Friday, June 24, 2011

Edit A Photo With FotoSketcher

There was a time that if you didn't spend hundreds of dollars on photo-editing software, there was little you could do with your digital images.


Now it seems another dozen or so free apps spring up every week - good news for those without a bottomless wallet...

Monday, June 07, 2010

Smart Marketer's Get 3 Free

It's true!

You've heard the rumours, right?

You can get 3 Free copies of Mike Filsaime's MDC Monthly.


Mike Filsaime is using a new way to spread the word. 

He is not asking for any tell a friend of even an Opt-In.

No, it's much smarter than that.

He is experimenting with a new type of Social Viral Marketing that appears to get him backlinks to his site just for sharing the word.


Remember, that's the road we're all on - building backlinks and getting our content out there.

This seems to be the truest form of Viral marketing I have seen yet. It uses social media and blogs to get the "news" out about something rather than Tell-A-Friends etc.

Kind of like a nudge from a friend to 'go check this out!'.

But the main thing I want to share with you is that you can get 3 Kick-Butt copies of his latest newsletter and you don't have to pay $89.00 to get it.

Just click the link below and it is yours Free!


Even if you Think you are not interested in his newsletters (Which are pretty good from what I see) I suggest you give it a shot for 2 reasons...

1. You may be surprised at the quality. 
And 
2. Wait until you see how he is trying this new viral marketing.

Like I said, it's smart. Yup, Smart Marketing ;0)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Demand Quality Information and Forget the Hype

Aspiring internet marketers are looking for quality information – and they deserve it. If you’ve spent anytime online looking for guidance on how to start and grow a successful internet marketing business, then you’re likely already aware that there is a lot of crud out there. Fortunately, there is a brand new product by Melissa Ingold of Internet Marketing Sweetie fame that offers more honest advice and business building tips and resources than any other product we’ve come across.

The Online Marketer Sweetie Course is designed specifically for people who want to start making money online. The course guides users through the entire process of getting started online and provides a step-by-step framework.

Melissa has made a name for herself by providing a wealth of business building resources to internet marketers and aspiring entrepreneurs around the globe. This newest product, Online Marketer Sweetie Course, take’s Melissa’s usual dedication to quality information and resources and ups the ante.

The Details
The Online Marketer Sweetie Course offers a complete package beginning with the main “getting started guide”. This guide walks aspiring entrepreneurs through the process of creating a business. It provides an honest look into the benefits and drawbacks of owning an online business. It also gives readers a comprehensive look at what they need to achieve success; including a home office, the right mindset, and family support.

From there, you’re able to utilize a number of worksheets, checklist and blueprints as you work your way through the process from conceptualization to completion. Every step along the way is presented clearly and completely. The worksheets and checklists ensure that no step is missed along the way.

The course also provides valuable mindset tools and resources including a brainstorming worksheet and information on visualization. Additionally, there is a collection of business building videos and a 39-page blueprint with screenshots. People learn differently and this attention to detail makes it possible for everyone to gain tremendous benefit from this course.

Many experienced marketers would have been grateful for the thorough and detailed information that is included in the Online Marketer Sweetie Course. It would have saved them costly mistakes, lost time and lost revenue. There’s a tremendous amount of value in doing something right the first time. This course makes it possible.

Final Thoughts
The Online Marketer Sweetie Course is jam-packed with everything a person needs to succeed as an internet marketer. And like the proverbial cherry on top of the ice cream sundae, the course also comes with several valuable bonuses.

If you’re tired of all the hype and plain old bad information, check out Melissa Ingold’s Online Marketer Sweetie Course. It's the refreshing combination of honesty and business building strategy and resources that aspiring internet marketers have been starving for.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

WP Commerce - Smart Marketing with Wordpress

Wordpress Software is one of the most powerful and user friendly content management systems (cms) an online marketer could wish for. It was first developed in 2003 and has since become one of the most widely used blogging softwares on the planet.


With Wordpress you have the ability to create anything from a simple blog to a fully fledged ecommerce website or even a multi-level membership site.

The possibilities are endless.

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Sidebar: I'm sure you get the irony of writing about Wordpress on a blogger blog ;0) To be up front, I've just been too busy - or too lazy - to switch platforms, lol.
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Due to its open-source nature, millions have developed themes, extensions and add-ons that are easily plugged in to any Wordpress installation.

Running Wordpress requires a pretty basic run-of-the-mill hosting account – PHP 4.3 and above; MYSQL 4.0 or higher and a server running on Apache.

The functionality of your Wordpress blog or website enables quick publishing; remote posting; permalink configuration; updating of social networks; collection of statistics; email subscriptions; Rss subscriptions; addition of keywords and tags to your posts and by using plugins, a whole host of supplementary operators to improve search engine rankings and user-friendliness.

However, due to the nature of the internet, you should always be security conscious. Hackers can’t wait to get their mitts on a website full of security holes and plant their malicious code, take over your blog or even delete all your hard work and get you thrown out of Google!

So what can you do to tighten up security?

Latest Version
Wordpress continually updates their software, plugging up security risks, fixing bugs and improving functionality and interface. 

When you login to your admin panel you’ll be alerted of any available updates and WP have made it incredibly easy simply by clicking ‘update automatically’. Always backup your databases and information before any updates though – there’s always a small possibility of something going wrong.

Latest Versions of Plugins
As with your main WP installation plugins are often updated. By ignoring updates you could be opening your site to abuse.

Occasionally plugins are developed by someone who only has one thing in mind – creating a security hole in your site which they can later crawl through. They will eventually be deleted from Google – and so will your blog if you’re seen to be using them. I’ve had first hand experience of this and the result is not pleasant!

I must stress though, the vast majority of wordpress developers are honest and pose no threat to you. 

Read through the code and check out reviews and forums of third-party plugins before you install them in the first place

Password Protect
Yeah, I know it’s an obvious one, but make sure you use strong passwords and change your passwords regularly.

Admin
All hackers know that the default admin login username is ‘admin’. Ok, so they may not have cracked your password yet, but simply changing ‘admin’ to a less usual user name you're doubling security! Why make it easy for hackers by giving away half the equation?  Add as many layers of protection as you reasonably can.

Database Tables
Hackers want to access your databases, so make it difficult for them - don’t label your tables with obvious names. 

We’ve only just scratched the surface of Wordpress Marketing and introduced some of the basic methods of security. Now you’re armed with some knowledge, the best way to learn more about using Wordpress is to install it and have a play around to find out what it’s capable of ;0)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Motives for requesting A Product Refund?

Mr. X buys a new product and loves it (but doesn’t think he should pay for it) and instantly on delivery, he requests a refund and continues using the product – that’s theft.

Mr. Y buys stuff he’s disappointed and disillusioned with, he deletes it and moves on, without asking for his money back – that’s not smart.

The unscrupulous internet marketer loves Mr. Y and hates Mr. X. This marketer continues churning out his crap which hundreds like Mr. Y snatch up without so much as a whimper and the crooked internet marketer profits all day long (for now), while Mr. Y maxes out his credit cards and loses his shirt.

The conscientious marketer, on the other hand, takes precautions to manage Mr. X, like using remote file locking software, but isn’t so happy with Mr. Y either. This marketer wants you to complain!

What?!

If his product doesn’t live up expectations, he wants to know, he wants to improve - yes, he's in it for the long haul. Ok, so he’s still got a family to feed and a mortgage to pay, so I'd be lying if I said that profits don’t matter – but the fact is, this marketer doesn’t want to profit from your misery. He wants to earn his money honestly.

So what are justifiable motives for requesting a product refund?

I’m glad you asked…

1. False advertising
This is a biggy – there’s nothing worse than ‘forcing’ a sale by telling blatant lies.

You know the type of ad ‘100,000 hits in 24 hours with the push of a button’ or ‘become a millionaire in three weeks with two hours work a week’.

But most advertising is much more subtle. Protect yourself – read the small print before you whip out that credit card, or it could come back to haunt you. If it sounds too good to be true – it is!

2. The Product is Outdated
Incredible, but true, products are still being advertised (and marketers still happily pocketing your hard earned cash), long after they no longer work on more modern operating systems, or have been pulled from servers altogether!

If this is the case, attempts to contact the product creator will usually be fruitless. But all is not lost; you can still contact paypal or your credit card company to get your money back.

3. Usability
Not all software is as user-friendly as Windows (lol!), but a good product should be backed up with written and/or video tutorials to walk you through the complexities of your new purchase. Some have help forums buzzing with information and full of helpful folks just waiting for your questions.

If you've exhausted all avenues and still can’t make head or tail of the product, state this to the creator and you should get that refund.

However if, despite stating legitimate and acceptable reasons for a refund, the product vendor refuses or simply doesn’t respond to your request, don’t give up hope.

Most marketplaces offer a refund guarantee for products that were sold through them (e. g. Clickbank offers its customers a general refund policy of 8 weeks after the product purchase, for a vendor like PayDotCom you’ll need to contact the credit card processor like Paypal which has a refund policy of 60 days).

In all cases…
Clearly state the reason for your refund request;
Employ a friendly communication styleeven if the product isn’t worth a dime, it won’t help your cause by insulting the creator;
Explain how you’ve made every attempt to use the product efficientlyattach screenshots or make suggestions for improving the product;

The vendor may lose you as a customer, but can benefit from your experience.

Play fair
– as mentioned earlier, requesting a refund for a product you’ll continue to use is theft - Most marketplaces (Clickbank, PayDotCom) tolerate 2 or even more refunds, but after that you might not be able to purchase anything again through the specific company.

So go ahead – if its crap, doesn’t do what it says on the tin, is outdated or unusable, don’t be afraid to ask for a refund.

You’ll be helping the reputation and integrity of all serious, honest marketers.