In other words, if you were searching for a solution to some problem you have, and the majority of us have the problem of not being rich enough to quit our jobs, and found a website reviewing a product or service, why would you buy from that persons link?

The Dangers of Writing Reviews.

Now I’m very guilty of this myself of the number 1 Bad thing to do. That being, turning your review into a Sales page.

It’s easy to do. You buy product X or join a membership program and the 1st thing you want to do is write a review about it.

Of course your intention is to get people to…

• Find your review and
• Buy/join through your affiliate link.

Pre Sell, Don’t Sell.

A good review should Presell the reader into clicking on your link and letting the vendors Sales Page do the selling.

Preselling is a process where you have to put yourself in the shoes of your prospective customer. I’m sure you’ve read your fair share of reviews and salespages and bought “this” and joined “that”. Did they live up to their promises? Did you get what you expected?

You have to give a honest explanation that will give your visitor a good picture of the benefits they’ll get. Then they can decide if it’s worth looking at, and let the salespage do the selling.

Explain the Benefits and not the Features!

Your reader wants to know what is in it for them. How is this going to help them. One of the other dangers is just rambling on about what something has… Not what it’s going to do to answer question A or solve problem B… I’ve done the “Feature Rave”  so many times I need to go back over what I’ve written and rewrite most of my reviews.

Again, your visitor wants to know the Good, the bad and the ugly about what it is you are reviewing. So what, they may decide not to buy it. Obviously it wasn’t what they needed. But they will come to listen to you cause you tell it like it is. So you might get your visitor thinking “Hmmm, heres a new product, wonder what Tim has to say about it…”

Be Negative where you have to be Negative.

Sometimes there are a few disappointments after you purchased Product X. So don’t be scared to write about those. I think it’s better to bring those up than have your purchaser finding them and then thinking..”Hmmm that was a little disappointing.. That Tim said it was good, but it didn’t do this or that…” Then I’m left with someone that ain’t so keen to listen to me ever again.

Don’t Review something you are Not Using.

Ok well I have done this once or twice way way back in the days of old. But seriously, if you are going to review something, buy the thing and look at it. Even Use It… Try it yourself. Find out the Good, the Bad and the Ugly ( a favorite movie of mine as well ).  Give it a Rating.

The Hardest Market to Sell to is Other Marketers.

Here’s the scenario… Some one discovers Internet Marketing. Just like you and I have. So they have bought Product X, that promptly tells them to promote it and they’ll make a killing…

Some do.. The other 95%, that’s the touted number of people who end up dropping out, Fall flat on their face but Product Y comes along with new promises… and the cycle continues.

The better Programs tell you to stay clear of the internet marketing audience and go after the other trillion people who are looking for answers to other issues… That’s called Niche Marketing. It can and does work!

Be yourself

Don’t try putting on the average Hyper Selling hat on and write something like you would write to a friend. Another thing I’ve been guilty of! Be yourself.

In the sometime impersonal world of the Internet, if you write like someone that your reader can trust, AND they think they’ll benefit from what you are reviewing then it’s highly likely they take the next step and check out what it is you are writing about.

Now you may or may not agree with what I’ve written here and that’s fine. I’d like to hear your comments on this because it’s a subject that has many sides to it. I’ve given mine, you are welcome to give yours. There’s nothing like a healthy debate and we may all learn something new.

Cheers

Tim Brownlaw

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Have you ever considered writing an Ebook?

What is an Ebook? Simply put it’s a book which can be about anything and is downloadable. Usually it’s in a PDF format so it can be read in Adobes Acrobat Reader which is available for free.

What would you write one about?

Well I’m always writing about something. That’s because I have a memory like a … ummm what’s that word… Oh yeah, a Sieve! So everything I do, I write it down.

For one thing it’s good practice and writing helps you solve problems, plus you’ve just created yourself a reference when you do solve the problem. Or you just write down what you’ve done so you can go back to it later…

But you might end up writing something that you can give to others to help them solve a problem you’ve just solved!

Or you just have a great Idea for an Ebook but have no idea on how to setup things to promote and sell it.

I was going to write an Ebook on this very subject.

But before I went blasting away on the keyboard, I did some research on what was already available. It’s always a good idea! And I ended up finding an ebook written by Alf Alexander Pedersen titled “How to Create Your Own eBook and start a new Income on the Internet!”

Now Alf is a prolific Ebook Author with his area of expertise being in the Database Side of things. But what he has put together in this ebook is simply explained in such a way that anyone can read and follow along.

So instead of my having to put together an ebook on this subject, I’ll use and recommend Alf”s book. After all he’s done all the hard work and I can go onto writing Ebooks on other matters, using what’s explained in his “How to Create Your Own eBook and start a new Income on the Internet!”. He explains it much better than I could anyway..

All the tools etc are Free.

Yes they are! Everything I have been using for my ebook creations are all Free! With one Exception…

Alf uses Microsoft Word which isn’t Free But most people have. Now I do not use MS Word or any of the MS Office programs because I use Suns Systems Open Office Suite of tools. Which are all FREE! Download the Free Open Office Suite here. The other advantages of Open Office are – It reads and writes MS Word Documents. Shhh don’t tell Bill and while it doesn’t look as “pretty” it’s much easier to use. It also runs on Any Operating System and the PDF Generation is just a click of a button. But again , most people use MS Word and it’s friends.

There is a section in the ebook explaining how to use Open Office Writer the superior equivalent to MS Word. Well that’s my opinion. As this ebook was written back in 2007 it mentions a couple of limitations that Open Office had at the time. These limitations no longer apply, so looks like I’ll have to write an “add on” to cover this but as it stands the information in this ebook still stands the test of being very worthwhile.

So if you want to Write an Ebook or two , then this is a very good ebook. If you want to be able to promote and Sell your Ebooks, this is a must have.

Rating

I give this ebook a rating of 7/10.

It’s a little bit dated ( from what I gather it was written back in 2007 ) but the information is still relevant.

There are a lot of valuable Free Resources listed. There are also a list of Free Ebooks available relating to Internet marketing. In regards to the Website building, he recommends a paid Tool but it’s a well known one and for getting a website up and running, it ranks up there with the good ones. There are always other options, but it might be something you’d be comfortable with. It was designed for someone totally new to Website building.

For now it’d get you going (Until I complete writing my own ebook on the subject). So get writing…

This has been a review about Alf  Pederson’s “How to Create Your Own eBook and start a new Income on the Internet!”.

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The following story might upset some Iphone Users!

The Blackberry is one of the mainstays in the Mobile Phone Market and have always intrigued me.

So it came to pass, it was time to upgrade my phone. Now I had a few choices, one of them being an IPhone  – the 3G which is the option my wife took. But I insisted on getting the Blackberry against the advice of all my Iphone using friends and Wife!

Why?

Don’t get me wrong. I think the Iphone is a great device, if you want a device that has the ability to make phone calls as well. What is an Iphone? Well it’s a device that you can use to wile away the time on your own or better yet, get into a gaggle( see note)  of other Iphone Users and do the same thing…

Note : I’m unsure of the correct “Collective Noun” for Iphone users. Iwankers maybe as in http://www.iwankers.com

The interface etc is brilliant – but I wanted a Phone!!!!!!!

And I’m absolutely thrilled with my Blackberry 9700. The keyboard is easy to use once you familiarize yourself with it, which doesn’t take too long to figure out with a bit of a play. I find the whole thing rather intuitive. Yes, it lacks the Iphone touch Screen but the small “touch” button used to move around with works like a charm.

I’ve even been able to knock out nice long text messages that keep up with what I’m thinking. In other words – close to touch typing. Well as close as you can get on any phone.

It takes good photos. Oh and I can connect my PC to the Phone via the USB Cable ( provided ) and wow – I can browse the insides of it. I can get straight to the images etc. Dump music on to it. Use it like a real device. It’s definitely not an Iphone – it’s PC friendly!!!!

Now I’m a bit slack when it comes to keeping my phone charged which drives my wife and kids mad if they are trying to reach me and my phone is flat. But now they are much more likely to be able to get an answer. The time required between battery charges are amazing… It lasts a long long time – how long? Easily 3 to 4 days.

The size and shape of the phone make it easy to hold and it fits in my pockets nicely. It even comes with it’s own little house ( leather pouch) saving the need to buy something extra. There is some contention in the family as to which way the phone goes into the pouch as its higher on one side than on the other. So does it go in with the speaker exposed ( my selection) or the other way so the blackberry symbols line up (my sons choice and hes an Ipod user…)?

It’s just a nice phone and I’ve had a few in my day and this is the best, well designed, easy to use, with a long battery life, Mobile Phone I have ever had the pleasure to own.

If you are not an Iphone enthusiast, then the Blackberry is for you. It’s a Phone!

Oh and my Blackberry is White, and it looks good!

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I just had to try out the Web hosting that’s included in the InternetIncomeAcademy members area.

What I had to do.

Register a domain name – I already have a bunch of them gathering dust so I chose http://www.virtualabandon.com

1. Change the Nameserver Settings as indicated in the IIA members area for the hosting.
2. Entered in the domain name www.virtualabandon.com into the Hosts Text box and clicked on the “HOST” button.

The hosting account was created and new entry appeared in my website list.

Then all you do is…

1. Click on the Login Button and you are taken straight to your Cpanel for that website. That’s a nice feature. No extra passwords to remember.
2. Under Cpanel – Click on the Fantasitco Icon and select the installation of WordPress.
3. Follow the instructions and before you know it, you’ve got a simple wordpress site installed.

Note: There is a more automated way available via the members area I haven’t tried yet. Umm yeah I still get stuck on doing things the old way. Actually I normally dont use Fantatisco but I did this time to avoid the FTP step.

All it takes now is to login with the details you provided during the fantastico WordPress installation and you can do what you can do with any WordPress website.

I’m not sure as to the number of sites you can have but keep this in mind. These sites will only remain while you are a member. Which isn’t a big deal as the same applies if you are hosting them through anyone.

There are videos to explain each and every step so you won’t get lost…

I’ve not yet tested out the “Website builder” that is provided. That’ll be next.

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Note: The prices stated in this post are for the 1st 500 Members as this is a new program. So you can lock in the special discount offer.

Now I could start out by saying – It’s only $1 for the 1st 7 Days then it’s only $27 USD per month from then on….. but that probably won’t grab your attention, although it should. Yes’ it’s cheap to try out and Yes it’s quite affordable as a Training system, but is it a good one?

Well I went ahead and spent my $1 to see what it is all about. I’m always looking for good training programs and having been a part of some and helped build one, I have to say this really did impress me and I’m still smiling.

Why?

Well the first thing that made me smile was, I was just about to click on the pay button and spend my $1 fearing I was going to be presented with a One Time Offer where you “Pay X more dollars and get this and get that….” What happened was a page came up explaining what an OTO ( One Time Offer ) is and how it can be used to help monetize your website and the explanation was impressive. As it’s a training membership they decided to have it as a lesson and Not a way to get more dollars out of you.

Then you get to the next page which talks about how they are going to do live classes on setting up a profitable website from scratch. “Oh no here comes an OTO” so I thought. But these guys are clever! Instead they throw about a few prices on how much it could cost you and state quite clearly that it’s for Free and included in the membership.

Now the fun begins

Most times when you land in one of these “Training Programs” members pages you sit back dazzled by everything that’s available. But fear not! There is a step by step guide to help get you started. One thing that stops people dead in their tracks is being swamped by “stuff” and not knowing what to do first.

One of the main benefits of this system is that it is very Community based. And you are guided on how to become involved in it. The Videos included in these steps are very clear although the 2nd one is rather long , over 42 minutes BUT it explains everything and is a must “View” if you are serious in using this system to it’s fullest.

You get shown how to put up your image on your profile so that others can find out about You. A Section for success stories. If you need help with a website, or want to call out to the other members to JV or whatever it is, you can do so via the Jobs Board. So if you have skills, you can advertise them. It’s all about helping each other out and getting paid.

If you are stuck on website building, which is a skill you might not have time to master, they have a Website Builder. And you are taught how to use that. Setting up a WordPress site is also taught.

OutSourcing can be scary

I’m actually very wary of outsourcing as I’ve had to “fix up” others sites / scripts freinds of mine have had done by outsourced services. Well you and I now have access to the same Website designing team as these guys use so at least you can have some confidence they’ll be good. It’s a nice option to have if you ever need it. I’m not sure of the pricing although from experience I know that you get what you pay for.

Webhosting Included!

Now I had to watch this part of the Video twice just to make sure I got this bit right. You enter in the domain you’ve just registered, click a button and Boom you are hosted. It’s all explained in the hosting section. Then you can login into that websites Cpanel and do all of the magic stuff. And this is part of the membership? It’s too cheap but it’s part of the membership. See I’m still reeling from just finding out about that. I have to check this out more….

Calendar and Todo Section

This is getting crazy! There is a section you can list your Tasks you need to do. Always a handy feature and again I’ve seen this service only available on systems costing a whole lot more…

I’ve not even got into the learning center yet.

Next Stop – Learn the Fundamentals

There is a section – as part of the initial steps – to go over and learn the Fundamentals. Something which we all love to skip But if you are serious at making an income online it is essential you learn the basics.

Then there is a whole bunch of  “Tutorials” and they are all available so you can look at it all. If you are new I’d recommend starting at the beginning. In fact it wouldn’t hurt to do that no matter what level you are at now. Repetition never hurt and you never know what little snippets you don’t know.

There is a Forum

Yep, every good website like this has a Forum. I personally hold Forums in high regard. In fact without Forums I’d not know what I know today. One bad thing about Forums is a lot of people have what I call – “Forum Fear”. Either because they are uncertain on how to use it and are afraid of “Stuffing up” or just don’t feel comfortable in asking a question in fear of others reacting in a “not nice” way. Or never getting an answer…

Don’t be scared of a Forum that is part of a a membership system like this. One of the things you can be assured of is that the other members are in the same boat. Those who do know the answers will give them and if anyone does act in a not so nice manner will be quickly dealt with.

No Question is a Dumb Question

Something I’ll say till the end of my days, and probably after that as well. As I teach “techy stuff” , it’s one thing I’m often reminding my students of… Never be scared to ask. There is nothing worse being stuck on something that someone else knows the answer to. Which is why I do what I do with my teaching as seeing others struggle on stuff I know drives me nuts and I’ll always try to get an answer to them. Which I can in IIA, in the forum!

Internet marketing is no different. A Dumb Question is a question not asked!

This is an Extremely well thought out Program.

What hasn’t it got? I come up with website ideas and can write PHP and design databases till I’m blue in the face, so I can really appreciate what’s been put together in InternetIncomeAcademy. If you don’t even do mildy well with the systems and the lessons provided only means you never spent anytime in going through the steps ( checklist ) and gone over the fundamentals.

I’ve just completed my profile and I’m about to make some entries in the blog you get as part of this system, so I’m off to get stuck into this.

$1 for 7 days….. I hope that now you’ll be prepared to drop your Dollar and check this out. Make sure you go through the Steps and complete each one… Which you can do in , oh about an hour I’d say… Not forgetting the 42 minute “this is an explanation of the world of IIA” Video. Yes I watched it all.

If I find out anything really good about this I’ll let you know.

If you’ve skimmed the rest of this post – see above – I already have!

This is Great Value

$1 Dollar for 7 Days to kick the tyres then only $27 USD per month afterwards (For the 1st 500 Members) . I mean , this has more in it than the other programs I am in and while I like those ( cause I’ve written about them ) I would seriously look at this and see if it’s a good fit for you.

This is another great way to get you out in front of others in a internet marketing community. Get the training, get the tools ( which has exceeded my expectations and leaves some of the others for dead ) and do what it is you’ve been wanting to do – Making Sales!!!!!!!!!!

Spend $1 Today and get cracking

Spend your $1 at InternetIncomeAcademy and get cracking.  You’ve got 7 days to cancel if you decide it’s not for you so you’ve got nothing to loose. (The sales page is a Video – make sure you watch it and you’ll see everything I’ve mentioned above. It is long but it’s time well spent)

I’d love to hear your comments about this so please feel free to comment.

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