After a one-month break that I used to work on a few blogs as a part of the first round of Blogger Stimulus, I’m now back in action and ready to ease more “liquidity” into the system. But I do believe that I completely botched the first round of stimulus by completely ignoring the money-multiplier effect of stimulus packages!

What I did WRONG in the first blogging stimulus package on Jimvesting dot com

The purpose of a truly economic “stimulus package” is to have money flow through the system in as many ways as possible. My first blogging stimulus promised a great new blog with a premium theme to anyone who wanted to sign up for a new web hosting account. The logic here was that if you wanted a blog… you’d need hosting regardless. By signing up under my affiliate link with HostGator, we created a profitable scenario for both of us…. but this wasn’t much of a stimulus because it stopped multiplying through the system right there! Read the rest of this entry »

The following is a sponsored review of the Bloggers Base network, and my opinion on it has not been swayed by virtue of payment in any way.

One of the most asked questions that I get surround the concept of marketing your blog. As the old adage would go, running a successful blog is very much a sense of how much traffic you can get there… and we would want to apply the old 80/20 rule to marketing: 80% marketing, 20% content. As tough as this might be, the marketing side is what really drums up popularity behind a blog… and good writing alone will work more against than for you if you aren’t actively looking for readers.

Understanding that marketing is key can be a great step forward in your plan to dominate the blogosphere… but then the question becomes HOW exactly should you market? Sure, you could pony up and start an advertising campaign to get the word out… but unless your content is also good, you will find yourself in a ditch sooner rather than later. Instead, I would recommend starting to network across other niche blogs that are similar in focus to the one you are trying to run. Reach out to the bigger names and start making as many friends as possible. Before long, you will start to see traffic feeding in left and right.

How do I find similar blogs in my niche?

I have been asked the question “how do I find similar blogs” literally dozens of times more than I would like to have it asked, and the question is usually to use Google or another search tool to organically dig up the best names. However, it has recently come to my attention that there is a better option out there… Bloggers Base!

That’s right, my good friend Dan has come up with what I think is a top-notch idea… and it comes in the form of a new social media network devoted to bloggers. Sure, there are your classic communities like Twitter, Digg and StumbleUpon that have captured a lot of market share… but if you are a bit newer to blogging and DON’T have a network already lined up, it is very very difficult to gain any traction when you start so far down the food chain.

The Problem With Big Networks

When I think about marketing via social media, it usually links back to the classic one-day rally where you will get 1,000s of page views on one “hot” piece of writing… but then never hear from these people again. However, with Bloggers Base you actually get the chance to form a network with other people interested in your content space. Think of this like “LinkedIn” for bloggers!

When Dan first approached me with the possibility of running a review, I realized what a great opportunity this truly is. While it is still in the beta stage, Bloggers Base offers what the “big networks” can’t… and that is a level playing field. When you register for Digg… you are almost forced to make a ploy for the old timers that have a reputation built up in the community if you want to have any degree of success. However, with Bloggers Base, those that write the most will get noticed. Alternatively, even if you don’t wind up with a cash incentive (yes, they give out prizes), you get a new network of friends to leverage later on.

Where the revenue really comes from in blogging…

So, it all get’s back to making money from your blog… right? I am going to assume that most of you are in this because cash is always a nice incentive on the side of getting your name out there. When people ask how to make money from blogging… the answer isn’t to sell ad space or to write a bunch of sponsored posts every month, it is leveraging your network of users for profits over time.

Truth be told, bloggers without a dedicated crew of readers that legitimately care about what you have to say will never be successful. One one hand, Bloggers Base offers you the ability to get massive amounts of traffic to the posts that you write. However, when you really step back and think about it, if you are a top contributor to Bloggers Base you will get much more than the $500 a week that they currently offer to their best authors… you will be getting friends. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that friends lead to more friends.

Once you start the networking cycle, and assuming you continue to put out excellent content on your blog, it is only a matter of time before your blog begins to churn out more and more RSS subscribers every day… sometimes even at alarming rates! Using social media seems to be the next big fad across the internet, so why not hop on the bandwagon before there is no room left to sit down?

Bottom Line: I highly recommend that you all sign up to, or at least check out, BloggersBase.com. It is a tremendous opportunity, and completely FREE! At the very least, creating a profile and making an account will get you another social media network to gain a little bit of backlink-juice to your blog and/or website. Check it out!

-Jimvesting

It’s official!

While you were away, Google brought webmasters their own Christmas present in the form of the Fourth Quarter 2008 PageRank Update! Many bloggers, marketers and web geeks alike wait for Google PageRank (“PR”) updates religiously, and for good reason. A high PR can send your blog to the top of search engine rankings, get you much more easily indexed, and help you rake in a lot more dough from advertisers who like to see high numbers. Don’t let anyone tell you that PageRank ain’t important, because it can really drive your website’s success.

So what happened to me? This round of Google PageRank updates was pretty solid overall. Jimvesting.com got upgraded from a PR 3 to a PR 4… though I already had a PR 4 back in May of 2008, before getting downgraded to a PR 3 in the fall. At any rate, that is solid news. On related websites, BullishBankers.com (my stock market community) received the bump up from a PR 3 to a PR 4… not bad for a website that’s only been around for 6 months. During the Q2 PageRank Updates, I reviewed the new ratings and how I felt they were relative to what I felt these blogs deserved. Today, we redo this process with 100 of the top MMO blogs on the internet.

Jimvesting’s Top 100 MMO “Fair Value” Rankings

Because of the constant ranting on how “unfair” Google’s Pagerank service is, I decided to pull from the top 100 “Make Money Online” websites on the internet (according to the leading Top 100 list), and put the new PR rankings to the test. Below, you will find a list of these blogs, their new Pagerank as of December 31st 2008, and their Jimvesting “Fair Value” ranking. You can call this a little “surprise” for Google… just thanking them for the PR upgrade by throwing 100+ links around!

Q4 2008 Jimvesting’s “Fair Value” Pagerank Analysis

Whew! That’s one heck of a list, eh? Again, if your site is listed here as “overvalued” it doesn’t mean that I don’t like you… it’s simply an indication that I feel you got a nicer pagerank than I feel your site has shown. This is, actually, quite a compliment for your ability to break past Google’s defenses!

The Results

It seems that in the 4th Quarter PageRank update, Google came out with a literal “gift” to many bloggers. I have found that the update was overall “soft” in that some less-than-stellar blogs were given extraordinarily high PRs to play with. Unfortunately, many of the solid blogs that I felt deserved higher marks were ripped off by the system this time around. This is confirmed in the numbers from this test sample:

• Appropriately Valued: 48%
• OVERvalued: 31%
• UNDERvalued: 21%

The Verdict

In all, we have much fewer blogs undervalued now in Q4 than in the Q2 update, when over 35% of blogs were undervalued. Accordingly, as essentially half of the blogs were again accuratly pageranked, we had a large amount of blogs that were overvalued (31%) compared to the measily 12.5% overvalued from the second quarter. Looking objectively at this, and assuming that I judged “fairness” in the same way, it looks like many bloggers got one heck of a gift this quarter!

Bottom Line: Google seemed to have once again done a fair job in pageranking the websites across the blogosphere. When you have around 50% of blogs appropriately valued, even subjectively speaking, twice in a row… you know that you have a pretty good system all things considered. There were many exceptions to the rule, but in general it seems like PageRank is actually a decent option to be objective.

-Jimvesting

Does it seem like left and right, everyone is starting up a blog? Blogging is one of the most rapidly growing industries on the internet, and if you use it correctly… success isn’t too hard to find. Maybe you are interested in educating the masses, or perhaps you want to share a photo travel log? Starting up a blog can be used to make money online (even making a living!) and can really get some great ideas out on the table.

My experience has been that blogging seems to be a hobby that many want to try, but nobody actually gets off the ground. While you may have heard of the popular services like Blogger.com and WordPress.com, there is really no comparison to owning your own blog so that you can really customize and control what appears on it. The terminology and expertise can get very confusing, so here’s where I come in!

The Blog Domination Package is now FREE!

Coming from a guy that’s owned and operated many successful blogs, I have worked with my sponsors and have arranged a way to offer my Blog Domination Package (retail $150) for a whopping $0.00 to you! Let me take you from start to finish with my professional blog services, where I do everything from configuring your server to optimizing your content.

Here’s What You Get:

• Free Web Server & Hosting Configuration
• Free WordPress Installation and Setup
• Free Website Theme Consulting & Installation
• Free Custom Header / Logo with Source Files
• Select from a variety of custom-fit templates
• Free Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Service
• Free Custom Plugin Setup and Configuration

How can I offer this for free? I have worked with my main hosting affiliate HostGator, arguable the best web hosting company on the internet (and where theNetFool.com is hosted), to get you a competitive package that allows me to effectively work for free. All of my services come 100% free for new customers to HostGator that act as my referral, and I will even discount things to $75 for those of you that just need a hand setting things up and optimizing your existing setup.

Pricing Plan
Jimvesting’s Blog Domination Package is 100% free when you are signing up as a new customer to HostGator. All you need is a copy of your receipt to prove that you ordered a package, and ordered through my referral link. If you are already a HostGator customer, you may purchase the Blog Domination Package for a discounted $75 (1/2 off!) for a limited time.

Coupons: Use “WORDPRESS” to get your first month for a penny
Coupons: Use “GREEN” to get your overall package 20% off

All About HostGator
When I was faced with the move into premium hosting, I already had my preexisting stereotypes of each web hosting provider in my mind. Of course, HostGator is known for their top notch customer service, so they were on my list from the get-go. But in all honestly, HostGator will get you the most bang for your buck and has some of the fastest servers around. There is a 20% off promotion pretty much every month, so the prices are ultra-affordable, and they are a great company to work with.

Steps to Order the Blog Domination Package:

I want to help everyone that wants to blog, but simply doesn’t understand the system process a chance to hit it big online. I will be providing you a high-quality blog with optimized content that will more easily get you some attention (if wanted). Here are the steps to take in order to qualify:

1. Order HostGator web hosting using this link

2. Wait for the official receipt to come in your email inbox

3. Use theNetFool.com’s “Contact Form” with “Blog Domination” in the subject line and include your transaction # for verification purposes

4. I will contact you and start consulting and building your new blog for free!

Check out this SAMPLE of a blog you can get set up for absolutely zero cost through the Blog Domination Package. The Almost Millionaire was set up for zero cost!

“Jim just performed this service for me and I have been EXTREMELY HAPPY with the deal.  He walked me through the process start to finish and timely completed all tasks that were too technical for a newbie like me! I highly suggest anyone who is using blogger or a non-hosted service to take advantage of Jim’s expertise and upgrade your online presence. Thanks Jim!” -The Almost Millionaire

Summary of the Blog Domination Package

I decided to start offering the Blog Domination Package as a way to get all of you readers who like my content, but don’t have blogs, in the game. It’s a fantastic idea to form a blog if you are interested in sharing your insight or making a bit of supplementary income. With Jimvesting’s Blog Domination Package, you can get the professional consulting and optimization services that you would normally expect from a paid service… for free! I like the sound of that.

-Jimvesting

Website owners, and bloggers in particular, often have their success gauged by third party ranking metrics. The leaders in this technology are Google (Pagerank), Technorati (Technorati Rank) and Alexa (Alexa Rank)… but some are clearly better than others in accurately measuring a site’s popularity.

Despite the constant complaining, I remain convinced that Google Pagerank is in fact the most accurate of the three, and is actually a very accurate grader of popularity (on average). Technorati is really only used to judge websites that exist in the tech and information areas of the market. The third option would be Alexa, which is without a doubt the most unstable of the three. While theNetFool.com held an Alexa ranking of around 88,000 over the past month, we have slipped into the mid-100,000s while traffic has continued to climb. This raises the question, if your Alexa ranking sucks… are you doing something wrong?

How The Ranking Is Determined… And Why It’s Unreliable
I had to have a look toward the official Alexa.com FAQ section to determine exactly how the algorithm works. Despite the fact that they have recently upgraded their ranking metric, things still rely on the same old factors: toolbar views, unique page views and website reach. Here is the official excerpt:

“A site’s ranking is based on a combined measure of reach and pageviews. Reach is determined by the number of unique Alexa users who visit a site on a given day. Pageviews are the total number of Alexa user URL requests for a site. However, multiple requests for the same URL on the same day by the same user are counted as a single pageview. The site with the highest combination of users and pageviews is ranked #1.”

We can see here that views are counted more if they are unique. This sounds good, but it’s naturally going to weigh social media hits too heavily. I truly believe that my Alexa ranking has self-imploded since I stopped actively marketing with social media. While I felt that getting hits from websites like StumbleUpon and Digg by the thousands was a cheap way to increase my real traffic, (and deceptive to advertisers to put it lightly) it was actually holding up my Alexa ranking the entire time.

You Are Getting The Short End of the Stick
The bottom line here is that the way Alexa scores ranking is putting you at a loss if you do not do everything under your control to boost your rating. Don’t care? Maybe you should. As unfair as it is, advertisers and other marketing companies look to Alexa ranking among other things to set their rates. If your blog is signed up under ReviewMe.com or SponsoredReviews.com, you are literally being compared by your Alexa ranking to determine pricing.

If you are not using the Alexa.com toolbar yourself, you are missing out on some good rank-inflation. If your readers and visitors don’t have it installed, you are getting hit even harder. Failure to use social media websites to drive unique visitors to your blog will negatively effect your Alexa rank as other websites gain ground on yours. And if you aren’t using any Alexa.com widget, you miss out on lots of potential.

Jimvesting’s Alexa Antidote
Since my Alexa.com ranking has slipped off the charts (despite record growth), I have developed a five-step plan that I think all of you should take in order to conquer Alexa and increase your site’s worth. Let’s break it down!

1. Install a chart or widget on your actual website
Notice a change in the footer of theNetFool.com? I installed the chart widget because each impression on the chart registers better with Alexa, which can help if your traffic doesn’t already have the official toolbar installed in their web browser. You can get the chart widget right on your site’s Alexa homepage, and can alternatively use a simple ranking-display widget if you don’t have as much space.

2. Install the Firefox “Sparky” Alexa toolbar plugin
By installing the official Alexa toolbar on your blog/website, you will be getting your website ranking boosted a bit more every time you visit, and will help out all of your favorite blogs as well. It’s really a win-win and the new Sparky plugin is easy to install, convenient and you won’t even notice it’s there!

3. Encourage your visitors to install the Alexa plugin themselves
The logical next step is to ask your readers to install the plugin themselves. I’ll do that now… “please install the Alexa.com plugin!” In all seriousness, having everyone use the Firefox plugin will increase your ranking big time. For my blog, most of my users are on FireFox, meaning that I have a potential 60%+ increase if everyone were viewing with the toolbar. It’s a chain reaction that really pays off.

4. Create content targeted toward tech/geek internet surfers
Despite the updates to the ranking metric, one thing remains the same: Alexa.com rankings are amplified by the tech/geek crew. Why? Internet surfers that look at tech-related material are much more likely to have the Alexa toolbar installed. Therefore, making a post about Alexa.com rankings (what I am doing now) or making a nice list of webmaster resources can really attract a lot of important views that will drive your Alexa ranking HIGHER!

5. Target social media traffic for increase unique visitors
Just like we want to create effective content that is well-received by the internet community, we want to reach out to social media bookmarking websites like Digg.com, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Technorati and Mixx in order to really throttle our results. Unique visitors make a HUGE difference, so by using social media networks, even if users stay for a half second, you are going to be artificially inflating your Alexa numbers which is a win-win any day of the week.

This five-step plan should be a great starting block in getting your Alexa.com ranking up with the pros. A lot of really high-quality websites get slapped with poor Alexa rankings, while some brand new blogs are getting sub-100k ranks! UberAffiliate.com has an Alexa ranking of 325,000; JohnCow.com has an Alexa ranking of 235,000; but Jimvesting.com somehow trounces both with a ranking of 112,000.

Is this accurate? No. Is this reasonable? No. Is this even fair? No. But until Alexa makes a shift to a more precise ranking metric, we have to claw our way to higher rankings by gaming the system.

-Jimvesting