Comments Off on About Mark Welch

I am both a web publisher and an internet marketing consultant.  Read more »

Comments Off on Mark Welch – Publisher Role

As a web publisher, most of my time is spent developing and maintaining “niche” web sites focused on specific audiences, communities, and product categories.  “Relevant and Useful” is my web publishing philosophy.

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Over the past three months, I’ve been asked to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) more often than ever before, and as usual I’ve said “no” to each request.

I’ve been involved in the computer & technology industry for more than 25 years, starting as a reporter, later as an attorney, and now as a marketing consultant. In all that time, I’ve signed exactly two non-disclosure agreements (one as part of an employment contract).

Of course, I’d never use or disclose someone’s confidential information improperly. Read more »

Comments Off on HootSuite, ow.ly, and GetSatisfaction: unethical, spammy, and fraudulent activities

I’ve just added a filter to completely block ALL Twitter posts made via HootSuite. That means that I won’t see any “tweets” that anyone posts using the HootSuite tool.  My reasons: Read more »

Comments Off on Evaluating Landing Page Quality

EngineReady‘s ConversionCritic web site helps you evaluate your landing page’s quality, measured by “Marketing Effectiveness,” “Offer Clarity,” “Readability of Copy,” and “Engagement with Visitor.”

ConversionCritic poses an excellent series of questions. However, the implication of the questionnaire is that a “yes” answer is better than a “no” answer, which is not always true. If you visit the site at ConversionCritic.com and complete the questionnaire, you’ll be given a detailed report that includes additional explanations for each question. Read more »

Comments Off on “I need internet marketing help” help-wanted ads

Lately, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of very vague ads seeking “internet marketing help,” without defining the purpose of the marketing effort.  Sometimes I respond, just to ask what it’s about. Read more »

Comments Off on Avoiding Web-Advertising Scams

Today, a web publisher posted a message on the ABestWeb forum, complaining about a specific advertiser who’d defaulted on a payment promise of $40,000.  This isn’t new, nor is it unique to online advertising: advertisers default on payment promises every single day. However, there are some strategies that web publishers can use to evaluate an advertiser. Read more »

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Google AdSense is almost never the best way to monetize a site; most web sites can earn more from other advertising options.

But I almost always recommend using AdSense as the first advertising solution for new web publications (sites).  The reasons are simple: Read more »

Comments Off on Just Say No to “Gurus”

Do not pay money to a “guru.” Ever.

The word “guru” implies a blind faith which many embrace in their religions, but it iisn’t appropriate for business.

Don’t buy a “course” or “system” or even an ebook about “How to Make Money from AdSense” or “Internet Success Secrets” or “Money Machines” or any other gimicky name.

And don’t pay money to buy “secrets.”  There really are no “secrets” about how to make money. There are strategies, of course, which can often work when properly applied — but they aren’t secrets. Read more »

Comments Off on Honesty in Marketing and Blogging

Online marketeers should pay attention to two recent legal developments: Read more »