I’m sure you are aware of the secruity flaw via IE7 and many forms of IE but I advise you to use a different browser for now. Firefox is what I am using now.. With that said, my main site Yofie.com was and currently still is Hacked. The hackers appeared to have entered the backend of the site on the server side. The site loads like normal but after about a 5 second delay redirects to a different site which I do not own…..
I have heard of many other sites that have been hacked as well, so use caution. I am not aware that a virus or anything like that is being applied to my visitors to Yofie.com but I just wanted to alert those who visit Yofie.com not to right now!
Yesterday I spent a good part of the day working on another development project and continue to learn more and more with XSite Pro 2. (which is still currently $100 off btw)
I also started using the Amazon Affiliate program which I had to learn at the same time but I would compare the Amazon program to eBay since Amazon has SO many products but is not an auction format. Amazon simply has great deals, ships really fast and nearly all products have Reviews. My wife shops by these reviews all the time and it pays off so I think that is a big Plus with Amazon! Amazon also has some amazing technology for product placement which is nice as well.
After picking my template from XSite Pro I got to work on the content. I wrote all the content on the home page and instead of using just One Store, I split the store part of the site up into two sections so the products will display better and be more relevant to the specific product the user is looking for.
The site I built on was www.Irrigators.com . I used the Amazon aStore and inline frame to place the store within my site. I did have some trouble getting the store to fit into the site at first, but in the end I had to choose a custom template that was narrower via Amazon aStore and it fit. The store pages are a little smashed but not that bad. I could change my template to a wider version but I like the template that I have currently and will keep that in mind for my next one.
So if you couldn’t tell by now, I have really been putting a good deal of effert into development during these very slow times in the domain industry. I still do keep my eye on the market and expiring domains but I just have not been buying all that much. If I do buy, I make sure it’s something that I can build a site on no matter if I want to sell or not.
With these development projects, I hope to not just build and learn but to maybe sell the Domains, but as a turnkey business that is getting traffic, has search engine placements and are making money! Having those things in place already makes any domain name easier to sell IMO and adds value!
I keep saying it, but I want you to stop "thinking" about development and start doing it! Learning is GREAT and you also build more value into your domain names, generate more revenue if you do your sites right and can build relationships with a lot more people and businesses. I think with XSite Pro (above), WordPress (free), Xheader.com which is a free header creater and the many, many affiliate programs you have what you need.
Tony
Jamie, have you used eBay’s affiliate program? I’d like to know how it compares to Amazon’s in terms of revenue. I believe Amazon only pays 10% commission vs 50-80% with eBay. But it’d be good to put that to a real world test.
I agree about acquiring domains you can build on. I was on the fence about diecuttingpresses.com until I went to eBay and found used die cutting presses listed for $20-30k. That pretty much convinced me.
**Jamie Says**
Hi Tony. I just started using Amazon’s affiliate yesterday so I do not know the numbers yet. I do think Amazon will convert better then eBay though as I think the “auction” thing is getting old. People seem to have less and less time everyday and all they want is a good product at a good price with it being shipped to them quick! Amazon offers this. I think Amazon offers better Tools then eBay’s affiliate program which should show for the person using the affiliate (me, you etc). I like DiecuttingPresses.com but the question is… how many are sold Online? No searches on wordtracker.
Tony
Regarding search frequency, what’s the most accurate tool in your experience? I use Trellian and Google keyword tool but for some words, they differ widely. When they do, I lean towards Google for obvious reasons. As for “die cutting presses”, Google shows a low search estimate of “140″ but at $20-30K apiece, I’d only need one commission every 5 yrs to more than make up for the $59 price I paid. This in addition to the natural end user value.
**Jamie Says*
at that price!
Well Overture use to be…. but I always use Wordtracker http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ as I think it’s pretty fair on Daily searches. I do agree on the one sale part
Damir
Greetings to you Jamie and all your readers from Croatia – I am spending my New Year with my Family in Croatia and I am about to close some GREAT business deals here as well after the New year.
When it comes to the web browser Firefox is the way to go – security is Important.
I wish you all the Best
A rose only becomes beautiful and blesses others when it opens up and blooms. Its greatest tragedy is to stay in a tight-closed bud, never fulfilling its potential
Reece
Thanks for letting us know Jamie and I hope Yofie.com is back up and running soon. You did a great job with http://www.Irrigators.com — I’m going to have to sit down someday when I have a bit of free time and compare features between that and Dreamweaver CS3 which I’m using now. Development is definitely where it’s at and I hope to do much more of it in the new year. All the best and Happy Holidays to you and your family
- Reece
**Jamie Says**
Thank you Reece! Yofie.com is back and good to go! XSite Pro does offer a feature for exporting XSite projects to Dreamweaver but I have also been told that XSite is much easier to use. I personally have never used Dreamweaver, but I have used XSite and it’s pretty darn easy.