One Minute Commissions - Honest Review & Demo

April 11, 2012 – 6:22 pm

I wasn’t planning on doing this today, but I got sucked into a VERY compelling sales video… and the rest is history

I don’t blame anyone for creating a persuasive video. I make them for my products, and I teach others to do the same. The problem is when they’re misleading (or if they’re so ambiguous that you can’t figure out what the product’s really about).

The product I am reviewing today is called One Minute Commissions, by Mike Auton. The name on the product is Rebecca Roberts, but from what I understand from the JV invitations I’ve seen, that’s basically a pen name for the actress/spokeswoman.

The product pitch made some very bold income claims, but what appealed to me the most was its apparent ease of use. It sounded exactly like the type of product that would be useful to many of my subscribers. So I went ahead and bought it for $46.00 so I could review it.

The payment processor is ClickSure, and it was my first time encountering them. It appears that they are attempting to compete with ClickBank, so I went ahead and signed up for an affiliate account too; perhaps I can report more about them later. It seems they are UK-based, and just entering the business. My credit card company called me within one minute of placing my order, to ask if it was fraudulent.

After ordering, I was taken into the upsell flow (aka One Time Offer), which is to be expected. Again, I have no problem with upsells. I do them myself, and I teach it as an effective marketing strategy. One of my recent launches contained the most aggressive upsell flow I’ve ever attempted, with multiple upsells, and it worked very well.

One Minute Commissions had a total of 5 upsell/downsell pages. My only problem with them was that the “No Thanks” link was hidden for a period of time to force you to watch part of the video on 3 of the pages. Other than that, the upsells seemed pretty typical and they did seem to be fitting with the main product (upsale for “Pro” version, etc.). I did not purchase any of the upsells.

The members area is well laid out, and easy to navigate. No problems there.

The training videos were very basic, but adequate. I had some problems playing the MP4 videos in my browser, so if you do purchase the product, I’d recommend doing a right-click and downloading the videos rather than streaming them in your browser.

The software itself (web based) is simple to use. It takes only a few minutes to employ the method, and I did not encounter any real problems while using it.

Here is a demo of me actually using this product (allow a moment for the video to load):

The software generates videos to promote ClickBank products (or Amazon products using their bonus software).

Those videos are then to be uploaded to YouTube, and traffic is to be obtained from organic Google results.

In theory, it’s a good idea. YouTube videos CAN be a great way to obtain Google rankings.

Unfortunately, the videos generated by this software are very spammy. They’re about 20 seconds long, and consist of one static image, with a random bit of background music.

This provides absolutely ZERO value to the end user, which means users of this software are basically spamming YouTube with these videos, and thus spamming Google with useless search results.

I’d be willing to bet that YouTube/Google will crack down on this practice, thus ensuring that it’s not a good long term strategy.

Therefore I do not recommend this product.

Here’s the good news…

With just a LITTLE more effort, you can use this strategy in an ethical and effective manner. Instead of using this auto-generator software, just get yourself some screen capture software (I recommend Camtasia, but there are free options like Camstudio).

Then for each product you want to promote, create a short review or commentary while you peruse the product and/or sales letter for that product. This way you’re actually providing something of value to the people who are searching for those products.

As always, you are welcome to leave your comments below.

Have a great day!

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Posted in Product Reviews, Search Engines, Website Reviews | 191 Comments » | Add Your Comment

Happy Easter!

April 8, 2012 – 12:26 am

(Fair Warning: Blatant Christianity in this post)

I’ve been meaning to post a “personal” update for awhile, and I think this would be an appropriate time to share a little of what I’ve been up to lately.

It’s been about a year since I came down with some health issues, which I reported in a blog post last year. I’ve been largely focused on my recovery over the past year, and I’m happy to report that I’ve experienced much improvement.

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and I believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today! I am very thankful for that.

I had the priviledge of painting a couple of pictures for an Easter-themed presentation at my church. I was given some Bible verses, and painted the pictures based on those verses…

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27: 22-26)

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26)

I’ve also had the opportunity to paint during some live worship services and healing services. It’s been a real blessing, and fun to see what God gives me (these are painted quickly and spontaneously). I hope you don’t mind me sharing a few of them, as they kind of fit in with the Easter theme too. Some of them have been more abstract, such as these…

Spiritual Warfare

Reborn Identity

New Life in Christ

Fire and Water Falling

We’ve had a lot of other stuff going on in our house lately too. As you can imagine, it’s always an adventure when you’ve got 5 kids. Still on the theme of NEW LIFE, one of our cats just had a batch of kittens…

We also got a dozen baby chickens, which we will raise for eggs…

Lastly, I know y’all always like pictures of smiling babies, like my little girl

I suppose all of this explains why I haven’t been posting many lessons lately (Don’t worry I’ll post more soon!). In case you’re wondering, my Internet business is alive and well, and bringing in plenty of passive income every month. In fact, my income has not dropped, even though I’ve been working less. The things I teach in the lessons and in my coaching club DO work

So here’s today’s action step: As you build your business, remember your true priorities.

Have a blessed day!

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LESSON #83: Mobile Marketing

March 31, 2012 – 8:25 pm

While there is a lot of traffic to be acquired from mobile marketing, there are also a lot of misconceptions about mobile marketing, and a lot of hype that’s been swirling around.

In this lesson I hope to dispel some of those myths, and clarify mobile marketing for you.

(Watch this video - it may take a minute to load after clicking it…)

Outline:

I’ll be focusing on four main areas of mobile marketing…

1) Paid Mobile Traffic
2) Mobile Applications
3) SMS Marketing
4) Mobile Optimization, Compatibility, and Targeting

Paid Mobile Traffic

See lesson #75 for more info about paid traffic. You essentially need to become a paid traffic expert to be good at it, but there is a lot of money to be made.

Some networks you may want to check out…

Google Mobile Ads (Part of AdWords which I covered in lesson 73 and 74)
Apple’s iAd Network
inmobi
Jumptap
Millennial Media
adfonic
BuzzCity
MobPartner
Many more listed here…

Mobile Applications (iphone apps, Android apps)

- Great way to make money
- Great way to get web traffic
- Give away the app for free to get traffic

Places to outsource an app:

vWorker
Scriptlance
Many other freelancer sites
Fiverr (See video for example)

Recommended web-based app builder:

Seattle Clouds (iPhone and Android. Includes submission to marketplace)

Marketplaces to list your app in addition to iTunes & Android Marketplace:

GetJar
Handster
appslib (for Android tablets)
Amazon Appstore (for Android)

iPhone vs. Android? Do both!

SMS Marketing (Short Message Service aka Text messaging)

As I explained in lesson #59, the money is in the list.

- Ideal for brick and mortar businesses.
- Also good for Internet marketers.
- Effective for affiliate marketing.
- Local marketing consultants should teach/sell it.

(See video of how it works)

Some popular SMS Marketing providers:

Twilio (See also Twilio VBX WordPress Plugin)
MobileStorm
Boom Text
Express Text
DC Mobile Text
Mobile SMS Marketing (has White Label)
Textmarks (has White Label)
Trumpia (has White Label)
Avid Mobile (has White Label)
CallFire (has White Label)

MMS Marketing - Similar to SMS Marketing, the only real difference being that you’re embedding media in the text messages that you’re sending.

Proximity Marketing - Messages are transmitted to mobile device users who are physically within a certain area. Bluetooth Marketing is a common variety of Proximity Marketing.

Mobile Optimization, Compatibility, and Targeting

- Most online businesses can benefit from this.
- Things have changed a lot since the WAP days.
- Mobile devices are adapting to accomodate standard websites.
- It’s still worth making sure your site is compatible and optimized for mobile.

Three ways to accomplish this…

1) Create a dedicated mobile version of your site (Most difficult. Was thought to be the best, but may eventually become obsolete).

-Detect and redirect mobile users to your mobile site. Use a script to detect the User-Agent using .htaccess, PHP, ASP, or javascript.

Possible locations of your mobile site:
m.example.com (this is pretty much the industry standard)
example.com/mobile
example.mobi (potential SEO conflict)
Redirect example.mobi to m.example.com

Tips:
- Keep the layout simple
- Make sure it’s fast
- Avoid flash
- Avoid javascript and other unnecessary scripts
- Avoid frames
- Design for thumbs rather than mouse clicks
- Prioritize your content
- Easy navigation
- Scroll vertical only
- Focus on one action

Mobile website building tools:

http://sites.google.com/mobilize (Free!)
yourmobisite
mobdis
mofuse
dudamobile

Do a Google search for “free mobile website templates” and you’ll find some.

2) Use Responsive Web Design, which allows your site to look good on any size screen. (Somewhat difficult, but may be the best long-term solution)

A tutorial: http://www.netmagazine.com/features/responsive-web-design

A quote from Bing search engine:

“At Bing, we want to keep things simple by proposing the “one URL per content item” strategy. For each website, instead of having different URLs per platform (one URL for desktop, another for mobile devices, etc.), our feedback is that producing fewer variations of URLs will benefit you by avoiding sub-optimal and underperforming results.” (ref)

Responsive WP theme: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/responsive

3) Use a WordPress plugin, or mobile-ready theme (Easiest).

Themes:

http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ (Search for ‘mobile’)

Plugins:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

WordPress Mobile Pack
WordPress Mobile Edition
WP Mobile Detector
WPtouch
BAAP Mobile Version
Onswipe (specifically for ipad and tablets)

Mobile SEO?

- Combine a traditional SEO approach (See lesson #76, 77, 78), with mobile best-practices.
- Shorter keywords are usually better.
- Mobile Sitemaps (see Google)

Additional Free Tools…

Check your page speed and get specific optimization tips at:
http://pagespeed.googlelabs.com

Test your website on various mobile devices at:
http://www.blaze.io/mobile/

Another useful site that Google has provided is…
http://www.howtogomo.com

You can do a mobile search at:

http://www.google.com/m/

Target mobile users with content that is especially applicable to mobile devices:

- QR Codes
- Social Media, like Facebook and twitter
- Use video
- Coupons
- Ringtones
- Travel information
- Games and puzzles
- Mobile ebooks
- Restaurant and business reviews
- Local business info
- Weather

Action steps:

1) Decide whether mobile marketing should be a priority for your business.

2) If it’s not a priority, consider implementing some of the easier steps, such as a WordPress plugin to make sure your site is easily visible for mobile users.

3) If it is a priority, implement multiple mobile strategies to attract as much mobile traffic as possible.

In the next lesson we’ll be looking at some more free web traffic sources and strategies.

As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below

Have a great day!

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Persistence or Luck? A Story of Three Real Bears

December 22, 2011 – 3:32 pm

I recently had an experience that seemed to epitomize many things in life, including business.

A couple months ago, the leaves were changing. The showing of fall colors tends to be short-lived here in Colorado, because the cold air and strong winds quickly come and whisk them away.

There is a particular horse pasture less than two miles from my house, that I wanted to photograph in it’s autumnal glory. A stand of tall Cottonwood trees lines the far edge of the pasture, and I wanted to capture an image of the horses in front of those trees.

The first time I stopped by to take pictures, the horses were in the pasture, but I had missed the prime light. It was too late in the evening, and the sun had sunk below the horizon. The trees were no longer illuminated, and they cast dark shadows upon the field.

I knew I needed to arrive earlier, so I tried again. This time I got there just as the magic hour was beginning. The light was great, but the horses were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were in the part of the field not visible from the road, or perhaps they were in the stable. I took a few pictures, but they were dull; simply lacking the subject that my artistic vision demanded.

So I continued the quest, driving by the field several more times with no luck. Each time, either the horses were not out, or the lighting was all wrong.

I really wanted to capture the late afternoon sun filtering through the golden leaves of the Cottonwoods, creating a backlight effect, and rendering a warm glow upon the horses in the foreground.

Finally I was faced with the possibility of making a final attempt to get the picture that I was after. It was the evening before I was due to leave for a trip to Israel. I was short on time, yet I knew this would be my last chance this year.

The leaves were at their prime, and sure enough… the day after we left for Israel, our neighborhood experienced its first snow storm of the season… and the colors were gone.

I’m glad that I seized that final opportunity, as it proved to be the one that paid off.

The horses were out, the lighting was perfect, and the leaves were aglow.

I got the shots I had envisioned, including these…

I was already happy with the results, but then something “magical” happened. Three bears arrived to the scene, sauntering along the creek that runs behind the horse pasture.

At first when I took this picture, I didn’t even notice the mama bear and her two cubs in the background…

Suddenly what had already been a good photo shoot turned into something really unique!

I was in the right place at the right time, and I had the opportunity to capture images that no one else was there to capture.

(View more photos and full size here on Google+)

So was it my persistence that paid off? Or was it pure luck that I showed up at the same time as three bears… something the neighbors hadn’t seen in decades?

I propose that it was a combination of both.

Now, before I explain what I mean… it’s important to note that I don’t really believe in “luck” in the traditional sense of the word. I don’t think that everything is just random, or determined by chance.

You might be surprised to know that the words “blessed are those” in the beatitudes (from the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus in Matthew 5-7) can be alternately translated as “lucky are those.”

In other words, luck could also be defined as an appropriation of divine blessing.

In my years of studying sales and marketing, I’ve read countless stories of highly successful entrepreneurs who considered luck to be one of the keys to their success. Hard work? Yes. Determination? Absolutely. But at some point along the way, they got lucky.

The Roman philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 BC – 65 AD) is credited with the quote: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In the example of my photo shoot with the horses, I had prepared to take those photos. I then persisted, when the opportunity failed to present itself.

Finally, when the opportunity materialized, I was able to sieze the lucky moment, because I had prepared and positioned myself to do so.

The same principle applies to your business. In The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship, William D. Bygraves wrote:

“In entrepreneurship, it is a question of recognizing a good opportunity when you see one and having the skills to convert that opportunity into a thriving business. To do that, you must be prepared.”

Where the opportunity actually comes from, I’ll leave it up to you to decide. In the case of three bears showing up to my photo shoot, it seems like more than a coincidence.

As always, you are welcome to leave your comments below.

Have a great day!

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Happy Thanksgiving 2011

November 24, 2011 – 2:14 pm

Happy Thanksgiving! I realize that only about half of Eric’s Tips readers are in the USA, but gratitude transcends all borders.

First, I want everyone reading this to know that I’m thankful for YOU. Without you, Eric’s Tips wouldn’t exist. Here’s a small free gift as a token of my appreciation. It’s an ebook containing Google traffic strategies. It also includes Master Resale Rights, and comes with a sales page and graphics. Click here to download… (Zip file)

Next, here is the 4th annual Eric’s Tips Thanksgiving contest!

It’s a good thing to express your gratitude for what you’re thankful for. In fact, it’s been shown to have health benefits.

So once again, we are going to do a group exercise to demonstrate our thankfulness.

All you have to do is post a comment below saying something you’re thankful for. It could be one word, or it could be much more… it’s up to you.

UPDATE: The two winners of the contest (randomly chosen, using Random.org) are Timothy Jordan and Edwin Brown. Congratulations! You will each be getting a free copy of my upcoming product. I’ll email you when it’s released in the next week or so.

Here is something I’m thankful for…

(My 5 kids with t-shirts from Israel. It’s sort of an inside joke in our family. Our home schooled kids had made up a funny song to memorize the bodies of water in the Middle East… so we had to get these shirts when we saw them.)

Please post a comment below and let us know what you’re thankful for

Have a great day and a happy Thanksgiving!

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