Entries from April 2008 ↓

I’ve just been watching some UK TV coverage of Bletchley Park, the mansion which housed the World War 2 Code Breakers and which is now a museum to the brilliant mathematicians who cracked the German Enigma code with ‘home built’ mechanical and, finally, electronic computers.

Code breaking is a fascinating art simply because it uncovers untold ’secrets’ and our curiosity is raised to discover just what lies behind the code. Coincidentally I’ve just been reading another ‘code breaking’ book, this time in the online marketing niche, called ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’.

Once again I was hoping to uncover some ’secrets’ to affiliate and product marketing that lay behind the covers. ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’ centers around using Clickbank and, if you’ve never explored Clickbank or its possibilities, you’ll find this book a great expose of how to sell other people’s products OR your own products using the Clickbank portal.

It’s no secret that Clickbank is used everyday by millions of marketers to aid the sale of their own products but, primarily, by affiliate marketers who can instantly find the most profitable items to sell in their niche. What ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’ does is show YOU how YOU can harness the power of Clickbank immediately.

If that was all the secrets that ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’ revealed then I’d be a little disappointed simply because I’ve been using Clickbank successfully for years. What I didn’t expect was a multitude of other ‘code breakers’ on the download page which seem to go on, and on, and on!

If I began to list all the audio and video resources that you can download along with ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’ you’d be scrolling down a very long page. So here’s just a taster of what you’ll find inside:

"6 Figure Money-Getting System"

"Persuasive Copywriting Secrets"

"Marketing Mastermind Interviews"  with such luminaries as Andrew Fox, Jason Potash, Joel Comm, Mike Filsaime and Ted Nicholas.

"Secret Audio Sessions"  hour long audio training files on Affiliate Marketing, List Building, Traffic Generation, Product Creation etc.

Videos like "Cracking the Search Engine Code"  and "Cracking the Traffic Code".

and much, much more!

  As if that wasn’t enough the ‘code breakers’ themselves have specified a members only secret email address where you can ask anything you like for up to 30 days after purchase in case you need help or further ‘training’.

Before you rush off to get your own online wealth code formula I’ve a little ‘code breaker’ secret that you need to know.

After you click this link to ‘Cracking the Online Wealth Code’, read the sales letter then click your browser refresh button. If this secret code is working correctly, and it will only be available today, then you’ll receive a $20 discount immediately!

I’m hoping that code still works for you - it did for me!

Occasionally I’m emailed by someone who has downloaded one of my products complaining that the ‘zip file is corrupt’. Now this is always due to an incomplete download. I know that because I always check the zip files myself to make sure they’re intact and I have the same problem myself when downloading files that I have purchased!

So what’s happening with these incomplete downloads? I needed to find out because it causes buyers a little bit of annoyance and frustration that they can’t unzip their purchase straight away, as well as the fact that I’d rather spend my support time helping people in other ways!

The problem seems mainly centred around Internet Explorer. So my first suggestion is ‘try downloading a second time’ and, if that doesn’t work, ‘try using another browser’. One or the other always manages to perform the ‘cure’, but I still wanted to get to the root of the problem.

After some experimentation I found that clearing my Temporary Internet Files cache also appears to ’solve’ the problem. If you don’t know what that is then you ought to know that browsers keep a cache of all the website pages you have recently visited in a temporary space on your hard drive. This is so that, when you revisit those pages, the page and all the items on it, like images, appear quickly on your screen. Rather than waiting for them to download all over again the browser just retrieves the bits it needs from the cache.

Sometimes this can catch you out because, for example, you might be emailed that a new offer has been placed on a website you’ve been to the day before, but when you return to that site you can’t see it! That’s because your browser has probably loaded the cached page rather than the updated one. If that is the case hit the F5 key, or click the Refresh button in your browser, and it will download the new page.

But back to our download problem. When you are downloading large files, and the files in this week’s Monday Madness offer are around 16 - 18Mb because of all the information I’ve packed in, then your browser cache can fill up before the file has completed downloading. If you watch carefully you’ll see this as the download bar starts off moving across slowly and then suddenly rushes to the end. If you look at the file size using Windows Explorer you’ll see that it is much smaller than we say it should be!

The solution, then, is to clear your browser cache before downloading any large files. I’ve listed below the method of doing this for the most popular browsers. Hopefully you won’t have any more problems downloading after you do this!

If you are using Internet Explorer 6.0…

Launch Internet Explorer.
Go to Tools > Internet Options.
The ‘Internet Options’ dialog box is displayed.
Click the ‘Delete Files’ button.
The ‘Delete Files’ dialog box is displayed.
Check the ‘Delete all offline content’ box.
Click the ‘OK’ button to confirm the deletion of your temporary Internet files.
Click the ‘OK’ button again to close the ‘Internet Options’ dialog box.
Attempt to download again.

If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0…

Launch Internet Explorer.
Go to Tools > Internet Options.
The ‘Internet Options’ dialog box is displayed.
On the ‘General’ tab, click the ‘Delete…’ button under the heading ‘Browsing history’.
The ‘Delete Browsing History’ dialog box is displayed.
Click the ‘Delete files…’ button.
Click the ‘Yes’ button to confirm the deletion of your temporary Internet files.
Click the ‘Close’ button to close the ‘Delete Browsing History’ dialog box.
Click the ‘OK’ button to close the ‘Internet Options’ dialog box.
Attempt to download again.

If you are using Firefox 1.x…

Launch Firefox.
Go to Tools > Options.
The ‘Options’ dialog box is displayed.
Click the ‘Privacy’ button.
From the areas listed, locate ‘Cache’. Click the ‘Clear’ button to the right of ‘Cache’ to delete your temporary Internet files.
Click the ‘OK’ button again to close the ‘Options’ dialog box.
Attempt to download again.

If you are using Firefox 2.x…

Launch Firefox.
Go to Tools > Options.
The ‘Options’ dialog box is displayed.
Select the ‘Privacy’ option.
The ‘Privacy’ options are displayed.
Under the ‘Private Data’ heading, click the ‘Clear Now…’ button.
The ‘Clear Private Data’ dialog box is displayed.
Check option ‘Cache’ and ensure that the other checkboxes are not checked.
Click ‘Clear Private Data Now’ to delete your temporary Internet files.
Click ‘OK’ to close the ‘Options’ dialog box.
Attempt to download again.

If you are using Netscape…

Go to Edit > Preferences.
The ‘Preferences’ dialog box is displayed.
Under the ‘Advanced’ category, click on the ‘Cache’ section.
Click the ‘Clear Disk Cache’ button, then click the ‘OK’ button to confirm the deletion of your temporary Internet files.
Close the ‘Preferences’ dialog box.
Attempt to download again.

In a previous post I recommended Joel Comm’s Adsense book which, even in version 4, I thought an absolute bargain at just $9.95. What I didn’t realise was that, when I bought it (I already own the original at $97 but wanted to see the update) there was added on what is commonly referred to as a ‘forced continuity’ subscription.

If you don’t know what ‘forced continuity’ means it comes about as an automatic subscription that you enter into when you buy something. Naturally you have the option to opt out of the subscription after buying but sometimes, in the heat of the purchase, it might just escape your attention.

Thus it was in this case and so, if you just wanted the book and don’t want the subscription, just make sure you cancel before the first monthly fee. Joel has, after a few comments, now dropped the ‘forced’ aspect and turned it into an opt-in subscription, which is clearer to the buyer.

So what’s the point of a subscription anyway? Well one type of subscription you will undoubtedly have come across is that for a membership. For example I am a member of ‘Wealthy Affiliate’ which provides advice, has web hosting built in and a helpful forum. Another type of subscription might be a training course, for example Lee McIntyre’s Standing Start Profits which I joined at its outset last year and which continues to provide excellent value.

Then there’s a third type, which Joel’s offer falls into, where information or products are provided on a regular basis. There’s a remarkable example of this, at the moment, which shows how a subscription system can help the buyer.

Yesterday I sent out a message to say that I wouldn’t be promoting 4 Minute Money as I didn’t think it was worth the high purchase cost of $197. Well, guess what, today the price has dropped to just $4.95! Now before you rush off and grab a bargain just note that this is an upfront subscription payment for 7 days after which there’s a monthly contribution of $49.

Don’t be dismayed, though, because what that $4.95 offer allows you to do is pick up the first set of six 4 Minute Money reports and see if you like them. After that, if you feel you are getting good value, continue with the monthly amount. Otherwise just cancel; like all subscriptions, it’s easy to do!

Every now and again a book comes along that creates a revolution in Internet Marketing. Many of you will have heard of titles like ‘Day Job Killer’ and ‘Butteryfly Marketing’. These both heralded new ways of marketing products which have now, years later, become so commonplace that we don’t remember how revolutionary their tactics were at the time.

These books only hit the marketplace every now and again. Sometimes they arrive with a loud blast of publicity. Sometimes they sort of grow on the market’s consciousness. I think I’ve just found one that seems to have ’snuck under the radar’.

Step by Step

The trouble with many of these ground-breaking books is that their authors are so proud of their ‘discovery’ that they spend all the time talking about it but don’t spell out exactly how to use it!

For that reason I much prefer books which offer step-by-step instructions for implementing new marketing ideas.

Well I’ve just finished reading a new book which not only introduces a marketing tactic that, frankly, I’ve never seen used before but also teaches how to use it in a completely open and straightforward manner.

The book is called ‘The 1% MOLB Wealth Formula’ - a strange title which you’ll begin to understand when you read the sales page but which you won’t really ‘get’ until you read the book.

What I really like about this book is that everything is so clearly laid out that anyone can follow it, and the content is so well written that it engages both novices and ‘old hands’ like me!

Now I’m not going to persuade you to buy it, I just suggest you have a look at the sales page and see if it’s for you, (and don’t delay because the low, introductory, price is about to finish any minute now!). If you do buy it then I really, really recommend that you do the following…

Read through the ebook first in one sitting. It will be an eye opener I promise! Then read it again, taking notes this time. Then go and watch the eleven videos that accompany the book. Finally read the book again and map out your plan to put the tactics in the book into action. Yes, it’s that good that you won’t need any further help!

And if you do find, after all that, that you simply can’t follow these, previously unused and practically revolutionary, tactics then ask for a refund. But, somehow, I don’t think you will!

To Read More About MOLB-The Unused Tactic click here…

www.jonathanpaston.com/recommends/molb/

Most bloggers and website owners I talk to these days have given up on Adsense.  When I ask why the discussion usually runs along the lines of ‘Why bother for a few dollars a day?’. Well, they’re right - and then again they’re wrong too.

Because if you approach Adsense with that type of mindset you’ll never make more than a dime a day. But, when you optimise niche sites or blogs to take full advantage of the opportunities that Adsense offers you can generate a substantial, recurring income.

Now here’s the secret. All I do is construct a niche site with valuable information on it. That’s good for the Search Engines and it is good for the readers. Then I can practically guarantee between $5 and $10 a day coming in from people clicking on my ads on my, admittedly, small collection of niches.

If that doesn’t sound like much try adding it up. $10 a day for a year is $3.650. If I was to put a bit more work in at the outset and create more niche sites then I could probably multiply that tenfold. $36,500 a year passive income - who wouldn’t like that!

So where did I learn how to maximise my Adsense income? At the feet of the great Mr Adsense himself, Joel Comm. Back in the days when I was just starting online I forked out what was for then the small fortune of $97 for his, now legendary, Adsense course.

The reason I’m highlighting this is because today, right now, you have a short opportunity to pick up this course for one tenth of its original price. That’s right YOU can get the complete Joel Comm Adsense 230 page course for just $9.95!

This is priceless information in the right hands. I don’t ever regret paying out $97 for this Adsense handbook, so I’m 100% sure you won’t regret paying $9.95.

Just follow this link to grab yourself a bargain.

www.wealth-providers.com/recommends/AdsenseSecrets.html

Oh, I forgot to say. This isn’t the same old book I bought a few years ago. I see he’s now on Version 4 and it’s completely updated. I’m off to get a copy myself!

Sometimes I do wonder about coincidences. I mean, are they really coincidences or is there something else at work that we don’t know about?

Like many of the great scientific discoveries. When we look back at history we often find two people working on exactly the same invention often at opposite ends of the world, but releasing patent applications within days of each other.

I was reminded of this by yet another Free Web Graphics offer, which popped into my Inbox within a few hours of the one I posted to you earlier.

Whether it’s a coincidence, or fate playing its hand again, doesn’t matter. Because here’s a complementary (and complimentary) set of web graphics you can grab for free today.

Don’t thank me, thank Mike Filsaime and Lucius Kern, they’re the ones giving this set away. I’m just passing it on…

http://www.freemarketinggraphics.com/?download-now=1980

Millions of people log into MySpace every day. If you want to bring them to your web space instead take a look at today’s Monday Madness offer…

www.monday-madness.com

There’s a great argument that often occurs between Internet Marketers in regard to web page design and it goes something like this…

"I don’t need web graphics - all I need is a good headline" vs "Get away, if I dress up a site with good graphics I can outsell you ten to one".

Now, while it is true that really good copy on a salespage can sell with, or without, graphics not many of us are able to afford the $25 - $50k fees that top copywriters command! As a result, and firm in the knowledge that a picture tells a thousand words, I prefer to use good web graphics.

It’s all very well to say ‘good web graphics’ but, while a good graphic designer is 100th of the cost of a copywriter, I know most of you like to copy and paste bits and pieces from a graphics collection to make your own pages.

In addition its great to have a wide selection of royalty free photos to hand. I’ve found a few sources that I use regularly, but it’s always nice to have more when I’m chasing down a particular image that I need.

That’s why I was delighted to find that ‘design guru’ Ryan Jackson was handing out both a collection of web graphics AND his stock image sourcebook to anyone who asks.

Of course he’s not doing it for nothing! He’s intent on advertising his graphic skills for those who want to use them (and very good they are too) but there’s no obligation and he sends you a 10 day graphic e-course too.

Just go here to download your web graphics and stock photo source book…

www.wealth-providers.com/recommends/DesignGuru.html

I’m a curious sort of guy; I like to delve into things; as a result when things don’t work the way they’re supposed to I don’t give up in disgust but look for a reason in the hope that I’ll find a ‘cure’.

Sometimes this leads to a lot of frustration, because we all naturally like to overcomplicating things. And, very often, the ‘cure’ is often much simpler than we would ever have believed.

If you’ll allow me I’ll just illustrate this with a couple of changes I’ve had to make to a sales page and, indeed, this blog.

First, as you’ll have seen, I’ve been helping Frank Haywood iron out the wrinkles in his Nickel Sale script prior to it being released for sale.

Now, in Frank’s usual way, this is all going well and no real hiccups so far. But I did come across a problem when I tried to combine both the Unlimited Exit Popup software that I’m selling AND the Nickel Sale script (if you’re curious you can see both in action here www.monday-madness.com/UEPNS ).

The ‘problem’ is caused by Frank’s script being helpful in coding the Buy Now button as a php tag. And the Unlimited Exit Popup employs a piece of Javascript code that has to be applied to the href link for the Buy Now button.

The upshot was that, because I didn’t have an href link for the Buy Now button, I couldn’t apply the Javascript code. No doubt much to the first few buyers’ amusement, and possibly annoyance, this meant that when you clicked the Buy Now button the Unlimited Exit Popup did it’s job and asked ‘Are you sure you really want to leave this page’!

Hah! I must admit I was panicking as the deadline for the Nickel Sale going live approached. And, when you panic, it impedes you even more from seeing the answer.

A simple answer

The answer, when it finally came to me five minutes after the sale went ‘live’, did prove ridiculously simple. After a good hour of messing around with Javascript coding and delving into the php code (plus following a lot of well meaning, but overcomplicated, stuff about using OnClick functions that I found on coder’s web pages) I just housed the php tag and Javascript in an html anchor so:

<a onClick=”javascript:PreventExitPop = true”>{PAYMENT_BUTTON2}</a>

Ridiculously simple, and I kicked myself for not thinking of it earlier!

If you’ve bought the the Unlimited Exit Popup you may well find this useful when applying UEP to your own sales pages. Just replace the {PAYMENT_BUTTON2} tag with whatever target link you want UEP to ignore. If you are planning on buying Frank’s Nickel Script, and I recommend you do when it’s finally available, and using it with UEP then again make a note of this too. It could save you hours of frustration!

Pretty Permalinks

Again I’m mentioning this simply because it cost me several hours of searching before I found it.

I received an email today from Jeff (thanks for your help, Jeff) who alerted me to the fact that my Pretty Permalinks weren’t working. Now I like to use Pretty Permalinks for my blogs because, not only are they SEO friendly, but they look better in your browser too.

I won’t bore you with the ins and outs of Wordpress Permalink structure but just to say that, again, the answer proved ridiculously simple. All I had to do was add one line to the wp-includes/vars.php file as outlined in this extract from the Wordpress Codex:

Server Blockage: Your host might have blocked the SERVER_SOFTWARE variable and this will cause WordPress’ .htaccess generation to fail. If you are sure that your server is running Apache, you can force WordPress to believe that your server is running Apache by changing your wp-includes/vars.php file. Follow the steps below to implement these changes.
1. Open the wp-includes/vars.php file using the built in file editor in your WordPress Admin panel. To navigate to this panel, login to WordPress, click on “Manage”, then on “Files”, scroll to the bottom and type in wp-includes/vars.php into the text box under the “Other Files” title.
2. Look for $is_apache = strstr($_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'], ‘Apache’) ? 1 : 0;, once you find it replace it with

// $is_apache = strstr($_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'], ‘Apache’) ? 1 : 0;

3. Add a new line under // $is_apache = strstr($_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'], ‘Apache’) ? 1 : 0; and type in

$is_apache = 1;

I downloaded and modified the vars.php file as described above to force WP to believe that Apache was there, then uploaded it again (you’ll have to do this if your server permissions don’t allow WP to modify the file in the Admin panel). Then I reset my permalink options to my custom style and WP successfully created the new .htaccess with the proper mod_rewrite rules.

Again I’m including it in the hope of saving someone else hours of frustration when the answer is disturbingly simple (once you know)!

Go here to grab your Ultimate Exit Popup now…

http://www.monday-madness.com/UEPNS/

don’t forget the price goes up with every sale!

If you want to test how the Ultimate Exit Popup works when you get to the site just try to click on your home page button or click refresh. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to read all about it on the second page that loads underneath!