in?

The biggest tracking mistake people make is lumping all of their TRAFFIC SOURCES together when trying to determine their conversion rates.

In other words, when someone is trying to figure out how many people are buying or taking a specific action when they visit a site, they are taking their total traffic numbers and doing the math based on the total number of buyers (or whatever the desired action was.)

BZZZZZZ THANKS FOR PLAYING.

Major mistake. Huge. Yet marketers are doing it everyday. And ironically, it's being done by some people that are making a lot of money!

I know, because many of these people are friends of mine and I've given them a hard time about it. We laugh about it, but they know it's true and they are working hard to become better "trackers" as I hope you will too.

(Don't worry I'm almost done with this article and will stop rambling in a moment.)

The problem with not tracking traffic sources (such as individual pay-per-click keywords, link partners, search engine listings, JV links, affiliate links, etc.) is this...

YOU CANNOT ACCURATELY DETERMINE WHAT IS *WORKING* WHEN YOU TEST.

For example, if you run PPC campaigns for multiple keywords (and if you track them properly) you will find that some keywords generate great conversion rates and sales.

Others will create sometimes NOTHING.

In fact, many will be losers. I.e. they don't turn a profit. Yet many PPC advertisers will continue to just lump all their PPC traffic together, and as long as they are making more than they are spending they consider it a "Victory."

DUMB.

Tracking allows you to MAXIMIZE your efforts. It allows you to SQUEEZE every last penny of profit our of your marketing.

The other major pitfall with lumping all of your traffic sources together is when you go to make changes -- such as testing prices, or different headlines, or new bonus offers, or another guarantee, or anything else.

If your traffic fluctuates on a given day from a given traffic source (which it WILL) your results will always be SKEWED.

Your conversion rates for a specific test may in fact be HIGHER for that given day. OH JOY!

But, guess what? If the traffic to your site happened to fluctuate so more of it happened to come that day from a source that typically converts higher than the rest of your traffic, it's very possible that your "test" may have...

DECREASED YOUR CONVERSION.

That's right, DECREASED! But you'd never know it because looking at your overall traffic stats "appears" as if your average daily conversion rate increased.

So what do you end up doing? You KEEP that test because you think it is making you more money.

99.999% of online marketers are making this mistake. And people wonder why it can be difficult to make money online.

Reason #1: Poor Tracking

We'll touch more on this topic in the near future. I strongly believe it's the single most importance element of Internet Marketing success.

I know for a fact I would not have made 10% of what I have been blessed to have made from marketing online if I wasn't a tracking freak.

I am going to teach YOU how to become a tracking freak for your business. It's the ONLY thing that matters when marketing online -- because it tells us what works and what doesn't. There is no guesswork.

-----------------------------------------
John Reese is an Internet Marketing pioneer that has been actively marketing online since 1990. John has sold millions of dollars worth of products and services online and his network of Web Sites have received over 1.4 BILLION Web Site visitors since their inception. You can learn more about John, his home study courses, and subscribe to his free ezine by visiting:

http://www.marketingsecrets.com

(c)2003 MarketingSecrets.com. All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Reese

Climbing Mount Profit (Starting From The Top)

2006-11-12T20:17:00.000+02:00

By John Reese

I have been an entrepreneur for most of my life. I started my journey as an entrepreneur at age 11. Ironically, it was running a BBS (bulletin board system) with a computer, a 300 baud modem, and a phone line in 1981.

(BBSs essentially became the Internet that we know today.)

It would take me nearly 15 long years of being an entrepreneur before I would really make much money. And by that I mean more than $6,500 in a single YEAR which didn't happen until almost 15 years later.

I have made every mistake in the book and invented several new ones when it comes to being an entrepreneur.

I was in nearly $100,000 of debt by age 22 -- mainly from trying every business possible.

I practically ruined my health by age 25 and it almost killed me.

(I ended up in the emergency room with a body that was so overworked and stressed that it was trying to shutdown.)

BUT... I eventually turned things around. Through hard work, faith, and perseverance. But I won't kid you, it wasn't easy.

I did finally start to make a good income. I was finally able to get out of that mountain of debt. And then the best thing of all happened -- I was able to learn how to GROW my business.

I was eventually able to make more money in a single month than the entire amount of debt that I had racked up by age 22.

But I was only able to start having success when I learned to grasp a powerful concept that I am about to teach you. I honestly believe that this one concept can change your life, because it changed mine.

No matter what stage you are at with your business, whether you are just getting started and dream of leaving your real job, or whether you are already making good money online, I have an absolutely critical question to ask you...

WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT?

Reread that question. Then reread it again. Take your time.

I ask you, "What the heck do you want?"

Since we're talking primarily about business, I am relating this question to HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU WANT?

Seriously, how much?

When people used to ask me this question, I used to have a simple answer... "Millions!"

And even, though, that honestly WAS what I wanted, that wasn't the "right" answer.

The right answer is something SPECIFIC. It doesn't matter how big the amount is, it matters how specific the figure is. In other words, $5,000,000 if that's what I really wanted.

But that first "big" figure should be more of your "ultimate dream" and not what you will settle for to be happy and live the lifestyle you'd be perfectly happy with. Take it from me, when I ended up making a lot of money, I quickly realized I didn't need anywhere close to a large amount to basically do and buy anything I wanted.

So you need to also answer this question...

HOW MUCH WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY?

And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tell you to abandon your dreams of some huge amount of money. You can still grow your business and work towards that, and it certainly can still happen. That's not what this is about. This is about something much more powerful.

So you need to decide on a figure that will make you happy. Such as an annual income that will allow you to live the life you want without having a real job if you still have a job. Or that next level of lifestyle if you already work for yourself.

Whatever it is you really want, you need to be SPECIFIC about that dollar amount. For me, when I was in debt up to my nostrils, I eventually set that want at $40,000/year for income. I figured if I could just earn $40,000/year I could live a modest life, not be overly depressed about money, and "eventually" pay off my debt.

Setting that goal for me changed my life. Within less than 90 days of setting that realistic and achievable goal, I accomplished it.

Now how on earth did that happen when I spent YEARS trying to make money and was going literally nowhere?

It's simple.

I learned to climb what I call "Mount Profit" starting from the top.

I wrote down $40,000. I then worked the numbers BACKWARDS to figure out how much I would have to earn per month and then per day in order to achieve that figure. Then I figured out how much my product would have to cost and how many people I would have to sell it to. (Or whatever my business model was.)

It was EASY. It was very simple MATH. There was no more guesswork. There were no more mysteries. I knew exactly what I had to do to get what I WANTED. So I got to work and got it. And it happened very quickly because I had FOCUS on what I had to do.

I believe the #1 problem that entrepreneurs have is that they have no FOCUS on what they really WANT. They simply think, "I want to make a lot of money."

Well, I've got news for you, if you think that way, you're DOOMED and you might not even realize it yet. NO ONE just goes out and makes some mysterious amount of money from their efforts.

And no one makes a million without making one dollar first. Write that down.

In order to accomplish whatever amount it is that you want, you must have a specific dollar figure in mind. You must then work the "math" and process backwards to create a plan to accomplish that goal.

You must work that process back to the smallest incremental action step of your path to achieve what you want.

Have you ever heard...

"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Well, business is the same way. The journey to a million dollars, or even $100,000/year, must begin with a single dollar.

In order to accomplish that single dollar, you must put a 'system' in place to earn that dollar. But if I told you all you had to do is earn one dollar to be incredibly rich, you'd quickly and easily figure out how to do it.

Do you realize that if you can figure out how to make $1 of profit that you are 90% of the way to making $100,000/year and beyond? All you have to do is REPEAT the process of what it took to make that $1 of profit. It's called scalability.

Did you know that Mount Everest is exactly 29,035 feet high?

Well, you might not know that, but I can guarantee you that anyone that attempts to climb Mount Everest knows that. And they know that before they take one tiny step up the mountain.

That 29,035 feet must be the dollar amount that you want to earn. You must have a very SPECIFIC amount in mind for the next financial goal you wish to accomplish. And set that goal as a realistic figure so it is easily reached. You can always revise your goals as you go. That's why I stated earlier that the ultimate lifestyle you want is a lot cheaper than you realize.

So stop falling into the trap that you are just "working as hard as you can" and however much money you make will be the result.

I am trying to tell you... THAT'S THE KISS OF DEATH.

That's the best way to keep from making money, if any.

You need to learn to THINK of everything you want backwards. Reverse engineer what you want. Visualize what you want and "see" what the path is to get back to where you are now.

Then start walking down the path towards what you want. And do it one small step at a time. Because the only way to get from here to there is many small steps. There is no other way, so why waste your time doing anything else.

With Internet Marketing, it at all starts with one Web Site visitor. Then one opt-in subscriber. Then finally one order. Not 100 orders, not 10,000 subscribers, not 1,000,000 visitors. ONE of each.

So stop making all of this HARDER than it really is. Start getting ONE MORE of each of everything you want and then SCALE that to achieve your SPECIFIC goals.

You CAN climb your "Mount Profit" no matter how high it is for you. But remember to plan your climb by knowing EXACTLY how high that mountain is before you start your climb. You stand a much better chance of reaching the top if you aren't just climbing in the dark.

-----------------------------------------
John Reese is an Internet Marketing pioneer that has been actively marketing online since 1990. John has sold millions of dollars worth of products and services online and his network of Web Sites have received over 1.4 BILLION Web Site visitors since their inception. You can learn more about John, his home study courses, and subscribe to his free ezine by visiting:

http://www.marketingsecrets.com

(c)2003 MarketingSecrets.com. All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Reese

Review By James Martell (White Rock, BC Canada)

2006-06-04T15:56:00.000+03:00

Developing A Successful Affiliate Marketing Business Starts With Getting And Staying Organized - Jon Mill's NEW "Affiliate Organizer" Makes It Easy!
Let’s face it. Everyone wants financial freedom. And, who doesn’t want to be their own boss, set their own hours and work from the comfort of their own home?
Like you, these dreams finally got the best of me and I did something about it and, the good news is, that you can, too!
You see, as a successful affiliate marketer, I have finally carved out the life that I want for myself and my family, and in doing so, I have a learned a few things along the way, perhaps the most important being that organization and due diligence pay off and can make or break a home-based business.

In fact, I dedicated the first chapter of my Affiliate Marketers Handbook - "2006" to organization (“How To Get (and stay) Organized") for it is key to success in this fast-paced, ever-changing arena we call affiliate marketing. But, you don’t take my word for it. Dozens of my students have relayed to me that getting and staying organized is what they have found to be the most important, yet most challenging, aspect of growing their affiliate marketing business.
Fortunately for you, a cutting-edge, reliable tool has finally been developed that makes this once daunting, yet absolutely crucial part of being self-employed as an affiliate marketer a real breeze.
Now, if I had just had access to such tools when I started out, I would have saved myself enormous amounts of time, effort and yes, even money.
Using the new Affiliate Organizer software solution, I no longer waste valuable time searching for usernames, passwords, control panel logins, ftp addresses, locating serial numbers and the like and can focus my efforts on money-making activities that have catapulted my home-based affiliate marketing business to success.

What’s more, I use Affiliate Organizer to stay on top of DNS settings, keyword lists, even outsourced work to keep my business on track 24/7.
In short, it’s a one-stop source for any affiliate marketer and allows all the information needed to run a successful affiliate marketing business available with just the click of a mouse. And, if you’ve ever lost data before, you know what a lifesaver this can be.
Truly, everything is covered with Affiliate Organizer. Perhaps that is because the software was developed by a successful affiliate marketer who, armed with my Affiliate Marketer’s Handbook, learned what it takes to make a home-based affiliate marketing business a success and then set out to make the process easier for us all. Thank you, Jon Mill! Your software is making my life easier and my business even more successful.
Like me, you’re sure to rely on Jon Mill’s software daily and what you will find is that it will soon become the backbone of your budding business.
Affiliate Organizer gives you the flexibility to create your own folders and sub-folders so you can organize the program in a way that works best for you. Each folder contains input fields appropriate to that topic, with a Notes field as well to record any additional information you may want to keep. All you do is input the information and save it - simple as that! Affiliate Organizer also includes a Task/Alerts feature to remind you of important jobs to be done or appointments to be kept, either by email, sound, or both.
And, as a fellow successful affiliate marketer, Jon is the owner of a number of successful sites so he knows what it takes to get on top and stay on top.
This explains why Jon initially created the software for himself. Like me, he wanted to have everything he needed to succeed in one place, at his fingertips and preferable on his desktop. So, he set out to create this and much more.
And the best part about Affiliate Organizer is that it's all at your fingertips - no more searching through diaries or note books, or in my case, scrappy bits of paper, for that password or code - it's right there on your desktop.
Not only do I recommend this piece of software, I would say that it will help you dramatically in your efforts to win in this exciting and emerging industry. This software is just that good. Period.
For more information, visit http://www.affiliateorganizer.com.
About The Author
James Martell is a self taught Internet entrepreneur who discovered the lucrative world of affiliate marketing from his desktop computer in the fall of 1999. He resides in a seaside community south of Vancouver, B.C. with his wife Arlene and four children, Adam, Justin, Shelby and Victoria. In the spring of 2002, James published a thorough compilation of his basic strategies in a downloadable training entitled, James Martell’s Affiliate Marketers Handbook – 2002. This acclaimed home based business training, which was updated in January 2005, and more recently in April 2006, is widely considered the most complete treatment of the subject available today.