My Affiliate Management Days Goal
I’m always looking to learn from those colleagues in our industry who have been doing this longer than I have. It’s for this reason that I’d LOVE to attend Affiliate Management Days 2013 in San Francisco. I wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel, or flight, or much of anything outside of my normal daily expenses since it’s just across the SF bay from me. There’s just one not-so-tiny problem.
The registration price tag.
It’s a lot to ask – $1200 – not that it’s not worth it. This will be their second conference in San Francisco and I heard terrific things about last year’s show. Which was their first-ever, so that’s considerably impressive. I’d love to go hear insights from folks who do the same things I do. They’ve been where I’ve been. They know the daily stresses, challenges, and rewards that being an affiliate manager holds. So I’d be pretty crazy not to want to go!
These are challenging economic times. While it’s an incredible investment and can easily be claimed as a business expense (because it is), bills are still due. In an effort to offset the costs and make my goal of attending a reality, I’m asking for your help. You can help in a number of ways:
- If you’re a fellow affiliate manager and haven’t already registered, but intend to, please do so through my affiliate link. The commission I earn will help me to pay for the pass.
- Share my post so others can potentially help.
- If you’re not attending, but want to help me reach this goal, I’ve set up a ChipIn campaign to help raise funds towards the conference registration cost. If I do not make my goal, you will be refunded your donation. You can donate through the widget below:
Thank you so much. Please – share my goal and help me contribute to the industry I so love by learning more and sharing my own knowledge at Affiliate Management Days SF 2013!
Read MoreThe Story of My Stolen Purse in Las Vegas
I can now cross “having my purse stolen in Las Vegas” off my life experiences check list. Here’s how it went down.
While in Las Vegas for the fabulous Affiliate Summit West 2013, on Monday evening I took some time away from parties and happy hours to have dinner with my friend & former boss Connie and afterwards we went off in pursuit of the golden slot machine that would pay for our trips. After some trial & error, we found ourselves in the Forum Casino area of Caesars Palace. Connie had settled in on an older vintage machine whereas I wanted the newer machines with all the video game-like bonuses, so I told her where I was going & wandered off to a neighboring bank of penny slots. After awhile, I decided I was done with that machine & wandered back. After a minute or two playing some 25¢ slots behind her, I told Connie I was going to go to another bank of slots across the way.
After making my way around a kiosk of machines to find which one “spoke to me”, I went to insert my players card and voucher. That’s when I realized… WHERE IS MY PURSE?!?!
I jogged back to Connie, hoping I’d just set it down in the chair next to her. No such luck. She hadn’t seen my purse, but of course, hadn’t really been paying attention. I look behind her where I’d been sitting, no purse. Jogged over to the other bank of slots, NO PURSE! I looked beside the machines, in the old coin areas that are merely decorative now, and under all the chairs. WHERE IS MY PURSE?!
I’m glad I was with Connie, because she had the presence of mind to tell me to go tell a security guard that I’d lost my purse. I’m not sure I’d have thought of that in my panic.
The security guard radios it in and I take him to where I last saw my purse, the first machine with the bonuses. He asked how long ago was it, and was I SURE that’s where I last left it.
It’s a good thing I have a photographic and sensory memory. I told him it was less than 5 minutes because the last time I had my purse I remember vividly pulling a cough drop out & putting it in my mouth. The cough drop is still in my mouth & not even halfway gone. See? There’s the wrapper sitting in the ashtray next to the machine. I could still taste the lip butter I’d put on from inside my purse and, of course, the last thing I remember was tilting my phone out to see that it was just before 11 o’clock. So yeah, I’m sure.
I tell him the general description of my purse (again, very vivid since it was a Christmas present) and he makes some calls. He points himself towards a specific camera in the ceiling and waves, which is when I start to remember the MANY shows I’ve seen on cable about how well oiled a machine the surveillance system at Las Vegas casinos are. We wait awhile, the security guard explaining that they’re putting a rush on looking at the tapes and if a cleaning person or server picked it up, it’ll take 10-20 minutes for them to get back to their stations to report the found object.
My LuLu Rouched Clutch
After waiting a few minutes with Connie for someone to turn it in, crying a bit because I can’t believe what an idiot I am to lose my purse, the guard decides that it’s been enough time waiting to hear someone turned it in that he’s going to go ahead and take me to the security booth to fill out an official incident report so they can “continue their investigation”. Connie assures me that she’ll wait right there for me, and I head off.
Of course, after I fill out the incident report, my current boss Roger, his friend, and my co-worker Randy come wandering by. Randy, being the consummate joker, asks if I’m in trouble of course. I tell them that I lost my purse & Roger says to text him when I get my phone back. Like Connie, they all tell me to think positive & that they’re sure it’ll turn up. Being a pessimist, I was seriously doubting that.
The guard tells me he has to get back, but another person on their team, a woman, was going to come talk to me. I chat with the guard stationed at the booth – super nice guy that actually used to live in the Bay Area. We talk about housing prices and whatnot, and it really helps to distract me from the horror show that my night has turned into. I finally see this woman who fit the first guard’s description walking towards us, when all of a sudden she stops short, listening to her radio on her shoulder. She turns back around and walks towards the Forum Casino, where we’d just come from.
A minute later, the guard in the booth listens intently on his shoulder radio and says, “They think they got the guy”.
“So it was stolen after all?” I ask. He nods. At least I didn’t lose it, I think, but I still have no clue how someone got my purse away from me considering it was more of a clutch with a wrist strap that I had on the whole time (or so I thought). Another moment goes by and he listens in then says “Oh, they think it was a woman”.
That bitch! I think… then the guard asks if I’d like to press charges. Now I’m conflicted, because I do want to, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to the last day of the conference, if I’ll have to stay in town longer, or if I’ll have to come back at some point. So I ask what pressing charges would entail. When he tells me that it would just be 45-60 more minutes of my time to fill out extra paperwork, I
quickly agree to press charges. He said it best when he explained that he’s glad I’m pressing charges – most people are on vacation & don’t want to be hassled with it as long as they get their stuff back, but if I don’t press charges then they just have to let the perp go, and then they’re going to do it to someone else.
Yeah, I said perp. I watch a lot of Law & Order.
We chat some more, about a case they had where a man picked up some woman’s $50,000 bracelet that she’d dropped in the casino & went to jail for 5 years, essentially for not turning it in to Lost & Found since he didn’t actively rob her, and soon enough a manager type guy (suit & earwig, no uniform) comes walking our way with my little silver purse in hand.
YAY! I clap for him to signal I can tell it’s my purse! He comes over and asks me to verify that everything is in my purse, and it is. Including more cash than I actually thought I’d had. I ask about the paperwork and he says it’s not necessary, and that I should enjoy the rest of my night and that they’re sorry for my ordeal. All told, it was about an hour between reporting my purse missing to the security guard and the manager bringing it back & sending me along on my way.
I never did meet the person who stole it. I never did see the tape or learn how exactly she got my purse away from me. I’m assuming that the video evidence was clear enough that they didn’t need any additional paperwork from me. They have all my contact information on my incident report, so if they need me, I assume they’ll call.
I was happy to find Connie sitting right where I’d left her, and flashed her my (tightly clutched) purse as I made my way back to her. We ended our night with some celebratory over-priced drinks with some folks we knew already holding court in the Galleria bar & then I was back up to my room! I te
ll ya… next time it’s over-the-shoulder purses for me that I can keep a better eye on!
Read MoreGrinch Who Stole Data Infographic
I don’t mean to freak anyone out, especially right before Christmas, but this is definitely an interesting infographic, produced by Mobistealth. Check this out & feel free to share!
Source: MobiStealth.com
Why Site Layout Matters
Guest Post by Ken Myers.
Website design entails more than just a few images here and there with possibly a table in the middle to organize content. While you don’t have to go overboard and design an overly extravagant site, you could still benefit by having something that is simple and eye-pleasing to your visitors. There are millions of styles on the Internet and many of them constantly restructure the design. It is important to have the perfect design in many ways.
Easy Access
You don’t want your visitors getting lost on your website. Information and relevant links should be easy to find and click. Most websites will put categories and such in a navigation bar on either side of the body.
Jigsaw
If your site looks like someone through a puzzle on the computer screen, chances are the visitors are going to move on. A dynamic smooth feel is needed to have a successful website. Organization of your content is very important.
Busy
You don’t want to cover your website with too much flash. Images, banners, and other add-ons could distract from the content making it difficult for visitors to read. People want information when visiting a website, not an art gallery – unless that is what your website is for.
Clean
For the best results from search engine optimization, you want to make sure your coding is cleaned up. There may be errors in the code that can cause search engines to not crawl your website or cause visitors to see a dreaded 404 error.
Audience
Many designers will use the information from programs such as Google Analytics to determine what the content dimensions should be. For instance, if most of your visitors are using tablets or smartphones with a low resolution, then having a website that is 2400 pixels across would make viewing difficult. Know your audience and the technologies used to browse your website.
Scripting Additions
Most of your visitors would rather have a functional website that provides the information they are looking for. Adding too features and java-based scripts could make the experience unpleasant. Do your visitors really need to know what the temperature is in your home town?
Knowledge
It is not difficult to come up with a design that works. If you’re in doubt, take a look at other websites and see how the designer put them together. For the most part, important links are across the top, informational links are along the left side, and the content is in the main body.
A website isn’t set in stone. If you are unhappy with your current design or are bored with the same look day-in and day-out, you can always change it. Depending on how the information is linked through coding, changing how a site looks and feels isn’t as difficult as it may seem. As long as it is functional for your visitors and the code is clean, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem re-envisioning your website.
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Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need; instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.
Read MoreWill There Ever Be A Yahoo – Google Partnership?
Guest Post by Dan Chaney
Before Google dominated the search engine market, the #1 place to go for information on anything was Yahoo. No one could go outside or watch TV without seeing one of their ads each day. Today, Yahoo is not in good shape. Some internet users either think it’s dead or have no idea what it is. At one point, a few companies tried to buy the company but the execs and shareholders refused the offers. However, no one has thought of a partnership. Will Yahoo ever do such a thing with Google or someone else? The short answer is maybe.
Yahoo could use some help in some form or another. Their net income is at $228.5 million according to their Q2 2012 earnings report, which has been in decline for some time. They’ve also had many of their top-level execs either leave or have been let go over the past six years. Add on the fact that they’re having to compete for business with two juggernaut-sized companies (Google and Microsoft) and it becomes clear that Yahoo has a massive hill to climb if they wish to stay open.
A partnership of some could work in their favor, but it depends on what the other party would offer them. The first thing they need is more people using their search engine. Without that, there’s not much of a reason to visit except to check e-mail and read the news. Original content would also help. If Yahoo offers something people want to see or read that can’t be found elsewhere, there’s a good chance that they’ll be able to convince users and investors to give them a second look. In short, they’d have to utilize multiple services from one company or team up with multiple companies to remain afloat.
At some point, Yahoo will have to do something big to attract the attention of internet users and businesses alike. If they can’t offer better services and content than its competition, it’ll have to put itself up for sale and hope for the best. A partnership with Google would help, but only if it’ll convince people to come to their site on a regular basis aside from checking and sending email. Also, it’ll depend on which services the partnership will improve. Otherwise, the deal may turn out to be an expensive waste of time for all parties involved.
One way or another, Yahoo needs to get its house in order. Will that include a partnership of some kind? Only time will tell. Given the history they’ve had when it comes to being bought up, the folks in charge may choose to do things on their own until all of their efforts fall flat before striking a deal with anyone.
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Dan Chaney is a blogger for HirePulse advertising with a background in social media and marketing.
Read MoreTop 5 Social Media Apps for iPhone
Guest Post by James Clark.
Social networking sites for smartphones are what make the smartphone experience all the richer. You can get the entertainment and socialization aspects of using a full time PC all in a handy device that is not only portable but can be safely tucked into your pockets or bags. Modern technology really can be a blessing but availing the luxuries can be a bit tricky. With so much progress happening on the smartphone front, there is also a lot of malware and spyware being produced too- – a counter reaction almost for all the things you can use smartphones for.
Of all the platforms for smartphones, iOS ranks number one when it comes to safety. There is just no doubt that an iPhone is the safest platform what with the closed OS and Apple’s strict review policies for apps. So if you feel that you want a social app experience and are safe from cell phone monitoring, keyloggers, and all sorts of malware and adware that spreads through social networking sites, iPhone is your best option. And so, here are the best social apps that will help you socialize with ease and no fear of spyware on your iPhone.
There can be no surprises here. Facebook is King App when it comes to comparing social networking apps for any platform. When we talk about iPhone, we know that the people over at Apple have managed to master social networking app creation and have a great free app version on iTunes. The app is very close to the real website and offers almost everything that is available on the site. The rating is 5 out of 5 and is the most used social app on iPhone.
Meebo
Though Meebo also has an excellent rating (5 out of 5 like Facebook), it still will have to come in a close second behind Facebook since the latter’s preference outdoes anyone else’s. But what is great about Meebo is that you can use it and still avail Facebook chat along with dozens of other chat services all rolled into one iPhone app. The app is free and very easy to use.
IMO Instant Messenger
This is a great app that also allows you to keep in touch with friends through multiple social network platforms and services. Among services it incorporates are AOL, MSN, Facebook, MySpace, and many more. Unlike Meebo, it supports Skype which gives it an edge over some other apps for Skype fans. IMO Instant Messenger is free and allows users to sort out and organize contacts, user push features, search chat history and more. The rating for this app is 4.5 out of 5 but personally, this app is a better option than Meebo.
TweetDeck iPhone App
This is a favorite among Twitter fans. Though it’s the free version of the Twitter app, fans flock to it since it does offer a lot of good features despite holding back many for the users on the paid version. With TweetDeck users can manage more than one Twitter account on one simple interface. The ranking is 4/5 and hard to beat for a free Twitter app.
Now this app is quite possibly the most comprehensive one when it comes to accessing multiple services. Instead of just incorporating the big names, users can also keep tabs on Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Instagram. All the news feeds come to the users in magazine style updates, keeping everything fresh and fun. Flipboard ranks great with a 5 out of 5 rating.
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James Clark has been in the business of providing quality information on Mobistealth Mobile Spy Software for a while now. He’s an expert at all things spyware, but his main forte is iPhone spyware which has captured the interest of many.
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