Podcasts by Category
- 126 - Greetings and Holiday Cheer
Hey everyone, been a while since the last Podcast Episode/post!
I wanted to take some time in this Episode to explain what’s been going on and some of the reasons for the hiatus and let you know I’m thinking about you guys and am thankful you are out there!
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t at least mention all the existing deals I’m aware of, for tools that I utilize and recommend.
Thanks for being out there and hope you have a great upcoming holiday season!
Black Friday Online Specials
GeneratePress Theme – This is the new theme that I use on all of my sites. It is so easy to use and customize and it is fully mobile responsive. Grab this 25% off deal while it lasts.
Long Tail Pro – 50% off yearly plays, 30% off monthly plans and my favorite deal is still the $47 discounted one-time fee for up to 10,000 search results with no expiration and access to their Long Tail University training program as well.
GetResponse – My favorite email marketing platform. This is a great opportunity to get up to 40% off for life! This deal ends as soon as they get 1,000 new customers.
NameCheap – Up to 97% off domain registrations and 27% off domain transfers. I utilize them for all of my domain registrations and renewals and love the inexpensive costs, free domain privacy and consistent low renewal fees as well.
Amazon Boot Camp – 20-50% off Video training courses for selling on Amazon, through the Amazon FBA program, from Cliff and Jessica Larrew. You can also try out their free Amazon FBA starter course here.
AppSumo – They always run some great deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. One everyone looks forward to is the Deposit Photos special. That is currently live now and for $49 you get 100 image downloads from their millions of high quality, high resolution images. The image credits never expire. Just 49 cents per image and you have full commercial use for whatever purpose you’d like.
Web Hosting Hub – The lowest price all year for the web host that I love and have been with since 2011!
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I would earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Thank you for your support in this way.Tue, 26 Nov 2019 - 24min - 125 - Recording a Podcast – Exact Process RevealedIn today’s Podcast Episode, I detail the exact process that I’ve utilized for the last 4 years, to record and publish the Niche Site Tools Podcast.
The topic for today’s episode came from long time community member Nick. Nick was interested in starting his own Podcast and wanted to know specifics like…
Can you host your Podcast episodes on your existing website?
What is the best equipment and software to record the Podcast?
What are the exact steps that I go through to record and publish the Podcast?
I answer all those questions and many more, so be sure to listen in for full details.
If you have any specific questions after listening, don’t hesitate to reach out anytime.
Items Mention on the Podcast
Here is a picture of my exact setup. Very inexpensive and simple.
Recommended Microphone
Recommended Pop Filter
Audacity – The free software that I utilize to record the Podcast
Auphonic – Website that I utilize to automatically level out the podcast audio, add the intro/outro and publish the episode to Amazon S3. Site is free for up to 2 hours of audio per month.
Powerpress Podcasting Plugin for WordPress
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Thank you for your support in this way.Mon, 06 May 2019 - 41min - 124 - WordPress Theme Upgrade – Top Tips and BenefitsIn today’s Podcast Episode, I provide my best tips and suggestions for how to safely upgrade to a new WordPress theme.
You will also receive a very specific tip that may double your site speed, with just a single click.
Be sure to listen in for full details!
Items Mentioned on the Podcast
GeneratePress – The new theme now running here at NicheSiteTools.com and my primary theme recommendation going forward.
Upcoming WordPress 5.2 Update April 2019 – PHP Minimum Required Version
AmaLinks Pro – Make more money as an Amazon affiliate and create great looking, responsive product comparison tables. See my full review post here.
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Thank you for your support in this way.Thu, 04 Apr 2019 - 56min - 123 - New Tools, Podcast Rejection and Tidying Up
In today’s Podcast Episode, I bring you a deal on an existing tool you guys know and love and also give you some additional details on a new tool to help you bring in more money as an Amazon affiliate.
I also tell you the full story of how after 4+ years, this Podcast was “rejected” by the Apple Podcasts/iTunes and how to avoid this as an existing or potential new Podcaster.
We also talk about the “Joy of Tidying Up” when it comes to your digital footprint and your existing workspace and websites.
Be on the lookout for some upcoming changes to the look and feel of things going forward on the site and please let me know if you notice any issues.
Also, be aware of a new feature in WordPress 5.1 called Site Health, that will prevent you from installing new plugins if your PHP version is older than the version required for the plugin.
Be sure to listen in to the Podcast for full details!
Links Mentioned on the Show
Long Tail Pro $47 – One time fee special plus FREE bonus 7 Day SEO Bootcamp video training course
AmaLinks Pro – Special introductory pricing on the best Amazon affiliate plugin available; Responsive comparison tables feature coming soon and when it does, the price will be increasing for good. Grab this special deal while it lasts. I switched over all my sites to AmaLinks Pro. You can check out my full review with live demos here.Sun, 03 Mar 2019 - 40min - 122 - Enrich Your Mind
In today’s Podcast episode, I reveal a new resource to enrich your mind and contribute to your success.
Be sure to listen in for full details!
Items Mentioned on The Podcast
Recommended Reading List – You can find this new resource here, at the tab on the top of the site labeled “Books” or by just typing the short link http://nichesitetools.com/books
The list is starting out with 4 must read options and I’ll be adding more as time goes on. If you have any suggestions for possible future consideration, be sure drop me a comment or email and let me know.
New Amazon Affiliate Tool – I’m currently testing a cool new tool to help Amazon affiliates, similar to EazyAzon, but it is much easier to use with lots of great features not available anywhere else.
For example, here is one of my favorite feature so far, the Product Showcase box…
This super simple to use option pulls in all the relevant data from a product listing on Amazon automatically and you have full control over what is shown and how things appear.
You can display all the reviews for the product right there in the post, which is normally not possible due to Amazon terms of service, but because all of this data is pulled directly from Amazon via their API, everything is fully compliant.
Looking forward to bringing you more details on the product soon, but you can also check it out right away by clicking here. I think you will really like this one!Tue, 29 Jan 2019 - 27min - 121 - WordPress 5.0 and the Gutenberg Editor, Should You Upgrade Now?
In this last Podcast Episode of 2018, I breakdown what the WordPress 5.0 update and the new Gutenberg editor mean for you and answer the question, should you upgrade now?
Be sure to listen in for full details and I wanted to take this time to once again say a heartfelt THANK YOU for being a valued member of the Niche Site Tools community throughout this year and I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Successful 2019!
Reference posts:
Should You Update to WordPress 5.0?
What is Gutenberg?Sun, 23 Dec 2018 - 17min - 120 - Deep Thoughts For The Month
For this month’s Podcast episode, I wanted to give you some personal thoughts and words of wisdom for not only your online business, but life in general. Please be sure to listen in for full details and thank you for being a valued member of the community!
Fri, 30 Nov 2018 - 17min - 119 - How to Get Free Traffic from Bing & YahooCheck out my Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2018 Deals Post Here
In today’s Podcast Episode, I tell both why and how to get some additional free traffic from Bing and Yahoo.
Why Spend Time to Rank on Bing & Yahoo?
You may not know this, but Bing/Yahoo combined account for 35% of search engine traffic for desktop searches in the US.
That is a pretty big chunk of the overall desktop search volume. Google is the biggest overall provider with 62%.
Remaining search engines make up the other 2% and that includes sites like Ask.com with 1% and DuckDuckGo with .67%.
What Does the Bing & Yahoo Audience Look Like?
This audience is not the same as the Google audience – they spend more money online and they tend to be a bit older.
According to a recent comScore audience study, Yahoo & Bing Network users skew toward:
College graduates and graduate school students
Mature age group of those 35+
Slightly more women than men
Households with children
Households with incomes more than $75,000
In addition, Bing/Yahoo traffic converts better than Google.
Traffic Conversion Rates
20.2% Yahoo
19.7% Bing
16.5% Google
How to Rank and Get Free Traffic from Bing & Yahoo
I talk in full detail about all of these steps below on the Podcast, but I’ll include a brief snippet of each step here for your reference…
* Check to see if your existing content is indexed – Go to Bing/Yahoo and typing in site:yourwebsite into the search box and hit enter. That will show you what is already indexed.
* Submit your site(s) via Bing Webmaster Tools – Create a free Bing Webmaster tools account, enter your website(s) and submit a sitemap.
* Focus on on-page SEO – Be sure to optimize your article titles, description, H1/H2 tags, meta description, tags and meta keywords (if available) to target relevant keywords in your content.
* Pay attention to bounce rate – Longer form content helps. Be sure to provide relevant results and embedding video and/or audio in your post can help keep people on site longer, decreasing bounce rate.
* Backlinks – For Bing/Yahoo, keyword rich anchor text and links from sites with .edu, .gov and .org have greater value than they do on Google.
* Social signals and social sharing – Sharing of content and links via social media do have a benefit when it comes to Bing/Yahoo.
* Page speed – Page speed is not a ranking factor for Bing/Yahoo.
Conclusion
So as you can see, Bing and Yahoo serve 1/3rd of US desktop search volume, the audience is older, well educated and tends to have good disposable income. Additionally, traffic converts better.
For those reasons, it definitely makes sense to spend at least a little time and effort to gets some free traffic from those sources.
On the plus side, since Yahoo has been powered primarily by Bing for the past several years, the steps mentioned on the Podcast and very briefly here above, will help you rank and bring in traffic from both locations.
Reference: Bing SEO Tips
Links mentioned on the Podcast:
P.S. Be sure to bookmark this page below to grab all your internet and affiliate marketing Black Friday and Cyber Monday special deals for 2018 as soon as they go live…
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Affiliate Marketing Deals 2018Sun, 28 Oct 2018 - 41min - 118 - “The Secret” to Success – Define Your Why
In today’s Podcast episode, we talk about the importance of defining, or re-defining, the reason WHY you want to create a successful online business.
In addition, I give you actionable tips to do this week, that can have a profound effect on not only the success of your online business, but in all aspects of your life.
Be sure to listen in for full details!
Items Mentioned on the Show
$47 One-Time Payment Special on Long Tail Pro
The Secret Movie on NetFlixSat, 29 Sep 2018 - 25min - 117 - How Often Should I Promote and Tips on What is Working Now in Affiliate Marketing
In today’s Podcast Episode, I answer the question “How often should I promote to my audience?” and I also provide you some brand new tips on what is working best right now, when it comes to affiliate marketing in 2018.
These tips come straight from the free workshops that I sent to everyone on my email list over the past two weeks.
If you’re not on my email list yet, be sure to jump on to find out about these opportunities that are usually only available for a very short time and thus don’t make it to the website in the form of a post or Podcast Episode.
Thanks for being a valued member of the community!Fri, 31 Aug 2018 - 48min - 116 - Latest News on HTTPS/SSL and Quick Tips To Get Positive Results on Your Site
In this Episode of the Podcast, I give you the latest scoop on Google marking non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure” in the Chrome browser, starting in July of 2018.
In addition, I provide quick actionable tips that you can take in the next few days, that I think will have positive results on your existing website(s)!
Be sure to listen in for full details.
Links and Reference Articles For This Episode
Google Chrome Will Mark Non-HTTPS Sites “Not Secure” in July 2018
How to Easily Switch Your Site to HTTPS For Free
Long Tail Pro $47 One-Time Special
Webhosting Hub Special Pricing (AF)Mon, 09 Jul 2018 - 35min - 115 - Long Tail Pro – $47 One Time Fee SpecialIn this month’s Podcast Episode, I provide full details on an excellent $47 one-time-payment special for Long Tail Pro (AF).
Additionally, I also provide an exact keyword research process that you can follow and specific recommendations on how to get the most out of your Long Tail Pro limited time special offer.
Below you will find show notes and additional specifics regarding this great offer. I highly recommend you take advantage of this special offer, before it is gone for good.
Long Tail Pro $47 One Time Payment Special
For a limited time you can get Long Tail Pro for a single one-time fee of just $47, that will provide you with 10,000 search results that never expire.
Long Tail Pro Special (AF)
Many of you know Long Tail Pro switched to a subscription based model over a year ago, with typical monthly rates ranging between $37-$147 per month.
This limited time special provides you with FULL access to Long Tail Pro, with all the great features like the Keyword Competitiveness (KC) scores, keyword profitability, competition analysis and they are also throwing in a bonus of free access to their Long Tail SEO Bootcamp 7 day video training course.
The only catch is that you are limited to 10,000 search results. That is a LOT of search results and the great part is they never expire. The only other potential issue is this deal may end at any time.
Background Info
I just found out about this deal myself when site visitor Peter reached out this week and wanted to know if this offer was legitimate, as it seemed too good to be true. I actually responded initially saying I don’t believe it is a valid offer, but I would look into it for him.
Much to my surprise, after reaching out to their affiliate manager Heather, she did confirm it is a valid offer. When I asked how long this offer will be good for, she said she would try to keep the offer open until the end of July 2018, but there are no guarantees.
Long Tail Pro Special (AF)
Conclusion
Keyword research is an essential step to help find profitable keywords to target for your niche website and blogging projects. It can also help find terms and phrases to target to get your content to rank higher in Google and other search engine providers. Having the right tool can make all the difference in the world.
This is a great opportunity to get access to the best keyword research tool out there, Long Tail Pro, for a single, low one-time-fee of just $47. This is the tool that I personally use for all my keyword research, so if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Mon, 25 Jun 2018 - 30min - 114 - Last Minute Tips and Info For GDPR ComplianceFor better or worse, it’s crunch time!
The new GDPR rules go into effect this coming Friday, May 25th.
If you’ve procrastinated this long, fear not. I break down what I think are the two main action items that most of us need to do, before the end of day on Thursday.
Fortunately, as the dust has settled a bit and the scare tactics and fear-mongering have subsided, for many folks it may not be as bad as initially thought.
Be sure to listen in to today’s Podcast Episode for full details along with actionable tips that you can take to become GDPR compliant.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to be done with this whole thing so we can get back to helping others and growing our businesses!
Links Mentioned on the Show
Excellent article from the folks at Thrive Leads/Themes:
The Smart Way to Make Your Opt-In Forms & Email Marketing GDPR Compliant
New WordPress Version Adds GDPR Privacy Policy AssistanceSat, 19 May 2018 - 33min - 113 - How Does The New GDPR EU Regulation Affect Me As A Blogger?
In this week’s Podcast Episode, we talk about the upcoming new GDPR Regulation.
This new law goes into effect on May 25th, 2018 and it applies to pretty much everyone with a website or anyone collecting email addresses.
There are specific steps you will need to take prior to May 25th, or you could face strict financial penalties and repercussions for non-compliance.
Be sure to listen in for full details and a quick breakdown of what exactly that means for you.
GDPR EU Regulation Reference Links
Official GDPR EU Site
GetResponse GDPR Plan
Official WordPress GDPR Compliance Page
May 5th 2018 Update
The more I’ve been reading about and listening to others breakdown the GDPR law, the more I’m realizing this is really a big deal.
The details below are my personal opinion, please be sure to do your own due diligence and start to take action based on your specific circumstances.
I’ve included links to the new content I’ve consumed since publishing this Podcast episode at the bottom of this section.
A few things I’d like to highlight…
* This law is NOT specific to people operating in the EU, it affects all of us that have websites that might be visited from people in the EU and also anyone that collects email addresses or other personal data.
* This law does not just apply after May 25th, it applies to everyone that is already on your email list that has a location in the EU OR anyone that does not have a location listed.
* The potential monetary penalties for non-compliance are stiff, up to 20Million Euro, or 4% of global annual turnover, depending on severity of the violations.
Those are some key points I don’t think many people are realizing. If you have a website, you will very likely need to update your privacy policy and understand the details of the new law as it pertains to customers that are arriving at your site from an EU location.
The even bigger issue I see for most of us is that anyone that collects email addresses will have to prove that you received consent to send people emails and you would have to clearly state your full intentions when they subscribed.
It is not enough to provide a lead magnet in exchange for an email address. If you intend to add subscribers to an autoresponder series or send them any additional marketing emails in the future, that must be/have been clear upfront.
And the other sticking point is that this new law applies to not only anyone that is identified as being located in the EU, but if you have anyone on your email list that has no location (and that is probably a big portion of your list), this applies to all of those folks as well.
Based on the content from the links below, it seems that in order to send anyone in the EU OR anyone without a location an email after May 25th, that you will need to obtain new consent for them to remain on your list and affirm their desire to receive emails after May 25th.
If you do not have verifiable proof that they have consented to receiving additional emails after May 25th, you would have to remove them from your list by May 24th, or be in violation.
If you find this frustrating, you are not alone! I’ve talked this over with several folks in the community and we’re all in agreement on that.
However, it is not the time to just throw your hands up and do nothing. Now is the time to check your existing privacy policies and take a look at your email list(s) and put your game plan into effect.Mon, 23 Apr 2018 - 19min - 112 - How to Quickly Increase Website Traffic and How To Make a Full Time Income in Your Spare Time
In today’s Podcast Episode, I talk about two main topics…
1) How to quickly increase traffic on any of your existing websites.
2) How to make a full time income in your spare time.
The motivation for these topics came from recent articles that I included in the references section below.
On the Podcast, I provide you with the exact steps that you can follow today to immediately start to increase your traffic and rankings on your existing websites, in addition to providing you the repeatable framework that you can follow to replace your day job income in your spare time.
Below are the links mentioned on the show. Some are affiliate links and if you were to click through and make a purchase, I would receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Be sure to listen in for full details!
Tools To Find Additional Keywords to Target and Questions to Answer
Long Tail Pro
Market Samurai
Uber Suggest
Answer the Public
Best Tool For Landing Page Creation
Thrive Landing Pages
Fast, Reliable Hosting at a Deep Discount
WebHosting Hub
Cheap Domain Hosting and Free Privacy Protection With New Sign-Ups
NameCheap Domains
References:
Increase Traffic By Updating Web Content
How You Can Make a Full Time Income in Your Spare TimeMon, 19 Mar 2018 - 35min - 111 - Podcast and Site Changes Going Forward
In today’s Podcast Episode, I provide full details on how things are going to be changing when it comes to future Podcast Episodes, some new things you can expect on the site, new things for email subscribers, etc.
Be sure to listen in for full details and if you have any specific suggestions after listening in, please let me know!
Affiliate links for recommended products mentioned on the Episode…
Thrive Themes and Plugins
GetResponse Email Service ProviderMon, 05 Feb 2018 - 35min - 110 - Simple Security Tips For WordPress in 2018
With high profile security incidents becoming more and more prevalent, it is essential for you to take some simple steps to protect yourself from hackers.
In today’s Podcast Episode and post, you will get several simple WordPress security tips from not just myself, but several community members that have either been hacked previously or have taken proactive steps to protect their sites.
Be sure to subscribe and listen to today’s Podcast Episode via one of the links above, for 2 additional bonus tips not mentioned below.
Simple WordPress Security Tips
Always Use Domain Privacy – If you don’t, you’ll not only get inundated with spam from people selling services, but you will also be subject to additional scams, phishing attempts and others trying to trick you into transferring your domains over to them.
For domain registrations, I recommend you keep them separate from your hosting account and I utilize and endorse NameCheap. They are my go-to choice for inexpensive registrations and just as importantly, consistent and inexpensive renewals. They provide free domain privacy when you register a new domain name.
Set Domains For AutoPay – This isn’t necessarily a security tip, but it was a good tip from a community member to avoid losing your important domain assets and prevent yourself from being subject to scammers.
People are always watching for expired domains and they can purchase your domain names if they expire and try to sell them back to you for highly inflated prices. At a minimum, stay on top of your domain renewals and be sure to renew them in advance to avoid being hijacked.
Change Your WordPress Login Account / Password – One thing I always recommend when installing WordPress is to not only make your password unique and highly secure for each of your websites, but also change the default account name from admin to something else.
When hackers attempt brute force login hacks on your website, they will most likely be trying the default admin account, since most people probably do not change it from the default.
Changing the default account is easy to do during the WordPress installation, but a little more difficult after the fact. There are some manual ways to do so, but I’d recommend using a plugin like Username Changer to make things easier. Then when you are done, just uninstall the plugin.
And also, be sure to have different accounts/passwords for each of your websites and do not you not utilize a password that you use for other online accounts.
These days it is becoming more and more common for user names and passwords to end up being released to hackers on the “dark web”. Some high profile hacks of accounts and passwords include LinkedIn and Yahoo Mail.
When lists like that become public, hackers can attempt to connect your account/passwords with other sites such as financial sites and other assets you might have like websites and online businesses.
For that reason, I highly recommend you have a different username and password for each of your websites and keep them completely different from any other account/password like email, bank accounts, etc.
Always Install a Plugin That Limits Repeat Logins – Brute force login attacks are one of the most common ways people will attempt to hack your website. They will hit the login page of your website over and over, trying known or obvious login/password combinations.
A plugin which limits login attempts can block repeated attempts from the same source, in an effort to prevent login related hacks.
There are lots of different plugins out there that can help with this one.Mon, 22 Jan 2018 - 33min - 109 - Cease and Desist
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I provide full details from a “cease and desist” email that I received this week.
I ended up having to shutdown one of the websites that I talked about on the very popular Episode: How to Rank and Rent or Sell a Website For Profit.
This will be the last Episode for 2017. Expect an all new Episode in mid January, 2018.
I hope you get some time to relax and enjoy and be appreciative for what you have and I hope you and your family have a very safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2018!!Mon, 11 Dec 2017 - 20min - 108 - New Cyber Monday 2017 Deals Podcast
In today’s Podcast episode, I bring you some brand new deals that weren’t mentioned in my special email that went out to subscribers for Black Friday.
These are some great deals, hot off the presses, many of which will only be live until the end of today. On the Podcast, I provide a full breakdown as to exactly what each of the deals provide.
This is really the best time to take advantage of these deals and in many cases, lock in the discount for life.
There are affiliate links in this post. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Cyber Monday – Affiliate Marketing Deals
Long Tail Pro 50% Off Cyber Monday Special – All plans are 50% off. This is my favorite keyword research tool and it is now 100% browser based, no more software to install and maintain on multiple computers.
Monthly normally $37/mo, now $18.50/mo
Yearly normally $297/yr now $148.50/yr
Deal ends Monday, Nov 27th
$100 Off the Proven Amazon Course – This one-time fee includes lifetime access to all existing training courses AND future content for selling and profiting on Amazon. The price goes back to normal next week and increases even further in early 2018, as they add in new content.
One time fee for lifetime access, normally $399, now $299
Deal ends Thurs, Nov 30th
GetResponse Up to 40% Off Email Packages For Life – This deal is limited to the first 1000 new customers. As I’m writing this post, there are only 246 spots remaining. This is a great deal for the company that I recently switched to, for all my email marketing and list building services.
Deal ends after 1000 new customers are reached
50% Off All Amazon Boot Camp Training Programs – These are the step-by-step video training courses from Jessica Larrew of “The Selling Family”. She is a very successful Amazon Seller and she has a bunch of different training programs on just about anything you might need to know to sell on Amazon.
Normally $347, now $173.50
Deal ends Monday the 27th at Midnight PST
NameCheap Up to 99% Off Domain Registrations – That is quite the promise, not quite sure how they will be able to offer domains that low, but this will be a great deal to take advantage of. I always recommend keeping domain names separate from your hosting account and NameCheap is who I utilize for all my domain names.
Deal ends Monday, Nov 27th
WebHosting Hub Hosting Up to 78% off – This one is crazy…My hosting provider is offering their lowest price ever, $1.99/mo for the 2 website plan and $3.99/mo for the unlimited plan. That is 78% off the regular rate and 50% off the special discount that I normally provide. They also provide zero-down-time, free website transfers from most of the other main providers out there. This is an awesome deal, on fast, reliable hosting!
Deal ends this week, exact date/time unknown
Be sure to take advantage of these great deals, while they last.Mon, 27 Nov 2017 - 31min - 107 - Top Things To Be Working on Now In Your Online Business
The holiday season and end of year are fast approaching and there are things you should be focusing on right now, in your online business.
Be sure to listen in to today’s Podcast Episode for full details and thanks for being a valued member of the Niche Site Tools community!Mon, 13 Nov 2017 - 19min - 106 - Most Popular Posts and Podcast Episodes
In today’s Podcast Episode, I detail the most popular resources on the site, taken straight from my most recent Google Analytics stats from the past year.
These are some great resources that many folks refer back to quite often. These Posts and Episodes can definitely help get you started and help you achieve success with all of your niche website projects and online adventures.
Here are many of the links mentioned in today’s episode, for reference. Enjoy!
Top Posts / Podcast Episodes
Ultimate WordPress Setup Checklist
Top 10 Things Everyone Should Do After Installing WordPress
Actionable Strategies to Quickly Increase Affiliate Income
Review of the Amazon BootCamp by Jessica Larrew
Niche Keyword Research and SEO Competition Analysis
Tax Tips for Bloggers and Affiliate Marketers
Niche Product Reviews
Case Study: Ranking on Page 1 of Google in 24 hours
How to Rank and Rent or Sell a Website For Profit
NicheSiteTools Podcast Page
How to Leave a Podcast Review in iTunes or Stitcher
Free Affiliate Marketing Training Program
Niche Site Tools Recommended Resources Page
Start Here Page
Cheaper Alternatives to Long Tail Pro
Proven Amazon Course Review and Comparison
Make More Money as an Amazon Affiliate
Amazon, Walmart, Target and Other Affiliate Programs Compared
Review of the Best Email List Providers: GetResponse, AWeber, ConvertKitMon, 30 Oct 2017 - 28min - 105 - 5 Tips You Need to Know Before Buying a Website
When purchasing a website, it is important to do your due diligence before making a purchase.
In today’s Episode of the Niche Site Tools Podcast, you will hear all the details on what to look out for, along with some free tools you can use to check websites out prior to making a potential purchase.
You can also grab a free checklist with the 5 tips mentioned on the Podcast, along with a bonus tip, on what to do after you make a purchase as well.
Thanks to email subscriber Marvin for the inspiration for this week’s Episode.Mon, 16 Oct 2017 - 30min - 104 - Importance of Consistency and Transparency
In today’s Podcast I wanted to shorten things up a bit from last weeks episode and talk about the importance of consistency and transparency in all of your online projects and really, life in general.
Be sure to listen in for full details and there is also a bonus mention of a free tool that can turn your existing written content into videos you can share on places like YouTube.
Thank you for being a valued member of the community!Mon, 02 Oct 2017 - 16min - 103 - GetResponse vs AWeber vs Convertkit vs MailChimpIn today’s Post / Podcast Episode, I provide full details on why (I think) my MailChimp account got banned and describe how that could easily happen to you as well.
In addition, I provide all the pros and cons of my 3+ weeks of in-depth research comparing GetResponse, AWeber and ConvertKit.
Be sure to listen in to the Podcast Episode for the specific pros and cons of each and for ways to save money and get more cool features in the process.
GetResponse vs AWeber vs ConvertKit vs MailChimp
When I started my research, I set out to find the best all around Email list services for the money, for folks with a list between 0 and 5,000 subscribers.
Each provider had to have all the basic email services you would need, like the ability to build lists, collect opt-ins, send emails, create newsletters, send out RSS to Email campaigns and auto-responders.
I then narrowed things down based on cost and arrived at 3 final choices that I did in-depth research and testing on. Those were GetResponse, AWeber and ConvertKit.
Below is a quick summary of the pros and cons of the service that I ended up choosing and highly recommend going forward, GetResponse.
Pros and Cons For GetResponse vs AWeber and ConvertKit
In the Podcast Episode, I provide full details as to why I ultimately eliminated the others and went with GetResponse. I definitely recommend you listen in for full details, but here are the highlights…
Pros
* Free 1 Month Trial (No Credit Card), +$30 Credit (aff link)
* Cheaper than AWeber / ConvertKit and lots more features; $15 for up to 1000 subscribers, $25 for 1001-2500 subscribers and $45 for 2501-5000 subscribers
* 24/7 Chat Support +M-F 9-5 Phone/Email Support
* Workflows: This is an awesome feature that allows you to do things based on what a subscriber does. For example, if someone opens a particular email or clicks a link in an email, send them a specific email or tag them with a label or any number of other cool things
* Over 500 mobile responsive email templates to choose from
* Custom opt-in forms such as top/bottom of site bar, forms that shake, slide-in forms and exit intent pop-ups
* Ability to create and utilize a Landing Page for opt-ins
* Online Surveys Included
* Can grow into the service with the ability to upgrade to Pro for unlimited Landing Pages, Webinars and advanced eCommerce features like cart abandonment options in the future
* In business since 1998; Excellent email delivery rates
Cons
* No pro-rated refunds; Eliminate this as an issue by paying monthly
* Not completely obvious that you need to change both your “From:” and “ReplyTo:” addresses when initially creating your list
Conclusion
In conclusion, my decision ultimately came down to a decision between AWeber and GetResponse, but in the end I chose GetResponse because they are cheaper at all the main price levels and offer a lot more great features as well.
If you have any questions at all about any of the services mentioned on the show, let me know. Over my 3+ weeks of testing I got to know many of the services very well and would be glad to answer any questions that you might have.
As email list service provider is one of those essential services every blogger or niche website creator needs to have. GetResponse is my choice going forward and I think you should definitely give it serious consideration as well.Mon, 18 Sep 2017 - 1h 10min - 102 - Increase Affiliate Income – PotPieGirl Niche Post Conversion Strategies ReviewToday’s review suggestion came from a community member, Jake.
He wanted to know if anyone had a chance to check out the Niche Post Conversion Strategies guide from Jennifer, better know as PotPieGirl…
I was not familiar with the guide, but it sounded like something that could benefit the whole community, so I offered to purchase the product for $39 to review.
If you’re curious and in a hurry, my quick impression is yes, this program is well worth the price. Getting to see the actual live case study post is worth the cost alone.
You can grab the program, along with my bonus 3 page quick reference guide here.
Niche Post Conversion Strategies to Increase Sales
The author provides 13, make that 14, strategies to help increase conversions. There were two strategies that were given the same number, so you actually get a bonus strategy.
One of the great parts of the guide is that she shares the actual post that is ranking and bringing in over $600/month. That is worth the cost of the guide right there, because you can see exactly what she is doing and you can replicate those steps in your own niche.
Several steps focus on increasing sales as an Amazon affiliate, but most of the strategies are universal and can benefit anyone.
Here is a screenshot of the results Jennifer achieved following the exact strategies outlined in the guide…
She went from $146.29/mo to $604.47/mo! That is really impressive from one single post.
What Does The Guide Include?
The Niche Post Conversion Strategies guide is a 68 page PDF guide, complete with 14 strategies that you can pick and choose from, to increase sales on your niche websites and posts.
It is a quick read, that you can get through easily in a day or two.
If you purchase the guide through my link, you will also automatically receive my 3 page bonus. That is a quick reference guide that I put together, so that you have a very concise summary of each of the strategies to refer back to.
The cost is just $39, which I think is well worth it. If you follow just 1 or 2 of the strategies, I think you can easily make back that cost very quickly.
Pros and Cons
Pros
* Single One Time Fee of $39, no up-sells or additional purchases needed
* 14 great strategies that you can pick and choose from and implement right away
* Case study live access; You can see first hand the exact post that is currently ranking and bringing in over $600/month
Cons
* There are some edits that could be done to fix some grammar errors in the guide, but it isn’t enough to distract from the overall excellent content
Conclusion
Overall, the guide is excellent and of the 14 strategies, I’d say at least 12 of the strategies were things that I was not currently doing to optimize my sites/posts for conversions.
I’ve already started to modify several of my higher traffic posts on different sites and received one commission in less than 48 hours for $14.50, using just two of the strategies mentioned and it took less than 15 minutes to implement.
I’m looking forward to implementing several more strategies to see the results and I think you will be excited as well.
Grab your Niche Post Conversion guide +Bonus Quick Reference guide
Thanks to Jake for the suggestion and best wishes towards increasi...Thu, 16 Feb 2023 - 16min - 101 - Episode 100!!Mon, 31 Jul 2017 - 25min
- 100 - Thrive Themes Membership Review
March 30th, 2021 Update: You can now get access to all the great Thrive plugins and tools as part of the new Thrive Suite. Individual Thrive products are no longer sold separately. Please check out the link for full details.
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I talk about all of the plugins and themes that make up the Thrive Themes Membership.
Currently that includes 9 awesome plugins and 10 responsive, mobile friendly themes all for less then the cost of just 3 of the plugins individually.
The Thrive Themes Membership is only $19 a month, paid annually currently and I just renewed for my second year at that rate myself.
Here is everything the current Thrive Themes Membership includes, the only one missing is the brand new Thrive Apprentice plugin for creating your own free online courses…
They are constantly adding new plugins to the membership and adding features and themes to the package, so I locked in my membership at the current rate, to get access to all new products before any future price increases.
This is a great all-in-one package that includes all the essential plugins and themes that anyone needs to be successful online.
Thrive Themes Membership – Demos and Details
Be sure to listen in to the Podcast Episode for full details!
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The links above are my Thrive Themes affiliate link. I have a Thrive Membership myself and use several Thrive plugins and themes on my sites daily. If you decide to make a purchase, I would receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support in this way.Mon, 17 Jul 2017 - 39min - 99 - How to Save Money on Hosting Renewals
When you sign-up for web hosting, most companies give you a great introductory rate to get you to sign-up as a new customer.
Unfortunately, like most services these days, the rate can increase significantly after that introductory period is over.
That is something that isn’t talked about an awful lot and it can catch some folks by surprise.
Introductory rates for web hosting for new customers can range from $2.99/mo for 1-2 website plans to $6.99/mo and up for unlimited hosting.
Renewal rates are typically between $8.99-12.99/mo.
Today’s Podcast Episode idea came from an email I received this past week from a listener Debbie.
In that email, she mentioned that her hosting renewal with another company was coming due and she was glad to see I recommended a different company, Webhosting Hub.
How to Save Money on Hosting Renewals
In today’s Episode, I talk about two main options that you have, when it comes to getting a discount on your higher hosting renewal rates.
One is to attempt to negotiate a lower rate with your existing provider, assuming you like your current service and want to remain a customer. Your mileage may vary, depending on whether your provider is willing to try and retain you as a customer.
The other guaranteed option to save money is to switch to a new provider, to receive their new customer introductory discount.
What you’re looking for here is a reputable company that provides a free transfer service to help you transfer over all of your existing website data seamlessly, with zero downtime.
If you are looking to save money on hosting renewals and want to remain with your existing provider, by all means attempt to negotiate a lower rate.
If you don’t have much luck or are at all unhappy with your existing provider, you may consider making a switch.
I always recommend choosing the longest introductory term possible, to lock in the lower rate for the longest time possible.
The hosting provider I have been with for over 5 years is Webhosting Hub.
Through my affiliate link discount, you will always receive the lowest discounted rate currently available.
Their 2 website Spark package is $3.99/mo for 3 years and the Unlimited Nitro package for $5.99/mo for 3 years. In addition, they offer an excellent free transfer service from any of the other main hosting providers out there, for websites with up to 5GB of data.
That is a great option to have available, as most companies either do not provide such a service or charge a huge fee, BlueHost charges $149 for website transfers as an example.
Transferring websites between hosts can be a complicated and daunting process to get right, especially for non-technical folks.
Webhosting Hub takes that stress and worry off your hands, all you do is submit a transfer request, provide them with the necessary details and they take care of the rest.
They remain in contact with your during the process, providing you with the steps to fully test your website(s) on their system, before making the final cut-over.
When you are satisfied everything is working as planned, you flip the switch and will be up and running on their servers, with zero downtime.
Conclusion
Similar to most other services these days (like cell phone plans, cable tv/internet and satellite radio) web hosting companies charge you a lower introductory rate and then increase those prices come renewal time.
Keep that in mind when you sign-up and make note of when your introductory term will end.Mon, 26 Jun 2017 - 24min - 98 - Bookmarks & SEO Benefit + Quick Website Cleanup Tip
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I address two questions from the Private FB Mastermind group.
One was in regards to whether or not browser bookmarks provide any SEO benefit and the other was in regards to a quick website cleanup tip.
Be sure to listen in to today’s Episode for full details and I also provide an update on rankings for my two websites that I built to rank and sell/rent in the future, as well as an update on my move to our new home this past week.
We should now be back on track for a new Episode every two weeks, so if you have any suggestions for topics you would like to hear for future episodes, please drop me a note or voice mail on SpeakPipe.
Thanks and have an awesome day!Mon, 12 Jun 2017 - 25min - 97 - Changing the Date on Posts or Pages
In today’s Podcast Episode I address a question from Warwick, from the Private FB Mastermind group.
Warwick mentioned that he was going to be updating content on several of his sites, for posts created several years ago and he wanted to know if changing the date would negatively affect traffic or rankings.
I address that question fully on the the Podcast, as well as some other things to consider when creating new content as far as putting dates or version numbers in your post URL.
Be sure to listen in for full details!Mon, 22 May 2017 - 19min - 96 - Simple Keyword Research Explained & A Few Quick Updates
In today’s Podcast Episode I quickly address my most common question, which is to explain my process for doing keyword research for authority sites.
In addition, I provide a quick update on renting/selling websites targeting local search terms, from Episodes 93 and 94.
I’ve gotten some great feedback via email and from the folks in the Private FB Mastermind group about those last two episodes and many folks are interested in trying out the idea for themselves.
In today’s Episode, I also provide an update on what’s been going on these past few weeks and the schedule of things going forward for the next month or so.
Links mentioned in the show…
My Exact Keyword Research Process w/Long Tail Pro – YouTube Video
Long Tail Pro Discount
How to Choose a Niche Topic w/Market Samurai – Post/YouTube Video
Market Samurai Discount
Be sure to tune in for full details and as always, thanks for being part of the community!
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Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I would receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.Mon, 08 May 2017 - 23min - 95 - Case Study: Ranking on First Page of Google in 24 HoursThis week’s Podcast Episode is a case study of ranking brand new websites on the first page of Google, with minimal effort.
In the last Episode, we talked about the idea of building very basic websites, with just one piece of content and a contact page, targeting local search phrases and once they rank, to rent them out or sell them to relevant local businesses.
Much to my surprise, I was able to rank two brand new websites, on the first page of Google, in less than 24 hours. All that and I haven’t even created that first piece of content yet!
All that I have done so far is register two new domain names at NameCheap, add them to my unlimited hosting account at WebHosting Hub and install WordPress.
During the WordPress install, it asks you for the Title and Description for your website. I provided a title that matches my domain name and targeted keyword phrase and included 50 words or less in the site description.
Then you just go to your Google Webmaster Tools/Search Console account, add in your new domain name, verify and then choose the “Crawl” -> “Fetch as Google”.
That will tell Google that your website exists and they will start to determine how to rank your content. That was it!
In the Podcast Episode, I provide you a full breakdown of exactly what I typed in for the site title and description for one of my sites and provided additional details for how you can also rank a brand new website, quickly and easily.
The results were impressive and I’m looking forward to helping those two sites rank even higher and also looking forward to targeting additional site ideas and phrases with more traffic, to attempt to replicate the good results so far.
Be sure to listen in to this week’s Podcast Episode for full details and to be sure to subscribe via email to get the future case study results, as soon as they go live.Mon, 17 Apr 2017 - 26min - 94 - How To Rank and Rent or Sell a Website For Profit
This week’s post and Podcast Episode topic came from another great suggestion from Marcus.
He forwarded me some details about the concept of building websites to rank for local search terms in a particular area and then renting them out for $500-$1000/month or selling them for a profit.
The concept is simple, build a bunch of different websites for terms like “atlanta plumbers”, “tampa pool companies” or a similar type of service that customers would be looking to spend money on in a local area.
Additionally, the primary article I used for research also talked about ranking for terms like “near me”, for instance, “antique stores near me” or “apartments near me”.
Building 1-2 Page Websites For Profit
The sites will be VERY simple, 1-2 page websites with a primary article with around 1000 words targeting the particular phrases you’re looking to rank for and a contact page. That’s it as far as content goes!
Here is an example from the reference article…
You can see it is definitely nothing fancy. No professional web design skills needed.
Then go out and get 1-2 backlinks from pretty much anywhere, just so Google will see the link and head on over and crawl the site to get your rankings going. You can use any existing websites you might have for that, or just search for “internet directory backlinks” in Google.
Then do the same for a bunch of similar sites for different terms or locations and let them sit out there for a month or two and see which ones start to rank on their own.
Since this is not an exact science, you’ll probably be surprised which ones rank and which ones won’t, so the more sites you can put out there the better. As Glen said in the reference article…
This is a numbers game. The more sites you have in play, the more chance you have of succeeding.
After a month or two, type in your targeted search terms into Google and see how your rankings are going. Or even better, plug your URL into either the limited free or 14 day full trial of SEMrush and let it report back on what you’re ranking for automatically.
If you went from oblivion to page 1-5 of Google, that’s what you’re looking for. For those sites, add in another article or two to rank for some related terms, go out and get another couple easy backlinks and keep an eye on things over the coming weeks.
The goal is to have website(s) centered around a particular phrase on the first page of Google, that a local business in your targeted area would be more than happy to pay for, to get additional exposure and leads for their business.
The best part is that once you get there, you already have the social proof that you know what you’re doing, since you’ve been able to rank a website on the first page of Google.
Renting or Selling Your Site For Profit
At that point you just have to decide which route you want to go. You could approach small businesses over the phone or via email to try and get them to rent your site for somewhere between $500-$1000 a month, or whatever you feel is appropriate.
If the idea of reaching out directly to folks is intimidating, or something you’re not comfortable doing just yet, you can always just post the website for sale on a site like Flippa and take the profits and use them to build out more sites.
Here are two examples from the source article showing where Glen was able to se...Mon, 03 Apr 2017 - 32min - 93 - Awesome Traffic and Ranking Tip to Try TodayToday’s post/Podcast Episode is all about how to utilize the free version of SEMrush to find additional phrases to target, to rank higher and bring in more traffic to your website(s).
This tip involves plugging in the URLs of some of your existing content into the free version of SEMrush at this link.
As long as your article has 1000+ words, you should get back great results showing some terms you are currently ranking for, what position you’re ranking at and you will most likely see other phrases listed that you can target to bring in additional traffic.
Be sure to listen in to this week’s Podcast Episode, where I will go full detail on my efforts of trying this out, not only on my own content, but the content of 3 other long time community members as well.
The free version of SEMrush does limit you to 10 searches per day and the results provided are limited to 5, but even still, you can get some great actionable details to help you bring in more traffic and increase your rankings quickly.
SEMrush 14 Day Free Trial
This morning, just after the post and Podcast episode went live, I received a response back from the folks at SEMrush.
I had asked if I could provide you guys with a free trial of the full version and they provided me a special link to a full 14 day free trial.
This link is different from the link mentioned above. This one takes you directly to the sales page with a cost of $0 for the 14 day trial.
SEMrush Full Version – 14 Day Free Trial
Rather than limiting you to just 5 results and 10 queries per day for the free version, the 14 day trial provides you with all the results of their paid product.
So be sure to have all your URLs handy to plugin and find out what you’re ranking for, find out other great phrases to target to bring in more traffic and plug in competitor URLs to get some additional ideas and see where they’re getting backlinks from.
Thanks to Marcus for the great tip this week and congrats on your new book, published on Amazon this past week!Mon, 20 Mar 2017 - 23min - 92 - Mix of Topics and Best Podcast Apps For Android and iOS
In this week’s Podcast Episode I talk about a huge advantage of having your own online business, I provide an SEO tip that you’ve never heard before and also provide some great suggestions for Podcast apps to try, for iOS and Android devices.
Be sure to listen in for full details.
By the way, you may have noticed that I have a new logo and caricature of myself at the top of the site. What do you think?
It was a Fiverr gig that was $25 for a logo and cartoon style “mascot” creation, with up to 4 revisions included free of charge.
It was one of the best deals and experiences that I’ve had on Fiverr. I sent him my existing logo and a picture of myself and a rough idea on what I thought I wanted and he used his creativity to take care of the rest.
I utilized 3 of my 4 free revisions to tweak some colors and he was very responsive every step of the way, with minimal feedback required.
If you’re looking for a new or updated logo and “mascot”, definitely give this very reasonable logo creation gig a try.
Thanks for being a valued member of the community!Mon, 06 Mar 2017 - 34min - 91 - Secrets to Internet Marketing Success
In this week’s Podcast episode, I talk about some recent questions from the community in regards to how to actually SUCCEED online.
One specific question was from the Private Facebook Mastermind Group and two related questions were received via email, all centering about how to build a successful online business.
Be sure to listen in for full details and thanks for being a valued member of the community!Tue, 21 Feb 2017 - 41min - 90 - Best Tips For Speeding Up Your WordPress Website
In today’s Podcast Episode/post, I talk about how you can increase your WordPress site speed, with minimal effort, for free.
Be sure to listen in to the Podcast, as I will walk you through the steps below, in addition to providing the details behind the recommendations.
I’ve included screenshots of the steps mentioned in the Podcast and links to the tools, for reference below.
As always, before installing any plugins or making changes on your website(s), be sure to take a full offsite backup.
The plugin I recommend for backup and restore is the Updraft Plus WordPress Backup plugin. It is free for normal use and it works great.
I recommend you utilize DropBox as the offsite storage option. If you sign-up for a free DropBox account through my affiliate link, we will both get an additional 500MB of free storage. Bonus!
In addition, BEFORE you attempt any of the steps below, I recommend you run a quick speed test of your site at GTMetrix.com, or your favorite speed test site. You can download a full PDF report as a baseline, for later comparison.
Steps For Speeding Up Your WordPress Website
CloudFlare Sign-Up and Config
Sign-up for a free Cloudflare account and then sign-in.
Click the +Add Site button, enter your URL and then “Begin Scan”.
After the scan is complete, click the “Continue Setup” button.
Click “Continue” on the DNS verification screen.
Scroll down and choose the Free Website plan and click “Continue”.
Take note of the DNS servers you will need to change to and click “Continue”.
Note: the DNS servers shown in the image below may differ, be sure to use the ones shown in your own account.
Login to your Domain Name provider and change your existing DNS servers to match the ones referenced in the step above.
I utilize and recommend NameCheap for Domain Registration.
Below is a screenshot showing where you would make those changes on your NameCheap account. Be sure to click the green “Save” check mark.
At this point, it will take a little bit of time for the changes to propagate throughout the internet. They mention to allow up to 24 hours, but usually an hour is long enough.
After some time has passed, return to your Cloudflare dashboard and click “Recheck Nameservers”.
Once that is successful, you will see the screenshot below showing that your free CloudFlare account is now fully active.
Now click on the “Speed” tab along the top and within the “Auto Minify” section, click the check boxes for “JavaScript, CSS and HTML”.
Scroll down to the “Rocket Loader Beta” section and select “Automatic”.
Switch over from the “Speed” tab to the “Caching” tab.
Scroll down to the “Always Online” section and turn this On.
That’s it for the options within CloudFlare. Now we’ll install and enable the Imagify plugin for optimizing and shrinking down images.
Installing and Configuring Imagify
Go to your WordPress Dashboard, select “Plugins” and “Add New” and then type in “Imagify”, select “Install Now” and then click on “Activate”.
After clicking on “Activate”, you’ll see the screen below.Mon, 06 Feb 2017 - 30min - 89 - How to Easily Switch Your Site to HTTPS for Free
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I talk about some of the different options when it comes to enabling HTTPS for your WordPress website.
Below, I will show you the steps for enabling HTTPS in just a few short steps, for free, utilizing Cloudflare.
Cloudflare utilizes SNI for their free SSL plan. For technical details and to decide if this method is right for you, click here for a full breakdown.
How to Enable HTTPS For Free on WordPress
Sign-up for a free Cloudflare account, by clicking the Sign-Up button in the upper right hand corner of the site.
Click the +Add Site button, enter your website URL and click “Begin Scan”.
Once the scan is complete, click “Continue Setup”.
On the DNS verification screen, scroll to the bottom and click “Continue”.
Choose the free plan and click “Continue”.
Make note of the Cloudflare DNS servers for the next step.
Login to your domain name provider and switch your domain name servers to the ones referenced in the step above.
This is a screenshot showing where to do so if you utilize NameCheap.
At this point it can take up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect, so give it a bit of time. Usually 1-2 hours is fine.
Return to your Cloudflare dashboard and click “Recheck Nameservers”.
Once that is successful, you will see the following screenshot showing that your status is now active.
Login to your WordPress dashboard and install the Cloudflare Flexible SSL plugin.
Click activate.
You should now be able to access your site by typing your URL into your browser with https at the beginning. Test it and make sure it works.
Assuming all is good, go to your Cloudflare account and click on “Page Rules”.
Click on “Create Page Rule”.
Type in your URL as http://*yoursite.com*, click “Add a Setting” and choose “Always Use HTTPS” from the pull-down menu and click “Save and Deploy”.
Navigate to your website with the regular http URL and it should automatically redirect to the https version for all of your content.
Congratulations! That wasn’t so bad right?
Quick Note: If you try your site in Internet Explorer and get a message that some of your content is insecure, it is likely an outdated plugin causing the issue. Either disable the outdated plugin or install this one additional plugin and that should fix the issue: Really Simple SSL.
Change Your URL to https in WordPress Dashboard
Go to your WordPress dashboard -> Settings -> General and change your URL to https from http
Add HTTPS URL To Google Search Console and Analytics
Now that your content is properly displaying via HTTPS, you will need to add the new version of your URL to Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Login to Google Search Console and click on “Add a Property” and input the https version of your site.
Choose one of the verification methods provided and click “Verify”.
You should then receive a message saying your site is verified.
Congrats, only one step to go!
Login to your Google Analytics account and choose the relevant website and click ...Mon, 23 Jan 2017 - 28min - 88 - Blasting Off in the New Year and Juggling Priorities
Hey everyone, Happy New Year!
In this week’s Podcast episode, we talk about taking all that optimism and refreshed energy that a new year brings, to help make progress on your goals and dreams!
For those of you brand new, just starting to embark on your online journey, I recommend beginning at my Start page.
For those of you with website projects already underway, be sure to check out my Resources page for special discounts on hosting, keyword research tools, themes, plugins, etc.
I hope everyone has a great start to the new year and may all your efforts turn into great achievements!
P.S. Don’t forget to change the Copyright date at the bottom of all your blogs and websites to 2017!Mon, 09 Jan 2017 - 23min - 87 - How to Re-Use Content Properly and Year End Wrap-Up
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I answer a question regarding how to properly utilize content from an existing outdated website for a new website, without getting a duplicate content penalty.
In addition, I answer the question as to whether content translated into another language, is considered duplicate content.
We’ll then do a quick year end wrap-up and provide some tips on what to focus on in the new year for success!
Be sure to listen in to this week’s Episode for full details!
Thanks you for being a valued reader/listener/subscriber and all around great person!
For everyone celebrating, I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus or whatever it is you might be celebrating along with a very Safe, Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!Mon, 12 Dec 2016 - 17min - 86 - Frequently Asked Questions and Essential Tools
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I provide you with several of the most frequently asked questions on the site, along with links to the related posts that answer those questions.
In addition, I provide a breakdown of my most commonly recommended tools, to help you succeed with your online adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most common questions that I receive are…
How do I pick the right keywords or products to promote?
What is the best theme to use?
Where do I get images from?
What are some alternatives to the Amazon affiliate program?
What is most important for SEO?
What are the best plugins to use for WordPress?
How do I create an email list and automatically send a welcome message?
What plugin should I use for XYZ, ie. email optins, landing pages, amazon affiliate program, etc?
For new folks, the best place to start is the Start Here page, listed along the top of the site for easy reference.
It contains everything you need to know in sequence, from brainstorming topics, keyword research, how to start your blog, an ultimate WordPress checklist, 7 simple SEO tips and how to get backlinks and traffic to your site.
That covers many of the most commonly asked questions all in one place.
The remaining questions are covered in the following popular posts…
Building an Email List For Free
Top 10 Things Everyone Should Do After Installing WordPress
Alternatives to the Amazon Affiliate Program
Essential Tools
As far as tools go, everything that I recommend and utilize is located on my Resources page, also listed at the top of the site.
That is THE place to go if you have any questions about what tools, training, hosting and plugins that I recommend.
I routinely update that page any time I find new tools that I really enjoy, that I know will help you with your website projects. Be sure to check back often.
You can also check out reviews of those tools, on the Product Reviews page.
I will list a few of the tools here, for some of the most common questions I get…
What hosting company do you use and recommend?
Webhosting Hub – Special Discount
What theme should I use?
Thrive Themes
ThemeForest
Elegant Themes
What are the best tools for keyword research?
Long Tail Pro
Market Samurai
What training programs do you recommend?
Free Affiliate Marketing Training
Proven Amazon Course For Selling on Amazon
What plugins do you recommend?
Mon, 14 Nov 2016 - 45min - 85 - Failed Affiliate Relationship-Lessons Learned
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I talk about a long standing affiliate relationship that I’ve had for the past 5 years and why I’m calling it quits.
I talk about all the reasons that it probably should have been the end a while back and what specifically happened in the last two weeks, to put the nail in the coffin.
I wanted to bring the details to you this week, while it is fresh in my mind, to let you know the types of things you will inevitably run into in affiliate marketing.
In addition, I provide some actionable tips on the types of questions you need to be asking affiliate managers now, preferably BEFORE you put forth any significant effort in your niche site projects.
Be sure to listen in for full details and thanks for being a part of the community!Mon, 31 Oct 2016 - 36min - 84 - The Importance of Having a Disaster Plan
If you’re a member of my free, Private FB Mastermind Group, you know that my family and I had to evacuate for Hurricane Matthew last week.
That was quite the event, but by pre-planning and having a solid plan in place ahead of time, it was a relatively stress-free process.
I’m happy to report we are safe, didn’t experience any major damage and we’re back in the normal swing of things.
In today’s Podcast episode, I’ll detail the importance of having a disaster plan for not only yourself, your family, pets and your residence, but also for all aspects of your online business.
There will be lots of key takeaways and recommendations that you can and should take action on right away.
Quick Mention
I mentioned at the beginning of the episode that I received an email from Jessica Larrew this week stating that the Amazon Boot Camp v2.0 will be closing it’s doors this Thursday, October 20th, 2016.
This will be the last time you can get in on this self-guided video training course for the remainder of the year.
In 2017, she will be releasing the next version of her program, but she also mentioned that the price will be increasing.
In addition, her Private FB Group for the program, which is staffed by paid moderators and an essential piece of the puzzle, will become separate and you’ll have to purchase that at an additional cost.
So if you are at all interested in the idea of selling products on Amazon for some side, or even full time income, in the new year, you should check out the Amazon Boot Camp v2.0 now, before it closes for good.
Amazon Boot Camp v2.0 – Closes Thursday, Oct 20th, 2016
Conclusion
I just wanted to quickly thank all the folks that reached out in the FB Mastermind group and those that reached out to me directly, to wish us well during the storm.
It means a lot and that sense of community is really what I enjoy most about creating content for you guys.
Hearing that what I’m doing is helping motivate you guys to achieve your goals, really provides that motivation for me to do my best work.
If you have any suggestions for content you would like to see on the site or hear on the Podcast, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or reach out at any time.
Thanks and I hope you have a fantastic and safe two weeks, until the next episode!Mon, 17 Oct 2016 - 40min - 83 - You Gotta Know When To Hold Em, Know When To Fold Em…
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I address a question from email subscriber Brenda, asking whether she should give up on a site she has had since 2002.
It is a great story of past success, some major bumps along the way and right now she’s at a bit of a crossroads.
I walk through her story, give some big picture suggestions and also discuss some ways to help everyone figure out if a website is worth the effort or if it’s maybe time to part ways.
Be sure to listen in for the full breakdown.
Thrive Leads Update
I was pleasantly surprised that in the two weeks since the last episode, my email subscriber rate doubled after switching to Thrive Leads.
I mentioned in last week’s post that I made the switch from several different email opt-in plugins over to Thrive Leads and the results so far are awesome!
Strictly from the two weeks prior, my new subscribers increased 100% from 8 to 16. I dug a bit deeper and my 2 week average over the last 2 months has been a little less than 10, so even at that rate, the new subscribers increased 60%.
If you’re looking for a single tool that does everything when it comes to email opt-ins, all for just a single one-time fee of $67 for one site or $97 for an unlimited number of sites, I utilize and recommend Thrive Leads.
Constant Profits Club Re-Opening
I first mentioned the Constant Profits Club training program back when it first opened in March and they’re about to open things up once again for a very short time.
This is a very hands on, affiliate marketing training program from Andrew Hansen and Sara Young. Andrew is the creator of the Forever Affiliate training program that myself and many others went through several years back.
Andrew and Sara have over 16 years combined experience in the affiliate marketing space and they both make an impressive living off of their website projects.
This course is not for everyone. It is a very in-depth, hands on course, where you have to commit several hours of your time per week, for the first 60 days. You have to put in the work, to see the results.
However, if you are someone that has struggled with creating your own websites in the past, or you’re wanting to bypass the typical year or so of experimentation that most of us go through, this course might be for you.
They’ve had students go through the program and come out with sites that make over $10,165 per month, in just 12 months time. Of course those results aren’t typical, but it does show you what is possible.
A unique aspect of this program is that they show you how to make money right away, with one of their students making money 3 hours after starting.
The program will only be opening up for a very short window of time and only for a limited number of participants. The program will only be open from Sept 29th, 2016 thru Oct 9th, 2016.
They will be running a free webinar this coming Thursday, Sept 29th at 5pm EST to show you what is working right now to make good money in affiliate marketing and of course to show you some success stories and provide more info about the course.
Andrew always gives some great, actionable, free information on all his webinars and I’m sure this will be no exception.
Even if you can’t make the webinar live, sign-up anyway so that you can be notified,Mon, 26 Sep 2016 - 39min - 82 - Thrive Leads – Best Email Opt-in Plugin
March 30th, 2021 Update: You can now get access to all the great Thrive plugins and tools as part of the new Thrive Suite. Individual Thrive products are no longer sold separately. Please check out the link for full details.
In this week’s Podcast episode, I talk about all the great features available with the Thrive Leads email opt-in plugin for WordPress and how I made the switch.
Back Story
Believe it or not, I used to have 5 different email opt-in plugins to accomplish the same thing that I now do with just one.
I utilized MailMunch, SumoMe, Opt-in Skin, Mailchimp for WordPress and ManyContacts for different individual features, but not any more.
After disabling those 5 plugins, installing Thrive Leads and configuring my opt-in boxes, my site performance increased 28% as reported by the site GTMetrix.
I thought that was quite impressive and another bonus is that I no longer need to keep those 5 plugins up-to-date constantly.
Being able to eliminate all of those different plugins was one huge benefit, but another main reason for making the switch was to utilize all the great, professional looking templates that are already done for you with Thrive Leads.
The locations where you will see Thrive Leads in action on the site are currently the bar across the top of the site, the box underneath each post and also the exit intent pop-up, that will appear when you go to exit the site, on desktop browsers.
I’d really appreciate it if you’d take a look, let me know when you think and kick the tires a bit.
Main Features of Thrive Leads
I talk about all the great features of Thrive Leads in full detail on the Podcast, so be sure to listen in, however I’ll also show each opt-in in action here below, for your convenience.
Thrive Leads provides all the possible email opt-in boxes that you can possibly imagine and then they go and throw in a few extra ones for good measure.
ThriveBox
This is a pop-up lightbox that is displayed over your content and very attention grabbing.
“Sticky” Ribbon
This is the bar that appears across the top of your website and remains as the user scrolls.
In-Line Forms
You can automatically insert an opt-in form anywhere you’d like, using a shortcode.
2-Step Opt-In Form
Create a 2-step signup process by adding call to action buttons, that will then open a lightbox on click.
Slide-In
Less intrusive than a popup, but almost equally attention grabbing, this form slides into view from the corner.
Opt-In Widget
Add an opt-in form to your sidebar or any other widget area on your site, with just a few clicks.
Screen Filler Overlay
The “unignorable” opt-in form and the perfect way to make sure you get your visitor’s full attention on your offer. This is a very popular one, used with great success.
Content Lock
A great way to add an opt-in incentive right inside you...Mon, 12 Sep 2016 - 33min - 81 - Email List Provider Comparison: MailChimp vs AWeber vs Constant Contact vs ConvertKit
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I compare 4 of the main companies that provide email list services for bloggers and entrepreneurs. Those are MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact and ConvertKit.
Please be sure to listen in for full details and suggestions.
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I am an affiliate for MailChimp and AWeber. I utilize MailChimp exclusively and have tested AWeber in the past. I am not an affiliate for Constant Contact or ConvertKit.Mon, 22 Aug 2016 - 51min - 80 - How To Easily Build Great Looking WordPress Landing Pages and Review Posts
March 30th, 2021 Update: You can now get access to all the great Thrive plugins and tools as part of the new Thrive Suite. Individual Thrive products are no longer sold separately. Please check out the link for full details.
In today’s Podcast Episode, I talk all about how to build great looking WordPress landing pages and posts, with the help of the Thrive Landing Pages/Content Builder/Lightbox bundle.
When it comes to building great looking landing pages and review posts, you’ve probably found that the default WordPress editor doesn’t exactly make things easy.
It is important to have the right tools for the job that allow the right level of customization to make things look exactly how you want, but you also want some great professional looking Landing Page templates to use as a starting point.
That’s where the Thrive Landing Pages, Content Builder and Lightbox bundle comes into play.
You get all 3 components for a one time only fee of $67 for one site or $97 for an unlimited number of websites.
That is a great deal, especially when you consider alternatives such as Lead Pages will run you $25-$49 per month.
In just 2-4 months time, the Thrive Content Builder, Landing Pages and Lightbox bundle will have paid for itself, vs Lead Pages.
Thrive Landing Pages / Content Builder Examples
As mentioned on the Podcast, I did a sample post that shows you a number of the different elements that you can add manually to your posts and pages utilizing the Thrive Content Builder editor by itself…
In addition, you can check out all 150+ done-for-you Landing Page templates that are included here.
On that page you will see all of the currently available templates that are part of the Landing Pages Plugin and you can click each of them to see a full preview.
All of landing pages are fully customizable and the folks at Thrive are constantly adding new landing pages to the product.
The great part is that you can utilize the Thrive Landing Pages bundle on any WordPress theme that you’re currently using. There are no special requirements, other than you need to be running WordPress.
If you’re looking to quickly and easily create great, professional looking review posts and landing pages, you should definitely consider the Thrive Landing pages bundle.
It has everything you need at a much cheaper, one-time-fee, over the popular competing products out there.
Click here to check out the Thrive Landing Pages bundle.
If you have any questions about the Thrive Landing Pages bundle, drop me a comment below or reach out via email on my contact page. Thanks and enjoy!
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I’m an affiliate for products that I utilize on my sites, including products from Thrive. If you click through my referral links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for your support in this way.Mon, 08 Aug 2016 - 32min - 79 - How To Succeed In Affiliate Marketing
Today’s post and Podcast Episode comes from several recent discussions with community members on how to get started, how to keep going and what it takes to succeed in affiliate marketing.
The Podcast Episode will be your best resource, as I go into full detail and provide specific examples along the way, so be sure to listen in. However, I will also include a very brief summary below, for you to refer back to.
How To Succeed in Affiliate Marketing
The initial step is to brainstorm potential ideas on what interests you and decide on a topic or topics that you think you will be able to continue to create content around over the long haul.
Be thinking in terms of not only what topics interest you, but also how you can help others solve a problem, overcome a pain point, or achieve a particular goal on that topic.
The vast majority of folks fail due to 3 main reasons:
* Lack of effort
* Unrealistic expectations
* Lack of support
If you put in the work over the long term, have realistic expectations and have a group of like minded folks that can help provide support and motivation along the way, you’re well on your way to success.
Our Niche Site Tools Private Facebook Mastermind Group is a great place to network with like minded folks.
It is all about PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it is more important to get the content out there and make things better as you go.
Every time you create a piece of content, think of it as planting a seed that will take time to grow, but it will pay off in the future.
You never know when that breakthrough will take place, but one thing is certain, if you give up along the way, you’ll never know what could have been. In many cases, a breakthrough is just beyond that barrier in front of you.
Get started, take action today and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised what you can accomplish!Mon, 25 Jul 2016 - 42min - 78 - How To Recover a WordPress Website Without a Backup
Today’s post/Podcast episode topic comes from a community member Jeff, who recently lost all of the data from his site hosted at BlueHost, even after paying extra each month for them to take backups of his site.
I mentioned that as one of the primary drivers for switching my hosting recommendation back over to Webhosting Hub a few weeks back.
In today’s Podcast episode I talk in detail about how you can follow the steps Jeff provided below, to recover your website data, in the event you don’t happen to have a good backup of your website.
Thanks to Jeff for the detailed write-up, here it is….
My Niche Site Went Down and The Backups Were Bad, And It Could Happen to You Too!
You Don’t Have to Be Technical to Handle A Data Loss Situation
If you can do these basic things, you can recover the bulk of your your website, even if your web hosting provider fails and you don’t have backups of your own to turn to.
All you need to be able to do to get most of your website back is:
* Have a basic understanding of WordPress. Enough to create your own posts or install a plugin.
* Be able to search Google for your site by web address.
* Copy and paste text from Google text editor such as Notepad and save the files to your computer or out to the cloud.
* Once you have a working WordPress install, paste the saved content back into WordPress one post or page at a time.
I personally had to go through this process myself not long ago. I want to share my story and the steps I took to recover, in order to help anyone else out who happens to find themselves in a similar position.
The Back Story In a Nutshell
About three months ago, I noticed my primary niche site had some unexpected downtime. I reached out to my hosting provider and found that they had a server failure — stuff happens — four hours later it was back online.
I felt secure in the fact that my hosting provider makes backups of my site and if something should happen I could recover all of my content.
Fast forward to about two weeks ago, when my site went down again. This time it was much worse. My site content, all of my site content, was just gone. I asked my hosting provider to kindly restore my site from backup; they agreed and contacted me an hour later…
The backups were all bad. My site was just gone. I was angry and sad. I’d worked so hard on my new niche site and thought I was safe against this sort of thing. Needless to say, this was an extremely unwelcome reality check.
I Got (Most) Of My Site Back and Here Is How…
Google has some interesting tricks under the hood. One of them is the ability to look for content only on a specific site.
If you Google for site:YourDomain, you’ll get a list of every page Google has ever visited that belongs to your website.
I’ll show you. My niche site is defeatdebtcollectors.com and its main focus — as you might have guessed from the name — is now to get debt collectors off your back and fix your credit.
If I want to see everything Google has for my site, I’d just type this into the Google search box:
site:defeatdebtcollectors.com
The Site’s Down; How Do I Get My Content Back?
If you find yourself in a similar situation, all is not lost. Here is what you do to get the bulk of your content back more or less the same way I did.
Every time Google visits your site, it makes a copy of the page it visits and saves the text and other content in its own database. It has to do this, or searching the Internet would take hours or days instead of a few seconds here or there.
So, for our purposes, Google’s cached copy of your site is the closest thing to a backup you’re ever going to get.Mon, 11 Jul 2016 - 30min - 77 - How to Stop Google Analytics Referral Spam
Something that is becoming increasingly problematic lately is Google Analytics Referral Spam. Referral spam can wreak havoc with your Analytics stats, if left unchecked.
Referral spam occurs when your site gets fake referral traffic from spam bots and this fake traffic is recorded in your Google Analytics stats. This is something you need to be aware of, so that you can take steps to filter that traffic out.
The way you can check to see if you are a victim is to login to your Google Analytics account, select your site and scroll down on the left to…
Acquisition -> All Traffic -> Referrals.
If your results look similar to mine above, or you see odd sites that you wouldn’t think people would come from to visit your site, you are probably also being hit by Google Analytics Referral Spam.
The referral traffic page is supposed to show you the sites that people came to your website from, but every single one of those entries in the image above are spam.
The people that run those sites know how to get their URLs to show up in your Google Analytics data. Their intent can range from deceptive to malicious. In most cases their goal is to get you to visit their website, which is exactly what I did initially.
Based on the majority of the entries, it looked like I was being targeted by law enforcement for some reason, so I clicked over to one of the links and it had to do with the new EU cookie policy.
The site looked legitimate and on the main page it talked about the new EU cookie requirements and they provided some code that you can copy/paste into your own website to be sure you are “compliant”.
Of course, I did NOT do that and right afterwards I searched Google for the different websites in the list and found out it was all spam.
The good news is that from what I read, in most cases, those sites are not actually hitting your website. They just show up in your stats as if it is legitimate traffic.
However, you can clearly see that they hinder your ability to see your actual traffic and they really skew your numbers.
You definitely want to do what you can to filter that fake traffic out, so that you can get to the real data.
The primary way that I saw recommended most often was to setup filters in Google Analytics.
The way you do that is as follows…
How to Filter Out Google Analytics Referral Spam
The primary sites that were showing up in my stats over the last several months were as follows.
Your specific results will be different, so you’ll need to plug in the sites you see in your own data, but the steps will be the same.
Referral Spam Websites:
monetizationking.net
rank-checker.online
cookie-law-enforcement-hh.xyz
cookie-law-enforcement-hh.xyz
cookie-law-enforcement-ii.xyz
eu-cookie-law-enforcement-7.xyz
cookie-law-enforcement-dd.xyz
cookie-law-enforcement-gg.xyz
law-enforcement-check-three.xyz
law-enforcement-dd.xyz
social-buttons-hh.xyz
fix-website-errors.com
keywords-monitoring-success.com
free-video-tool.com
magicdiet.gq
ownshop.cf
site-auditor.online
First, login to your Google Analytics account and then click on Admin at the top, select your site from the drop down list and then click on All Filters.
Then click the option to Add Filter.
Each individual filter can have a maximum of 255 characters, so I actually needed to create 3 separate ones. I named them spam bots 1-3.
For Filter Type, choose Custom. For Filter Field, select Campaign Source. For filter pattern, type in each URL that shows up in your stats with each one separated by a “|”.
Then towards the bottom, select All Website Data under available views,Mon, 27 Jun 2016 - 22min - 76 - How to Easily Transfer Your Web Hosting For FreeThis week’s Podcast Episode is somewhat of a continuation of last week’s Episode, where I switched my hosting recommendation back to Webhosting Hub.
In last week’s post/Podcast Episode, I detailed the problems that community member Jeff recently experienced, where he lost his entire site hosted at Bluehost.
Despite paying extra for full backups with Bluehost, none of his data was recoverable and he was forced to switch hosts and had to attempt to recover his content on his own. Completely unacceptable.
In addition, I personally submitted a support request with Bluehost on January 19th of this year and I did not receive a response until February 17th. Almost an entire month delay! Again, completely unacceptable.
When I was looking for additional input to confirm or deny the experiences we recently went through, I came across the following unsolicited responses from folks in Pat Flynn’s SPI community:
As a result, I switched my recommendation back to Webhosting Hub, where I have hosted this site and my primary niche sites for 4+ years happily, with no major issues.
In today’s Podcast Episode/post, I will detail how to initiate the website transfer process from your existing host over to Webhosting Hub.
The best part is that the transfer is free, with zero down time and they handle 98% of the process for you. In addition, you can get increased reliability, better support, potentially faster site speed and save $$ in the process.
As it says on their account transfer details page, “Moving is messy, let us handle the dirty work for you”.
How to Initiate a Web Hosting Transfer
Once you make the decision to switch from Bluehost, or any other host, over to Webhosting Hub, you’ll be glad to know the process to transfer your existing sites is a fast and easy process. In addition, you can get a special discount, available exclusively for Niche Site Tools customers.
You first sign-up for a new account with Webhosting Hub through my special discount link, where you will get $1 off per month, for the entire length of your initial sign-up.
When you click the discount link, you will arrive at a page welcoming you as a Niche Site Tools Visitor. Be sure that you see the page below, so that you know you are getting the special discount reserved for customers of the site…
You would then choose either the Spark plan that provides unlimited storage and bandwidth for up to 2 sites for $3.99/mo, or their Nitro plan for an unlimited number of sites for $5.99/month.
After that, you login to your new account and select the icon that says ‘Website Transfer Request’. You will then see a form similar to the one below…
Then you just select your existing hosting provider from the drop-down menu, provide your specific account details and within 2-3 days, their support team will take it from there.
The entire process is free for up to 5GB of storage and up to 3 cPanel WordPress sites/datebases. If you have more than that, you can pay $10 additional per database.Mon, 06 Jun 2016 - 24min - 75 - New Hosting Recommendation and Special Discount
In this week’s Podcast episode, I talk all about my recent decision to switch my hosting recommendation from Bluehost over to Webhosting Hub.
It was NOT a decision that I took lightly, but with all of the info provided in full detail in the Podcast episode, it is definitely the right decision and one that I’m happy to bring you today.
Primary Reasons For Switching My Hosting Recommendation
Large multi-day outage experienced by community member Jeff with Bluehost, with no resolution, resulting in entire loss of website and data.
My own bad experience with Bluehost customer support, with a support case being submitted on Jan 19th, with no response until Feb 17th.
Recently becoming aware of multiple similar complaints from members of the Smart Passive Income FB group this past week.
It was brought to my attention several weeks ago that a community member and long time Private FB group contributor, Jeff was having problems with his websites hosted on Bluehost.
His sites were down initially for multiple hours, which turned into days and despite having paid extra to have them take regular backups, he was unable to recover any of his data through Bluehost.
Jeff provided me a quick write-up to share with everyone here today so you can hear it from him directly…
Jeff’s Play By Play Breakdown
“I’ve tried niche sites on and off before without much success. I decided to give it another shot. I went with Bluehost as my hosting provider: their price was reasonable and they came widely recommended.
For the past few months, I’ve been slowly building up my primary niche site Defeat Debt Collectors. I picked this niche, regardless of the competition, because I’d gotten myself out of tens of thousands of dollars in debt in just a few years — so I felt I had something of value to add.
A few weeks ago, my niche site went down hard. I had a site full of articles and what I got instead when the page loaded was just a prompt asking me to install WordPress! Lovely surprise, no?
Outages happen; I wasn’t too worried. I reached out to Bluehost and asked what was going on. They said it was “a known issue” and they were “working on it,” but had no ETA to give.
Satisfied all would be well *eventually,* I went on about my day. It soon became clear that their (air quotes) “support staff” had no real idea what the true scope of the situation was. I reached out to @BlueHostSupport Twitter to see if they could help — no such luck.
Unfortunately, Bluehost had the *only* real backups of my site. You see, I paid Bluehost *extra money* to perform backups for me so that I didn’t have to worry about it.
I had *one* final option to get *most* of my site content back and I took it. I ended up scraping Google’s cache of my site to get a copy of the *text* of each of my site’s posts.
That didn’t get everything: there were some new posts that hadn’t been indexed yet, and I had 4-5 pillar articles in the 2,500 word range that hadn’t been published yet. Yeah, I had to rewrite all of that from scratch. Also, trying to get images from Google’s cache was hit-or-miss, mostly miss.
On the Private FB group, Chris recommended recommended I try Webhosting Hub instead. I’m happy to say they have been quite accommodating and helpful in the transition. My hosting bill is in the same ballpark as before, but *my site is much faster* in its new home.
I’m very happy with my site’s new h...Mon, 23 May 2016 - 32min - 74 - Website Photos, Domain Privacy and Writing For Web 2.0 Sites
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I answer a few questions from the community.
Items Mentioned in the Show
Where can I get images for my blog/website?
Pixabay – Site with mostly free images, just be sure to avoid the “Sponsored Images” along the top to avoid paying. Thanks Lindsey, for bringing that to our attention in the Private FB Mastermind group.
Canva – Cool site where you can create custom images and graphics. Easy to use and you can create professional looking images with text and effects for $1.
PhotoDune – This is where I go for most of my images, although I admit that after finding out about Pixabay, I will definitely check there first for as long as they remain free.
Through Photodune, I pay $1 per image and don’t have to weed through ads or figure out if it is ok to use them for commercial purposes. Saves me a bunch of time and effort over many of the “free”/hybrid sites, where you have to weed through the fine print. I value my time and you should as well.
What is domain privacy and it is worth it?
Short answer, yes. Listen in to this week’s Episode for full details.
NameCheap is who I utilize for all my domains and they offer free domain privacy the first year and it is only $2.88 each year after. I switched all my domains from GoDaddy to NameCheap, because their prices are consistent for both new domains and renewals.
It is still worthwhile to utilize sites like InfoBarrel and HubPages?
Short answer yes, but mostly just to try out your writing skills and to network with other like minded folks. They can also be a decent source for backlinks.
Over the long term, your efforts will be best spent setting up your own blog/website, so that you own and have full control over your content.
Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase, I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. I sincerely thank you ahead of time, for any purchases made through my site.Mon, 09 May 2016 - 15min - 73 - Top 10 Things Everyone Should Do After Installing WordPress
I get this question quite often and it boils down to this…”I’ve installed WordPress, now what?!”
First off, if you’ve already taken some action, great, but in case you haven’t, the first step would be to check out my step-by-step guide on how to start a WordPress blog or website.
By following those quick and easy steps, you will be up and running with your very own website running on WordPress, in 10 minutes or less.
Once you have WordPress installed, there are a few key items that everyone should do immediately afterwards.
Be sure to listen into the Podcast Episode for a more detailed breakdown.
Some of the links below may be affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase, I would receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. If you do make a purchase, I sincerely thank you ahead of time.
Top 10 Things To Do After Installing WordPress
1.) Remove unused plugins, themes and the default WordPress post, page and comment from your WordPress Dashboard.
Most WordPress installations come with a few pre-installed plugins like Hello Dolly, Mojo Marketplace and possibly others. I recommend uninstalling all of them for now.
To do so, click on Plugins on the left hand side and then select deactivate (if any are active) and then you will see an option for delete.
WordPress comes with several themes pre-installed, like Twenty Twelve, Twenty Fourteen and Twenty Fifteen. I recommend deleting all of them except the most recent one, which as of this post would be Twenty Fifteen.
Go to Appearance -> Themes, click each theme and then in the lower right click Delete.
WordPress also comes with some default sample content. To delete that, select Posts -> All Posts then hover your cursor over the post in the main pane and select Trash.
To delete the sample page, select Pages -> All Pages, hover your cursor over the sample page and select Trash.
There is also a sample comment, select Comments on the left hand side, hover over the comment and select Trash.
2.) Edit your Title, Tagline, Timezone and Favicon. The first three settings can be found in the WordPress dashboard under Settings -> General.
There are two ways you can upload a Favicon with most web hosts.
With WordPress 4.3 and above, there is a new way to set the Favicon. It can be found under Appearance -> Customize -> Site Identity. The file must be at least 512×512 in size and can be any of the normal default image formats like .jpg, .gif or .png.
Most web hosts also allow you to place a 16×16 .ico file in the main directory of your website. You can go into your cPanel, go to FileManager and upload the file to the main website directory and call it favicon.ico. You can download free Favicons of this format here.
Once you’ve uploaded your Favicon with one of the methods above, open a private/incognito window in your browser and you should see your new Favicon in the tab of your browser when going to your site.
3.) Change permalink structure. This is a very important step, that I also mentioned in my how to start a blog guide.
A permalink is the URL for content on your website. By default, it will be very ugly and contain a post number, but none of the keywords from your title. This is terrible for SEO.
You want to change the permalink settings so that WordPress automatically takes the main keywords from your title and puts them in the URL for the post or page.
To do this, go into Settings -> Permalinks and choose the option for Post name and hit Save C...Mon, 25 Apr 2016 - 51min - 72 - Backlinks: What Are They And How Can I Get Some?
Today’s Podcast Episode topic comes from an email subscriber, Tristan.
In his email, Tristan asked if I could help explain backlinks in regards to regular vs juiced backlinks, page vs site backlinks and current methods for getting backlinks.
This will not be the typical “do guest blog posting” advice for getting backlinks. In fact, I won’t be mentioning guest posting at all.
I did a bunch of research on the latest techniques and narrowed them down to 15 that I think are the best and most relevant tips, that everyone can take advantage of right away.
I’ll provide a quick list of them here, but be sure to listen to this week’s Episode for full details.
Top 15 Backlinking Tips
* Fully populate social media, forum and comment system profile pages.
* Blog commenting.
* Respond to questions on Quora
* Link to relevant sites.
* Give testimonials.
* Best of blog posts and link roundups.
* HARO, short for help a reporter out.
* Submit your site to website feedback sites.
* Submit your site to blog aggregators.
* Utilize ScoopIt.
* Broken link checking.
* Create and submit Infographics on sharing sites.
* Round-up posts.
* Skyscraper technique.
* Moving Man Method.
Reference Articles
Two great articles that I used for reference are…
QuickSprout – 7 Ways to Get Backlinks That Bring In Traffic
Backlinko – 17 Untapped Backlink Sources
Semrush – What are backlinks?Mon, 04 Apr 2016 - 39min - 71 - Free Affiliate Marketing Training Program
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I provide my recommendation for a free, step-by-step affiliate marketing training program.
Free Affiliate Marketing Training Program
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked several times if I can recommend an inexpensive, step-by-step affiliate marketing training program for beginners.
I posed the question to the folks over on my Private Facebook Mastermind group and reached out to a few subscribers via email and the most recommended option was the free training provided in the Wealthy Affiliate program.
Several folks have utilized the training themselves and one new subscriber recently went through the free training and is in the process of setting up his first website right now.
With a free account, you get lifetime access to the beginner training program. During the first week, you also get free live support and free 1-on-1 coaching.
I’d definitely recommend being prepared to go through the training course in your first week, that way you can take full advantage of the real time support and coaching programs.
To get access, click on my free training link and provide a valid email address, no credit card required.
After signing in, click the ‘Get Started Here’ green button, as shown here…
That’s all there is to it.
Of course, the folks at Wealthy Affiliate would like you to upgrade your free account to a premium paid account, but you’re under no obligation to do so.
If you really like the extra hand holding and 1-on-1 coaching, along with the advanced training and other benefits provided through the premium upgrade, by all means, take advantage of discounted offer you will receive via email shortly after signing up.
They will provide a discount of only $19 for the first month and $47 for each additional month, for as long as you remain a member.
Here is a full breakdown of what is provided on the free plan, vs the premium plan…
If you’re just looking for a beginner training program and then find yourself ready to venture out on your own, try the free training program and then come on back.
You can then check out my How To Start a Blog guide and you can be up and running, with your own website(s), in 10 minutes or less at a much cheaper rate.
Either way, I definitely recommend you check out the free training and then decide.
I’ll leave you with the closing quote I mentioned on the show, “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
Give it a try, get started today. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.Mon, 21 Mar 2016 - 26min - 70 - Ideas For Quicker Side Income
In this week’s Podcast episode, I answer a question from a listener Christine. In that email, she asked what she could do to try and bring in some side income from home. She is unable to work a traditional 9-5 job in an office setting, due to some residual issues from a car accident 2 years ago.
As we speak about often on the site and Podcast, online niche website projects are not get rich quick schemes. They take time, persistence and dedication. You will definitely want to setup your own website and get things going, but if you have a more immediate need and desire to get income quicker than 6-9 months, you’ll probably also need to do some out of the box thinking.
That is what I’m hoping to provide for everyone in this week’s Episode and I welcome any other ideas you might have as well. Please feel free to share any additional ideas you may have in the comments below.
Tools Segment
In this week’s tool segment, I made mention of tomorrow’s free webinar from Andrew Hansen and Sara Young. They are both highly successful affiliate marketers, making a living through their online adventures.
Andrew is the creator of the Forever Affiliate training course myself and several others went through, a few years back. They are putting out the free webinar in support of their new affiliate marketing training program.
In the free webinar the will be sharing details of what is working right now, to make good $$ with niche websites in 2016. I’m particularly interested in the claims that one student made their first income inn less than 3 hours after starting and the screenshots showing one student had income over 10k in the month of December 2015 alone.
You can find out more details on what the webinar will entail in last week’s quick post here. Don’t wait until the last minute, as his webinars usually fill up.
The webinar will run live at 5pm EST tomorrow, March 8th. Even if you can’t make that time, be sure to sign-up, as they will usually make the recording available afterwards. I have no indication that is the case this time however, so it would be best to attend live, if possible.Mon, 07 Mar 2016 - 32min - 69 - Affiliate Marketing Frustrations and Tips to Overcome Them
In this weeks Podcast Episode, I talk about several of the unavoidable frustrations with Affiliate Marketing and give you some actionable advice on how to prepare for and overcome them, when they inevitably occur.
This is a super important episode that I will let primarily stand for itself in audio format, as I think you really need to hear it from me directly, to get the most out of it.
Tool of the Week – Market Samurai
Due to the recent pricing model change for Long Tail Pro in the previous few weeks, I was asked by several folks if I could recommend a cheaper alternative.
After some extensive research this week, the best option available by far is Market Samurai.
Much to my surprise, out of the 8 main keyword research tools that I found most mentioned and recommended, the only one that actually had a lower cost was Market Samurai and the great news is that it also the only one with a one time fee for lifetime access and upgrades.
Regular price is $147, but if you go through my link and sign-up for the free trial, no credit card required, you will get an offer to purchase the software for only $97. That is more than 35% off.
That special pricing will only be available for 6 days during your free trial, so be sure to take advantage of that special during that time, to get the best rate.
I mentioned all of the products I looked into and their prices in the Podcast Episode and I will also do a quick separate post in the next week or so, on the topic.
Here are two of my prior, very detailed posts, on how to utilize and get the most out of Market Samurai, complete with specific examples.
How to Choose a Niche Website: Keyword Research
How to Choose a Niche Website: SEO Competition
If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask and thanks for being a part of the community!Mon, 22 Feb 2016 - 52min - 68 - Audience Q and A
In this week’s Podcast Episode, I will directly answer some questions from audience members and we will also touch on a new pricing model change for Long Tail Pro.
Items Mentioned on the Show
Audio / Podcasting Equipment
Ellen asked about what equipment that I use to record audio and for the Podcast. The microphone that I utilize is the [easyazon_link asin=”B004QJOZS4″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”1063939-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Audio-Technica ATR2100 Microphone[/easyazon_link] and I attach this inexpensive [easyazon_link asin=”B00ACFAULC” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”1063939-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Wind Screen Pop Filter[/easyazon_link] to the microphone stand that comes with the mic.
This setup is one that has been recommended by many of the big hitters in the Podcasting industry and I have to say it has exceeded all my expectations. Highly recommended.
Amazon Affiliate Links
Erika and Rashad asked about using Amazon links through the EasyAzon plugin. Erika asked if the standard 24 hour cookie applies to links created through EasyAzon and the answer is definitely, yes.
Anytime someone clicks on one of your Amazon affiliate links, you would be credited for any purchases that person makes in the next 24 hours, even if they are not the item they originally clicked on.
Rashad asked if someone clicks on one of your Amazon affiliate links created through EasyAzon, if they then add some items to their cart afterwards, would you get commissions on those products for a full 90 days? The answer there is yes as well.
When you utilize the add-to-cart feature built into EasyAzon, or even if someone clicks your regular links and then adds items to their cart afterwards, either way, you would get commission for any items placed into their cart and purchased for a full 90 days.
EasyAzon allows you to quickly and easily insert Amazon links or call to action buttons, such as the add-to-cart button, in addition to providing you with the ability to get additional income from folks that come to your site from other countries.
Through their link-localization feature, your links would automatically point to products in their country specific Amazon site, where applicable. In that way, you would also get commissions from those sales, where normally you’d be limited to sales from those folks that are coming from your native country only.
You can grab EasyAzon for the discounted price of $29 through my link and that includes their ultimate Amazon affiliate guide updated for 2015, as well as two premium Amazon style WordPress themes as bonuses.
Domain Forwarding and Masking
This was an interesting question that I received via email from a subscriber, Allen. He asked if I had any experience utilizing domain forwarding and masking, which allows you to forward a domain name to a different URL, while masking the new destination.
I have forwarded domains from one URL to another when switching domain names, but domain forwarding and masking is a little different. In this case he was thinking about forwarding a domain name directly to a ClickBank sales page for a particular product.
All indications are that it is not against their terms of service, however, you would not want to do this for Amazon affiliate links. This would definitely be against their terms of service and it could get your...Mon, 08 Feb 2016 - 25min - 67 - Down, But Not Out
In Podcast Episode 66, I talk about some unexpected physical setbacks experienced in these last two weeks and some takeaways.
Additionally, I give a preliminary breakdown of some all-in-one email optin tools, that myself and a few others have been evaluating, over the last several weeks.
Items Mentioned on the Show
MailMunch – MailMunch offers a real interesting free version of their all-in-one email optin plugin. If you’re looking for very quick and easy way to add some optin forms to your website, such as a header bar, scrollbox slider, below post optin or exit intent pop-up, definitely check out the free version they offer.
The primary downside is of course, you are limited in the number of templates available to choose from and all of their paid programs are monthly fees, vs a one time fee.
ThriveLeads – ThriveLeads is the most full featured, all-in-one optin, with a 1 time fee, that we’ve tested so far. The cost is $67 for 1 website and $97 for an unlimited number of websites.
They are constantly adding in new features and templates and you have full control over how you can modify their existing designs. You can also modify their templates and save them as new templates.
With the added features, comes a bit of a learning curve, but they offer some excellent and brief tutorial videos and a quick start guide.
So far, this one is in the lead as my choice for a full featured all-in-one tool. Stay tuned to future episodes, for a full breakdown.
If you’re not yet on my email list, be sure to subscribe so that you know when those new episodes come out. If you do, you will also get my free Keyword Brainstorming guide, plus my bonus 7 Simple SEO Tips guide as well.
If you happen to know of a great all-in-one optin tool, that is free or has a one time fee, drop a comment below or let us know over in the Private Facebook Mastermind group. Thanks a bunch!Mon, 25 Jan 2016 - 21min - 66 - Tips to Focus on Now, For Success in the New Year
In our first new Podcast episode of 2016, we talk about tips to focus on now, to get on the right path for success in the New Year.
You’ll get some actionable tips that you can tackle right away, along with a story showing a prime example from a community member, on to build trust with your audience.
Links Mentioned on the Show
How to Find Your Most Popular Posts in Google Analytics
How to Start a Blog – 2016 Beginners Guide
New Features For Long Tail Pro Platinum Customers Coming Soon
Dirk’s Christmas Drone Gift Guide
The picture above shows the new working location for the Podcast. Sometimes a very inexpensive new desk (Amazon Link), only $49 when this post went live, and a change of scenery, can spark some creativity and motivation.
Do you make small changes to your environment to keep things fresh and keep yourself motivated to do your best work? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
Thanks and best wishes for success in 2016 and beyond!Mon, 11 Jan 2016 - 28min - 65 - Dare to Dream BiggerIn this week’s Podcast episode, we talk about some takeaways from a book I read on vacation, called Happy is the New Healthy – 31 Ways to Relax, Let Go, and Enjoy Life NOW!.
It was a great, light hearted book about the power of positivity, being greatful in all aspects of your life and the idea of dreaming bigger.
Since we’re approaching year end, now is an excellent time to reflect back on the past year’s efforts and see what things worked for you, what didn’t work and take inventory of where you want to go in the new year.
Set those specific and measurable goals, but be sure to dream bigger as well.
Listen in to the episode for a full breakdown and some actionable steps to make next year the best ever!Mon, 07 Dec 2015 - 32min - 64 - Google RankBrain, Firefox 42 Privacy and Facebook Ad Training DiscountIn this week’s Podcast episode we’ll be talking about some new developments that have the potential to affect us all, as content creators.
Google RankBrain Algorithm Change
On Oct 26th, Bloomberg came out with a story detailing how Google started using machines to match queries to content in what they are calling RankBrain.
This has been in test since early 2015 and it has been fully live over the last few months, as the 3rd most important factor in their overall Hummingbird ranking algorithm.
In the Podcast, we discuss what that means for us as content creators and provide some suggestions on how to format your content to benefit from these recent developments.
Reference: Google RankBrain FAQ From SearchEngineLand
Firefox 42 Privacy Enhancements
We also discuss the latest Firefox browser update, version 42, which adds in additional privacy features and an ad-blocker component, which could eventually spell trouble for anyone that derives a large portion of their income from things like AdSense.
Tool of the Week
Our tool of the week comes from a discussion we’ve been having over in the Private FB Mastermind group for the site.
Endre asked about Facebook Ads and if there was an inexpensive training program that anyone could recommend on the topic.
Jarret mentioned that he recently picked up the Five Dollar Posts training program for FB Ads and he said it is great so far.
It is a full step by step video course on utilizing FB ads with a very small budget, to drive traffic, email signups, leads, etc. to your website.
They are currently running a special on the course for the next few days only.
The regular price is $37, but for the next 3 days you can grab it through my discounted link at the bottom of this post, for only $17.
This deal expires at midnight Eastern US time on Thursday, Nov 12th.
If you’ve been interested in learning how to utilize Facebook Ads, this looks like a great course to try. The course comes with a full 30 day satisfaction guarantee and several bonuses as well.
I took advantage of the deal myself (receipt shown here) and wanted to spread the word before it is gone for good.
Five Dollar Posts – Special $17 Deal
Conclusion
As I mentioned on the show, this will most likely be the only episode for November, due to some upcoming holiday plans.
There may be some Cyber Monday (Nov 30th) deals on products that I promote, like Long Tail Pro. If so, I will do my best to let everyone know ahead of time.
It will be easiest for me to do so via email or on the Private FB Mastermind group, so be sure to subscribe via email and join ...Mon, 09 Nov 2015 - 32min - 63 - Out of the Box Affiliate Marketing IdeasIn today’s Podcast episode, we talk about some “out of the box” ideas and methods for finding products or services to promote, that you might not have thought about otherwise.
Be sure to listen in to the episode for full details.
Sites mentioned on the show:
ClickBank
Commission Junction
Share-A-Sale
OfferVault
Odigger
Potential Search Terms:
“niche phrase” idevaffiliate
“niche phrase” postaffiliatepro
Tool Of The Week
Theme Forest – Several folks in the Private Facebook Mastermind group for the site, have been talking about Theme Forest this week and specifically the REHub theme for review style niche sites.
REHub looks like a great choice for review related websites and there are lots of other great themes out there to choose from as well.
If you are looking for a theme, I would greatly appreciate you going through my affiliate link. At no additional cost to you, I would receive a commission if you make a purchase through my link.
It helps to keep the lights on around here and goes a long way towards letting me know you are digging what I’m throwing down. I sincerely thank you ahead of time!Mon, 26 Oct 2015 - 29min - 62 - Listener Q&A: Content Writing, Essential Pages and Top Tip For Growing a Niche WebsiteIn this week’s Podcast episode, I answer some questions I received via email this past week.
Dave asked several questions. He first asked what options there are for content creation, other than outsourcing or creating it all from scratch.
He also asked what the protocol is for utilizing content from other sources, such as copy/paste, providing links as a reference, etc.
And finally he asked what are some important inner pages of a website, aside from the regular contact page, about page and main page.
All great questions that were answered, both directly via email and also in the Podcast this week.
Additionally, I was asked if I could provide an answer to the follow question, to be included with a blog post on another site.
The question was, what is my top tip for growing a niche website?
I cover all that and more in this week’s show. Be sure to listen in.
If you have any questions or suggestions for upcoming episodes, please drop a comment below or send me an email.
Those are the episodes that I enjoy doing most and I think they provide the most value for others as well.
Thanks for being a part of the community!
Mon, 12 Oct 2015 - 27min - 61 - Get Started Today!
All of us are subject to fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown and the list goes on and on.
We all have excuses or reasons why we have put off various projects, that we fully expected to start, but haven’t gotten around to.
Today’s Podcast episode is all about overcoming those fears, getting past any roadblocks and getting started on your first, or next, project today!
There is no better time in history to get started with an online business and in today’s episode, I’ll provide the motivation to get you to take that action necessary, to achieve that success you are looking for down the road.
It isn’t easy to take that first step, but you can never achieve your wildest goals and dreams, if you don’t take action now.
Whatever is holding you back, put that aside. No more excuses, no more setbacks. Take that first step today. Your future self will thank you! 🙂
Be sure to listen in for full details.
Also, if you are looking to purchase Long Tail Pro, be sure to grab my $55 discount off their annual plan, through my special link below.
Long Tail Pro – Special
And please, if you are experiencing any problems that are preventing you from taking action, stop over to our Private FB Mastermind group.
Introduce yourself and let us know what is holding you back and we’ll help you overcome those hurdles, so that you can get started today!Mon, 28 Sep 2015 - 26min - 60 - Listener Questions Answered
In this week’s Podcast episode, I address some questions from the community.
In our first question, Elizabeth from our Private FB Mastermind group asked if anyone knows a way you can record video in Periscope, which is typically in Portrait mode and have it look right on YouTube, which looks best in Landscape mode.
Our second question was from Marcus, also in the FB Mastermind group and he asked our opinion on whether we would take $100 to accept a guest blog post for your site. Great question and he received lots of differing opinions on that one.
Our third and final question for today was via email by Daniel, a fan of the show from Brazil. In that email, he asked my opinion on the idea of creating a website or sites related to upcoming community events, as a source of traffic. Additionally, he asked my opinion on a particular keyword phrase, in terms of evaluating the competitiveness of the phrase.
All of the questions were addressed in this week’s Podcast episode, be sure to listen in. Thanks and keep em coming!
Items mentioned on the show:
Long Tail Pro – Discount Link
Long Tail Pro Platinum – Lifetime AccessMon, 14 Sep 2015 - 26min - 59 - Protect Yourself From HackersIn this week’s Podcast episode, I talk all about how you can protect your websites and both your online and offline presence, from hackers.
This week’s episode was a direct result of the recent public hack that Shane and Jocelyn went through, over at the Flipped Lifestyle Podcast.
Be sure to give their related episodes a listen, as it was quite the elaborate hacking and it details just how vulnerable we can all be.
In this week’s episode, I provide a summary of the things they went through and offer several actionable tips that everyone should take right away, whether you have your own websites right now or not.
Items Mentioned on the Show
Backup Plugin: Updraft Plus Backup and Restore
If you are utilizing the Limit Login Attempts plugin for WordPress, I recommend that you disable and delete the plugin right away. I found out during my research for this episode that the plugin is over 3 years old, with no updates or support.
Instead, I recommend that you utilize the Jetpack plugin from the folks at WordPress and specifically, the Jetpack Protect feature. The Jetpack Protect piece limits bruteforce attacks to your website.
Zander Identity Theft Protection – They take over all the work to restore your identity and cover all ID theft events. Well worth the small yearly fee. This is one of those things that you don’t think about until you need it and when you need it, you’ll wish you had it. Definitely check it out, I am NOT an affiliate, I just highly recommend that you consider this coverage.
Amazon Affiliate Link
If you enjoy the content that I’m putting out on the Podcast, blog, or have gotten some benefit out of the FB Mastermind Group, I would greatly appreciate it if you go to http://www.nichesitetools.com/amazon before shopping on Amazon.
It doesn’t cost you a thing or change the way you shop, it just allows me to get around a 3-4% commission rate for anything you purchase within 24 hours of going through my link.
That will go a long way towards letting me know you guys are digging what I’m putting out there and it will help keep things up and running. Thank you ahead of time, I sincerely appreciate it!Mon, 31 Aug 2015 - 45min - 58 - The Importance of Mindset for Success
[powerpress http://nstpodcast.s3.amazonaws.com/nst-podcast-057.mp3] In this week’s Podcast episode, I talk about the importance of having the right mindset for success and give specific examples of different things you can try right away, to get in the proper frame of mind.
Be sure to listen in and share any related suggestions that you might have for others, either in the comments below or over in our Private FB Mastermind group.
I hope you guys got some great inspiration and motivation from this week’s episode and hope you have a fantastic upcoming two weeks!Mon, 17 Aug 2015 - 24min - 57 - Top Tips For Growing Your Email List FastIn this Podcast episode, I talk about not only how to grow your email list fast, but also, why you want to grow your email list in the first place.
In addition, I provide a real world example from the last few weeks, showing how sending out just a few emails to your list can result in significant income with the right, targeted audience.
And also a quick reminder, if you, or anyone you know is in need of web hosting, they can get a special discount through my site of only $3.99/month. Check out the link below…
Webhosting Hub Discount
Plugin/Tool of the Week
This week’s tool of the week of the is the free SumoMe List Builder Plugin.
Conclusion
I definitely recommend giving the SumoMe List Builder Plugin a try, to accelerate your email list building. As I mentioned in the Podcast, I will most likely also be trying a paid program in a few weeks, to compare my results.
I will keep you posted on the results and whatever way you go, definitely spend some time and effort upfront to start building your list. It will pay off in the long run!Mon, 03 Aug 2015 - 41min - 56 - Community Success Stories – First Affiliate SalesIn this week’s Podcast episode, I highlight the success stories of two folks in our Private FB Mastermind Group, Ryan and Christopher.
Over this past week, each of them had their first affiliate sales! I was super excited to see that and I’m thankful to them for sharing their stories with us here today.
In the Podcast, I highlight the key points and point out key factors that I think contribute to continued success over the long haul.
The full text of their stories is included here below as well. The intent was to highlight their great stories and provide continued motivation for anyone else out there pursing a similar path, to achieve success through online niche site projects.
Thank you to Ryan and Christopher for sharing your stories here for the community to read. Much appreciated!
Ryan’s Story
So in a nutshell here’s my story.
I’ve been Podcasting/Internet Radio and blogging since 2005, but never had any serious thought on monetization. I was doing them for fun and to help out my fellow indie musicians.
Although I am no longer Podcasting/Broadcasting or am a musician, I started a new radio station back in January, which also has a blog.
The site gets a new post at 3am Monday-Saturday, highlighting a new upcoming artist. The radio station never got any traction, but the blog has started to skyrocket.
The site gets 100-200 hits per day. After joining an affiliate training program and listening to your podcast for a few weeks, I figured I would join up with the Amazon and iTunes affiliate programs, since nearly all the artists can be found on both of them.
Within a week, I logged into my Amazon account and there was $3.18. Surprisingly to me, but probably not anybody else, that came from other purchases and not the sale of the music. But my point is that it worked!
I also want to throw out to anybody in the FB Mastermind Group that I used to create podcast artwork on Fiverr. While I no longer have the time to dedicate to the amount of orders I did on Fiverr, I am willing to help out anybody in the group with artwork or graphics that they may need. Providing they can deal with the work schedule of a truck driver. 😉 Its my small way of helping while I learn how to do this IM thing right.
I already have two niches picked out and am working on some pillar articles for them. I even have an idea for a digital product(s). It may take me years to get this all going, but I have a feeling it will be worth it in the long run. If it will let me be home to watch my daughter grow up, its definitely worth every sweat, tear and penny.
Keep it rolling!
Christopher’s Story
My IM Journey for 2015
I decided to learn about IM right before Thanksgiving 2014. Holiday times had made me realize that my current sales job wasn’t going to cut it. I was just going to try and earn money on the side, while I worked at my regular job.
That soon changed when my job slowed to a crawl, as people spent their money elsewhere.
So I sat there one day trying to figure out what I should be doing to make money. I could use my IT skills to do tech support. Nah, I’d been there, done that.
I could find a product and sell it online. No, can’t do that, have to have money first.
I could do online surveys for cash. After 5 minutes I never wanted to see a survey again.
I researched them all: MTurk, Surveys, Fiverr, Paid to Search, Fat Wallet, Textbook Arbitrage, Mystery shopping, YouTube vlogger. I even tried a few of these methods.Mon, 20 Jul 2015 - 27min - 55 - Blogging and Financial FreedomIn this week’s Podcast episode, I talk about how achieving financial freedom can help all aspects of your life, including your niche site projects and also how niche site projects can help you achieve financial freedom. The two go hand-in-hand.
Links Mentioned in the Podcast
The Dave Ramsey 7 Baby Steps to Financial Freedom
Amazon Prime Day – July 15th is Amazon Prime Day, where there will be hundreds of special deals all day long, for Prime members only.
Sign up for an Amazon Prime 30 Day Free Trial.
Planning to make a purchase on Amazon? I would greatly appreciate it if you would go through my Amazon affiliate link beforehand. Just head over to my link here below first and then shop as you normally would. I would get a commission of approx 3-4% for any purchases made for the next 24 hours. I sincerely thank you ahead of time!
http://www.nichesitetools.com/amazon
Long Tail Pro Version 3.0 – Spencer and crew will be having a special one week sale, July 16th-23rd, for the new release of Long Tail Pro 3.0. If you are already an existing customer, you can upgrade your current version for free. Just launch your existing version and upgrade when prompted. For new customers, I will provide full details and pricing in a separate post this week, once I have more info.
Dirk from our private Facebook Mastermind Group‘s new site:
From Where I Drone
Have a great week!Mon, 13 Jul 2015 - 32min - 54 - Alternatives to the Amazon Affiliate ProgramThis week’s post/Podcast episode is a question from Marcus. He mentioned that his state no longer allows folks to participate in the Amazon Associates affiliate program and he asked what other alternatives are available.
That was a great question and one that I know other folks have as well, since many other states are on that list and new ones get added or removed depending on various tax law changes and politics. The list of banned states can be found in the Enrollment section of the Amazon Associates Operating Agreement.
As far as other similar programs available, there are lots. eBay, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Home Depot, just to name a few. For a full breakdown, check out my previous post that I just updated, comparing those affiliate programs in detail.
I had planned to highlight two other services, one called Viglink and the other called Skimlinks, as a way to get around the Amazon Associates ban in certain states, but Amazon contacted both companies and forced them to disallow Amazon specific commissions from folks residing in one of the banned states. Further specifics can be found here.
Depending on the amount of income derived from the Amazon Associates program, some other possible alternatives could be to incorporate in a different state, partner with someone that is not in a banned state, or sell any Amazon focused sites on a place like Flippa.com or Empire Flippers. Be sure to do your due diligence if considering any of those options.
Question For You
I would like to ask you guys if there are any particular paid tools or training programs that you are considering purchasing in the near future, that you would like to know more about?
It has been a while since I’ve evaluated a new tool or training program and while I could just randomly pick one, it would be much more relevant if that suggestion came from you guys out there in the community.
If you have any suggestions, please drop me a quick email and let me know. Thank you ahead of time!
Next Week
Just a quick FYI, we will not have a post/Podcast episode next week, due to the July 4th holiday. I will be visiting family and celebrating the holiday with them.
I hope everyone has a great two weeks and for anyone in the USA, I hope you have a very happy and safe Independence Day weekend!Mon, 29 Jun 2015 - 22min - 53 - Real World Niche ExamplesLast week we talked about the 3 most common questions that I get in regards to niche sites, with how to choose a niche topic and how to evaluate competition being the top two.
In this week’s Podcast episode, I provide 3 real world niche topic examples and walk you through the research and competition analysis process.
Thanks to email subscriber Ashley for the suggestion for this week’s episode!
Screenshots From Long Tail Pro
Below are the 3 phrases mentioned in the show along with screenshots.
The first screenshot for each phrase shows several long tail phrases that I choose to generate the keyword competitiveness (KC) numbers for, sorted from most competitive at the top to lower as you go down the list.
In the second screen shot for each, I chose one of the keyword phrases that I felt you could compete to get to the first page of Google for and circled the particular spots that I would target to compete against.
Main Phrase: “best vacuum”
Sub-Phrase: “best vacuum for dog hair”
Main Phrase: “coffee grinder”
Sub-Phrase: “coffee maker with grinder”
Main Phrase: “kayaking and canoeing”
Sub-Phrase: “fishing kayak reviews”
Conclusion
Hopefully these real-life examples helped to show exactly how the keyword research and competition analysis works.
If you are not yet utilizing Long Tail Pro, I highly recommend you give it a try.
If you go through my discount link, you will get the Long Tail Pro Platinum annual plan, along with the Long Tail University training program, Long Tail Pro Private FB group and other great bonuses for $55 off.
If you have any questions at all about the content from this week, or last week, don’t hesitate to ask!Mon, 22 Jun 2015 - 46min - 52 - Top 3 Niche Site Questions AnsweredIn this week’s Podcast episode, I answer the 3 most commonly asked questions received in regards to niche websites. Coincidentally, all 3 of them were asked of me this past week from both email subscribers and members of our private FB mastermind group.
Top 3 Niche Site Questions Answered
The top questions that I receive from folks on the site are as follows:
1. How do I choose a niche site topic, or how do I decide between two different niche topics?
2. Once I have a topic chosen, how do I really go about analyzing the competition?
3. Once my initial site is setup with a core set of content, how do I increase traffic and rankings?
Each of those topics will be covered in this week’s episode.
Items Mentioned on the Podcast
Keyword Research: My Exact Process Revealed
7 Simple SEO Tips
Long Tail Pro – $30 Off Discount
For anyone interested in the Long Tail Pro Lifetime Platinum option, please email me and I can provide you additional details. Thanks!Mon, 15 Jun 2015 - 38min - 51 - Episode 50: You Guys Rock!This week we’re hitting a milestone, 50 episodes of the NicheSiteTools.com Podcast!
In this week’s episode, I wanted to personally thank many of you who have helped contribute to the site and show, either directly or indirectly, in the past year and a half.
If you regularly interact on the site in the comments, via email, or in our Private FB Mastermind group, you may hear your name on the show.
I sincerely thank you for making the first 50 episodes a success! With your continued support, I hope to provide value for many, many more episodes to come!Mon, 08 Jun 2015 - 30min - 50 - The Future Is Now: Periscope and Google Cardboard 2.0In episode 49 of the Podcast, we talk about several cool new technologies that can be incorporated into your online or offline business ventures.
Periscope
An online streaming app from the folks at Twitter, that lets you broadcast live from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Google Cardboard 2.0
Google announced this week that their Cardboard app is now available for iOS devices and their Cardboard 2.0 virtual reality system now handles mobile devices up to 6 inches in length diagonally.
That is great news for anyone who like myself, has the iPhone 6 plus and has been wanting to give the $20 Google Cardboard Virtual Reality experience a try!
Related Links
YouTube 360 Videos
Google “Get Cardboard” Page
The Google Cardboard 2.0 Setup That I Ordered
Google Expeditions Program For Teachers
Google Jump Capture Rig
Final Thoughts
These new technologies have some serious promise as a way to transform the way people consume content going forward. With the ability to provide an audience with real time, behind the scenes access and 360 degree immersive experiences, I think the possibilities are really endless.
I would definitely encourage you to explore these exciting new opportunities and see how you could incorporate them into your own online or offline ventures.
Do you have any experience with Periscope or the Google Cardboard Virtual Reality system that you could share? If so, drop a comment below or head on over to our free, private FB Mastermind Group and let us know!
Thanks a Bunch!
A while back, a subscriber Dirk had mentioned that he was planning to purchase several items on Amazon and he asked if I had an Amazon affiliate link for him to go through, as a way to say thanks. I received a similar query this week from another subscriber, Sarah.
First off, I greatly appreciate you guys reaching out to ask if there is a way you can give back to me, for helping provide you guys with whatever inspiration, motivation or technical guidance that you’ve received along the way!
If you did ever want to help pay the bills at NicheSiteTools.com, one of the best ways is by checking out some of the products or services mentioned either in the sidebar on the site or the resources page. For instance, Webhosting Hub for web hosting, Long Tail Pro for keyword research, EasyAzon plugin for Amazon Affiliates, Proven Amazon Course or Amazon Boot Camp for Amazon FBA training programs, etc.
If you go through those links, you would provide me with the opportunity to receive a commission,Mon, 01 Jun 2015 - 31min - 49 - Powerful Website Tips and Advice from Mark CubanThe motivation for this week’s Podcast episode came from a recent episode of Beyond the Tank, with Mark Cuban.
In this episode, Mark provides some powerful advice that is very applicable to all of us, creating websites as part of our online adventures.
Be sure to listen in for a full breakdown!
Tool of the Week
F.lux – Software to make your life better. F.lux makes the color of your computer display or mobile device, adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.
Screen use before bed makes you stay up later, makes you groggy the next morning and robs you of your dreams. No one needs that! F.lux solves and it really has made a noticable difference for me.
For Android users, check out Twilight.
Thanks to Pat Flynn for pointing me to F.lux and answering my question on Episode 288 of the AskPat Podcast.Mon, 18 May 2015 - 30min - 48 - Proven Amazon Course Review & Comparison
In Episode 9 of the Niche Site Tools Podcast, I will compare several of the most current and popular Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) training programs. They include the Amazing Selling Machine, Proven Amazon Course, Amazon Boot Camp and Dewable Premium Access.
By the end of the Podcast, you'll have all the information you need to help decide which course best meets your needs. You can then get started on building that lifestyle business, Selling on Amazon, where you can work from virtually anywhere in the world with a laptop and decent WiFi connection!Tue, 28 Apr 2015 - 29min - 47 - Ultimate WordPress Setup Checklist– Post Updated Oct 2017 –
Want to know exactly how to setup your first WordPress website?
Here is a checklist of everything you need to get your site up and running and be on your way to creating a successful online business. Be sure to listen into the Podcast episode for full details.
1) Sign-up for Web Hosting – I recommend Webhosting Hub for hosting. This site and all of my primary niche sites have been hosted there all along and I’ve been a very happy customer for the last 4+ years. Be sure to grab my special discount specifically for customers of the site.
2) Register Your Domain Name – I recommend that you keep your domain registration separate from your hosting account. NameCheap is my preferred domain name provider, because they offer the same great rates for both new customers/renewals and they include WhoisGuard domain privacy free for the first year. Domain privacy is only 2.88 for each year thereafter.
3) Add the New Domain Name To Your Hosting Account – To add a new domain name to your hosting account, follow the steps here for Webhosting Hub.
4) Install WordPress through the cPanel Interface – Instructions for installing WordPress can be found here for Webhosting Hub.
5) Change Permalink Structure – Permalinks control how your URLs look for your posts and pages. To get the biggest SEO benefit, go into Settings, Permalinks and select “Post name” and hit save. Your post/page URLs will them automatically contain keywords from your article title.
6) Change the Default WordPress “Admin” Account – To deter potential hackers, it is best to change the default WordPress “admin” account to something else.
To do so, go into your WordPress Dashboard, Users, Add User and create a new account, selecting Administrator for the role. Be sure to choose a password that is very difficult to guess and hit save.
Then, logout of the default “admin” account and login with your new account and go to Users, All Users and select the default “admin” account and remove it.
7) Essential WordPress Plugins
Akismet – Anti-spam plugin
JetPack – Subscribe to comments, related posts and lots more
WordPress SEO by Yoast – SEO optimization plugin; XML sitemaps
Google Analytics by Yoast – Track your stats in Google Analytics
Pretty Link Lite – Shorten and create memorable, “pretty” links
Updraft Plus Backup and Restore + DropBox – Offsite backupsMon, 27 Apr 2015 - 45min - 46 - A/B Split Testing in WordPressWhen it comes to A/B Split Testing your website, I’m sure you’ve heard the advice before. It boils down to test early, test often, test everything.
Good advice in general, but if you are early on in your niche site adventures, I feel your time is far better spent creating your core content and building that audience.
If you don’t yet have the traffic and following, it can be difficult to determine if improvements are the result of split testing, random chance or false positives.
You need a large enough sample size in terms of visitors, subscribers, conversions or whatever metric you want to test, in order to properly evaluate the results of split testing experiments.
That said, I’m not here to discourage you from split testing. I merely wanted to throw out there in case you are in the early stages of building your niche websites.
If you fall into that category, don’t get bogged down with trying to do everything at once. Split testing is something you can focus on down the road, once you start to get a steady flow of traffic, subscribers and sales.
However, if you are starting to make progress on your sites and are a bit further along, A/B Split Testing can certainly help you take things to the next level.
Tool of the Week
Until recently, most of the recommended commercial tools to help with A/B Split Testing, required monthly fees. Fortunately, that is no longer the case!
Optimizely is now absolutely free for up to 50,000 unique monthly visitors for 1 website and/or mobile app, per account.
That is great news, since Optimizely has always been one of the most recommended tools out there for A/B Split Testing. If you haven’t experimented with split testing just yet, now would be a great time to give it a shot.
If you are on the WordPress platform, all you need to do is install the free Optimizely plugin, activate, click the link to get your API key, generate that on the Optimizely site and then copy/paste that into the plugin and hit save.
Then, any experiments you set up in your account on the Optimizely site, will immediately be active on your website.
In the limited time I had to try it out this week, it really does seem pretty slick. You can change everything from headlines to colors, to call to action links, to images, etc.
Then when new visitors come to your site, by default half of the visitors to your site will see your initial, or control version and the other half will see the modified version. You can change the defaults and fully control all aspects of your experiments.
Then, over time, you can track which version results in more of whatever it is you are trying to measure, whether that be clickthroughs, subscribers, sales, etc.
Optimizely has a Learning Academy, where they walk you through exactly how to get started with Split Testing, in addition to an online community.
I have absolutely no affiliate relationship with them, I’ve just always wanted to try them out and am glad to pass along the details here to you today.
Links Mentioned in the Podcast
Social Media Examiner Podcast: Split Testing Episode
Headline AnalyzerMon, 20 Apr 2015 - 22min - 45 - Google Mobile Friendly Algorithm Change: What You Need To KnowAs you may have heard, Google is coming out with what I’m calling the Google Mobile Friendly Algorithm Change, on Monday, April 21st.
Based on everything I’ve read, this will be bigger than past Panda and Penguin updates!
Here is what you need to know…
On April 21st, Google will begin rolling out their Mobile Friendly Algorithm Change and it is expected to make the biggest impact on that day, with things finishing up over the remainder of that week.
What does that mean for me?
As of April 21st, you will most likely see a change in rankings and traffic coming from mobile devices. This does not affect traffic or rankings coming from desktop devices.
If your posts and pages are already mobile friendly, those rankings and traffic should increase. If not, they will most likely decrease.
How much of my existing traffic comes from mobile?
You can find that out by heading on over to your Google Analytics account. From there, select the site you are interested in and then go to Audience -> Mobile -> Overview.
You can see that roughly 20% of my traffic, over the time period selected, came from Mobile/Tablet devices:
How can I find out if my posts and pages are mobile friendly?
1) Go to Google on your mobile device and in the search box type site:www.yoursite.com, with no spaces.
For example, I would type site:www.nichesitetools.com
That will display all of your posts and pages that Google has indexed. If they are mobile friendly, you will see the “Mobile Friendly” tag underneath each one, if not, they are not considered mobile friendly.
2) Use the Google Mobile Friendly Tool here:
http://www.nichesitetools.com/googlemobiletest
Then plug in the URL of the posts or pages you want to check. If you are good it will say: “Awesome! This page is mobile-friendly.”
If not, Google will offer suggestions that you can follow to make your page/post/site mobile friendly, which should be tailored to your specific platform, such as WordPress.
How can I make my posts/pages mobile friendly?
The best way would be to utilize a mobile friendly theme, such as Divi or Nexus, from Elegant Themes (aff link).
Another method would be to utilize a plugin like WP Touch Mobile.
What if I can’t update my posts/pages/sites in time?
The good news is that you can still make your content mobile friendly after that date and the next time Google crawls your site, they will re-evaluate each post/page to see if it is mobile friendly.
However, I would strongly recommend trying to meet that deadline, if at all possible, to get the greatest potential benefit from the upcoming change.
References
How Big Is Google’s Mobile-Friendly Algorithm? Bigger Than Panda Or Penguin
New Google “Mobile Friendly” Algorithm To Reward Sites Beginning April 21
ConclusionMon, 13 Apr 2015 - 22min - 44 - …and We’re Back!Hey everyone!
I wanted to get out a quick update episode today and let you know that we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled full Podcast episodes on Monday, April 13th.
Be sure to listen in to today’s episode for an update on what’s been going on over the last few weeks and to hear about what is coming up.
Thanks for being here and for anyone celebrating, I hope you have an excellent Good Friday & Easter weekend!Fri, 03 Apr 2015 - 9min - 43 - Tax Tips for Bloggers and Affiliate MarketersYou may not consider your blog or niche site a business, but if you made any profit last year, you can be sure the tax man expects to get his cut.
Even if you didn’t have actual income, if you received any items for free, say maybe a piece of software to review or promote, you would need to record the value of that software as income as well.
The good part is that if you did have any income, you can deduct related expenses against that income, to reduce the amount of taxes that you have to pay come tax time.
Keep in mind, I am not a tax professional and I am merely presenting this information to bring to light some issues you may not have thought of, when it comes to blogging and taxes.
Please be sure to consult a qualified tax professional, since each situation is unique.
Potential Deductions for Bloggers
* Cost of domain names; I recommend NameCheap
* Web Hosting; I recommend Webhosting Hub
* Premium themes, such as Elegant Themes
* Conferences or seminars
* Hotel and transportation costs to travel to a conference
* Mileage costs for traveling to conduct blogging business or to attend an event
* Keyword research software; I recommend Long Tail Pro
* Business cards
* Paid ads on sites like Facebook or Google AdWords
* Your computer
* Blogger training courses, such as Forever Affiliate
* Your digital camera
* Design software, such as PhotoShop or Camtasia Studio
* Stock photo fees; I recommend PhotoDune
* Cost to prepare your taxes
* Autoresponder or email list expenses; I recommend MailChimp
* P.O. Box
* Postage fees
* Any giveaway prizes that you pay for
* Your home office, if it’s used exclusively and regularly for blogging
Those are just some of the potential expenses that you can deduct from your blogging income. Some may not apply, in your specific situation.
Conclusion
As I mentioned in the Podcast, this post/episode is just an attempt on my part, to make you aware of the requirement to report all income from your online adventures properly.
Here are some resources that you can check out for further details:
Tax Tips for Bloggers from Turbotax
IRS.gov Schedule C & SE
The links above may be affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I will receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. In most cases you will actually receive a discount. If you do make a purchase, I sincerely thank you ahead of time!Mon, 09 Mar 2015 - 20min - 42 - Cool Things You Can Do With Facebook AdsIn episode 42 of the NicheSiteTools.com Podcast, we discuss some of the cool things you can do with Facebook ads, to help you achieve your niche site goals.
That could include things like increasing engagement, driving website traffic and ultimately, increasing conversions.
In the Podcast, I touched on 3 main items that I think you will really like, when it comes to Facebook Ads. Those items are mentioned briefly here below.
Be sure to check out the Podcast and related resources section for full details.
Targeting Established Audiences in Related Niches
Facebook provides some great opportunities, when it comes to targeting a particular audience for your ad(s).
One of the best features, is the ability to target larger, preexisting audiences in related niches.
For instance, lets say you were a start-up retailer and you wanted to target an ad towards customers that are fans of Macy’s on Facebook. You could do exactly that!
That is a HUGE time saver. All you have to do is find related groups or pages with large audiences and target those folks directly.
Facebook Custom or Lookalike Audiences
Facebook provides you with the ability to upload an existing email list. Once you do that, Facebook will then create a “lookalike” audience that is very similar to those folks on your list, for you to target.
Since your email list is usually comprised of people that really resonate with your message, this can be a very powerful way to reach even more like-minded folks with similar interests.
Facebook Dark Posts aka Unpublished Posts
Facebook dark posts, also known as unpublished posts, allow you to create and submit ads without requiring them to appear on the timeline of your Facebook page.
That can be a great way to A/B split test multiple ads and also keeps your followers from having to constantly see ads in their news feed.
Related Resources
Definitely check out this first link below, which is a Podcast episode from Social Media Examiner. This is the episode with Jon Loomer that I mentioned on the show and it is the primary inspiration for this week’s episode/post.
Advanced Facebook Ad Techniques: What Marketers Need to Know
The links below provide some additional details, along with some specific steps on how to get started.
Facebook Lookalike Audiences
Why Dark Posts Are the Best Facebook Advertising Approach Right Now
How to Create FB Dark Posts aka Unpublished Posts
Creating Facebook Ads Without a Page
Getting Started With Facebook Ads
Facebook Power Editor (Requires Chrome Browser)
My Question Answered on Ask Pat EP 228
Conclusion
As I mentioned on the Podcast, there is a discussion in progress in regards to Facebook Ads over at the NicheSiteTools Private Facebook Mastermind group.Mon, 02 Mar 2015 - 20min - 41 - Q&A: How To Dramatically Increase Your WordPress Site SpeedIn this week’s Podcast episode, we talk about how to increase your WordPress site performance, which can have a positive effect on everything from lowering your bounce rate, increasing your rankings/traffic and ultimately, increasing conversions.
If your site is performing poorly, the opposite is also true. You could be missing out on major opportunities.
Items Mentioned on the Podcast
1) Backup your site with a plugin like Updraft Plus Backup and Restore.
2) Check your site speed via Google PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix.
3) Check your web hosting company for any specific recommended tweaks. If you are utilizing Webhosting Hub the link is provided here:
Webhosting Hub’s Guide To Speeding Up Your Site
If your host does not provide recommended performance tweaks, you can try out the suggestions provided at the links above, as they provide a great starting point, regardless of your hosting provider.
Conclusion
It is definitely a good idea to take a look and see how your site performs, through the eyes of Google. Anything you can do to make your site perform better, can only help to increase rankings, traffic and drive a better user experience for your audience.
If you have any questions you would like answered on an upcoming Podcast episode, leave a comment on this post or head on over to my contact page where you can leave a message on SpeakPipe.
Thanks and I hope you have a fantastic week!Mon, 23 Feb 2015 - 24min - 40 - Writing Great Product Reviews, Splash Theme for WordPress and More…
In this post, we talk about how to write a product review that ranks/converts and I also highlight the Splash WP theme, for product review sites.
Mon, 16 Feb 2015 - 27min - 39 - Keyword Research: My Exact Process RevealedIn this week’s post, I will be answering a question from an email subscriber, Stan, on what my exact process is for keyword research and competition analysis.
Stan asked how I go about doing keyword research for 3 different scenarios:
* Product specific sites; aka Amazon review site or affiliate product site
* Authority site
* Individual blog posts or pages
All 3 scenarios will be addressed in the YouTube video below. In the video, I show you the exact process that I utilize, with specific real world examples.
My suggestion is to check out the video and then immediately try out some relevant keywords of your own, utilizing the free 10 day trial of Long Tail Pro.
If you decide to make a purchase of Long Tail Pro after the trial has ended, be sure to take advantage of the discount provided through my affiliate link.
Long Tail Pro – Discount Link
I hope you find the video helpful and actionable. If you have any specific questions, please drop me a comment or feel free to reach out via email anytime.Mon, 09 Feb 2015 - 51min - 38 - Quick Wins: How to Get Easy Backlinks and Traffic
In this week's episode, we discuss easy ways to get traffic and backlinks, with the goal being some quick wins for everyone that listens in and takes some action!
Mon, 02 Feb 2015 - 43min - 37 - Pros and Cons of Building a Site Without Passion, Niche Research Process, Minimum Viable Product and Restoring a Site From BackupIn episode 37 of the Podcast, we cover several items suggested/mentioned in the new, private Facebook Mastermind group.
It has been a great first week in the group! If you haven’t yet checked it out, be sure to head on over.
There have been lots of introductions, questions asked and answered and connections made.
It is a very diverse group, with people in various stages with their projects and many different niches represented, all sharing a common goal of wanting to have a successful online business!
Topics Covered in the Podcast
In the group, I mentioned an interest in potentially creating a new niche site around a particular product on ClickBank.
The consensus was that I should build the site off to the side, document as much as I can and then reveal things in 2-3 months, as appropriate.
Based on related discussions, Marcus recommended giving some pros and cons of building a niche site that you are not necessarily passionate about.
Gerhard mentioned wanting to know about the process that I utilize as far as initial keyword research, competition analysis and product evaluation.
Bryan wanted to know when to publish a site, keeping the minimum viable product (MVP) method in mind.
All of those items are covered in full detail on the Podcast, be sure to give it a listen!
Tool of the Week
Out tool of the week came from a suggestion from Matt. He wanted to know how to go about restoring a WordPress site from a backup, which I also cover in the Podcast.
Since we already covered the free UpdraftPlus Backup and Restore plugin in a previous episode, the tool for this week is DropBox.
That is the tool that I utilize, in conjunction with UpdraftPlus, to backup and restore my site offsite. I also utilize DropBox as an offsite backup for certain PC files and to share larger files with others.
Just for signing up, you get 2GB absolutely free and if you sign up through my link, I would get an additional 500MB added to my account.
I would really appreciate that, as I’m almost at the 2GB max and then when you sign-up, you can get your family and friends to sign-up and get an additional 500MB per sign-up.
It is a great service and I’ve utilized the free version for several years and love the service!
Conclusion
The private Mastermind group has far exceeded my expectations so far and I am sure many other folks would agree.
That is where I will be concentrating the majority of my efforts as far as social media goes and I strongly encourage you to check it out!
Thanks so much to everyone that jumped in and participated right away. It wouldn’t be a success without you!Mon, 19 Jan 2015 - 51min - 36 - New Resource: Private Mastermind Group!
It's a new year, which brings new optimism, new focus and a new private Mastermind group. This group is open to anyone with a goal of achieving success with niche sites, affiliate marketing, passive income or anything to do with online business.
Mon, 12 Jan 2015 - 18min - 35 - Most Popular Posts for 2014 and Optimizing Results For 2015!
In this episode, we'll identify the most popular posts of the year on the site. I'll also give a full breakdown on what worked and what didn't, in 2014.
Mon, 22 Dec 2014 - 38min - 34 - Dream Setting – The Ultimate Path To Success
In this Podcast episode, I highlight the idea of dream setting. Dream setting is my way more fun and exciting spin on the concept of goal setting, as the ultimate path to success.
Mon, 08 Dec 2014 - 40min - 33 - New Mobile Friendly Tags in Google Search Results
In this week's post/Podcast episode, I discuss the recent developments coming out of Google in regards to mobile responsiveness and the upcoming use of the 'mobile friendly' tag in search engine results.
Mon, 01 Dec 2014 - 23min - 32 - How to Choose Affiliate Products That Will Actually Sell
One of the keys to making money selling affiliate products is promoting the right stuff. Check out the 3 main factors to consider when choosing affiliate products.
Mon, 24 Nov 2014 - 26min - 31 - Giveaway Winner, Viewer Mail and Lots More!
In Episode 31 of the Podcast, I announce the winner of our giveaway, answer some viewer mail and talk about lots of other exciting happenings. Be sure to check it out!
Mon, 17 Nov 2014 - 49min - 30 - Hosting Renewal Gotchas and Email Giveaway! (Ep 30)
In Episode 30 of the Niche Site Tools Podcast, I cover a suggestion from my buddy Marcus, to talk about increases in hosting costs after your initial introductory period. I also detail an upcoming giveaway that will go out to all email subscribers next Monday, Nov 3rd.
Mon, 27 Oct 2014 - 29min - 29 - Things to Consider When Changing WordPress Themes
In this week's Podcast episode, I'm excited to have a guess star, my man Mark Mason (from LateNightIM.com) and his response my question about what things to consider when switching from one WordPress theme to another.
Mon, 20 Oct 2014 - 31min - 28 - New Preferred Keyword Tool and Free Site Review
In this week's Podcast episode, I talk about my switch over from Market Samurai to Long Tail Pro for my preferred keyword research tool of choice and discuss the tool of the week, the Peek free website review service.
Mon, 13 Oct 2014 - 46min - 27 - Amazon, Walmart, Target and Other Affiliate Programs Compared
In this podcast episode, I compare the Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Home Depot affiliate programs.
Thu, 06 Oct 2016 - 38min
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