I have been going through Ed Dale’s 30 Day Challenge and I must say I am extremely impressed.

The 30 day challenge is a step-by-step guide that will take you from not knowing a thing about building a web business to making your first sale online. At least that is somewhat how Ed describes it.

However it is WAYYY more than that. If all he was trying to do is to get you to make your first sale online, I am sure he could have made it more like a 7 day challenge.

No, what this is really about is learning the latest and greatest methods of building a Real business. This is without a doubt the most complete step-by-step directions I have run across on the latest strategies of building a site and building sustainable traffic. The best part is that it’s free. While there is some software that he uses that does cost money, he describes no-cost ways to go as well.

While I will stick with my recommendation on the Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet by Derek Gehl as the best course to building your real Internet business as it describes in depth the “how, what and why” things work and don’t work, Ed Dale’s 30 Day Challenge used by itself WILL make you not only your first sale, but it will also build your confidence on how to make sales online. Used in combination with a thorough course such as Insiders Secrets, you have a deadly combination.

The only drawback? Completing this in 30 Days. I will admit I am way behind and should have been done a week ago. At my rate (being the Putz that I am), I won’t get done for another couple of weeks.

My conclusion is that you need to go through this challenge and I do not care what level you are on - YOU WILL LEARN something that you did not know. This challenge is taking me further and faster than anything else.

Click here to join in for FREE

One of the keys to successful selling online is doing research on the market that you want to sell to. It’s a tough uphill battle trying to sell something that no one wants to buy. Almost as hard is trying to sell something that people DO want to buy but you cannot reach.

Doing proper keyword research is critical to finding out what the size of your market is and determining if you can reach that market. Doing the research before you even pick a product to sell will help you from wasting time on a poor product or a poor market as well as steer you to the correct market and product.

There are many free and paid for tools to help you do this research. Google has it’s own free keyword tool that is very powerful and has always formed the basis of my research. then there are tools like Word Tracker and Keyword discovery. The BeBiz software which I am a big fan of because of it’s keyword tool while not free makes sorting and organizing your keyword data a breeze is another top-notch, highly recommended tool. BeBiz has more than just a powerful keyword tool, it also helps you build your whole website taking you step-by-step through the entire process - including how to create your sales page.

Another tool I have just begun using is called MarketSamurai. This thing so far is fantastic. It really gets into depth telling you not only search volumes and the costs that your competitors are paying for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, but it goes into it even further and then helps you get content for your website.

Like BeBiz, MarketSamurai is not free, but there is a 40 day free trial (no credit card needed), plus I believe the keyword research part of it will always be free.

http://www.marketsamurai.com/

www.marketingtips.com/bebiz

Are you using videos to market your products or services?

If not you should be. There are a lot of webites where you can post your videos for free. While this post is not about how to make and use videos to market your business, I want to show you this free video by one of my favorite Internet Marketers is Willie Crawford on how to use a cool piece of software called Easy Pushbutton Traffic to submit your videos to multiple sites very quickly.

I get no props or kickbacks for sharing this with you. I just feel it is worth sharing.

You can see it here: https://videosubmission.s3.amazonaws.com/VideoSubmitter.htm

I haven’t made a single post in a long time.

I have been busy with some other projects outside of the Internet Marketing (IM) niche.  while most IMers keep reselling to the same people and new IMers, I tend to look for other markets and not just digital products such as ebooks, software, affiliate programs and the like.

There is a ton more to be made selling physical items online. The fact is ther are more people searching for “stuff” than most marketing gurus want to admit. And the people buying “stuff” are generally easier to sell to.

No matter if you are selling blenders or cars or even homes it can be sold online.

There are 2 different ways to approach selling physical items:

#1 is to find out what people are looking for and then sell it to them.  This is the best approach for digital products, ebooks, etc.

#2 is to find a product first and then find out if there is a market for it. If there is, then you make your sales pages and try selling it.  Most guru’s think this is backwards, but here is why it’s not:

It’s a Huge Time Saver!

What good is it spending time researching a niche and then start looking for a product that you may never find?  In reality it is pretty easy to figure out what items people want to buy. We are talking physical products here. People do buy blenders and other kitchen appliances. They do buy pet products and home products and gifts and garden tools and on and on and on.

Find good product suppliers. Select some products that you want to sell (they should be related to your website). Do some keyword research find out the best way to list them on your site by utilizing the latest and greatest SEO techniques. Make a killer website with better than average ecommerce abilities (shopping cart, buy buttons, etc).

Most of the same marketing techniques that work for IM products also work wonders for physical products.

This post is not about finding product suppliers or where or even how to sell physical items online. That’s a topic for another day. I am just giving you my cliff notes on how I make the majority of my income.

Have a great day!

To your success!!

Looking for product ideas? Want to know what the latest trends are?

If so, Google has taken care of you with two similar tools:

Google Trends

Google Trends for Websites

Google Trends will tell you the hottest topics people are searching for. Definitely useful to jump on the latest craze. They provide some interesting data on the search terms such as how popular the term is over a span of time. It will also show you news stories on these keywords which often triggers the spike in the amount of searches on a particular keyword.

Google Trends for Websites is similar but will let you know what other websites and keywords people are looking for that visit the site. So for instance if you are in the market selling pet products and you type in petsmart.com it will bring back a list of other terms people search for that visited that site.

In this case, a quick look shows me people that visit Petsmart also searched for dog crates in addition to other websites competing with them. Using this, one could look into dog crates a little more to see if there is enough market data to promote this product using affiliate marketing.

Are you *qualified* to start an Internet business?

If you’re like most people, you probably measure your qualifications
by your technical skills…

Your ability to design a web site…

Your ability to write sales copy…

Your ability to drive traffic…

But the reality is, NONE of that matters.

Building a business is a FORMULA. If you can understand instructions
and follow the formula, you WILL make money online.

So if it’s that simple, why do SO MANY people fail at it?

Personality!

See, there are certain personality traits — inherent in some, but
LEARNED by others — that allow people to easily succeed, and
other traits that cause people to constantly FAIL.

If you could identify those traits, wouldn’t you have a better
chance at being successful?

Well, here’s your opportunity to find out…

… because I’ve been authorized by none other than Derek Gehl
*himself* to offer you a FREE copy of his brand-new report,
which lays out the exact traits necessary to succeed online.

The report will be available within the next 48 hours, and is
based on Derek’s personal observations following a DECADE
of working with thousands of successful Internet entrepreneurs
from around the world.

And like I said: he’s allowing me to offer a copy to all of my
best customers for free… no strings attached.

When you get it, you can do one of two things:

1. Nothing… which is definitely an “unsuccessful trait”.

2. Study it and figure out if you have the inherent prerequisites
for success, or if you need to LEARN them.

So if you would like a copy of this report, for FREE, go to:

http://www.marketingtips.com/qualify/t/1144423

… and follow the instructions there!

Wishing you the best of successes!
- Jerry

http://www.marketingtips.com/qualify/t/1144423

There is a popular thread on the Warriors forum asking what your favorite 3 books of all-time are.

Since that is a marketing forum, most of the books listed are marketing books. I felt it was worth sharing what the most popular books were as I feel we can never learn enough and now we can learn from what others have read.

The most popular books in no particular order are:

1. Influence by Robert Cialdini
2. The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
4. The Trick To Money Is Having Some! - Stuart Wilde
5. Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

My choices were:

1. Positioning, The Battle for Your Mind by Al Reis and Jack Trout.

This is an excellent read and gave me a big a-ha moment. This is particularly important for those trying to promote a brand.

2. Instant Cash Flow by Mark Nolan. This book offers some tremendous insight on getting publicity and has given me much motivation.
This is available as a download from my website and is a must have in my opinion.
http://www.runtheweb.com/recommends/instant_cash_flow.htm

3. Anything by Anthony Robbins. Personal Power is a great starting point.

4. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

I have not read the first 4 books chosen as the most popular so it’s time to hit my favorite book seller.

I hope these inspire you to get reading as well.

P.S.

One other book that was mentioned quite a few times was the Bible. I must agree on that as well. THis is without a doubt the most successful book of all time.

A fellow blogger David Pankhurst also was inspired by the best books post and has given his opinion that I would like to share with you. You can read his blog at:

http://activeblogging.com/info/best-book-to-succeed-in-business/

It’s every day now. Major product launch after product launch of the next thing you just have to get to make money online. I get dozens by the day. I have resisted removing myself from all these so called newsletter subscriptions but I am not sure how much longer I can.

What ever happened to newsletters that offered useful advise? I always try offering useful advise. And I will admit that I am still on some lists that do the same. I realize that selling products is the name of the game, but more importantly in my book is relationships.

Listen, you do not need the latest course to make money online. No not even my product the Putz Seller. You can do it without the latest “must-have”. I still recommend finding a good system which will save you a lot of work and money in the long run, but to be fair you can do it without shelling out for every offer.

The latest product launch you may of heard is a free product. I won’t name names, but all you have to pay is shipping and you’ll get the latest info on how to earn tons more on affiliate programs than the affiliate program even pays out. Then unless you cancel you just pay $29/month.

Truthfully, I don’t even care what is in it or how much the author makes. In another month someone will release the secret free-for all anyways.

Ok enough of a rant. If you buy the program, drop me a line after you read it and let me know what you think. I hope you get your 250% more than your affiliate programs pay out.

I have found a great free report that I want to share with you by Terry Gibbs.

If you are not familiar with Terry, he has a very successful website and ebook on selling on eBay, but he has his hands in all sorts of products.

Terry now has a website called “Slacker Profits - Make Money Online Doing as Little as Possible“.

Since this sounds awfully close to my manual “The Putz Seller, Easy and Fast Methods to Sell Stuff Online” I was immediately interested. Well, first I am glad to report he’s not copying me, rather it’s more about doing things in an easy manner, which is what being a Putz, or a Slacker or a Bum Marketer is really all about. Not to get bogged down in detail, making everything perfect or creating huge ebooks, etc.

He has a free report on his website that I suggest reading. Overcome 14 Common Mistakes Preventing You From Succeeding Online” You can get it here:
http://www.runtheweb.com/slacker.htm

Go, download your free report and make the most out your putz selling activities.

Wishing you the best of successes!
- Jerry

I came across a post on Tony Blakes forum written by the one ond only Marlon Sanders regarding how he is getting top rankings in the search engine.

This is a really informative post which is re-printed here with permission:

Google Top Ten Rankings: How to Really Get Top Ten Rankings
In Google In 37 Minutes, Really, For Real!

Subtitle: Why Everyone Is Choosing The Keywords For Their
Articles, Blogs Web 2. 0 Sites, and Videos In The Wrong Way
And The Only Way That Makes Sense.

Subtitle: Eleven easy steps to those top ten Google rankings

By Marlon Sanders

Just this week I got top 10 rankings in 37 minutes. I’ll show you
how YOU can do it today for keywords that have TWO MILLION
search results. And probably do it without breaking a sweat.

This article shows WHY I believe the way MOST people do their
keyword research is entirely wrong. And a better way to do it.

I reveal 2 sites I got ranked in top 10 this week. Even though by
revealing them, they’ll probably get nuked by someone who wants
to prove they’re smarter than me. I ask you to please be considerate.

I realize some or many of you ARE seo gurus. I make zero claims to that title.

See, I’m not a big seo person. And some or many of you can add to
or possibly even correct what I have to say below. Feel free.

I’m working on a new product, so I have to get my ducks in a row.

The first thing people do in search engine optimization, that
is creating pages to get ranked in the search engines is to
find key words to target with their pages.

This is the link to the easiest free tool I’ve found:
http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/

So you type in your topic and hit submit. What most people
then do is look for keywords that have a smaller number of
daily searches. So, for example, if you type in the key
word “dog training” you might select “dog training collars”
instead of dog training.

The wrong way to do it is to choose keywords by a low number
of daily or monthly searches, assuming that means low
competition.

Let me show you this:

You can have a word in Google that LOOKS like it has
two MILLION pages to compete against. Yet, in reality, there
are almost none.

Type this in Google: sales letters cold calls

When you type it without quotes, I use the pay per click
terminology and call it the “broad phrase. ”

If you look at the number of search results Google returns,
it’s in the range of 1,790,000. The ebooks you read will
tell you to choose keywords with under 1,000,000 results.

But that is WRONG. Check it out. Type this in:

“Sales Letters Cold Calls”

In other words, do it in quotation marks. That searches ONLY
sites with the exact phrase.

Now look at the results:

SEVEN! There are ONLY 7 basic sites to compete against.

Let me prove this works. Look at this:

sales letter cold calls

That’s singular instead of plural “letter”. 239,000 results.

Now type it in in quotes — “sales letter cold calls”.
I call that the exact phrase.

There are FOUR results! And the first two are mine. I am
listed in page two. And I only submitted the page on
Apr 25, 2008 03:30:17 GMT

Here’s another:

greatest direct mail sales letters

368,000 results.

The exact phrase in quotes? Only 1,760. And look at number
four: www.hubpages.com/tag/worlds+greatest+direct+mail+sales+letters/hot

That would be MY page. And I only submitted it on
Apr 25, 2008 03:30:41 GMT.

Literally a few of these rankings I got in 30 minutes to one
hour! See, when you’re really only competing against 4 sites
or 2,000 sites, it’s NOT so hard!

NOTICE: Since I’ve publicly posted these results, I’m sure they’ll get
zapped. That almost always happens when you make something like this
public. The sites you post publicly are sacrificial lambs to demonstrate
your point.

Here is how to get YOUR top ten rankings TODAY! Like in one
hour from now if you’re lucky.

Step one: Go to: http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/

I usually just go to seobook.com and type my term in the box at the right.
You can also use nichebotclassic.com or ANY other keyword tool.

Step two: Search your topic

Step three: Start selecting keyword phrases and type them into Google
with the exact phrase in quotes.

Step four: Find a phrase that has only a few search results. Preferably
under 10. But under 2,000 is good.

Let’s say you bought the private label rights to an ebook on dog training.
You type in: training dog choke collars. You see 1,850,000 results. YUK.
But in quotes “training dog choke collars” you find only THREE stupid
competitors!

This is taking top ten Google rankings like taking candy from a baby!

Step five: Build several web 2. 0 sites on the exact phrase as the
title. Post an article to the site with the phrase in the title
and in in the article once in bold.

For example, a squidoo lens on “training dog choke collars”
would be http://www.squidoo.com/training-dog-choke-collars

Blogger would be:
http://www.training-dog-choke-collars.blogspot.com

Write quality content that is unique and original if possible.

Try these properties:

squidoo.com
wordpress.com
blogger.com
hubpages.com
zimbio.com

Step six: Digg your new site at digg.com

Step seven: Submit a story on it to propeller.com
(Just a few paragraphs with your URL. )

If it’s a blog, you can submit the URL with
pingoat.com or pingomatic.com.

Step eight: Put the URL in a Twitter.
(Sign up at twitter.com. ) This one I’m not sure works. I’ve
read it does.

Step nine: After one hour, paste the URL of the site into
Google and search for it. For example, if this was your blog,
you’d paste the whole URL into Google search:

http://sales-business-letter.blogspot.com/

Now, as you can SEE, it ain’t in there. I don’t know why!
I’m still learning nuances. I’ve only been at this four
days!

Step ten: Add new posts to your site, new articles,
videos or content daily.

Step eleven: Every time you add new content, posts, videos or
articles to your site, bookmark it with a couple of the
bookmarking services like simpy, del.icio.us or furl.
You “might” use onlywire.com for this. I’m not sure on that
one.

On most ALL the sites, there’s a way to “insert video”
and you simply put in your youtube URL and BOOM! You have a
video on the site.

At the end of the day, you need content humans WANT to read.
You create sites for humans, NOT GOOGLE! At the end of the
day, you gotta have sites people want to read and that help
and benefit them.

Otherwise, your site won’t be evergreen.

Oh, updating your site frequently is how you keep the Google
bot coming there and how you stay IN the rankings without
sliding down.

Now, if you’re lucky, Google will spider and list the site in
under an hour. I got mine in there in 37 minutes. Thus, the
title of this article.

On the other hand, I have some Squidoo pages, a Blogger blog
and a Wordpress blog that I can’t even get Google to spider
yet. I’m trying to figure THAT one out!

If any of you are seo gurus and can tell me WHY these sites
get NO Google love, post on my blog:

http://saleslettersoftware.wordpress.com/
It doesn’t show up in Google at all.

https://sales-letter-software.pbwiki.com/Sales-Letter-Software
Ditto.

OK. So you have to create sites in multiple web 2. 0 properties.
Some will stick. Some won’t. What Melvin Perry, an seo guru I
like told me is with different niches, different things work
better.

In some niches a Blogger blog or Wordpress blog does great.
In some, it’s Squidoo. It depends on the niche.

If you do more than one of these sites a week, go to:
www.apple.com/safari

Download the Safari browser and do ALL your work in it vs.
Firefox or IE. Why? If you select “Edit, private browsing” it
turns off cookies and history.

If you’re checking your sites all the time, I have a feeling
(but no proof) Google then thinks you’re an seo king and
they penalize you. But don’t quote me on that.

I think that is why several of my sites above aren’t spidered.
I searched them too many times using Firefox and Google figured
I must be up to no good!

So, I’m NOT saying it’s all gonna work 100% of the time. At
least, not until I figure some more things out.

Back to work.

Marlon

For free podcasts, free videos, free articles, go to:
http://www.marlonsnews.com.

You can hit me with your comments and feedback on this issue.