Pro Business Tips

8 Tips for Choosing a Winning Domain Name

For those of you interested in setting up a niche blog to make some cash, you need a winning domain name or it isn't worth the effort. So before you plunge into the world of blogging, I recommend registering a killer domain name. Here are my top 8 tips for getting there:

1. Keep it short and memorable. Pretty much all three, four, and even five-letter names are long gone but a couple of clever words strung together are always a good bet.
2. Consider type-in traffic. Don't make the name impossible to spell or remember.
3. Make your domain name consistent with your topic and better yet, make it the same as your company name. Once you register the domain as your company name, it's in effect copyrighted.
4. Try for .com. Nothing else is really worth it, with the possible exception of .net.
5. Secure other variations. Even though you should always go with the .com variant, make sure to lock up the .net and .org alternatives. There are others too but start with those first, as they are the oldest, most established, and most important.
6. Avoid trademarked names unless you enjoy getting threatening letters from lawyers and getting sued.
7. Do the friend test. Throw the name out to your trusted friends and families before locking it in.
8. Use a domain name generator to find name ideas for your blog business. A great one is MakeWords.com

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Advertorial Blogging

A few years ago when I worked at one major media company, there was a lot of internal debate between business development and editorial when a Volvo advertorial appeared on the network of sites. Why? The advertorial was so subtle it was indistinguishable from content, with the sole exception of a virtually invisible 7-point disclaimer buried in grey text at the footer of the piece.

These days, a more extreme example is raging in the blogging community. Several sites, including Blogsvertise, PayPerPost.com, ReviewMe, and SponsoredReviews.com are paying bloggers to review sites and products for advertisers, as well as link to their sites to increase SEO.

To many bloggers, this is a sell-out and naked shilling. But other bloggers say that as long as they maintain editorial discretion, why shouldn’t they be able to make some money through reviews.

If you can live with the ethical gray boundaries, it's another way to make cash. But you have to balance that against the integrity of your content and what sort of relationship you want to build with your users.

What do you think of advertorial blogging? Would you do it?

The 5 Rules of Traffic Building Link Exchanges

There's probably no more proven way to generate traffic than via link exchanges. This is where you promote a site with a link in exchange for the same on a partner site. 

There are many places where you can put this link list, such as a Resources or Partners link list.

But before you approach a webmaster or blogger for a link exchange, it's important to keep the following in mind:

1. Avoid using canned emails. Nothing is a bigger turn off to bloggers than an auto-generated email (or one that lacks any personal touches).
2. Know who you are talking to. Just as bad is being pitched to by someone who gets your business or personal details wrong. For example, if someone approached me and said they love Pro Shopping Tips and can't wait to do a link exchange. Get the person’s name, business, and URL right.  
3. Keep it your pitch brief; it shouldn't be longer than 2-3 paragraphs. Make a quick introduction and then get to the point. Make sure you include the URL to where your link list will be. Also, you will really get their attention if you compliment them on something they've they’ve recently written or a new product feature.
4. Highlight the benefits of link exchange - it’ll have more chance of success if there’s something in it for the partner you’re pitching to. Clearly outline what you’re asking for and how it will your prospective partner.
5. Be polite. An obvious point but you'd be surprised how many people actually turn requests into demands.

Blogging - Should You Host or Take a Pass?

There are several platform choices but they can principally be divided into hosted and non-hosted solutions. Both have their advantages and disadvantages:

Hosted (Blogger, Typepad, Tumblr)

Good

• Easy to learn, set-up, and maintain
• Cheap (Typepad) or free (Blogger, Tumblr)
• Software is updated automatically so you always have cutting edge technology

Bad

• Not as customizable in terms of design, configuration, plug-ins
• Difficult to port over to a non-hosted platform like Wordpress
• Generic URL at free or lower cost level

Non-Hosted (Wordpress, Movable Type)

Good

• Complete customization
• Large developer community create widgets, add-ons, especially in the case of Wordpress

Bad

• Finding a dependable host can be tricky
• Complicated set-up
• Updates aren't always easy and require some fiddling around

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My 9 Favorite Blogs for Making Money Online

There's a ton of good, free resources out there to help you make money online. If you are looking to supplement your reading beyond this blog, I recommend the following sites:

• Copyblogger - Features indispensible blog writing and marketing tips.
• Dosh Dosh - Superb internet marketing and money making advice blog.
• Mashable - Social networking and must-read Web trends blog.
• ProBlogger - Best of the best for making money blogging.
• Internet Business Mastery - Outstanding resource for creating and building an online business.
• Get Elastic - Excellent blog for e-commerce entrepreneurs.
• Inside AdSense - Must read for Google Adsense users.
• Silicon Alley Insider - Great site for getting the big picture view on technology and business movers and shakers.
  
• The Blog of Tim Ferriss - The "The 4-Hour Work Week" provides key insights into lifestyle design, which is why we are trying to make money in the first place, right?

What are your favorites?

Traffic Building Strategies with RSS

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML-based format for content distribution. If you click on the orange RSS icon in the "Stay in Touch" section to the far right on this blog, you will an example of it that allows you to subscribe to this blog's content.

The advantage for a subscriber of this type of content is that it saves users from having to come to your site to find a new content. That's because the RSS feed fetches new content automatically and serves as a reminder of the content you are creating. But, if the content is compelling, this should encourage future visits to your site and drive loyal traffic.

Most blog providers like Typepad, Blogger, and Wordpress feature RSS--and therefore the ability to syndicate your content--as standard fare or as a free, easily integrated option. Take advantage of it.

Affiliate Marketing with Commission Junction, Part 2

In the previous post, I took a look at to set-up an account on Commission Junction. Once you've signed up, it can be a little overwhelming as you make your way around the site. Commission Junction, also know as CJ, isn't known for having a great user interface. That said, here's what you need to do.

1. Log-in to your account.
2. Click on the "Get Links" account.
3. You will see a whole bunch of potential advertisers. Click on a category of interest.
4. Each advertiser has a bunch of stats. The important thing to look for the Network Earnings column. Anything with 4 or 5 bars means it's an advertiser worth applying to.
5. Each advertiser has it's own terms and conditions for who they accept so go ahead and apply to a bunch of advertisers. You can do this by clicking in the check-box beside each advertiser and then clicking "Apply to Program."
6. It's best to have a website before you start applying as you will be rejected pretty much automatically if you don't.
7. Some advertisers have manual review processes and some approve you automatically.
8. Once you've been approved, head back and click on the advertiser to get the code to embed in your blog or site.
9. I recommend you choose "Yes" and opt to encrypt link, set link to open in a new browser window, and hide the tracking code in the link.
10. Check back every couple of days to see your stats. The minimum pay-out is $50 and can be made direct deposit to your account once a month.

Affiliate Marketing with Commission Junction, Part 1

Commission Junction is a pioneer in the affiliate marketing space and is one the most respected too. Founded in 1998, Commission Junction has deep relations with companies in every imaginable vertical and representing every possible genre. It's terrific especially for smaller publishers because you can get advertising inventory for your site from huge brand names, like Apple, Canon, American Express, Sears, Expedia, Disney, Best Buy, and thousands of others. These advertisers provide some important brand equity by association lift and give your site a halo effect. Just as important, it makes your site look more professional.

In the next post, I will take a look at how Commission Junction works. In the meantime, head over to cj.com to get signed-up. It's free and easy.

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5 Steps to Building a Thriving Online Community

Getting comments on a blog or content-based website is one of the toughest things to do with but it's a great way to grow your community and gain a loyal following. Here are a few tricks:

1. Call to Action
   This is one of my favorite strategies. At the end of your post, solicit feedback/commenting by asking the reader something like "What do you think?" A blog that does this to great effect is Brownstoner, the Brookl-based real estate blog. They feature a restaurant of the day and will end their post with something like "What's your take on this place?" to encourage comments.
2. Be Open-Ended
   Although it might sound counter-intuitive, try not to write everything you can on a single topic. This encourages users to add their ideas and opinions.
3. Interact with Users
   When you do get a comment, you should try and interact with your readers. This creates a culture and expectation of future interaction and adds value to your users experience.
4. Be Controversial
   You have to be careful here and have a thick skin but many a successful political blog, like Daily Kos, have thrived at being controversial by cultivating a unique editorial perspective.
5. Moderation
   It's important to keep an eye on your comments and establish early on what's acceptable (swear words?) and not (denying the Holocaust). You may even want to draft a comment policy and consider using a spam filter to block words you don't want. Many blog software platforms, like Typepad and Wordpress also gives you the ability to review comments before they are posted.

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The 4 Most Important Types of Blog Posts

There are many types of posts. This isn't an exhaustive list but a survey of a handful of the most popular styles. Here are the four most important that are great for grabbing eyeballs:

1. Instructional
   How to do something ("How to Repair the Engine of Your Car") posts are very popular because one of the main reasons people use the Web is to find help or information to solve some problem. If you look at the popular social news bookmarking site Digg, you will a lot of stories that go viral and hit the front page follow this format.
2. Informational
   Posts that explain or define a topic are also very popular. A blog that does this very well is How Stuff Works. Check it out.
3. Reviews
   This genre comes in all shapes and styles and can be about anything. Check out Consumer Reports for example, which has a series of blogs that review popular items such as cars and electronics.
4. Lists
   These are generally easy to write and very popular on the Web. Bloggers love to link to these, as well. See Swiss Watch Boutique's "6 Things to Avoid Doing with Your Watch" for a good example.

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