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John L. Dilbeck's News Archive
John L. Dilbeck's Ramblings
Whatever strange and wonderful ideas tickle this big brain of mine.
ISSN: 1533-8193
Being a voracious reader, I go through lots of news and stories. When I find one of interest that I think will benefit you, I write about it here. Your feedback is always welcome.
News Archives
(See menu at left for the old archives.)
August 2004
Introducing DilbeckCommunications.com
Posted by johndilbeck on Monday, August 30 2004 at 8:15 PM
Category: webhosting
Cognigen recently introduced several new services.
Two of them are HostingWithUs and DomainsWithUs.
On the initial introduction of HostingWithUs, Cognigen announced a special on the reseller account: $17.95 per month for 5 GB of storage, 50 GB of bandwidth, and lots of nice features including a script library of over 50 scripts that can be installed at the click of a link, including blogs, portals, real estate listings, link management, and much more.
That special expires at midnight on August 31, 2004 -- tomorrow -- and after that the price rises to it's standard rate. It's not too late to get a bargain! Or, if it better suits your needs, you can get hosting for as little as $5.95 per month. Compare the plans to find the one that's best for you.
I already have quite a few domains hosted on several different hosting services and I decided, if I was going to represent these products, I should purchase them and test them before recommending them to you -- or advising you to stay away from them.
So, on Thursday morning just before 6:00 am, I purchased a reseller account at HostingWithUs, and registered a new domain: DilbeckCommunications.com.
For the next several hours, I investigated the scripts that are included in the script library and posted a message on the HostingWithUs forum in the thread entitled Information on SOME of the included scripts... that lists where the scripts come from and information on how to learn more about them.
(Since these scripts are already included in the HostingWithUs script library, you will NOT have to download and install the scripts. This is for your information only.)
So, I decided to test the installation -- and uninstallation -- of a couple of the complex scripts to see how it went. In minutes, I installed PHP-Nuke and b2evolution. PHP-Nuke is a database-driven portal system (also called a content management system or CMS) and b2evolution is an advanced blogging script for managing multiple blogs.
After making sure both were working properly, I went back to the script library and uninstalled both scripts. In moments they were gone and the associated databases in MySQL were deleted. Nice!
Now, I was ready to start building DilbeckCommunications.com.
I reinstalled PHP-Nuke into the /news directory and set up a redirect so that a link to DilbeckCommunications.com/index.html would automatically redirect to PHP-Nuke.
Over the next 48 hours, I configured, modified, and tweaked the installation to be what I wanted it to be: a portal where we can build a community of people interested in telecommunications. To that end, I set up a forum, enabled blogging (called journals in phpnuke) for registered users, and generally made it accessible for you if you want to come participate.
In less than 96 hours, I went from no account to a functioning website. That's the fastest I've ever built a site and this one has lots of potential for interaction and helping each other. Much of the credit has to be given to HostingWithUs and the outstanding support from their sysadmin and support staff.
The domain name resolved early on Friday morning -- less than 24 hours. Now, that's what I call fast.
Do I recommend HostingWithUs and DomainsWithUs? Absolutely, yes!
I'd recommend it even if I weren't a Cognigen agent.
By the way, you can save money registering your domains at DomainsWithUs and they have a very attractive rate for transferring a domain. I'll be moving all of my domain registrations from a variety of places to DomainsWithUs over the coming months. That way, I can consolidate their management and save significant money, too.
(The one exception will be any sites I host using Site Build It!, which is a different beast altogether. HostingWithUs is the best Linux/Unix traditional hosting service I've found, but Site Build It! is a complete web design, building, hosting, and promotion service that does more than any other service on the planet -- and does it better, too. Site Build It! remains my #1 recommendation if you want a site that sells. HostingWithUs is my #2 recommendation for all the rest. Even if you have a traditional site, you can learn a lot by reading what's on the Site Build It! website.)
DilbeckCommunications.com is not where I want it to be, yet, and that may take months of effort, but it's open and you're welcome to drop in and look around. Some of the walls may still need painting and some construction debris may be underfoot, but they'll get taken care of very soon.
Come on in and register (it's free). Start your own journal. Jump into the forum and share your questions and knowledge -- and don't forget to set up a signature that points back to your site!
I welcome any feedback about the site.
By the way, Dilbeck Communications is not a new company, it's another department of Dilbeck Marketing and another site in the ever-growing network of Dilbeck Marketing websites.
New surveys on AYearFromNow.com
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, August 24 2004 at 10:14 AM
Category: websites
Slowly, but surely, I'm making progress on building AYearFromNow.com. Today, I've been adding more ways to gather information and to facilitate feedback so the site will grow and improve.
Two new surveys were added this morning, and you're invited to drop in and give us your feedback.
I want to gather visitor demographics for the site so we'll have some idea of the mix of people who visit. This will come in handy as I update and upgrade the site.
How Do You Define Success? is my first draft of a survey to help us start to get an idea of how we define success. Without a definition of success and some knowledge of what we consider to be important, how can we strive to achieve it? The more people who answer this survey, the better we'll be able to address your needs.
AYearFromNow.com: Helping you identify your dream, make appropriate plans, and then Act On Your Dream!
It's still a new site, but I'm making steady progress in making it into a site that will be useful. Your participation will make this happen much more quickly.
ShopforDSL -- Comparison Shop for DSL, Cable and Satellite Internet Access
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 22 2004 at 7:55 AM
Category: cognigen
New Service from Cognigen: ShopforDSL -- Comparison shop in real-time for residential and small business DSL, Cable, and Satellite Internet in your area! Featuring SBC/Yahoo!, Earthlink, Verizon, Sprint, BellSouth, Comcast, Adelphia, Charter, DirectWave, RoadRunner, Qwest, and MediaCom!
See, also, all the other Phone, Internet, Satellite TV, Cellular and more services offered by Cognigen. Great products at great prices.
PowerConnect Stand-Alone High Speed Dial-up Internet Service
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 22 2004 at 7:38 AM
Category: cognigen
New Service from Cognigen: PowerConnect Dial-Up High Speed Internet -- PowerConnect High Speed is a premier service that provides unlimited monthly access to the Internet. With speeds up to 5 times faster than standard dial-up, you'll get the most out of your Internet experience. Combine that with a pop-up blocker, 5 email addresses, and 10MB of webspace and you have the best dial-up value available.
Get the first month of service for only $1 and $12.95 thereafter. This offer ends on September 30th, 2004.
Broadvox Direct
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 22 2004 at 7:28 AM
Category: cognigen
New Service from Cognigen: Broadvox Direct -- Are you looking for a quality VoIP solution? Broadvox Direct offers unlimited calling plans to anywhere in the US and Canada for a low monthly payment starting from only $29.95 for residential and $44.95 for business accounts.
FonCentral Specializing in T-Mobile
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 22 2004 at 7:21 AM
Category: cognigen
New Service from Cognigen: FonCentral -- Great personal and family plans, get a free phone with up to a $100 cash back. Cellular portability available!
Site Build It! (SBI) Introduces Store Build It! (StBI)
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 22 2004 at 4:51 AM
Category: sitesell
It's been a long wait, and a lot of work for everyone involved, but it's done...
Store Build It! (StBI) is now available.
I've been telling you for years that Site Build It! is the ultimate web site design, hosting, and promotion system available on the entire planet, and it's gotten even better this week.
Now, before I tell you about the new Store Build It!, let me say this: Not everyone needs an online store. Even if you do, there are other ways to build a store that are already well-known and widely-used by SBI owners. However, if the lack of a top-quality, best-of-breed store builder and manager has been holding you back from considering SBI, then your wait is over.
Store Build It! is a fully-integrated addition to Site Build It! It's not a tacked-on addition. Months of effort have gone into making this addition work with all the other features you've come to expect from SBI. (More on that in a moment.)
Let's stop for just a moment to remind you why Site Build It! is such a good deal and why it is doing so well for so many owners -- even those with no previous technical knowledge or web building skills.
Over the last several years, it has become obvious that making money on the Internet is a four step process. It was not obvious, though, without lots of experience, analysis, and testing.
What is this four-step process?
C - T - P - M
Read the full description of C - T - P - M before continuing. I'll wait for you. It'll only take you a couple of minutes.
People aren't searching for you.
Let me repeat that.
People ARE NOT searching for YOU.
They're searching for a solution to a problem, for a particular product, for a particular service, or for more information.
By providing information (C = content), you'll make it easy for the search engines to rank your site highly and send you visitors (T = traffic). You can build your credibility through your demonstrated knowledge and willingness to help solve their problem or provide what they want (P = Pre-sell). Once they're comfortable with you and believe you are reliable and worth their business, they'll buy from you (M = Monetize).
C - T - P - M
Over and over, on many, many sites hosted by Site Build It! this has proven to be true. The results speak for themselves.
Do you want a website that does NOT attract quality visitors who are willing to purchase from you?
Of course not!
Do you want your traffic to DRY UP the minute you stop advertising?
Of course not!
Do you want a site that attracts a constant stream of visitors looking for what you offer?
Do you want a site that establishes you as someone who knows what he is doing? (You don't have to be the best in the world to be good at what you do.)
Do you want a site that helps your visitors feel good about you and want to get to know you better?
Do you want a site that can provide your visitor with your product or service -- just when she's ready to buy?
Of course you do! That's the holy grail of online sites that sell and earn a profit. That's what we all want.
What?
You don't know how to build a web site or get good placements in the search engines or do all the technical stuff that looks so confusing?
That's the beauty of Site Build It!
Ken Evoy, president of SiteSell, wrote the book on how to Make Your Site Sell! You can still buy this ebook for about $30 or so and download it immediately. This is still the best book I've ever read on how to make a site that people like, come back to, and purchase from. I refer to it over and over.
Site Build It! builds on what is covered in that ebook. Over the years, it has grown from a way to build a one-page sales letter to a full-featured, all-in-one system for designing, building, and promoting your website. With the addition of Store Build It!, you can now have a world-class store and sell hard goods direct from your SBI site.
But, Ken doesn't want you to fail (or perhaps to fail again), so he won't sell Store Build It! to just anyone -- not at any price.
There are some conditions to getting permission to use Store Build It! with your SBI site.
First of all, you must build a site that has quality content and attracts visitors. You MUST have a minimum of 500 visitors to your site per month before you can add Store Build It -- and he recommends that you have at least two to three times that amount, i.e., 1,000 to 1,500 visitors per month. Without that level of traffic (attracted by your quality content), you are in the same situation as if you were to build a store anywhere else using any other store system.
You must have traffic coming to your store before it will succeed reliably.
Once you reach this visitor threshold, then you will be able to add Store Build It! to your account, should you wish to do so. And, the best part is, now that you have a site with a steady stream of visitors, Ken will sell you the additional e-commerce tools at a price that is about half that of others who sell the same system -- but those folks don't have this version that has been developed so that it is seamlessly integrated with your whole site. Not only will Ken sell it to you at about half the suggested price, he'll host it for you at an ANNUAL fee that compares very favorably with the others' MONTHLY fee. How's that for a good deal?
Plus, when you add Store Build It! to your Site Build It! website, you'll be able to download a free ebook that explains how to build and manage your store, and another ebook that helps you deal with issues that may arise after you make a sale. How many other hosting companies offer that level of training?
On top of that, you'll receive a free newsletter telling you about how others are successfully growing their sites and offering tips on how you can do more with your site.
I host many sites using several hosting companies. I'm very happy with the companies with which I do business, but that's after years of hit-and-miss, trial-and-error attempts at building sites at many other places. I now only recommend four web hosting services, and Site Build It! is head and shoulders above the others. In fact, I use many of the tools that come with SBI to help me make my others sites perform better. If I faced a major decision tomorrow and I could only have a single web site, there would be no decision. I'd choose SBI in a heartbeat. Nobody else offers what I get with SBI. Nobody else offers the training and support that I get from SBI. Some come close, and I'm very happy being one of their customers, but Ken Evoy, SiteSell, and Site Build It! stand alone as the best of the best. That's my personal recommendation to you.
Of course, if you have no need for an online store, you don't have to add this feature to your SBI site. It's purely optional for those who have wanted this.
Have you been waiting for a world-class store builder and manager before you considered SBI?
What are you waiting for, now?
Site Build It! -- the ultimate web site design, hosting, and promotion system in the world.
I've been using Ken's products and services for years and I highly recommend them to you. Not only that, Ken has demonstrated over and over that he will under-promise and over-deliver. Always.
Try it for yourself right now. Ken offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
But, if you want to achieve the success of other SBI owners, take the time to download and read the Getting Started Guide that will take you step-by-step on planning, building, and promoting your very best site. Follow the guide and you may surprise yourself on how well your new site performs.
Only Site Build It! offers all of this.
Don't bet your business on the web hosting service that offers the lowest price. Failure often comes cheap.
Why become an SFI Marketing Group affiliate...
Posted by johndilbeck on Tuesday, August 17 2004 at 8:36 AM
Category: sfi
Over the last three years, I've joined over 500 affiliate programs to see how they work from the inside. Some are impressive programs and others offer little of value -- especially to beginners.
Make no mistake about it. Learning to market on the Internet takes time, effort, study, testing, and an investment of some money. You can get signed up and started for free, but you'll have to invest time and money to start earning significant income.
It is much less expensive than creating a business of your own from scratch or purchasing a franchise.
Essentially, in affiliate marketing -- whether single level, two-level, five-level, or multi-level -- the merchant provides the computer systems, purchases inventory, develop sales strategies and tools, takes the orders, ships the products, and handles most or all of the customer service.
The affiliate -- you -- provide the marketing, advertising, and promotion, and the merchant pays you a set commission for each sale that results from purchases made from one of your ads, blogs, websites, flyers, business cards, brochures, or other promotional vehicles.
Some affiliate programs, such as Amazon.com, are single-level. Each affiliate works alone to make sales.
Some are two-level to five-level (or so). These programs allow you to recruit, or sponsor, other affiliates and you'll earn an over-ride commission from their sales with the expectation that you'll help them learn the business and you'll support and motivate them to sell the products and services the merchant offers.
Some are multi-level, which means that they work similar to the two-level programs, but you can -- theoretically -- have a great number of affiliates in your sales team and you'll earn varying amounts of over-ride commissions on their sales. The more affiliates you sponsor (and the more your sponsored affiliates sponsor, etc.), the more you'll earn.
However, the key to affiliate marketing is to learn how to market and sell the products yourself and then teach others how to do the same -- to become a leader. Many people call this duplication, but most marketing systems require adjustments for individual approaches. What works well for one person may do very poorly for another. If you can develop a real system and teach others how to follow your lead, you can build a bridge to financial freedom for yourself and your team.
All legitimate affiliate programs (including multilevel programs) pay commissions only for sales -- not the recruiting of additional affiliates. I would be very leery of any program that offered to pay me to recruit others and I'm sure the government will investigate such an "opportunity" very closely.
Companies that pay you a commission for selling real products and services offer a real opportunity similar to being a hired salesperson. The difference is that you are not an employee. You are an independent sales representative and you own your own business.
I originally asked why you should become an SFI Marketing Group affiliate. Of the hundreds of companies I've tested, SFI is one of the very few (less than a dozen) that offers a good product mix, good training, support, a very active affiliate forum, and a real opportunity to build a part-time income.
If you invest the time and money necessary to promote the services and products, you can build a full-time income over time. It won't happen overnight and it won't be easy. You'll probably need six months to a year to fully understand how the company works. It'll take another year or two to learn how to do online and/or offline marketing sufficient to generate enough sales to earn a significant income. You'll need to learn the system well enough to teach it to the others who will follow you.
Many people aren't willing to invest the time and effort necessary to master the art of marketing and that's one of the reasons you see statistics saying that 90% of affiliates never earn anything. Of the 10%, or so, who learn to master the art of selling, many of them earn a significant return for their efforts. Of the 1% or 2% who master selling and learn to be a leader, some will build a real business with an income to match.
I've had my ups and downs with affiliate marketing -- as I've had with other businesses over the years. That's to be expected and you should be prepared for it. But, I've watched SFI improve their product and service offerings, introduce new sales tools, and provide outstanding support on the discussion forum. Even the company president, Gery Carson, posts news and answers some questions there.
If you'll approach SFI -- or any other affiliate marketing opportunity -- with the mindset that it will take you a couple of years to reach the break-even point and another two to three years to start reaping the profits from your efforts, and you're willing to learn how the business works and how to promote it effectively, then you stand a very good chance of being one of the 10% who earn a good living -- or at least some significant additional income -- from affiliate marketing.
If you're deep in debt with no money to invest in marketing your business, or you don't want to spend the time to learn the art of selling and marketing, or you expect someone else to do all the work for you, then you are not a good prospect for this business and you shouldn't waste your time, effort or money. It takes a lot of effort to build your own marketing business. It's more difficult and takes more time than working on a job, and -- no matter how much you may dream of quitting your job, working from home, and escaping the rat race -- you may be better suited to be an employee and not a business owner.
On the other hand, if you have a burning desire to be the master of your fate, you have the time to learn how to market and sell, you have at least some money to invest in promotion and advertising, you're willing to invest some hard effort now in return for future income, and you're willing to help others learn and succeed, then you may be perfect for this business.
Slowly, but surely, my income is climbing and I'm receiving both one-time commissions for the sale of some things and residual income from the sale of other things. It takes time and effort, but it's working from me.
I earn all of my income from affiliate marketing on the Internet. I love working from my home and setting my own schedule. It fits my lifestyle, personality, and interests.
You can see for yourself if you and SFI are a good match. Become an affiliate for free and see how the business works. If you join my sales team, I'll do my best to help you build your business. I won't do it for you, but I'm willing to help where I can. The rest is up to you.
Become an SFI Marketing Group affiliate today. See for yourself if this is the business opportunity for you. It won't cost you a dime to check it out and see for yourself. If you don't like it, it's easy to quit and we won't bother you.
Even if you decide it isn't for you, you can learn a lot from the free training, newsletters, Internet Income Course, and discussion board that will serve you well in the future.
To move towards your own financial freedom, you must develop as a human, learn new skills, and build a system that works for you and for others who are helping you. That is one of the main keys to success.
The successful build systems and everyone else looks for a job.
A network marketing company, such as SFI Marketing Group, can be your bridge to your own system. It worked well for people like Stone Evans and Jeff Mulligan, two of the top sellers for SFI every month, and it may be a good path for your advancement.
Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) says, in his book Cashflow Quadrant, Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom (which I consider to be required reading):
"...the transition from the left quadrant (employee) to the right quadrant (business owner) is not so much what you do, but who you have to become. Learn how to handle rejection, how not to be affected by what other people think of you, and learn to lead people and you will find prosperity. So, I endorse any network marketing organization that is first committed to developing you as a human being, more than developing you into a salesperson. I would seek organizations that:
"1. Are proven organizations that have successful track records and a distribution system and a compensation plan that has been successful for years.
"2. Have a business opportunity you can succeed with, believe in, and share confidently with others.
"3. Have ongoing, long-term educational programs to develop you as a human being. Self-confidence is vital on the right side of the Quadrant.
"4. Have a strong mentor program. You want to learn from leaders, not advisers. People who are already leaders on the right side of the Quadrant and want you to succeed.
"5. Have people you respect and enjoy being with.
"If the organization meets these five criteria, then and only then look at the product. Too many people look at the product and not the business system and organization behind the product. In some of the organizations I have looked into, one of their pitches was, 'This product sells itself. It's easy.' If you're looking to be a salesperson, an S (self-employed, left side of the quadrant) then the product is the most important thing. But, if you're developing into a long term B (business owner, right side of the quadrant), then the system, lifelong education, and the people are more important.
"A friend and colleague of mine knowledgeable in this industry reminded me about the value of time, one of our most precious assets. A true success story in a network marketing company is when your commitment of time and hard work in the short term results in significant long-term passive income. Once you have built a strong organization below you, you can stop working and your revenue stream will continue from the efforts of the organization you have built. The most important key to success with a network marketing company is still, however, a long-term commitment on your part, as well as the organization's part, to mold you into the business leader you want to become."
I believe that SFI is such an organization and I'm proud to be a part of it. I hope you'll join me on my journey to financial freedom.
New Website: AYearFromNow.com
Posted by johndilbeck on Sunday, August 15 2004 at 11:57 PM
Category: websites
I've just opened a new website at AYearFromNow.com and I invite you to drop in and look around.
This website is devoted to identifying dreams, determining what they mean, planning on how to make them real, and then acting on your dream.
For years, I went through my daily routines with no real dreams. Just sleep, wake up, eat, work, sleep, and over and over and over.
Earlier this year, I decided this is no way to live. So, I spent some time identifying what my biggest dreams are and I've settled on one major dream and I'm working to set it into motion.
A year from now, I expect to have made substantial progress towards realizing that dream.
I invite you to join in the process. Working together we can all achieve our dreams. I believe that ordinary people who work to achieve a common dream can achieve extraordinary results.
Drop in and check it out. Let me know what you think.
Electoral College Results Projection Sites
Posted by johndilbeck on Friday, August 13 2004 at 5:39 AM
Category: ramblings
Now that we're closing in on the 2004 presidential election, here are links to two websites that are attempting to project the electoral college results based on polling.
From a Kerry supporter:
www.electoral-vote.com
On August 13, Kerry 327 and Bush 211 electoral college votes.
Be sure to read the Welcome and FAQs pages for more information on how the site is run and the projections are made.
From a Bush supporter:
electionprojection.com
On August 10, Kerry 296 and Bush 242 electoral college votes.
Regardless of whom you support, it is important to pay attention to what the candidates have to say and to go vote for the one you want to lead our nation for the next four years.
Vote!
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