Setting Up A Local Comparison Shopping Engine

February 4, 2011 0 Comments

We have already discussed ways to setup a comparison shopping website with the help of a few scripts, but now there is a way to setup a local comparison shopping website. A company called Lucky Local is providing an api script that provides users with the ability to create a quality local product comparison website. These are growing these days as consumers look locally for cheaper products and the ability to pick them up from the store.

Lucky Local charges monthly for their API script at $19.99 per month. Each affiliate is required to maintain the relationship with the merchant via affiliate networks such as Commission Junction or Linkshare. This enables Lucky Local to stay away from dealing with all of the potential merchants. If you sign up now for the script, they will provide you with 90 Days free to test and implement their API scripts. This is a great deal and can help you find out if a local shopping engine will work for you.

Affiliates are provided with different implementation tools such as widgets or full blown websites that can handle customer requests. Widgets can be used on websites that are already complete and just need some extra ways to earn money. If you are new the the space, you can get full source code for a functioning website based on the Lucky Local API. This makes it easy for anyone to start their own local comparison shopping website. To see all of the examples, you can check out their wiki.

They provide each affiliate with three different integration methods. They call them Basic, Standard, and Advanced. Each one has its perks depending on what you want to do. They provide you with a demo of each version along with the ability to download all of the source code from the demo and any applicable documentation. Once you modify the source code to meet your needs, then you are off and running. Below is a screenshot of the Advanced integration.

The Realities of Making Money Online

January 28, 2011 1 Comment

Making money online is a dream of many. People think making money online is easier than a traditional job and can be achieved quickly. There are thousands of ways to “make money” online when someone searches on Google, but how many of them are actually legitimate? The reality of making money online is only about 1 percent of all that attempt to make money actually do. This is a very small amount of people compared to the millions that try it every year. Here are some of the realities of making money online.

Reality: Money Making Programs/Get Rich Quick Programs Do Not Work.

Learn how to make $5000 a day without doing any work! Making money online is not as easy as many show it to be. It takes dedication and a lot of work to start producing a good amount of money online. The harsh reality is that most of the money making programs are just simple schemes that are making the creator money. People who want to learn how to make money online think that the low cost of the program is worth it. Most money making programs are priced low to entice people order them. This is the true secret to why the person who is selling the program or secret is making so much money each day. When someone purchases a program, they usually do so because they have been taken by the sales letter. This is something created to “sell” you on the idea of purchasing the program. Many use testimonials from “expert” individuals in their respective fields raving about the product being pitched. Most of these “experts” are actually paid to provide these glowing testimonials, and many have never actually used the product. If someone is wishing to make money online, then simply stay away from any money making program.

Reality: Making Money online is Difficult and Time Consuming.

Making money doing anything is never really easy. Everything takes effort and making money online is no exception. The people who actually make decent money online have dedicated their time and effort to do so. Many of them have researched their idea for countless hours to create the right approach. Many have paid others to help solidify their idea or product. There is really nothing online that will make you good money with only a couple hours of work each day. If someone wants to try their hand in making money online, then they have to be ready to invest the time that is necessary. The beginning of any venture is where most of the hours will add up. Some of the most successful money makers have worked up to 18 hours a day starting out their online idea or product. If this amount of time is not available, then making money online might not work.

Reality: Blogging is one of the Hardest Ways to Make Money Online.

Blogging has exploded over the past couple of years and it doesn’t seem to slowing down anytime soon. There are thousands of blogs that divulge the “secrets” to making money blogging, but all of them tell a similar story. The truth behind blogging is only the most dedicated and unique bloggers actually succeed. The only way to truly make money blogging is to find a niche that has not been covered well and the start building your blog around that niche. The main thing is if the passion for the subject matter does not exist, then the blog will fail. Most bloggers only blog because they think they can make money with their subject matter. The problem here is their subject matter tends to be the exact same as a countless number of other blogs. With high competition comes a reduced possibility of making money online. If someone wants to make money blogging, stick to something that you are passionate about and that does not have a lot of competition online. One thing to remember is that blogging was first created in order to express ideas and opinions. It did not take long for others to exploit that fact that money could be made doing so and now that everyone knows, everyone tries.

Reality: Affiliate Programs can be Promising.

Affiliate marketing is a huge industry, but very few actually know how to manage affiliate programs. There are affiliate programs for almost everything online, from consumer goods to digital downloads. Most affiliate programs are free to sign up and many can provide great returns. Affiliate marketing is not very effective unless you have an established website that has traffic. The hard thing about affiliate marketing is most try to promote products that have the highest payout. This is the wrong way to use affiliate marketing. If someone wants to succeed with affiliate marketing, then they will need to choose programs that match their interests and the subject matter of their website. There is a time commitment with affiliate marketing just as there is with other money making ideas. Someone wishing to make money with affiliate programs must abide by terms set by the affiliate program as well as follow promotions and other selling points. While there are many ways to make money online with affiliate marketing, it is a hard industry to get into. One must know the correct ways to succeed. There are many great free eBooks out there that provide great information on how to start with affiliate marketing. Do not pay for an eBook that will “show” you how to market affiliate programs, as they tend to be a large waste of money. Affiliate programs are the most promising solution for making money online, but remember to do the research before jumping in.

The main idea to take away from this is that making money online is very difficult. Many try and fail. If you are looking for a get rich quick idea, then you will not succeed with making money online. Most of the people that make money are the ones that sell the get rich quick schemes. Very few succeed in these programs, but money still comes in for the creators as people purchase to make money fast. The words make money and fast should never be put together. This is a fantasy that has only been multiplied as the world-wide economy fell apart. If you are interested in making money online, then use your existing talents to do so. There are many websites that allow you to become a freelancer and provide services to others for payment. This is a legitimate way to earn cash online by only using what you know and enjoy. Not only does it work, but it is also fulfilling and that is something that many tend to forget. Fulfillment keeps us motivated and on the right track to achieving our goals. Just remember that “money does not buy happiness”, which is just as true when trying to make money online.

The Ten Important Steps To Online Success

August 26, 2010 1 Comment

This is a guest post by Josephine Bøttger. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

I’ve been noticing lately that the biggest problem in online success for most entrepreneurs is not having the right strategy with a guaranteed system for generating income online.

So how do you take the first step in creating that system?

If you’re worried about taking this first crucial step — which is perfectly natural, by the way — I’ve got some great news…

You’ve just started!

You see, it takes three things to become a successful Internet entrepreneur…

1) desire
2) motivation
3) an action plan.

You’ve already shown you’ve got the motivation by being attracted to this post. You proved that the minute you clicked on the headline.

… Now here’s your action plan:

This is a guaranteed 10 important steps anyone can use to make money online. (In fact, I used it myself to turn a $199 investment into over $5000+ per month in online profit)

Here it is:

Step 1: FIND A NICHE MARKET

Use research tools like Wordtracker to find a niche market of HUNGRY buyers eager for your product or service.

Step 2: WRITE YOUR SALESCOPY

Write compelling copy that leads your visitors smoothly through your sales process.

Step 3: SET UP YOUR OPTIN FORM & AUTORESPONDER SYSTEM

Turn your website into a marketing funnel using a simple design, optin form, and automation.

Step 4: DRIVE BUYERS TO YOUR SITE

Create “paid search” ads that attract instant traffic (without draining your bank account!) and use free search engines to get your site “front and center.”

Step 5: DRIVE MORE CHEAP AND *FREE* TRAFFIC

Use strategies like article-sharing, blog commenting, social media videos and press releases to drive even more people to your site.

Step 6: USE EMAIL TO GET *MORE* SALES

Build a subscriber list of people who want to hear from you, so you can convince them to buy over time.

Step 7: FIND *MORE* PRODUCTS FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Offer your customers even more products you know they want to buy.

Step 8: GET OTHER PEOPLE TO SELL FOR YOU

Do JV (joint venture) deals with people to sell your products to their list of resources (and you can share the profits with them when their referrals buy your product or service)

Step 9: GROW YOUR BUSINESS *BIGGER*

Create multiple channels of new streams of income to multiply your revenues.

Step 10: USE HOT NEW TOOLS TO CREATE A BUZZ

Bring visitors back to your site again and again using the hottest new tools and techniques.

Of course, this is just a brief overview… My complete system includes so many tested and proven strategies you can use to create a highly profitable business, but these are enough to get you started.

I’ll be sharing more proven strategies with you in my next post.

You’ve already taken your first giant step toward online success
– don’t lose your momentum!

Josephine is the Author of her new Ebook Report “Insider Secrets To 7 Figures In Network Marketing”, she is a contributor on several blogs, and has set a goal to help 10 brand new people this year to get out of debt and take control of their lives by working part time from home

What If vs. What Is – Succeeding Online

July 28, 2010 2 Comments

We all dream of creating a site that everyone enjoys to visit and continue to visit day in and day out. Every thought is involved in what if the site becomes the next Facebook, or what if I can make tons of money from my site? Sometimes we get consumed with the what if’s of running a website or online business that we forget to think about the realities of running such websites. Starting an online business can be a daunting task, but if you take the time to create some realistic goals, you have a better possibility of succeeding. I am going to go over a few what if’s versus what is for online business and website goals.

What If: What if your website can make you a ton of money, so you can quit your day job and live off the fruits of your hardwork? Making a lot of money online is a goal of many, but achieved by few.

What Is: What is a realistic goal that you can hit with your website? The best way to succeed online is to create a goal that you can hit within 6 months, like get your visitors to 500 a day or get 1000 newsletter subscribers. Most people fail due to them thinking unrealistically and then just quitting. There are a small amount of people that actually live off the money they make online, and it didn’t happen overnight.

What If: What if my website becomes huge with a lot of traffic?

What Is: What is a traffic goal that you can reach within 6 months. Building up traffic is an on-going battle that every website owner works on. Without traffic, your site will never succeed. It takes about 6 months of constant work to get traffic levels up to a respectable level, but it could take longer. If you want to keep your dream alive, create monthly traffic goals so you can see some results. If you have outlandish traffic goals, then you will be more likely to quit as you won’t be able to hit those goals.

What If: What if you can sell ebooks/products on your website to make money? Ebooks are very popular and sell pretty easy on a lot of websites.

What Is: What is your expertise in the field that you plan on selling ebooks in? Selling other people’s ebooks doesn’t really bring much money and it doesn’t show that you know much in the industry that you are marketing to. I have spoken to many that think ebooks are the answer to a lot of money. The main thing that I tell them is that they have to have expertise in their field before creating an ebook. You can’t sell an ebook about making money online if you haven’t made money online. Sell items that you are confident in and that you know, not something that you think will make money.

What If: What if I enter an industry/niche online that is known for making a lot of money?

What Is: What is the reason for entering this industry or niche? If you main goal to enter this niche is to make money, think twice. Most of these industries are already pretty jam packed with competition and it will be very hard to succeed within them. Now you can enter the industry, but specialize in a small segment of that industry. It would be wise to enter a niche that you are passionate about, not one where you think you can make a lot of money. Making money takes a lot of time and dedication. If you are passionate about your craft, then you will continue to enjoy working at your website/business in order to make it the best. Entering an industry for the sole purpose of making money is the wrong way to start your online venture.

I am not trying to be negative in this post or crush anyone’s dreams. What I am saying is that if you want to start a website or online business, you need to have goals in place before you get started. You need to know where you want to go and how you plan on getting there. If you have goals and milestones, then you have a path to follow and hopefully a vehicle to get there. Going blind into an online venture will cause you to wander the online realm looking for answers to why you are not succeeding. The one thing that everyone is going to tell you is to create quantifiable goals that you know you can hit. Creating a goal and reaching it is very satisfying. The satisfied you are when running a business or website, the more you want it to succeed. Keep your dreams alive while understanding realistically what you can achieve. The main thing I would say is never give up. You might not succeed at first, but you will learn a lot to help you succeed later on.

Build your Own Comparison Shopping Engine

December 21, 2009 32 Comments

Comparison shopping is a big industry with a few large companies at the helm. The biggest sites are the likes of Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Nextag, and others. People are starting to price compare before they purchase and they go to these type sites in order to get it done. Have you thought of starting your own price comparison engine to make some money online?

While you can create one from scratch if you have a coder, it will be very costly and time consuming. You will never have a change to catch up with the large players in this game. The best solution is to get a pre-made solution that you can tweak and market yourself. We are going to provide you with two easy ways to start your own comparison shopping engine.

DataFeedScripts.net – This company has created an out-0f-the-box solution for both the Shopping.com and Shopzilla API. Now, you might ask, why would you try to compete with them if you are going to use their API. We say that if you can take the time to properly market your site, you can be large like some other companies that use their API’s. You are not going to try and beat them, but just provide yourself with an opportunity to make money online. This script works on both API’s, but you have to choose either Shopping.com or Shopzilla as they are two different scripts. Both cost $250 for the license, but there is no monthly fee. You need to sign up for the Shopping.com Partner Program or the Shopzilla Partner Program first before paying for this script. They will need to approve you into the program and if you don’t get approved, then you would have wasted $250.

Once you get in the program, you can download this script and enter your API information. You need a web host that can handle ASP.net, which is usually a windows machine. It would be wise to place this script on it own domain if you had the opportunity to do so. You can change the colors and many different aspects of this script except for the API calls. This comparison shopping script is for all the categories on both Shoppping.com and Shopzilla. This will provide you with a general comparison shopping engine. You can get it customized, but it will cost you. You get paid by having someone click on the products within the script, so you are paid per click up to 80% of what Shopping and Shopzilla charge their merchants. You can also place Google Adsense into the script as well to earn a little extra. This is a good script that can help you earn a lot online if you are good at marketing and SEO.

DataFeedFile.com – This is a 3rd party aggregator that takes the products from merchant affiliate programs and creates a comparison shopping script for affiliates. This is a free script and provides a basic comparison shopping script. You will have to sign up for each individual affiliate program that you want to publish on your site. This script is best if you plan on doing a niche comparison shopping site, like electronics or automotive. This can be placed on a subdomain of a site you might already own or it can be used as a standalone site as well. You can customized things to make them look good and add any advertising that you wish. This is a good starting script to see if you can make it in the comparison shopping world and you don’t have to pay anything for it. You do need to sign up at Datafeedfile.com as an affiliate in order to get access to this script.

While these two options might not work for everyone, they are a great starting point to see if you have what it takes to customize and market a comparison shopping engine. These type of sites do extremely well around the holidays and if you run it properly, then you can make a good amount of money online without having to create a complex website with a lot of features. These out of the box solutions are great for anyone and can help you earn the chance for financial freedom online.

iMark Interactive