Best Advertising Practices for Affiliate Marketing!

Advertising is an Art form!

Not all things you do will be perfect and that goes along with Adsense.  Even the most professional blogger out there will tell you that how to put your Ad placements and which ones work.   It is after all more of person preferences than what works and what doesn't.   It is something that will take a lot of time and patients to find out how to make money with Affiliate Marketing.  I'm however going to give you tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Affiliate Marketing in terms of making money!  

What is a blogger to do?

When you think of a blog do you think it is people who are scheming to get your money.   Some would argue that this is the fundamental prospect of working on the Internet.   There by getting the clicks and the money for a link.  I am probably one of the few bloggers who want to be honest about my Affiliate Links but that is only because I think my readers should have the choice to click or not click on products that I recommend.   I will not recommend anything without at least doing all the research I can.   I have even tried some products out like the Glasses USA [Affiliate Link] and believe they are the best  choice out there for good quality frames and lens.

Recommendations for Other bloggers:

• Be Honest -- Honesty is the best policy!
• Be transparent -- Don't try to sneak a link here and there hoping you get a few extra bucks.
• Have Integrity -- Don't recommend something that you know anything about.
• Commitment -- Think of your readers and don't over do the ads placement.
• Create loyal readers -- make connections and try to keep them wanting to come back and use your links.

These are what I call the simple truths to making money with your affiliate links.   I don't think this is something that should be overlooked.   You will be more happier and make far more money if you try to keep an honest commitment to your readers.

Don't be afraid to ask for support!

I occasionally like to remind my readers that supporting this site helps me keep this website alive and also helps to support my efforts.   So never be afraid to ask for help, you will be surprised what your readers will do to support your blog.   Don't underestimate your readers because they are a valuable asset and should be treated as such.

Got any more tips?  If so just drop a comment.   I'm sure someone will find that useful maybe I will find it useful.  

Paul Sylvester

How I intend to make money with my blog!

Earning Money through Blogging!

When you hear that from someone what do you think? Is it just a full of hot air or do they actually have a plan?  In today's society people are always wanting to make money online using such things as Adsense or Google Affiliate network.  

I'm sure you probably heard this before from other bloggers.   I know I was skeptical of anything like this before, but I also know in the past I did make some money.   The money wasn't like 1,000 dollars a month but it was enough to help pay rent or something like that.   So I know it can be done but you just have to be ready to take it by the horns and run with it!

How I am going to make this happen?

When I first thought of this idea last month, I was not sure if I could.   After all I've got a full time job and obligations that I must do day by day.  I did some really long hard thinking and even planned some of this out and your the first that I am sharing this with.   

Connect with my Audience!

This isn't going to be  the easiest because I sometimes don't know what my loyal readers are thinking about my blog or what they have to say, so it will be a challenge to get them to open up and tell me just how I can improve my blogging skills and my blog to make my blog that much easier for them to read my posts.  

Giving Free stuff out!

This is something that sound counter intuitive but if you give your loyal readers something they seem to want to give back to you.  It is something that I've found to work really well in the past and I just had to stop that because of money and my situation at the time.  I'm right now waiting to find out what my readers are interested in, so I know what to give away.

Blogging more regularly!

This is where it will get tough for me because I will be not getting as much sleep at night.   I am going to start trying to blog every day for the next month at least and then see what happens after that.   So it might be stuff that you may or may not expect.   It just depends on my mood!  If you would like me to talk about something you can always contact me and tell me.  I will say I've already started this, if you haven't noticed.  I started this the first of the year.   So I am hoping this keeps up until February 1st.

I really don't know how well this will help me but I am looking forward to the future and the possiblilites which are endless.  It is a time game right now and I hope you sit and spend some time with me every day.

Paul Sylvester

Have you Tried Squarespace? [Affiliate Link]

Four Lessons I've learned from Blogging!

iPad 2 Launch // Austin by achimh, on FlickrBoy have I learned A lot!

I've not sure how many have seen the changes the last few days on my site.  If you haven't you should really check it out and see just what I've done to better become better at blogging.   I've really done a lot in the past two weeks and that isn't including what I've done with my life.   I've found a job that requires me to work on the weekend.  Some of you are probably saying OUCH, I know my kids will have to deal with me on the week days only for the time being.  If your wondering, I've decided to try to be less intrusive on the Advertising and see how that works.   I've pretty much have nothing to loose and everything to gain if more people will sign up for the newsletter.  I don't know when I'll post more regularly next week but I'm hoping once everything settles down, this will become a more friendlier place.   I decided to leave Hostgator behind in hopes to have the site load faster and be able to change it when I want to.   My choice so far is Squarespace, it seems to have what I want and let's me do everything I've always wanted to do with very little effort.

Don't accept mediocrity!

What is mediocrity? I won't go into much detail but in simple english it is a person who accepts the average. When I first started blogging, I wanted to be extraordinary but that can sometimes be really difficult when it comes to blogging and knowing how to blog.   It really doesn't matter what you think of yourself but what others think of your first.   If you can proof yourself better than the average person then you are more likely to set an example for the ones to come.   This is my dream, that I might be able to set some examples in todays society.  It can be hard and I'm sure it will always be interesting, to some that can be easy but others it is extremely hard to be successful blogger.  I've pretty much decided that nothing is going to stop me from being EXTRAordinary, but the path to that is going to be a hard and trechous one!  I'm sure it will get better in the days to come but the road less travelled always has sharp rocks! 

Don't Sweat the Small stuff!

I used to worry about those small posts that no body really read.   It was something that was a constant reminder of what I've not done right.  I don't know about you but this can be very hard for some, me included. I've learn that the small posts are just a way of testing the waters.   Something that comes with time and experience.   I won't say that it is going to be easy but it will be interesting.  If your like me, I love to be interesting and not nothing.  Just think, you might be a the next big blogger.   I've no longer worried about my stats but I am using my comments and emails to find out how people are liking my post.  You just got to remember to not be dishonest with your readers, this will make their experience much better and yours.

Simpler is Better!

This is something that I've come to realize the last few weeks.   My blog got so bloated with stuff that I thought it was a cruise liner and not a yacht.   If your like me, sometimes you need to re-evaluate your blog and see where you can trim it down or make it faster.  I've decided on my blog to change everything and make it less intrusive with advertising, I think that is something that can help my blog grow.   It however will always take time and you can't always expect it take off immediantly.  If your really want to make some money on your blog, you might consider reader ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income [Affiliate Link].  I've just started reading this book and have found it extremely helpful with my blogging and understand how to write a better post.  

Refocusing your posts!

Don't always assume that your posts are big.  If you don't sit down and think your article out, you may loose people.   If your going to post about your blog and not think of your readers experience then you are just asking for problems down the road.   I won't tell you how to refocus but I will say this, if you want reader engagement then you must come up with your content and make it your passion.   It however just depends on you and no one else.  If your interested in learning how to become a better blogger, you might check out some of these books [Affiliate Link] to help you on your way.  

Paul Sylvester

ST. PATRICK'S DAY SALE – Get 50% off any pair of prescription eyeglasses : "LUCKY50"

How Small Business can increase profit in 30 days!

Google Chrome (Photo credit: thms.nl)

Always speak the truth, think before you speak, and write it down afterwards.     Lewis Carroll

Imagine yourself  wanting a certain item or service but you really don't want to waste gas looking around.   So you pull up you Ipad or your computer to Google for that particular subject.   If you want to get the most value of the item or services that you are going to pay for, then keep reading.     Most Small businesses aren't thinking that way, they are expecting people to walk in and buy their stuff without first seeing what is available.   I've come to the realization that 9 out of 10 small businesses in my local Evansville, Indiana aren't using their business to the fullest on the internet.

It begins with Thinking outside the box!

No small or big business will ever be making their true potential by being like everyone else.   I am not saying that you have to go to the extreme but there are ways you can make it more  accessible to the clients that your looking for or who are looking for you.   It takes 7 times for anyone to actually buy something from you or your company.   If your not doing the Rules of 7 right now, you are not going to make the most out of your business.   I recently found this out because I was looking for a job online trying to find business that I might be able to work for and I had a really good brain storm.   Most of the local business here aren't following the Rules of 7 and I am here to volunteer my services to anyone who might want help converting clicks into profit.

Social Media

If you haven't hired someone to do this then you are just asking for donations sort to speak.    Not having a Twitter account, a Facebook account, a Foursquared account, and a website promoting the products or services, just makes your work that much harder.  Just like Glasses USA [Affiliate Link], if you look at their website you will see they have a Facebook, Twitter, Email newsletter, and a Youtube account.   Each of them are making Noise and make sure people see there product to click and buy.  Just because you have them, doesn't mean you should ignore them or not use them.   You might have to pay someone to blog about your product or service but if you don't then you are loosing potential from your product or even service.   The harder someone has to look to find you the less likely they will find you, this is something that I've always believed in and will always blog about.

Customer Reviews

Another thing to consider when having a business is what are people saying about you on the internet. If your not monitoring these things then you are not going to fully understand your customers and that might hurt you in the long run.  It is essential to have customers who will proclaim your product, for example Glasses USA [Affiliate Link]. On their Customer Testimonials Page [Affiliate Link], you can see that their constantly putting up the good things people are saying about their products.  Thus they are showing potential customers just how well they are doing.  It is however a good indication also when it comes to employees and if customers aren't happy with someone's performance this is also a great way to re-enforce the idea of customer loyalty.

Customer Loyalty

This is something you must always strive for because without that you will not make any money or profit won't increase.  Customers who are loyal to you might pay a little bit more if they feel your company is working hard for them, whether it be groceries or buying a car.   If they feel like the company is the best they will go out of the way to tell people and also keep coming back, this I think is the best model to  strive for.   Nothing sells like word of mouth advertising but that also means you have to know your customers and make an effort to show them you are one of them.   If your just trying to push your product then you are just trying to make money but if your showing them you care, then you are showing your potential customers more than just wanting to make money.   Your showing them you care about your product or service and that you believe in it!

Know when you've done wrong!

Let's face it, no company in the history of time has ever been a 100% right.   There will always be times when a company did something or said something that makes them look EVIL.   If you ignore that then you are telling your customers you don't care, but if your acknowledged it and ask for forgiveness then you are telling your customers you really do care.  Most small businesses aren't hearing what is being said about them on the internet because they are blind to the idea that it isn't something they should worry about, but I tell you this if your not worrying about it then you are risking your business to the word of mouth customers.  There will always be two sides to the coin, even if you didn't know now.  You will know sooner or later because a customer might just bring it up when they call you asking why this other customer said that.   If your not prepared what people are saying then you can't possibly have a answer  to the question and might even loose a potential customer because of it.

Some Local business to mention are:

I'm going to share with you some of the local businesses that I see that could benefit from this web post and encourage them to contact me if they are looking to make even more profit then they are now.   I am willing to discuss in detail what they are doing wrong and help them improve their customer experiences for a small fee!

• Bucks and Jakes Outfitters -- Great website and Business location just needs to improve on what they are already doing!


• Baumberger's Furniture -- One of those business that had to shrink down because they were not doing some of this already!


• Penske Truck Rentals -- I've check them out and they are good but they could do better!


• Paradiseink -- This is a new site but seems they need a lot of different things to help promote their service and products!


• Desktopdoctors -- This business has some stuff already doing that but could do even more!

These are just a few that I've been looking at the last few hours and realized that they could be doing some stuff really differently and bringing in even more customers.   I think if you have read this article you probably are asking your self how you could make your business grow.   If you follow these tips you could make even more money but it is all how you do it.  If you like what you read please consider re-tweeting this and also posting it on Facebook and other social media sites!<

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Your Small Business: When to Expand, Sell or Close (Infographic) (noobpreneur.com)


• HUGE Mistakes Most CEOs, Small Business Owners & Managers Are Making - What to Do Instead (growmap.com)


• Why Having a Brand Evangelist Increases Conversions, Customer Satisfaction and Profits (growmap.com)


• Choosing a Domain Name for Your Small Business Website (bizfilings.com)

4 Things you must do before hit publish!

It's all about the readers!

I've not been one to say this much, but if your read my blog you know I care about my readers.  I'm not saying that I will make your jaw drop most of the time but there are times that I think a blog post and want to help others when it comes to writing your own.  In this article we will discuss some basic writing ideas that I've come to realize and want to share with you.  I'm sure others have said something similar but I'm hoping to make it more understandable for the common reader and writer.

Before we can start talking about writing and blogging which to me are the same exact thing, some others might think of them differently.   I wanted to at least ask you some questions that we will be exploring in this article.

• Why are you blogging?


• How to come up with a topic!


• Know your Audience


• Is there a Length limit?


• What are you trying to accomplish?

Who Influences YOU?

FOCUS ON ONE QUALITY BLOG!(Affiliate Link)
Guest post on related high quality blogs.
Collaborate with social-media savvy bloggers.

In all things you do FOCUS on RELATED collaborations!

Quantity Equals Failure. Success Focuses on Quality!

When you started blogging did you think you should have more than one blog, I did. I even tried that in the last year but I found that I didn't get any more money than when I was blogging by myself.  I love to read what Gail writes about on her blog when she does because I get the most insight into how to blog just a little more.  I must admit, I need to start having more RSS feeds and expand my reading to even more blogs.  I have started to create a bigger list of blogs that I think I will enjoy to read on a weekly basis and this is my hope that I become a better blogger for you and others.

Writing Topics

Having been blogging for a few years, I've come to understand that if you don't use the right topic, no one will come to visit your blog or read your blog post because it just doesn't interest them to click.   Some bloggers have done some great topics Like Shevonne, who writes about her new phase of life.   She tries to get the reader involved and make them see that their is more to her than just about blog posts.    If you read her blog post you will see that she actually does a great job at drawing the reader and making them think about their own life and what phase they are in.   It is more engaging to the reader to actually have something to relate to whether it be on a blog or in person.  Find a Topic and start typing, it really doesn't have to be a big blog post but it helps if you let your mind wander and keep it coming.

Try to limit the Length of Post!

 250 is enough
A long post is easier to forget and harder to get into. A short post is the opposite. 

Problogger

This isn't always going to work when it comes to writing those blog posts.   I usually like to keep it under 1,000 words per post but I've found that sometimes, the more you write about a subject the more you will want to add to it.  Sometimes, you need to experiment and see what your readers will read and what comments you get from them.  I've even tried that with some of my latest blog posts but that isn't always going to work for you and you should figure out what the sweet spot is for your blog.

Be Youself!

Trying to imitate someone is nice, and some may consider that flattery.  I don't know if it is me or if your here just to because your found this article interesting.   Nothing can change who you are and who you will become, so just writing about a subject without at least adding your own flair of personality will not get you any where in getting people involved.   People want to connect with you and see your flaws and your personality more than they want to read a HOW TO or reviewing an product.   I've found this to be very true, if all your doing is just reviewing products, you may never see the true potential of revenue but if your connect with your readers in a blog post they will come back again, and again just because they want to see what else that makes you human!

Summary of the Post!

I've given you a lot to think about when you write a blog post and I am sure this isn't going to be an easy article to digest but if your follow these rules then you will become a better writer and thus you will have people come to your blog more and more.   After all, if your writing about anything, you are wanting to connect with your readers in one way or another and that is the main reason for blogging for me at least.   Topics are only one way to engage the reader to come back time and time again.  I write to connect with my readers and If you liked this blog post please feel free to share it with your friends and family.   I'd love to hear your stories and comments because that helps me find out what I am doing wrong or what I am doing right.

If you like this post, feel free to subscribe to my RSS feed or Subscribe to my Email list.   I send one out every time I publish a blog post, so you can keep up to date on what is going on my website.

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• How to Get People to Pay You to Write (bloggingtips.com)


• Three Ways of Writing Valuable Content for Your Web Design Blog (xemion.com)


• Basic Things You Should Know About Writing (sabinianabalagtas.wordpress.com)


• 7 basic rules of writing web content (marketing.yell.com)


• 8 Basic Tips for Writing an Amazing White Paper (contently.com)


• 5 Essential Keys To Successful Blogging (contently.com)


• The Anatomy of a Better Blog Post (problogger.net)

Why I use Google Affiliate Network!

Google Affiliate Network Summit 045 (Photo credit: Affiliate)

There's More than one way to skin a cat!

When all said is done, you have a big selection of affiliate networks that you can choose from.   You might even wonder which affiliate network is the best for your situation.   In this blog post, we will talk about some of the things that you can do to choose which one might be the best for your situation.   Not all Affiliate networks will be the same but this will at least let you understand which ones are right for you.

An affiliate network acts as an intermediary between publishers (affiliates) and merchant affiliate programs. It allows website publishers to more easily find and participate in affiliate programs which are suitable for their website (and thus generate income from those programs)

[Wikipedia]

Finding what works for you!

There are so many different networks you can use that you may have trouble knowing which one will work for you.  I will say before we go on that I do not know every single affiliate network but I have tried all the major affiliate networks and I will give you my opinions on each of them.

 Google Affiliate Network -- I've been using this network from the get go, I will say that I've had some modest luck with this network.  I've made some money with network because of Glasses USA (Affiliate link).   I've always got paid for my commissions and they do actually care about your website and helping you get your commissions.

Commission Junction -- I've tried this network and gotten some commissions from this network but it hasn't really been a good relationship for me.  I didn't really feel like they had my own website in mind.  I had to apply for all the merchants and never really had any luck with merchants wanting to have their advertising on my site.

Linkshare -- Another good network that I didn't have any luck with.   I know they have a wide variety of things that might be good for you but I really didn't find anything that fit well with my website.  It always seemed to be more about page views then commissions.   They would always be someone wanting to be on my site that was unrelated to my blog.   I really didn't feel that was a good fit for my website.

Linkconnector -- I recently signed up to find out which programs they have on this site.  I haven't been on their long and have already been offered to be part of merchants that are unrelated to my blog again.   These sites that were offered are nice for blogs or advertisers who is related in one way or another.   I bet these guys don't even check the website they are offering to.

 Mal-Advertising!

Malware Advertising is something that I have come to understand just a little more and thus it is always going to be a problem for the affiliate networks because someone will come along and offer a service but are rarely understood because of the nature of advertising.   I am not saying that every time you sign up for a new advertiser that you are going always going to have one when you sign up but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least do your research before you start using their ads.   I've been happy with my selection of using Google Affiliate networks but I would love to hear which ones you use and why.   Just leave a comment and tell me and others who you recommend.

Paul Sylvester

 Related articles

• Report: malware pushed by affiliate networks remains the primary growth factor of the cybercrime ecosystem (zdnet.com)


• Top Affiliate Marketing Company for January 2012 is Experience Advertising Affiliate Management OPM (prnewswire.com)


• Affiliate Industry Preview: Google Affiliate Network's Dan Greene (revenews.com)


• Cashunclaimed.com Launches New Affiliate Program with Commission Junction (prweb.com)


• CPA Affiliate Marketing Is A Great Way To Make Money Online (blogpronews.wordpress.com)

Why Auto blogs aren't the way to make Money!

Image via Wikipedia

What is an Auto Blog?

Autoblog is a neologism and misnomer used to describe a particular type of website which uses software designed to automatically add content in a blog format.[1] The owner of an autoblog is generally referred to as an autoblogger. Engaging in this practice is called autoblogging.
Autoblogging does not require a site owner to create original web content. An autoblogger merely installs the necessary software, and configures its settings to collect the type of content desired. The automated software handles the rest.

[Via Wikipedia]

Autoblogs are basically just programs designed to publish other people's stuff. Now I am not going to explain some stuff that you might not know. Plugins for Wordpress like WordPress Magic, WP Robot, MultiPress Content, Commission Cheat, and  other autoblogging software are sometimes considered Auto Content Stealing programs. I know more about this then people who are just starting off.  I'm here today to talk about these programs in detail.

Make Money While You  are Sleeping!

You've probably heard that one a lot or Hidden Secrets to commissions in advertising. Most of them do somewhat what they say. I was using one in particular for almost over a year and I didn't see any noticeable amount of money coming in from having that run day in and day out.

I've even seen those advertisements on YouTube and other video places claiming that you could make Millions and not do anything more than install a plugin that takes just 10 minutes install.   These programs however most of the time cost money and that is where the catch is.   I have no problem paying for something that works but most of the time if you claim I can set it and forget about it, I just say no thanks.

Does these work?

I know most of you who are asking this question, and probably saw something on another website and you are quite curious as to if these work or not.  I will give you the short answer "NO", they aren't really a scam because you make money but you really don't make money like you've seen on the advertisements.   You basically just make enough commissions to pay for the product in one year.   I may have made more but you get the gist of that.   You also have to remember that you have to have a really high Google PR to even get the traffic that is needed to make any kind of money.

Just creating a new domain, will not help you because it will have no Google Juice for quite some time and that is if you get any at all.   Most of the time, Google looks down on this type of stuff and stops you before you even get going.

Is this Stealing content?

Most of the time you aren't really taking anything that you shouldn't but that doesn't mean you could be doing that.   Most Auto Blog plugins will allow to you pick what you want to use as content and it will publish what you tell it.  The content that you will most like get are from like Amazon, Clickbank, Commission Junction, and other such Affiliate programs.   They usually allow you to use their content for your website and thus you can use them on your site.   The Kicker to this is, Google and other SEO, they will rank you lower just because of that.   They consider scraper sites to be nothing more than spam and thus you might go down in ranking if your not careful.

How do I know?

I created a Website called "unlocked cell phones blog" trying to test this out.  I created that last year about this time and set up using WP Robot, as my autoblog plugin.   After that year was up, I checked my Amazon Account tracking ID and guess what.   I only made "$56.45".   As you can tell I pretty much made what I put into it, I bought the software for $75 and I got half that back.   I made a little more money on my other Domain Tech-linkblog.com but I couldn't tell you for sure if it was all the plugin or if some of those was because of my old content.

Recommendations!

Here is what I recommend, if your really wanting to do this, do as much research as you can and know this.   There are websites that are specifically designed to waste your time to prevent you from finding your answers.   I know if you look on Google and others you will see that you find all these Glowing reviews and people who are just posting Videos of this type of stuff so they can make a little money.   You really have to go 3 to 4 pages in to find some truth in these AutoBlogging software.   You will find your answers if you ask the right questions and search for what makes sense.   I will not say I am totally against Auto Blogs, but I am not going to waste my money on another one of those in the future.  I now know that making money overnight isn't always going to be possible without at least working for it.

It's not how you do it but what you do that can make your blog a success.  You never know if your going to write the best article in your life or the worst article but until you try.  This I hope has told given you what you have been wondering or asking.   I'd love to hear your comments and your experiences, I might be the only one who hasn't done so good but I'm willing to bet there are others out there.

Paul Sylvester

 

Related articles

• Blog or Bot? (dave-lucas.blogspot.com)


• CB Autoblog (preciseinternetmarketing.com)


• Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #260 LIVE (autoblog.com)


• Update to WP Robot Autoblogging Software for Wordpress Adds New Features And Refinements (prweb.com)


• How to AutoBlog the RIGHT Way (williecrawford.com)


• Why I am not making money online (aaronchua.com)

Affiliate Marketing - changing the scene!

Image via Wikipedia

Doing a 160, isn't easy!

You've seen that the last few weeks, I've become more honest about my Affiliate Links, this is the one approach that seems to be working best with what I am intending to do. I however am feeling that You probably are getting tired of just seeing affiliate links.  I have been reading about how to do it better affiliate marketing!  Even Though I've not been as successful as I would like to be, I will be working a that in the next few weeks but first we need to fix some common errors in the webpage design!

In the coming weeks, I will find a more professional template that I can use for my blog.  I haven't found one just yet but I will be looking.   I also am wondering what the tagline should be.   I've been looking around for ideas but I thought I would ask my readers what they think the tagline should be!

Does All this really Matter?

I've been thinking about this aspect of the blogging and I wanted to share with you some of the key points that I've come to realize and retain from my experiences.   I'd like to share some of them with you and help others who are asking the questions about Affiliate Marketing conundrum.

There isn't really any way to be successful if you don't at least try.

Learn from your mistakes and change accordingly.

Don't keep doing what you've been doing, think outside the box!

Without risks there isn't any loses, so step out and take a chance!

Keep in contact with your affiliates and they can help you!

Research the product or service before you post.

Try to give away a free product/service this helps from time to time!

Be Honest about your Affiliate links! It just makes good cents!

 I've come to realize these eight points but I am sure I will be reading even more in the coming weeks.  I'm going to sit down and start reading even more about how to do it right.   I'm tired of making little to nothing with my blog and thus I will be working really hard at changing that.  I'm unsure of how I will accomplish this but it does make even more sense to me that if I don't change I will only be hurting you the reader and in the long run, I will also be hurting myself because of the possible money that I could be making.   I'm you want to support me, you can always visit my Support Affiliate page and find something that will help you.  I will of course be changing my approach, but I won't stop doing blogging about products or services that I think you may be interested in.

Before you go!

Tax deadline is coming up in the few months, you only have like 12 weeks to file your taxes.   If your expecting a large return you should consider buying yourself some stylish and better quality Prescription Glasses from Glasses USA (Affiliate Link) then you could buy at any Walmart Store.  I simply love to go their every year to see what Styles they have and what I might want to buy.  This year, I'm really interested in iSee 2004 Gunmetal  (Affiliate Link).  I'll be getting these sometime in next few weeks and probably do a nice review of the Glasses themself.  I strongly recommend you go check these and other glasses, that way you can be prepared to buy them when you get your refund back from taxes.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

Related articles

• Being more Honest with my Affiliate Links! (paulstechtalk.com)


• How Do You Earn Money From Affiliate Programs? (myinvestingblog.com)


• Is There Any Money in Affiliate Marketing Internet Business? (yepthatsme.com)


• What is Affiliate Marketing? (imoneyservices.wordpress.com)


• Do You Really Need Your Own Website To Make Money With Affiliate Programs? (blogpronews.wordpress.com)

Do you have a Tax program for taxes yet?

Tax (Photo credit: 401K)

Tax season is upon us!

If your like me, You always dread doing taxes because you never really know what you will get back or if you will. I know I have to worry about everything from being audited to how my commissions did with my website and if that wil make a big difference or not. Nothing can be said for getting them done.  If your like me you some times get into a cold sweat worrying about all this stuff.   I know sometimes I even worry about my next paycheck, so I understand all to well of the problems in getting my taxes done.

Help is just a Click away!

I have in the past visited H&R block (Affiliate Link) offices but this year I will do it through their software [Download it NOW] (Affiliate Link).  I used to worry every year about my taxes but after I started going here and having them help with my taxes.   I don't have to worry anymore with their  Worry-Free Audit support they provide for free with purchase of a Deluxe edition (Affiliate Link)of the software.  I simply have to buy their software and use it and I no longer have to worry because they will give me an adviser for free if their is in audit of my taxes.

Why I recommend them!

H&R block (Affiliate Link)has been their through the thick and thin of making of this website and others.   They even helped use with a tax audit where they paid for a mistake that I did in the past.   That was the something that I had it added on to it was worth the money because it only cost me 29$ if I remember correctly.   They always been professional to me and they even remember my name when I go into their office.    I don't expect that now since I moved but I do know if I started going to the local offices where I moved they'd start to learn my name.   They've always been helpful and I know they would be again if I ever needed any help.

Don't get caught with your pants down!

I tell you if you do your taxes then you are constantly having to worry about making mistakes and nothing can be any worse than that.   You need to have help when doing your taxes and that is why I recommend  using H&R Block (Affiliate Link) to help do your taxes, if you can't afford the paid version, the least you can do is use the free version but that doesn't pay for the state taxes, those you will have do worry about separately.  I will always use H&R block for all my tax needs whether it be at home or going to their office to do my taxes.

Paul Sylvester

 

Related articles

• Don't Get Audited! The IRS's Dirty Dozen Red Flags (dailyfinance.com)


• Five Best Tax Preparation Tools [Hive Five] (lifehacker.com)


• 2 Freebies for Tax Returns (suddenlyfrugal.com)


• Are You Eligible for Free File with the IRS? (couponshoebox.com)


• Will Tax Increases to Close the Deficit Harm Economic Growth? (economistsview.typepad.com)


• How do you plan to deal with your taxes? (dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com)


• Free Places for IRS Tax Help and Tips For Do-It-Yourself Tax Filers (askthemoneycoach.com)

Being more Honest with my Affiliate Links!

Google Affiliate Network Summit 035 (Photo credit: Affiliate

Testing the Waters!

A friend told me, a couple days ago that I should be telling my readers when I have affiliate links.  He said I would would get even more sales if I were to be a little more honest with which ones are actually the ones that I make money off of!   It would better help those decide if your going to be a a good blog or not.   I really didn't have much to say on the matter because I didn't know what to say. I am sure there will always be those who will not tell you.   I thought it was quite obvious when I didn't tell you but then I forgot I was hiding my affiliate links, not to be dishonest but to prevent programs and virus from taking away from all the work I have done.   I know there will always be people who will got the site directly and not give the site the credit.  I understand that, and somewhat expect that.

Honesty is the best Policy!

That being said, if you ever come to one of my posts and you see the (Affiliate links) or (Affiliate link) then it will be linked to this post.   So you can read about my honesty and understand that I am working really hard at changing.   Here is how this will work:

• Reviews -- I promise to my readers that I believe in the review of the product and that it is a recommendation from me.


• Reimbursement -- Hosting isn't cheap now a days, that is I put up my Affiliate links and also to try supplement my working income.


• If Gifted to me -- I will clearly state that in my post and my review will no be swayed by the free gift of the item.  If it sucks, you will know about it and if it is something useful then you will also know about it.  I may however have affiliate links for the item.


• Nicer URLS -- even though I have hidden the urls and you have to click the URL to go the affiliate site in question, it is because the URL aren't really neat and tidy.   If you feel offended because you can't see URL then please feel free not to click those links.  (I wouldn't want to see http://www.amazon.com/blah/blah/blah/blah/etc, anyways and I bet you don't either)


• Gift Cards -- If you are wanting me to review a certain item and it is on Amazon or some other place then I will gladly accept a gift card through email(First name @ this domain).  However if it is something else please don't hesitate to email me.


• Review UNITS -- Same as Gifted cards, if your wanting me to review an item but don't know where to send it.   Please email me and I'll discuss with you where to send it.  (First Name @ this domain)  Please bear in mind that I may not give a nice review, so I make no PROMISES and there are no expectations.

Prove to me!

I've done the unthinkable and stopped hiding all my links on this site.   So if you want me to continue to do it this way,  I will need to see a positive out come.   I was making money hiding sites links and not telling people about them being affiliate links.   Now I don't want to see a drop in sales and money by being honest.   Help support my love to blog and being able to read about the stuff that matters to you.   Just like Glasses USA (Affiliate link) matters to me because I have to wear glasses everyday and I can't afford to go buy some really expensive pairs of glasses.   They have been the one source for me, when I need to buy new glasses.  If you find a post that you really think is good, then don't be afraid to share it on Facebook or Twitter.   Those are one ways to show your support of my blog.

Nothing shows support like sharing a post!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• The Best Way to Monetize Your Blog with Affiliate Programs (leccoworkshop.com)


• Eight Ways to Make More Money as an Affiliate (blogworld.com)


• An app provides Amazon affiliates with quick access to earnings reports (intomobile.com)


• Is Affiliate Marketing Right for Your Business? (openforum.com)


• Serious About Affiliate Marketing? Then Don't Miss These Tips (famousbloggers.net)

A Friday Night Movie Pick! (Dolphin Tale)

Amazon (Affiliate links): [Demand= $3.99 and $14.99] [DVD] [Blue Ray]
Target (Affiliate links): [DVD Widscreen] [Bluray 2 Disk + Digital Copy]
Other Sites: [Youtube]

Synopsis

Inspired by the incredible true story of Winter, a dolphin who was rescued off the Florida coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap, this uplifting family-oriented adventure from director/co-screenwriter Charles Martin Smith details the unique bond between an injured dolphin and a young boy. When Winter loses her tail in a tragic accident, her young friend convinces the locals to build her a prosthetic replacement, inspiring hope and courage in handicapped people across the globe. Nathan Gamble, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, and Kris Kristofferson star.

Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes
Release year: 2011
Studio: Warner Bros.

Necessity is the mother of invention. -- Plato

This movie was one that I didn't expect to be so fascinating and also quite educational.   I loved this movie in all aspects of sense, nothing was left out.  I recently talked about the aspects of technology and this movie does a really good job of demonstrating it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.   I even got teared eyed at the end, seeing all the good was done and making me feel like going to Clearwater, Florida to see this Dolphin in action.   Something that was really nice was that they even used said their website on the movie, seewinter.com.   I was curious so I decided to put that in the URL to see if that was a REAL website.

It's all Family Friendly!

I didn't expect to see something that was so family friendly.   I didn't hear any cussing or see anything that wasn't appropriate for all ages.   Although some people have complained about the first part of the movie where we find Winter showing blood and him being tangled up in ropes.   I didn't see anything else that  was  questionable.   I think my kids actually learned something of value in movie.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wants to have a Family Movie Night.   This is one of those that I really respect what they did to the movie and I feel this is a great way to bond with your kids and sit down and watch the movie together. Dolphin Tale (Affiliate link) is a thumbs up in my book and I strongly recommend it to anyone who might want to see this movie!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Opens Winter's Dolphin Tale Adventure in Clearwater, Florida (prnewswire.com)


• A dolphin tale [videorecording] (alleganylibrarycollections.wordpress.com)


• Dolphin Tale-the movie! (traceyhuguley.wordpress.com)


• Dolphins Are Multilingual? (uniquedaily.com)


• 'Dolphin Tale' surfaces at No. 1 at box office (sfgate.com)


• 'Dolphin' Deposes 'Lion' With $14.2M to Grab No. 1 (abcnews.go.com)


• Dolphin Tale a surprise hit at the top of the U.S. box office (hollywood.com)

Four Phones/Devices that Straight Talk might release in 2012!

Let’s talk Straight Talk Phones!

Although this isn’t going to be anything major, I do think we will see more devices that will come to Straight talk next year and I have a few predictions on which ones will come but again, I’ve been wrong in the past.

I’ve not see very many predictions about Straight Talk but I wanted to at least try to help people anticipate what may come and what may not come.   Remember, I do not know anymore than anyone else but I do understand the market and what may happen in the future.   So nothing I say should be consider as being set in stone or that they will do this or that.   It is going to be another prediction on what they may bring out.

What Might come to Straight Talk!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 inch to 10.1 (Affiliate Link)i— There is a good reason why this will probably happen and I know why.   Cricket Wireless (Affiliate Link) and T-mobile(Affiliate Link) are doing this right now.   The idea of having a tablet like the Kindle(Affiliate Link) fire is going to be a real big deal to have for Straight Talk.   I don’t know how they will do this but I am sure it will be an exciting time.

Nokia Lumina 710 (Affiliate Link) — This is one of those possibly that may happen but also remember this is a Windows Phone and thus is going be the first time Straight Talk tries the waters, if they do this.   I am real optimistic about this being a real possibility and thus I can not see them not doing this.

Mifi Hotspots (Affiliate Link)— I can see this as another Real Possibly because this would be a great idea for students and people always on the go.   I don’t know if they will do this but If Straight Talk wants to compete with other prepaid wireless networks they will have to get their feet wet.

Samsung Galaxy S (Affiliate Link) — This is after all another Android Phone but is possible on the Sprint Network thus will probably be ported to the Straight Talk Network because Straight Talks uses Sprint with Android.   So I see this as another good possibly and I think more customers are going to want to have more Android Devices in the coming year.

As you can see these are all just speculation and thus could possibly come true but only time will tell.   I thought I would at least try to have a little fun and tell you what I thought was going to be most likely.

Paul Sylvester

Need Glasses? Try GlassesUSA! (Affiliate Link)

Related articles

• How to get the most out of Straight Talk phones (Tips and Tricks) (paulstechtalk.com)


• TracFone’s Straight Talk adds second Android smartphone, LG Optimus Q (fiercewireless.com)


• TracFone’s Straight Talk Android phones will use Sprint’s network (fiercewireless.com)


• 2011 was the year of Android (guardian.co.uk)


• Straight Talk Android Phones to Run on Sprint’s Network (phonescoop.com)

How to find the right Tech gift your significant other (Christmas Tips)

Image by swarna rajan - ஸ்வர்ணா ராஜன via Flickr

We have all been there!

I know this type of year is always the hardest with some people and I am no exception to the rule!   Christmas is around the corner and your probably still trying to find that perfect gift.   I've been there and so has many others out there.   Unlike most others you don't quite know what He or she will want but do know they like Technology.    If I am betting man I'd have to bet that your sweating in your seat because your are so stressed over finding the perfect gift.

Before I start suggestions, I must tell you some things NOT to do.  Here are some very important points to this:

• Don't GO overboard with the gift.   (Not to expensive)


• Don't buy an item because you think it is cute.  (Guys don't want cute)


• Avoid buying accessories. (You might buy an accessory that doesn't go with the tech gift!)


• Don't buy things from sites that are NEW.  (Your just asking for problems)

These are just a few things that you shouldn't do.   Nothing is set in stone but you are going to have to figure out what you are going to and stick to it.

Get inside your Tech sweet heart!

Now this isn't trying to be literal but figuratively speaking.   It is however important to know what he or she likes and buy accordingly.   Some technology gurus like big things and others just like the useful things.   It really doesn't mean the size of the gift is the most important or the price of the gift.   It however is just that, the thought that really counts.  If you know your other half is complaining about their Cell phone, maybe it is time to think about buying a new plan or even buying an unlocked cell phone.   Have they commented about liking the Kindle Fire?  Or Maybe they like the Ipad, they may even have said they like to have an android device?  Nothing is really set in stone per say but it can be helpful if you think about what your are buying and ask your self this question "Is this something that he will truly love?"

Perfect gifts are all their cracked up to be!

Just because you know that might be the perfect gift for your doesn't always translate well to the other.   If your like me sometimes the  best approach is to let them decide what they want to buy.   So here are some great ideas:

• Give Giftcards -- They let him buy what he wants when he wants and where ever he wants.   This is something like a good way to give him permission to buy that tech toy that he always wanted but felt you would not allow because of money or some other reason.


• Prepaid Credit Cards -- This is something that is even more simpler than buying a gift card from one site or store.   This allows him to go to any store he choices and buy there.   Again this means you must accept the consequences if he buys something you don't like or want.   Sometimes men just have to be boys.

I've not forgotten about you females!

Although I am a male, I haven't forgotten about what you might like and though this is mainly a mans perspective and what men would really want that doesn't mean that you should be left hanging.   So I thought I would try to give some good technology suggest to the men to buy for women.

• Tablets are great gifts for women -- I really hate to say this but I have found my family who are all females simply want to be able to surf the web and do other stuff without the need for a laptop or desktop.  They also like it to be able to read their books while traveling or go to basketball practices.


• A GPS is good for women --  I for sure know this to be true.   My sister sometimes can't go anyplace with her GPS to tell you how to get there and for that matter my mother who isn't good with directions will use a GPS to get to where she needs to go.

If any doubts about it it then you can always refer back to prepaid credit cards for women also and let them choice the perfect gift.   This isn't going to be rocket science but it is something that everyone has to decide on when it comes to buying that perfect gift.

I hope this helps but I know it is an ever changing world and something new will pop up next year or even before Christmas that they may want.

Merry Christmas

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• The 5 Worst Tech Gifts To Give This Christmas (gizmodo.com.au)


• Top Tips - Don't go out of control this Christmas (moneyexpert.com)


• Christmas Buying Suggestions for 2011 (socyberty.com)


• Christmas Gifts - Looking for a Christmas Present for Someone You Love (socyberty.com)


• Christmas Presents for Girlfriends (socyberty.com)


• Tips for Buying Christmas Gifts This Year (socyberty.com)


• Greatest Christmas Present to Get a Wife or Girlfriend in 2011 (socyberty.com)

Hostgator is best by far!

My experiences with Hostgator!

If you know anything about me, I've had several different hosting accounts with different companies like Justhost and Godaddy and I even talked about the websites that not really legitimate sites and are using affiliate links to make money off of people. So I do know several different things that most people might or might not know off. I thought this would be a good time to at least talk about some of them and share with you my coupons to help you save even more money! It is however a personal preference but I will discuss with you in length why I like Hostgator and have been with them for over a year without much a problem.

Reliability is my Priority!

If you are like me, you make your living off people coming to your site. This isn't always easy for me because I do have 3 different sites all on one server. This is something that helps with me because I have been online for 99.9% of the time since I have been on Hostgator with my 3 domains. Very reliable is great resource. I remember when Justhost wasn't as reliable and Godaddy was just slow loading, which made people not even try to visit my site.

No Credit Card Required!

This is something that has helped me because of my situation. I don't have to worry about having a credit card and I can pay with Pay Pal which is something that has been a great value for me. I can go get a Pay Pal Gift card, which is available in several different stores and even in Wal-mart. So I can reload my Pay Pal account every 2 months and not have to worry about fraud with Pay Pal. This is definitely a great resource for those who don't have credit cards or don't want credit cards.

Great Customer Service!

I don't say this lightly because I have my share of problems with my hosting account from problems with redirect and problems with speed. Each time I contacted them they were eager to fix the problem or help me upgrade my server. I even like the possibility to get help almost instantly with just typing to the customer service rep through a chat window. I even had to do some service tickets with them and it didn't even take 24 hours for a answer from Hostgator. It was really a good experience with Hostgator, some of the reply emails were less than an hour. So I am glad that it didn't take long to get stuff fixed if it was something that had to be done on the server side.

I could go on but I am really satisfied with Hostgator to the point of wanting to give out some of my domain coupons:

Hostgator Coupons:

Here are the Coupons that you can use to try Hostgator for yourself:

• paulstechtalk25 -- Get 25% off your purchase of an Hosting account using this coupon!
• paulstechtalk994 -- get 9.94$ off first months of hosting!
• paulstechtalkr2494 -- Save 24.94$ of a reseller package.

If I find out more you can bet I will post them so you can get the maximum savings on hosting.

Thanks Hostgator

Paul Sylvester