
Page.ly – Dedicated WordPress Hosting and Management
As they only deal with WordPress powered sites, Page.ly staff are very well versed in the platform and as a result their support invariably garners praise – they know what they are doing.

Review: Catalyst Theme for WordPress
With Catalyst Theme, you are not limited to a single layout, one, two or three sidebars, one widget area or all the other restrictions that come with a single WordPress theme.

Membership Sites With WordPress | Top Plugins
It is probably safe to say that nowadays, the sophistication of WordPress membership site plugins has reached the point where virtually anyone with the will and a little investment can soon have their first membership site up and running.

A Free WordPress Autoresponder
There are numerous autoresponder solutions and email marketing services available today, some free, some that cost, third party services such as GetResponse or Aweber and several others and scripts that webmasters can install on their own servers. No time to read this...

Why Your Company Requires Web Hosting and A Domain
Starting a company is not something easy. It requires effort that goes in the right direction and pays you well in the future.
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Affiliate Marketing Inspires Anger and Hatred In Some
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Membership Sites With WordPress | Top Plugins
It is probably safe to say that nowadays, the sophistication of WordPress membership site plugins has reached the point where virtually anyone with the will and a little investment can soon have their first membership site up and running.
Page.ly – Dedicated WordPress Hosting and Management
As they only deal with WordPress powered sites, Page.ly staff are very well versed in the platform and as a result their support invariably garners praise – they know what they are doing.
Review: Catalyst Theme for WordPress
With Catalyst Theme, you are not limited to a single layout, one, two or three sidebars, one widget area or all the other restrictions that come with a single WordPress theme.
A Free WordPress Autoresponder
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Membership Sites With WordPress | Top Plugins
It is probably safe to say that nowadays, the sophistication of WordPress membership site plugins has reached the point where virtually anyone with the will and a little investment can soon have their first membership site up and running.
Page.ly – Dedicated WordPress Hosting and Management
As they only deal with WordPress powered sites, Page.ly staff are very well versed in the platform and as a result their support invariably garners praise – they know what they are doing.
Review: Catalyst Theme for WordPress
With Catalyst Theme, you are not limited to a single layout, one, two or three sidebars, one widget area or all the other restrictions that come with a single WordPress theme.
A Free WordPress Autoresponder
There are numerous autoresponder solutions and email marketing services available today, some free, some that cost, third party services such as GetResponse or Aweber and several others and scripts that webmasters can install on their own servers. No time to read this...
Why Your Company Requires Web Hosting and A Domain
Starting a company is not something easy. It requires effort that goes in the right direction and pays you well in the future.
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Membership Sites With WordPress | Top Plugins
WordPress powered membership sites have become extremely popular in recent years and building membership sites with WordPress has been playing catch up to demand for some time.
It is probably safe to say that nowadays, the sophistication of WordPress membership site plugins has reached the point where virtually anyone with the will and a little investment can soon have their first membership site up and running.
Membership sites come in all shapes and sizes and you certainly don’t have to use WordPress as a platform if you don’t wish to. There are plenty of alternatives out there and some of these were powering membership websites long before WordPress got much of a look in.
Having said that, with so many webmasters and bloggers now using WordPress, it is natural that for those among them thinking of building their first membership site that they will gravitate towards the platform with which they are most familiar.
There are various plugins available nowadays that can make the job much easier than it used to be and so we decided to compile a list of WordPress Membership Site plugins to assist users who are considering building such sites.
Wishlist Member is one of the better known premium plugins and has gained a great following and a string of glowing testimonials. You can see a brief overview of the plugin in the following video presentation.
If you need features such as Sequential Content Delivery, Multi-Level Access, Secure RSS Feeds, Control Viewed Content, integrations with Mailchimp.com, file protection, infusionsoft and more, this plugin incorporates all these features and more as well as having its own API. Regular updates are free to purchasers too and the plugin continues to evolve and grow. You can find out a lot more about Wishlist Member at their website. Certain feature may require additional payments.
Magic Members is another popular plugin and many of its adherents claim it is better than Wishlist Member. That of course depends greatly on your own requirements and preferences.
Some of the key features of this plugin are a download manager, integration with Authorize.net and WorldPay, member only RSS feeds and more. If you want the ability to run an affiliate program from within your membership site, MagicMembers offers an additional plugin called MagicAffiliate which is fully integrated with MagicMembers and the WP Ecommerce plugin.
The plugin comes in at the same price point as Wishlist Member so the choice between the two comes down to available features and perhaps user interface and aesthetics based on personal preferences.
MemberWing is an extremely powerful membership plugin which combines most of the features offered by the previous two products and adds a whole swathe of its own. The power of this plugin is reflected in its price which is considerably higher than the aforementioned options too but if you need or want most of its functionality it is hard to beat.
The plugin can do so much that listing all its capabilities would require an entire post in itself but it supports more payment gateways, has its own API and enables you to build and launch virtually any kind of membership site your imagination can come up with. Online stores selling access to digital downloads – ebooks, videos, podcasts etc. Integrate with autoresponders, such as Aweber and Mailchimp easily and build your mailing list automatically. Sell access to posts, pages and digital downloadable materials for a fixed fee or by flexible recurring subscriptions. Build opt-in list by offering automatic access to premium materials to free subscribers. Create and manage affiliate programs. Special SEO capabilities and powerful file protection functions that help you to protect your digital property against theft.
WP-Member offers a basic single site license for just $29.99 making it far cheaper than the the options mentioned above. However, if you want support there is an additional annual cost involved.
The plugin offers most of the features you would expect to find in a membership site but is not as comprehensive as MemberWing. It offers unlimited membership levels, unlimited subscriptions, free, trial and paid account types, content protection, content teasers, fall back and encryption protection and customizable registration and error messages. Payment gateway support for Google Checkout, PayPal and Authorize.net
WP-Member was once a subscription based plugin with recurring fees but now that it has moved to a one off fee for the single site license and added more features it represents much better value for money. There is a developer license too which costs $199 annually and can be used on up to thirty sites.
Digital Access Pass is another popular and highly regarded plugin with a multitude of features that rival MemberWing in terms of comprehensive options.
Payment processors supported include 1ShoppingCart (and all private labels), ClickBank and Paypal Standard, for shopping cart Digital Access Pass directly supports Authorize.net, Paypal Express Checkout and Paypal Payments Pro. There is no need for any third party shopping carts as Digital Access Pass itself becomes your Shopping Cart.
Other key features include a built in affiliate program that supports pay per lead and pay per sale so it is a good option for anyone who wants an easy way to offer their own affiliate program. The plugin also offers file protection, pay per view pricing and pay per download and subscription based memberships.
There are plenty more features that make this plugin worth a serious look.
WP-eMember is another attractive option and comes in at a very competitive price. Its affordability might suggest that it is somewhat short on features but that is actually far from the case.
WP-eMember costs less than $50 and includes unlimited licenses so you can use it on as many sites as you like.
The list of features is pretty impressive and although it doesn’t include a shopping cart or affiliate program the company offers its own in house plugins that will enable users to include these options if they wish. All the other expected options are present and correct including content protection, unlimited membership levels, autoresponder integration and real time reporting.
For a solid basic membership site WP-eMember offers a good package and you can customize it to suit your needs with a wide range of add on features as required.
WP-MU & BuddyPress is not strictly speaking a membership site plugin but we feel that it should be mentioned in this article because it does offer many things that users might be looking for when considering their options. WP.MU is an installation and hosting service for WordPress Multisite (MU) + Custom themes and plugins + BuddyPress + bbPress.
WP-MU or WordPress Multi User offers a complete range of themes, plugins and hosting options which enable users to build things like social networking sites and forums. Depending on your your plans you might want to take a look at this option which is why we have included it here as a well established and respected platform.
This is only a very brief rundown of some of the most popular and well known membership site plugins for WordPress and there are others available which may or may not be better suited to your budget and/or purposes. If you think we have missed any that deserve a mention please feel free to leave your own recommendations and feedback in the comments section.
Below we have also embedded a 56 page guide to running a profitable membership which contains some useful information, tools and links. If you prefer to download a copy to read at leisure and for future reference go ahead. You are also free to share the report on your own sites.
Page.ly – Dedicated WordPress Hosting and Management
When we wrote our original Page.ly review back in May of 2010 the company was about a year into its relaunch in 2009, although they have been around since 2006. Since then of course a number of services operating a similar model have sprung up but Page.ly have certainly not rested on their laurels and in 2012 remain a leading player in the filed of managed WordPress hosting services.
When our initial review was published it really concentrated on the attraction of the service for users who were new to WordPress and were concerned about the technical aspects of hosting a site on their own domain, something which Page.ly made far less onerous for the new user with their famous 2 minute setup.
It was apparent even then however that the service held a much wider appeal and was far from being something that appealed solely to a “newbie” WordPress users’ niche. The comments we received back then, all of which were positive about the service, indicated that more and more experienced users were switching to Page.ly for benefits which when far beyond the quick and simple set up of new sites.
Page.ly have gone from strength to strength in the intervening two years and the service has evolved into something which almost any WordPress user can appreciate, whether they are hosting a single low traffic site or a multitude of WordPress driven real estate.
As they only deal with WordPress powered sites, Page.ly staff are very well versed in the platform and as a result their support invariably garners praise – they know what they are doing. As anyone will tell you, this is invaluable and something that many general hosting companies fall down on when it comes to WordPress related issues. Some are worse than others but it is unreasonable to expect them to offer detailed support for any single third party software when their role is really just to look after servers. When all you host are WordPress powered websites and blogs, specialist knowledge is essential and support can concentrate on software issues fare more efficiently.
The features of the service that have made Page.ly so successful are many and varied but certainly, many users really appreciate the automatic WordPress core updates, plugin updates, speed optimization and a suite of custom tools to make the users’ WordPress experience better.
Customers always want their sites to perform well so Page.ly’s speed optimization is something which many webmasters say they just could not do without. Add to that the levels of security provided for your WordPress installation it is little wonder that users love the time that this saves them to concentrate on other things. Knowing that much of the admin burden is automatically taken care of for you is a huge benefit, particularly if you are maintaining a number of different sites. Optomization, security, secure backups, knowledgeable and reliable support – anyone who has ever hosted WordPress will tell you how important (and often frustrating) these things can be.
Page.ly have continued to refine and perfect their product since their early days and their constant improvements and additions, together with solid service and support have all contributed to their success. When it comes to recommending a hosting and management service it’s often an area fraught with uncertainties but Page.ly have proved time and time again that they are a capable, efficient and very popular choice.
Such managed services are invariably a little more costly, and sure, you could pay four dollars a month for hosting if you wish – that’s not in dispute. As we always point out, in the world of hosting, quality and value for money should always be put before cheapness. Page.ly have continued to expand and improve upon their service and yet remain extremely competitive on price when compared to some of the newer kids on the block. I have seen many criticisms of the cost of some alternative managed services, but Page.ly customers seem generally and genuinely happy with what they get for their money and that, in such a competitive field, has to count for a lot.
I also have to add that since our first dealings with the company, co-founder Joshua Striebel has been someone who goes above and beyond in his role and has always answered any questions and addressed all issues promptly and politely. Customer service takes priority at Page.ly and the general happiness of their customers and partners speaks volumes abut their commitment to offering a service that continues to grow and stay ahead of increasingly fierce competition. Looking back to our review two years ago, we see no reason to not continue supporting and recommending their services.
Visit Page.ly – The Dedicated WordPress Hosting & Management Solution
Review: Catalyst Theme for WordPress
The Catalyst Theme is really a lot more than a traditional bolt on WordPress theme – it’s actually a framework that enables you to do some pretty amazing things when it comes to designing and building WordPress driven sites, whether they are blogs, static or dynamic sites or a combination of all three.
There are no longer any coupon codes published by Catalyst – sorry. However, they are currently having a one year anniversary sale and you can grab a lifetime Personal Edition membership for just $77.00 if you order during this special offer.
With Catalyst Theme, you are not limited to a single layout, one, two or three sidebars, one widget area or all the other restrictions that come with a single WordPress theme. With the Catalyst theme framework you can basically build unlimited custom page layouts, custom widgets, custom hook boxes and more, enabling you to design and construct every page and post template on your site exactly as you want them. You can have an individual header or footer for every single page if you so desire! The real beauty of it though is not just the almost limitless customization available to you, but the ease with which you can implement them all.
Firstly, Catalyst comes with 22 custom skins, which in and of itself might not sound like much, but with the Dynamik Child Theme that comes as part of the Catalyst bundle you then have over 600 No-Coding Design Options, meaning that combined with the base skins, you have at your fingertips an absolutely huge range of design options. Whether you are a beginner or an accomplished WordPress user, customizing your WordPress sites has never been easier or more efficient.
Once you have installed the Catalyst theme and the Dynamik Child Theme you can start to explore the power and flexibility of the framework using any of the Dynamik child themes as starting points, using those from the marketplace or just creating your own. Catalyst makes design very straightforward and intuitive.
At this point it might be prudent to show you an example of what Catalyst can do, and bear in mind this site was built over the course of a couple of days, starting completely from scratch after a request for a redesign of an existing WordPress website – Catalyst Theme Powered Site – Arteccentrix
You can even create your own custom child themes with a single mouse click, something you will not find anywhere else, not even with the mighty Thesis.
All the following features come with the Catalyst WordPress theme:
22 Custom Skins on which to base site design.
600+ Dynamik design options to tweak your site’s design to perfection. (no manual coding or CSS required)
Add any Custom CSS you likeBuilt-In Image Uploader to add the images that make your site shine.
Fill in a few fields, click a single button and download the themes you build. Use them for anything you want – your own sites, client’s sites etc. You can even sell them for profit if you wish.
Huge range of Custom Widgets including Excerpt Widget, Author Bio Widget, Ad Widget a PHP Widget and lots more!
Catalyst works with WordPress and WordPress MU (Multi-User)
Receive Free Updates for Life ( with automatic update feature)
You will also have access to the new “MarketPlace” where you will find more custom themes, skins and other add ons for your Catalyst powered sites that have been created by the Catalyst members themselves. Many of these are free but there are also premium products available within the store.
All this sounds impressive but if it’s also a little overwhelming don’t worry. Installing the theme is pretty much the same as you would follow for any other theme,the only real difference is that you actually install it in two steps, first the Catalyst Theme Framework followed by the Dynamik Child Theme.
Once you’ve done that you will be able to access all the theme‘s options from within your WP-Admin area. There is a lot to explore, and the more you look the more you find but you will also find an excellent support forum and some pretty comprehensive video demos and members support area that answers all the most common questions and shows you exactly how to use the powerful features.
Once you start to play around with the options you’ll soon feel comfortable and it’ all accomplished from within the theme itself so if you’re not CSS savvy, don’t worry. Things that can be a huge headache when working with regular WordPress themes are amazingly easy to achieve with Catalyst’s user friendly and clearly laid out interface.
I should add that when it comes to SEO, Catalyst has been fitted out with a pretty decent set of options that will ensure every post and page you write can be quickly and simply optimized for the search engines at the time of writing and can be easily tweaked at a later stage. Since using Catalyst I have, for the first time in my WordPress career, not bothered to use any SEO plugin and judging by the results, Catalyst does a very nice job at optimizing for targeted keywords.
A lot of thought has gone into the entire package and the developers have delivered a clean, logical and well laid out admin interface which is very intuitive to use and the tutorial videos are all anyone will need to understand and use the multiple options available.
For a good overview take a look at the following video while you’re here:
To sum up, I am so happy with my own purchase of Catalyst that I intend to eventually move the majority of my WordPress sites across to the platform. It is really that good and will make tweaking my sites in the future a whole lot easier. The latest release which came out a couple of days ago includes even more goodies that I have yet to explore.
Don’t think that this all comes at a premium price either – an unlimited site license for the Catalyst Theme comes in at just $77.00 (Basic Edition) or $127.00 (Personal Edition) and this includes lifetime updates. In that sense alone it is a genuine bargain. There are other frameworks out there but Catalyst is not only powerful and extremely flexible it is also fantastic value for money. Visit the site to understand the differences between the aforementioned license options which are extremely generous.
For those who need or want even more there is a developer edition ($197) which gives you access to an exclusive forum and more special features that are not available to regular members. Full details can be found at the site, so we’ll leave you to decide if the developer license is something you need.
Order now and take advantage of the special anniversary pricing options.
You Can Find Our More and Download Catalyst WordPress Theme Framework here
If you would like to see some of the sites built using Catalyst have a browse through the Catalyst Showcase
A Free WordPress Autoresponder
There are numerous autoresponder solutions and email marketing services available today, some free, some that cost, third party services such as GetResponse or Aweber and several others and scripts that webmasters can install on their own servers.
No time to read this post? Get Your Free WordPress Autoresponder Here
Whichever route you decide to follow there are benefits and drawbacks to each.
Third party services are most favored due to the fact that, at least with the two market leaders, deliverability is high and there is little chance of spam complaints finding their way to your door. Features are comprehensive and due to their market positions, users of both GetResponse and Aweber usually find that integration and compatibility with other programs and services is generally high. The downside of course is the expense and some people are unable to afford or justify the monthly fees associated with the services.
Scripts are numerous but often installation is a nightmare and I’ve certainly tried a few only to find that they did not work as advertised or that support was non existent. There are paid and free solutions if you want to go this route, but, in all honesty, I’ve yet to find a genuinely great autoresponder script that is easy enough to get up and running for a person of limited technical skills and has all the features you might require or desire.
Having recently lost the services of my autoresponder and email marketing company, due to a major failure of their server and systems, I once again found myself cast into the tedious search for an affordable alternative to what was an excellent email marketing package. I wasted a lot of time trying and rejecting a number of scripts, looked at a few commercial third party services and was beginning to think that I was simply not going to find anything as good as I’d had at anywhere near the price I have been paying.
Enter the free WordPress autoresponder!
It was then that I came across the GWA Autoresponder for WordPress. A free WordPress autoresponder in the form of a plugin.
It was urgent that I found something as quickly as possible as all my opt-in forms were no longer functioning so it grabbed my attention because it was free, and because it was a WordPress plugin. However, I doubted a free WordPress autoresponder would have the functionality I needed and decided to take a closer look to see just what it could do.
I have to say that the free version will be more than adequate for a lot of WordPress users who just want to be able to set up an opt in form on their blogs and start building a list. It is really simple to install and set up and if you are a remotely competent WordPress user you can literally have it up and running in a few minutes. Basically if you can install a plugin, you can install the free wordpress autoresponder or GWA Autoresponder plugin too.
I downloaded the plugin and had it functioning very quickly but it soon became apparent that it wasn’t going to be a substitute for my previous service. Basically, it’s fantastic for those who have no need of anything more than a means of generating opt-ins on their WordPress site with a built in autoresponder facility that can be loaded with sequential messages and used to mail out to their list manually when desired. You can build your opt-in forms and use them on any web pages you choose, not just on your WordPress sites, which is good, but there are some limitations – hey, it’s free, so you have to expect some.
As a free user your opt-in forms will have a link back to the service which you cannot remove and your emails will all have a link appended to the footer too. If this really bugs you, you can pay a small fee of $5 to have the branding removed.
All in all it’s a great free autoresponder and I would recommend it to anyone who is not yet using any form of autoresponder or mailing software.
If you want to harness all the features and really have your own fully featured autoresponder which you can use to build an unlimited number of lists and forms, be able to redirect subscribers to any URL after opt-in, upon confirmation and on unsubscription, you will need to upgrade to the pro version.
Aha you say, here’s the catch! But really it isn’t, if you don’t need the extra functions you can use your free autoresponder forever and never worry about paying a cent. The beauty of upgrading is that it is an amazingly low one time cost of just $27.00 if you grab the one time offer that you will see when given the opportunity of taking the upgrade.
I bought a copy immediately because the value of the pro version would be very hard to beat anywhere. In terms of ease of use and customization options I’ve not seen anything better and certainly not from either free or paid scripts that I have experimented with. Also, support was very prompt and courteous and once you pay for the upgrade you will get access to some useful bonuses, and some comprehensive tutorials on how to use your new autoresponder in a variety of ways to get the best from it. It worked straight out of the box, requires no cron jobs, although you can use them if you need or want to, and there was no knowledge of script installation required whatsoever.
As a pro user you can import all existing subscribers into your lists without the need for them to opt-in again which is a bonus as anyone who has had to move a list before will confirm. The autoresponder is shared hosting friendly as it can be throttled in a variety of ways to ensure you do not upset your hosting provider by overloading the server with your emails or falling foul of their hourly sending limits. Spam complaints are minimized by the fact that the autoresponder offfers double optin for all subscribers and records their information upon signup so their can be no doubt that they asked for your emails. Every email includes a one click unsubscribe link too of course. You would have to be an idiot to fall foul of the CanSpam Act using this software, but for those who are new to email marketing, there is plenty of advice within the interface as well as in the members area.
All in all a great solution for any WordPress user looking for either a free or paid autoresponder service. There is a lot more to the software but I hope this has given you a good idea as to whether it might be for you or not. The free WordPress autoresponder is an entirely risk free proposition so why not try it on your blog and let me know what you think.
Download your free WordPress Autoresponder here
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Why Your Company Requires Web Hosting and A Domain
Starting a company is not something easy. It requires effort that goes in the right direction and pays you well in the future. This further establishes ways and means that will help you reach your first destination since a business does not have a final one. Among the methods that you use to get there, the online world is one of the major contributors. Web hosting and domain registration are some of the ideal tools that will help you reap the benefits of the world wide web. But if you are still confused about the whole scenario, then we are going to lay out some points of importance for you.
Avoids Downtime
Website downtime is an essential factor that spoils the party at multiple intervals of time. It can effectively reduce sales and puts a bad tag of reputation on companies, especially the new ones. Users and potential customers will not be delighted to face this and might switch to better users that offer them better services. This is one of the ideal reasons why web hosting is essential since it avoids downtime and helps you build the right moves forward.
Professional Credibility
Credibility is not something that you can quickly achieve. Instead, you need to work for it by making the right moves at the right time. A competitive and robust domain name is the way to achieve that. It enhances your credibility by separating you from the rest and hence you might even be considered unique. This kind of exposure is essential for your company, and you will sit in the back seat, enjoying the sense and type of visibility.
The 24×7 Support
Customers will always be delighted when they feel that their problems are met with solutions instantly. This particular character of a company goes a long way in transforming the organisational objectives into reality. So, you need to consult web providers as they know precisely how you need to maneuver your company ahead. Hence, the problem leading to lack of efficiency will be minimized to a large extent.
Attracts the Right Crowd
Affiliate Marketing Inspires Anger and Hatred In Some
I try to limit my rants on this site but having worked in the world of affiliate marketing for many years a few incidents recently reminded me just how tough things have become for the “little guy” trying to make money online as an affiliate and how they look set to get only tougher in the years ahead.
Once upon a time it was fairly simple to promote affiliate links in all manner of places without a problem and the more work you put in the more money you could make. Gradually however, those who I like to refer to as the “affiliate Nazis” have gradually managed to force their (in my opinion) totally misguided “anti” stance into virtually all corners of the web. They have gone about this with the zeal of others of a similar ilk – the anti smoking extremists come to mind but there are plenty of “anti” driven zealots out there attacking others for all manner of things that they don’t happen to agree with and many who just seem to select a cause and jump on the bandwagon.
Nowadays, typing an affiliate link anywhere other than on your own web properties brings with it an almost inevitable pause for thought because somewhere out there the affiliate haters are just waiting to pounce. What I find quite amazing is how the general antagonism towards affiliates and affiliate marketing has been adopted by so many prominent websites and online services. It is almost as if they endorse and promote the image of an affiliate as some kind of dubious and underhanded criminal, the lowest of the low, without really thinking about why but simply to please and appease the relatively small minority who wage their campaigns of righteous indignation and disapproval against people who are engaged in a perfectly legitimate and commonplace online activity in an attempt to earn a living or some much needed extra money.
I recently (although not for the first time) became a target for the kind of unprovoked online abuse reserved for affiliates in a forum. I don’t make a habit of joining too many forums and only visit a couple on a regular basis. In one of these where I have been a contributing member for about a year or so, a thread I had started was rudely hijacked by some clown who took exception to my signature file which included an affiliate link to a company I use myself and one which I cannot praise highly enough. This particular forum had no rules against affiliate links in signature files (I have since been exonerated completely by the forum owners of any wrongdoing in their eyes). However, this did not prevent the self appointed forum Nazi policeman from posting offensive remarks about me, my general character, morals and ethics all expressed in language befitting a docker or fish wife. Forget the fact that he knows absolutely nothing about me, my life or anything else. In his twisted and hate filled little mind and from the safety of the “keyboard warrior” mentality he took it upon himself to act as judge, jury and executioner – a crusader against the cancer of affiliates! What a hero. This individual was not, I should add, a moderator or someone who held any kind of official position on the site in question but another regular member who could not apparently understand the heavy irony in his personal attack, bad manners and gutter language as he lectured me about the concept of being a “guest” on the forum and behaving accordingly – this was all on a thread that I had started and a discussion on a completely unrelated issue. His own lack of manners and civility didn’t apparently strike him as the least bit hypocritical but then all extremists are the same when you get right down to it and they crawl out from under countless stones on the internet to spew their venom.
As a result of this, the forum owners have decided to clarify their rules and have amended them to ask people not to use affiliate links anywhere on the forum. I do not have a problem with this and was happy to comply but it is unfortunate that such things have to happen this way. I’m sure the coward behind the username would not behave like this if they were sitting in the same room as me or anyone else they feel they have a right to abuse in such a manner for fear of a well deserved punch in the mouth!
Elsewhere the attack on affiliates continues apace. We are constantly told that Google does not like affiliate sites any longer and haven’t for some time. Too many ads on your site will result in penalization blah blah blah. True? I’ve no idea but I know it comes as a result of all the “thin” affiliate sites that were created in droves at one time, sites that offered no content or useful information. Forums, article directories, social media sites, all have caved to those who cry “spammer” (one of the most overused and misused words ever) at the slightest hint of anyone trying to promote anything at all. twitter is a case in point. I have used the micro blogging service from its very early days and my primary account had been steadily built over the years to around 12,000 followers. What now seems to be the almost inevitable suspension came as quite a blow and once an account is suspended by the Twitter bots it seems that the chances of reinstatement have become slimmer and slimmer. On this occasion (as is apparently commonplace) I did not receive any email notifying me of the suspension or the reason behind it. With Twitter you are left to guess. I filed the appeal through the proper channels and after a lengthy wait was told that “prohibited third party services” which had been given access to my account were the reason. I looked at all the programs to which I had allowed access but there were only a handful and none were doing anything onerous as far as I could see but to be on the safe side I revoked all permissions and advised Twitter of the actions I had taken. Twitter then informed me that my account was reinstated – but it wasn’t. I waited 48 hours but the suspension was still not lifted and when I reopened the ticket, in a complete 180 reversal I was told the account would not be reactivated, ever. No reason was given, either for the turnaround or the closure of the account.
I am far from alone in this and it’s frustrating, but as with any free third party service there is little you can do other than say “it’s your world boss” and move on. The new account I opened lasted around three months, during which time I was extremely cautious in light of my suspension experience. Out of the blue this account is suspended too, again with no explanation. The appeal takes several weeks and this time I am genuinely surprised by the reason I am finally given. Apparently, if the majority of your tweets include URL’s it is only a matter of time before you will be flagged and booted. I think this a rather overzealous “rule” but what can you do? I spend most of my time on Twitter answering other user’s questions and requests for help on WordPress related matters for the most part and yes, I post affiliate links to products and services in some of those tweets. Seems this is no longer acceptable on Twitter. Because I do not waste my time and that of others on Twitter posting inane one liners about my day, my personal problems, what color underwear I’m wearing or which latest vacuous celebrity is sleeping with whom, I’m not using the service in the spirit for which it is apparently intended. It matters not that my inbox is full of thanks from others for my help or answers and appreciation of a recommendation that solved their problems. The fact that most of my tweets are not “personal” and contain links identifies me as a spammer! I’m still undecided about opening another Twitter account and I think that’s a shame.
I wrote this because I am sick and tired of people who constantly crusade against something with no real knowledge of the subject, just a spiteful and hateful attitude based on nothing concrete. The fact is that virtually all affiliate programs, and there are hundreds of thousands of them, do not penalize the customer in any way if they arrive via an affiliate link as opposed to landing there directly. The end user or customer pays the same regardless. So why do some people reserve such venom for the affiliate, who after all is doing something perfectly legal and above board (excepting those who blatantly spam via email or deliberately ignore rules) and is legitimately trying to earn some money. For me, my affiliate marketing helps to feed my family, pay my bills and sometimes brings in enough here and there for some little luxury or another. Generally though it’s just a much needed and far from excessive income. Apparently, to some people, I should not have the right, the desire or the opportunity to provide for my wife and son, put gas in my truck, keep the lights on and a roof over our heads through such methods!
I guess when you look at it that way it’s pretty disgraceful what I do huh?
PDFBrander Review PDF Rebranding Software
PDFBrander is an excellent server side PDF rebranding solution for webmasters and bloggers. Unlike traditional rebranding tools which invariably require the end user to download a PDF file and an executable rebranding program, PDFBrander offers a much cleaner and simpler solution.
PDFBrander is a script that requires installation on your server but it is extremely simple to set up and there is no need to mess with databases or anything very technical at all. The script is well supported with very thorough video and PDF documentation so even the less technical should have no difficulties getting it set up.
Once installed PDFBrander is also simple to use from the built in control panel.
Once you have created your PDF, the script will find all the hyperlinks within the document and offers you complete control over which of those links will be rebrandable. You can choose to let the end user replace both full URL’s or a selected segment.
After completing the simple form, your rebrandable documents are then ready for people to download and can be integrated into your website in a variety of ways. You can see an example of how this works on a WordPress powered site at the following link on one of our own articles here – it will open in a new window for you: Twitter & WordPress Marketing
As you can see, all the end user has to do is add their own affiliate links, click a button and their personalized copy becomes immediately available for download. There is no complicated software for them to install and no messing about figuring out “placeholders” or how to format their links. This ease of use makes it much more likely that your affiliates and visitors will make use of the service and that others will do the same.
viral marketing of this nature is extremely effective but only if it is made as simple as possible for people to use. PDFBrander provides that simplicity. If you have an affiliate program of your own, think how much this will help your affiliates to promote on your behalf and the likely increase in exposure and traffic you can generate. Even if you don’t have an affiliate program, rebrandable reports are a great way to encourage others to promote your PDF’s as they have an incentive to do so in the form of their own links being contained in the reports.
You can read the official promotional material below. Overall we can highly recommend the script to affiliate program owners and anyone who is interested in generating more traffic through viral marketing with rebrandable PDF documents and you know that this comes from a customer with genuine hands on experience of the product.
You can use existing PDF documents or create new ones.
Free QR Code Generator Software and WordPress Plugins
QR Codes are gradually becoming more and more familiar both online and off and they can be extremely useful and profitable. Now that they are more widely recognized, they are becoming even more so.
If you are not familiar with QR Codes yet, they are basically a simple bar code that can be scanned using modern smart phones and you can embed within those codes all kinds of messages, web addresses, phone numbers etc. They are commonly used to provide exclusive offers and many big name companies are now utilizing them on offline advertising materials. You can use them online, add them to signatures, use
them as profile images, print them and distribute them offline, use them on business cards, posters, flyers etc.
For the non technical it might seem like wizardry and seemingly complex but if you know how to create codes you can often sell them to local businesses anxious to mimic the big boys or simply to widen their audience.
There are plenty of online generators now but what we have here are two QR Code generators that you can install on your computer enabling you to create unlimited codes containing whatever you choose. One is a WordPress plugin and will work right from you WP dashboard allowing you to quickly create multiple QR codes of various types which will then be easily accessible from within your WordPress admin area.
I hope you will find them useful – with a bit of imagination, QR Codes can be extremely good tools to have in your marketing arsenal. I’ve also thrown in some great little niche marketing bonuses within each download which you’ll have access to when you download either software.
WP Mail Ads WordPress Plugin
The WP Mail Ads plugin is an excellent addition for almost any WordPress user. Most people are familiar with WordPress and the different emails sent out by the system – you get an email for a new account, for a lost password, for comments etc…..not to mention all the other plugins that tie in with the WordPress email system. Think of all these emails going out to your customers and all they are getting is a boring WordPress system message..
They get it, look at it quickly and then go off and do their thing. The power here is, people almost ALWAYS read WordPress system emails because they usually contain important information. For example, if someone signs up for your site, they are going to want to read their username and password email, right?.
With WP Mail Ads you can now add whatever message you want to the end of every message sent by your WordPress site(s). Just take a second and think of the opportunities here. You can use it to add links to related offers, add support messages, get people like your FB profile, sell advertising space….and loads more, all from the built in WordPress email system where people are automatically drawn to opening the emails.
An Introduction To WordPress For Absolute Beginners
WordPress for Absolute Beginners is brand new free PDF ebook that can be downloaded now and comes with full giveaway rights, allowing you to share it freely with others.
Unlike many WordPress basics type books, this 20 page PDF cuts through all the jargon and explains all the things that so perplex many who are completely new to WordPress.
It explains what WordPress is, how to use it, the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, the requirements for each and exactly how to get up and running.
It was written in light of the huge number of misguided, albeit often well meaning, comments that are regularly thrown around online telling people “Get WordPress, it’s easy” so casually thrown out as “advice”. Such advice often comes from such a wide variety of WordPress users that it soon becomes apparent that the value of such advice might often be somewhat questionable. Someone who uses WordPress.com for example, who has never even heard of WordPress.org is hardly in a position to remark on how simple the self hosted path might or might not be and are often completely unaware of the difference. An experienced hard core WordPress designer or coder is equally reckless if they tell a beginner how easy WordPress is to customize or manage without even considering the recipient’s knowledge level. This is the problem – most people who post throwaway one liners on twitter and other social networks do so without considering either a). the knowledge and experience of the person to whom they give the advice or b). their own knowledge and experience in relation to the advice.
It is not uncommon to see pleas from people who have spent money on a premium theme or plugin only to discover that they can’t use them on WordPress.com. Others tell people they can host their own domain name on WordPress.com (true) but do not understand that this is completely different from hosting WordPress on your own domain with a hosting company. The list is endless and it is hardly surprising that so many people end up lost and confused. As the saying goes, free advice is so often worth what you pay for it.
In simple terms this book explains things such as getting a domain name, a hosting account, installing WordPress, and the basic first steps you should take as a brand new user with your first WordPress installation.
It is aimed squarely at the complete novice although a few nuggets will also be enlightening for more seasoned users – most people can learn something from this ebook. It’s free to download and you can give it away to others, the only proviso being that the content remains unaltered in any way.
If you have an audience you think might benefit please feel free to offer it as a gift to them – blog readers, newsletter subscribers – you can even add the book to giveaway events and similar.