Jim,
I’m getting this strange error from Google Webmaster

File Not Found http://www.mysite.com/index.html

so in my htaccess file I put

Redirect 301 /index.html http://www.mysite.com/

but it shut my site down. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Roger

A new site that I thought would be worth watching is Email Finder which will allow you to not only find out who owns an email address, but what pages that email is mentioned in.

This is not an exact science, but there are some very common mistakes that people make when researching email addresses. This site promises to not only offer a free search tool, but show you how the email finder performs its analysis so that you can do your own manual search and expand in ways the online tools can not.

Check it out, bookmark it and watch it’s development over time.

Here is a new site if you are to follow it, it is called and the site shows you what information is attached to the IP address you are using.

The site goes on to explain how to hide your IP address and prevent others from searching for information on your IP.

It just went up and is a work in progress – check it out and never ask what your ip address is again

Hi All.

I have been teaching myself everything i can about running a website over the last year. I have no plans of doing this professionally, but I wouldn’t mind having my site pay for itself (and some of our adventures)

That being said, I though I was happy with the numbers I was finally starting to get, when I came across this site and realize I am SOOO wrong.

I was hoping someone could take a quick peak at my site, and point me in the direction I should be going: journeysontario.ca

I have a PR of 2, and am averaging about 75 hits a day.

I have been trying to follow google’s suggestions… easy to navigate site, new relevant content, naming all pictures, and having an alt description etc.

Should I be trying to insert more key words in the site, or focusing on link exchanges?

With the content that I have, should be be getting more visitors? (from what people have seen on other sites)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Rob

Jim,
I have a yahoo y-key and my sites that I submitted to yahoo are "authenticated", I guess using that y-key. Should I leave that y-key on my site. How about the google key?

Thanks,

Roger

I have a domain that would be great for all types of , such as as an irs audit, hipaa or sarbanes oxley. This site could also cover security audits or any other type of auditing that comes to mind – problem is, I’m not sure what to do with it. Anyone have some good ideas? If so, let me know!

Thanks!

I am using Amazon feeds for my online store and I seem to keep getting these messages. What can I do to start making money?

Dear Amazon.com Associate,

It’s time again for referral fee payments to our Associates! This month, we have sent payments to eligible Associates for the referral fees earned during October 2007.

You did not earn any referral fees during the last payment period. We have credited your previous balance to your account for a future payment. You can view your current balance in Associates Central under Your Account > View your payment history at https://associates.amazon.com/gp/associates/network/your-account/payment-history.html.

If you opted to receive payment by check, we’d like to remind you that the minimum referral fee threshold is $100. (It’s only $10 for payment by direct deposit or Amazon.com gift certificate.) Additionally, if your billing address is in the U.S. and you select payment by check, we will deduct a $15 processing fee from each check we send. (This charge does not apply to Associates with non-U.S. billing addresses, as direct deposit is not available to them.) There is no processing fee for payment by direct deposit or Amazon.com gift certificate. Although we are unable to change your payment method for last month, you are welcome to change your payment method for the next payment period. To do so, just visit the Payment Options section of Associates Central at https://associates.amazon.com/gp/associates /network/your-account/payment-options.html.

As a reminder, beginning January 1, 2007, your Amazon Associates payments will be monthly instead of quarterly, paid approximately 60 days after the end of each month. For example, referral fees you earn in January will be paid at the end of March, and payment of referral fees earned in February will be paid at the end of April.

——————-

PLEASE READ THESE

IMPORTANT NOTES:

——————-

1. Items sold through Amazon Auctions and zShops do not earn referral fees under the Associates Program.

2. When comparing your Payment History information in Associates Central, please also refer to the Earnings Reports, since they list the items actually paid for and shipped to customers during the month. Remember that fees are paid at the end of the month during which an order is paid for and shipped to the customer, not the month during which an order is placed.

3. To view the complete referral fee schedule, please see our Help at http://associates.amazon.com/gp/associates/network/help/t2.

4. Please check the Payment History information in Associates Central for information for any adjustments to your account. For example, if an adjustment was made for personal orders you will be able to see the amount of the adjustment.

We appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us anytime at http://associates.amazon.com/gp/associates/contact.

Thanks again for participating in the Amazon.com Associates Program, and have a great next month.

Sincerely,

The Amazon.com Associates Program

Hi Jim
I was wondering if you could recommend a resource in creating a forum? The reason I’m considering this is that I live in a small community which is now starting to grow and we ( the residents ) have no way to communicate our thoughts , ideas and complaints other than attending a city council meeting. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
gregg lanning

Jim,

Do I need a shopping cart if I use a products page?

Thanks,

Roger

Jim,
Have any thoughts on why Google Checkout for merchants is so incredibly difficult to sign in to? I have spent the last several hours trying to figure out how to sign in. I have a merchant I.D. from an earlier marathon session but have been defeated in signing into google checkout for merchants. I’m aware Googlecheckout makes no distinction in it’s name betwen buyers and sellers, but after I’m signed in, all it does is ask me sign-up questions. If I have a merchant I.D. I would think I wouldnt be asked these questions.

Thanks,

Roger

Jim,

I once bought some info on food allergies and after I paid, I received the info in a few seconds. Is auto delivery part of shopping carts?

Also, if I want to send info that can’t be copied and pasted, is Adobe Acrobat the only real way?

Thanks,

Roger

Jim,
Quick question about domains. I own a bunch of domains.

goodwillnetwork.com tracksidebuzz.com luxuriesnetwork.com globalwarmingnetwork.com
networkchocolate.com rawmaterialsnetwork.com *co2network.com correctinformation.com
commerciallinesnetwork.com componentsnetwork.com preciousmetalsnetwork.com
preciousmetalnetwork.com commercialconstructionnetwork.com fixedratenetwork.com
getafixedrateloan.com greatfixedrateloan.com greatfixedrateloans.com likeableloans.com
likableloans.com myfixedrateloan.com sandlnetwork.com sameascashloan.com sameascashloans.com sameascashloans.net sameascashloan.net savingsandloannetwork.com
savingsandloansnetwork.com

and placed them on Sedo, but none sold. ‘You think I should hold on to them at $6 a year for each?

Roger

Jim,

‘Was reading a number of posts on your site and was wondering what you think is the minimum number of visits per day need to rank at all on Google and Yahoo.

Thanks Jim,

Roger

P.S. Aren’t you due for writing your own search engine? I’m sure you know how to do it. They must be profitable. I remeber when Iwon.com was advertising on television that it was giving away $10,000 every day.

What makes YOU different from your competition or What’s your unique selling proposition (USP)?

If you answered "I have the lowest price!" or "I have the best quality!", then you have already lost. Everyone has heard this unique selling proposition a million times and the fact is, it just does not work anymore.

To really be successful, you need a USP that will stand out from your competition, something that sets you apart from the rest. What should you use? Consider what the following companies used to make themselve unique and how successful they were:

* Fedex – "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight!"
* Domino’s Pizza – "Hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes — or it’s free!"
* M&M’s – "The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand."
* Wonder Bread – "It helps build strong bones 12 ways."
* Head & Shoulders – "You get rid of dandruff!"
* Olay – "You get younger-looking skin!"
* Red Bull – "You get stimulation of body and mind!"

All of the above drive the point home, they focus in on something that is a concern and tell you how they will address that concern. They are not far fetched promises but statements that can be believed by everyone.

Come up with the right unique selling proposition and you will stand out from the rest – and, needless to say, the rest will try to do the same thing once they catch on, but by then, it’s too late! Remember, 10 words or less.

The message that was here has been deleted – it was spam. They were trying to promote a home business system by spamming forums and implying that

Here is another pitch:

What I found amusing was that after making such Guarantees, they placed a disclaimer in very small print at the bottom of the screen. Here is it in normal font:

Always a scam out there and the sad thing is, they’ll find someone to fall for it!

Are You Struggling To Make Money Online?

For me, one of the easiest ways to make money online is selling digital products. Here are a few tips. Digital products could be an ebook, an MP3, video or software. Selling these products is fast, easy and commands big profit margins. No inventories to watch, delivery trucks are non-existent and most of all it works 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. Really an entrepreneur’s dream come true.

What are the exact steps involved to make money online with selling digital products? The following steps have been proven to be effective:

1. Choose the right product.

The first thing that you need to do is get a product that you can sell. Be certain that you choose the right product to sell. In choosing a product, you can either create your own or sell other people’s product. However, you must ensure that the product you will sell is in demand and that it is something that many people want or need.

You may check clickbank.com to see and get a feel of what products are in high demand. If you’ve been in the internet for three to four months and have been subscribing for those newsletters from sites you visited, then you may now have an idea of what topics attract large crowds. Subjects on golf, search engine traffic, weight loss, marketing, adsense, dog training, personal improvement and make money online have proven well overtime. There are some niche subjects which also have been drawing huge following.

Remember, the number of people looking for that particular topic, product or subject is extremely important. You can’t make money online if only a handful is interested with that product you are trying to sell. The number of competitors also plays an important role. As much as possible, choose an area with lesser competition.

If you’re just starting out, it is hard to compete with guys who are the McDonalds of the industry. If you’re a bit sophisticated, there are tools available to figure this out. You can try the keyword tools and look for topics that have been searched by volumes and volumes. These tools also provide you with the number of competing websites. There is inventory.overture.com that you can start with.

If you don’t want to create your own product, you can easily find hundreds of products with master resale rights. What are master resale rights (MRR)? If you own a product with MRR, you have the right to sell it to others and keep all the profit for yourself! With master resale rights, the person who buys from you can also get the resale rights to the product.

There are also products with private label rights. Private label rights give you freedom to alter the product or change the content and put your name on it as the author or originator. You may try warriorforum.com and look at the warrior’s special offer (WSO) for great deals on resale rights.

2. Build your website.

Now don’t scratch you head yet. You will not be building a full blown website but a very simple three page site. The pages are: Sales letter Page, Thank You Page and the Download Page. Trial and completely free web building softwares are available for download. There’s the 123WYSIWYG and NVU which are both easy to use. If you’re not that tech driven then you can hire some college kids in your neighborhood who might be good at building websites. Or you can try elance.com and rentacoder.com to find somebody to do this. Just focus on your goal to make money online.

To accept payment, just use Paypal. It’s easy to get. Using the standard Paypal button is okay. Paypal will ask you for the redirect page, in this case, use your Thank You Page. Don’t put the download link there. Put an opt-in in box instead. Say that you will send the download link in the email. The opt-in box is extremely important if you want to build a business. You will have the chance to capture customer information here. You can make money online over and over again once you have a large list of customers.

In the email that goes out after a person subscribes to your opt-in, you will tell them where to download the product. Your download page should contain a link to your product with a few directions on how to download and how to use it. If you are selling an ebook in PDF format, tell them that Adobe Reader is required and point them where they can download it.

3. Generate traffic.

Once you have chosen your product and created your website, you must attract visitors. You cannot make money online if your site doesn’t have visitors. You can get traffic to your website in many different ways. However, you want to be certain that you bring in the right kind of traffic. What is the right kind of traffic? Targeted! You want visitors to come to your site because they want to, not because they are forced to. You want visitors that are interested in your product.

One of the ways to attract traffic is search engine marketing (SEM). SEM is a set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages. Yahoo and Google are the top two sites where most of the web searches come from. Experts estimate that Google account for 45% of the searches while Yahoo gets 30%. In order to make money online, your website must be listed in the top 30 results of the search engines. Do you think anyone would bother to look on page 97 of the results? or page 110?

Your site’s ranking on the search engines will depend on how optimized it is with the keywords you choose and the number of competition it has. The lesser the competition for the specific keyword, the higher the chance of your site to get to the top of the search engines and the chance to make money online is significantly increased.

Another way to get visitors to your site, and this is the quickest one, is by pay per click advertising (PPC). You can try the Google adwords program, Miva and Goclick. Be very careful, however, as PPC advertising may burn your pockets and your plan to make money online would be affected. Make sure to set your daily budget when doing PPC.

These three simple steps to make money online when followed would get you the results you want. There are dozens of ways to make money online. What separates the successful online entrepreneur from a failure is focus and consistency of efforts. Most of the people starting to make money online get sidetracked with every new program that comes to them. If you want to make money online, choose one specific way, and then follow that way until you succeed. Don’t jump from program to program.

We spent years of work on getting great websites up with tons of information on nature conservation. So much that we could not place it logically in just one domain, and started spreading it out over a number of domains.
We don’t get the visitation we had hoped for, but we have some 400 – 500 visitors per day. Why in the world would we want ad-sence links that would take a visitor away from our information that we worked so hard for to put on the net? It does not make sense to me to offer a 10 cents click to have your visitor go somewhere else if you can have him/her spend time on your website. Or did I miss something? If so, please let me know.
Cheers,
Daan

Hello, I wanted to let people know that I think these are great keywords to compete with.

avril lavigne
baby names
background check
chat rooms
cheap airfare
continental airlines
buy beer online
free embroidery designs
lane furniture

This user attempted to spam the forum with links to his site.

It’s a shame that such energy is spent on this type of activity when the writer could have created some awesome long term links on the appropriate sites. It is a clear indication that this writer will always be trying to catch up to the rest rather than enjoying the big time.

I have removed his links, but his anchor text is valuable and if you are thinking about starting a site, consider some of these keywords, some monetize very well!

So, you get your account banned for spam, but I appreciate the keywords and I am sure the readers will as well.

List of keywords

———————-

work at home business
workbench
worker compensation
weight loss
web site design software
web site designer
weather channel
web conferencing
united airlines
university of oklahoma
unsecured debt consolidation
work at home business
workbench
worker compensation
weight loss
web site design software
web site designer
weather channel
web conferencing
united airlines
university of oklahoma
unsecured debt consolidation

I have been working hard to find the answer to this question. I P(postal)-mailed Google and they never wrote back.

Theres this very nice piece of informatio I found at Digg.com (I couldn’t get any exposure ther though.) Here’s the article – please read the third paragraph. http://www.thetechzone.com/?m=show&id=662

Here’s Google’s products

I can’t figure out which one of these Google business programs is used to earn money when someone uses Google at a person’s site and eventually buys something.

This is not just a Google convenience. I looked at the code for the Google search at sciencedaily.com
<!– SiteSearch Google –>

[code....]

<!-- SiteSearch Google -->

And it looks like Science Daily might be identified as the initial source of a buy using the search.

What do you think?

Thanks Jim,

Roger

I have a few websites I have been working hard on for almost a year and still only bringing in a few dollars a day. Im in a slump, my weight is out of control and I dont feel like doing anything except selling my sites. Tips?

Hi, My name is Cathy and I have a site that gets good traffic but the adds rarly get touched, maybe you have some good idea’s for some add placements. Plus if you could possibly give your opinion on the sites structure. It is a girly joke site with no nudity just bathing suits. currently at a PR 1
Thanks for your opinion.
Cat