Ana Loves: My Internet Marketing Rolodex
Tools (or lack thereof) won’t make or break your business.
And they won’t make you more money.
But they WILL make your online money making efforts more effective and efficient.
The following list of tools is what I used and/or still do to power Traffic Generation Café.
<Ana’s Rolodex>
Hosting
Hostgator
There’s no such thing as a perfect problem-free hosting company, but Hostgator comes fairly close.That’s where Traffic Generation Café is currently hosted.
Feel free to use the following coupon code to get 25% off your initial hosting package:
anatrafficcafe25
Set up your Hostgator account here
BlueHost
BlueHost is a great option for websites that are getting less than 100,000 visitors a month.
Bluehost has hosting packages starting as low as $4.95/month, so you aren’t going to find a better deal out there.
Set up your BlueHost Account here
Webdesign
Thesis Theme
I love Thesis for its built-in SEO capabilities (you don’t need any SEO plugins when running on Thesis), incredible customization potential, the ease of customization even if you don’t know any code (I customized my first one myself), and incredible support and knowledge base.
Traffic Generation Café currently runs on Thesis.
Get Thesis for YOUR blog here
IM Graphic Designs
Meet Ian Belanger, the creator of my current stunning design. He is the power behind all things technical at TGC.
The wisdom to outsource the time-intensive tasks that I have no training for (like website design) came after much frustration, sleepless nights, and emergency Hostgator calls.
When you reach your boiling point, give Ian a call. He’ll give you your sanity back.
Contact Ian for your next web design
Thesis Awesome
If custom design is not quite in your budget just yet (I’ve been there before), then getting a customizable “skin” (a template, in other words) is the next best thing.
I like Hesham Zebida’s (FamousBloggers.net) Thesis Awesome because his skins are designed with conversion in mind – whether it’s list building, affiliate marketing, or product/service sales.
See what Thesis Awesome can do for you
List Building
Aweber
The only autoresponder I’d consider.
Aweber offers a $1 trial month for all new customers. You’ll have access to all features a paid account is entitled to: unlimited lists, email campaigns, automatic follow-ups, broadcasts, and many, many more.
If after 30 days you don’t like them, just let them know and Aweber will give you your $1 back. Guaranteed.
DO check out Aweber for only $1 now
WPSubscribers
My list building plugin of choice.
There are certainly plenty of them on the market these days and I’ve tested a few.
WPSubscribers is the one I am sticking with.
SEO
Market Samurai
The BEST KEYWORD RESEARCH TOOL I’ve ever used, bar none.
Goes way beyond simple keyword research with competition research, rank tracking, domain research, and more.
Get your MarketSamurai Download here
SEMRush.com
I love, love, love this internet marketing tool.
You know how different rank checkers ask you for the keywords you’d LIKE to rank for and then tell you where you are ranking for them?
Well, SEMRush checks the first 20 spots across Google to tell YOU what you are currently ranking for. This is priceless.
You can learn about different keywords you didn’t even know you were ranking for.
It also tells you which keywords bring the most traffic to your blog, so you can quickly tell which ones you need to push up in the rankings to bring even more search engine traffic.
Take a look at my SEMRush Review to learn more about the tool.
Start tracking your competition with SEMRush.com
Affiliate Marketing
Thirsty Affiliates Plugin
This plugin converts any keywords on your blog into money-making affiliate links, creates professional redirects, adds NoFollow (NEVER forget to do it!), opens links in new windows, AND you can easily insert banners already linked to the product site with your aff link with a simple click.
Also check out my post about the best Affiliate Marketing Programs and how to find/choose them.
Download your own ThirstyAffiliates here
Social Media
Tweet Adder
This is the very tool that allows me to follow thousands of targeted users on autopilot per day, thus making Twitter my largest referral traffic source.
Here is my Tweet Adder review.
And now you can get 20% off Tweet Adder on me; just follow this link to Tweet Adder website and enter the following discount code at checkout:
AH20
Start generating profitable traffic with Tweet Adder
Video Marketing
ScreenFlow
Screen recording and a whole lot more. Used by most pro video marketers and yours truly.
ScreenFlow makes editing video easy, so I can focus on creatively telling my story and not the tech side of things.
Start using ScreenFlow today
Bamboo Pen Tablet
Turns my computer into a virtual canvas, allowing me to create digital artwork with the touch of a pen.I use it to draw on the slides while recording the screen with ScreenFlow; turns boring “I’ve seen it all before” videos into interactive gems.
Spruce up your videos with Bamboo Pen Tablet
Membership Site
S2Member
S2Member is a great membership site plugin.
Use it to build list, make money, deliver exclusive content to a particular readership segment – I was blown away by the potential when I first started using it at TGC.
Has a very robust free version, as well as S2Member Pro, which is what you need to run a full-blown membership site.
Download your S2Member here
Marketing Courses
Become a Blogger 2.0
Most blogging courses don’t work.
Very few do.
This one DEFINITELY does.
Originally created by Yaro Starak (Entrepreneurs-Journey.com) and Gideon Shalwick (GideonShalwick.com) and now ran by Leslie Samuel (BecomeABlogger.com), Become a Blogger 2.0 is a blogging course with the mission of helping as many people as possible to set up Authority Blogs, and build successful businesses around those blogs.
Learn how to build a successful business around your blog
Start a Blog that Matters
Hundreds of millions of blogs are online today. Thousands more are started every day.
Anyone can start a blog in 5 minutes, but very few people will start blogs that matter.
If you think you have the creativity and dedication it takes to create a blog that matters, you should consider joining Corbett Barr in this course.
Start a blog that matters with Corbett Barr
Blog Post Promotion: the Ultimate Guide
by Kristi Hines – this is an ebook that is packed with actionable advice on how to promote your blog.
Kristi Hines of Kikolani.com is certainly the best expert in the field and she doesn’t hold anything back as she shares how she promotes her blog, contest entries, etc.
Start promoting your blog with Kristi Hines
</Ana’s Rolodex>
Should you choose to go through my affiliate links and help me to turn Traffic Generation Café into a thriving business, I want you to know this: I truly and sincerely appreciate your business.
PS Please read my Affiliate Disclaimer
(or don’t, either way… as long as you know it’s here…)
Yes, I own/use/recommend all the products/services above and hope that you will as well.
Gasp!
My recommendation is ALWAYS based on my belief that the product and its author will provide excellent and valuable information or service.
In some cases, I will be compensated should you decide to purchase that product based on my recommendation.
In some cases, I will receive the product for free for review purposes.
Always, always, always do your OWN due diligence before making any purchases.
Never purchase anything you cannot afford.
Most people don’t do anything with the products they buy, so most of the time, their typical results are zero.
Don’t do drugs, stay in school.
There is no such thing as a Silver Bullet.
I bet this disclaimer would make a good rap song…
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April 26, 2013 at 6:45 am
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You are simply BRILLIANT – I just watched your Slideshare MOO TRAFFIC project and fell in love with your WIT and MIND – already appreciate your freebie – my dream is to clone someone like you to help me with MY traffic – though will aim to follow your hacks in the interim. Well done!
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April 25, 2013 at 1:24 pm
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Hello,
This is not actually a comment, but I couldn’t figure out anywhere else to write this.
I found your site quite interesting and would like to discuss generating traffic (I call them leads) for a couple of marketing projects I am involved with. I am a marketer from the old school (read: before the internet became the holy grail). I have been primarily a direct marketer and have owned a number of telesales marketing companies. (So much for all of that, let’s move into the present.)
I came upon you during a search related to Empower Network. I agree that what they do is primarily just hype, but so far it seems to represent reasonably accurately what results you can achieve, if you actually follow through with what you said you would do. Yes, they are overpriced, however, watching the Terminator swagger around and pretend to be “bad” was overpriced also, but people really liked it! Arnold riding a Harley, swinging a shotgun and cracking bad guys heads all at once … how much better can it get? People felt they got their money’s worth and came back again and agian.
Do you feel that this type of program is dishonest, or just shallow? If you feel it is dishonest, please forgive me for taking up some of your time. If you are not opposed to giving people encouragement to “be the best they can be,” perhaps there can be a venue worth exploring. If you see a clear path to promoting this, I am interested in seeing just what you have to offer and what your price might be.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Roy Hamilton
Cell: (954) 600-3826-
April 26, 2013 at 7:16 am
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The only thing EN training can teach a marketer is how not to market, Roy. Yes, it’s my personal opinion, but it’s based on experience in online marketing, as well as personal experience in MLM; plus, many, many comments from my readers.
And you know what? that’s OK. Some people learn best by knowing what they did wrong the first time around.
No, I don’t think their training holds any true value or will teach anyone how to truly market their business. The only way to succeed online is to prove that you have something unique to offer, and you can’t do it by following a “system” that leads back to EN.
I don’t offer any training or consulting at the moment.
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April 26, 2013 at 7:39 am
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Hello Anna,
Thank you for your response.
Roy Hamilton
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April 26, 2013 at 10:48 am
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Dear Anna
My mother always said, if you can’t say anything nice about something or someone best not to comment, your reply to Roy D Hamilton was not nice or encouraging and I personally take offence, Why you may ask? I am a Senior Citizen and we are suffering at this Economic Downturn time and most of us are not Computer Savvey, so we are searching everyone who advertise themselves as such, listen to what they have to say and if we can, follow what they do, I have personally joined Empower network and it took me a long time to do so because I really did my due diligence on it and it has the approval of the US Government in the Highest Ranks.
What I’m saying here is this we are all on the internet for a purpose, we the Silver Citizens Brigade is here (on the internet) simply to supplement our merger Pension, not to be internet gurus, Empower Network Works, no matter what you call it IM, MLM, it works and a lot more people is happy with it than not.
I will still keep my subscription with you, even if its only to give you a Rap on the Nuckle now an then, so be warned.
Thank you for your service Anna, if I only understand half of what you are talking about, My main objective is traffic right now Targeted Traffic to be precise, so let us know when you find the Holy Grail of Targeted Traffic generation for FREE.
Got to go now, have to go and Write my Blogg on Empower Network.
Theyo Bedeau
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April 28, 2013 at 10:06 pm
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What kind of service would I provide to my readers if I only talked about things that work?
If EN were to sell pens or chewing gum or whatever else, I wouldn’t have cared. However, they are selling marketing training, which I happened to have a very extensive knowledge on and I know that they sell a subpar product for a hefty premium.
I am glad it’s working for you.
And by the way, most of traffic strategies I talk about at Traffic Generation Café are completely free and they are exactly what I used to build this blog – without EN and starting from zero knowledge in online marketing.
Look forward to your knuckle sandwiches!
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April 29, 2013 at 9:20 am
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Dear Theyo,
I made an error an signed up for EM…..bad day at black rock!
My $25.00 is still sitting in their pocket….
they assigned me to someone in Nigeria that didn’t speak English,
was completely new like me….I went reading around, looking for the promised “training” all I saw
was hypeeee videos by people that had invested thousands to be installed at the top without all that daily “blogging” (guess they could afford to outsource) showing off their bank accounts
All it seemed to consist of was upgrade,,
pay your $19.00 a month so you can collect your commissions…..
(don’t know about now….but then if someone one bought from your referral…all you could collect on was at the same level…I was a $25.00 so if someone opted up….I got passed over and the sale was passed up until it hit someone on that level….
I Thought that Stunk to high heaven so I left.
Plus, at the time I bought, it was so advertised to HELP the little guy!
Nothing about not being able to use paypal and having to pay for another payment processor,
Just blog every day and watch the money pour in.Right.
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April 24, 2013 at 7:57 am
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Tremendous list of stuff to use.
However, i am worried a lot about WPSubscribers.
I was looking through their testimonials, and i saw Daniel LaRusso on their site. Please, correct me if i am wrong, but that is the character from “Karate Kid”, isn’t it?
If they can put up fake testimonials, then trust goes out the door from me (WPSubscribers that is, not yourself).
Thank you!
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April 19, 2013 at 2:20 pm
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Hi Ana, do you still recommend WPSubscribers? I just watched that webinar you promoted for hybrid connect. Which do you prefer?
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April 18, 2013 at 5:14 pm
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Hi Ana,
First of all I really enjoy your writings. no hype no B.S.
I would like to know something about “sharedby.co” it seems like a great way to share content and keep people within reach of your site.
I would also like to know how customizable is the Toolbar ? Can you link to Products etc.
Any info would help.
Thanks,
ruce -
April 17, 2013 at 3:22 pm
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Great list of favs, some I’ve heard of, some I use, some I’m not familiar with at all.
I also Love and use Market Samurai for the best keyword research.
However, I prefer Genesis over Thesis; both good, but Genesis has a gentler learning curve for me, since my coding is less than stellar. -
April 13, 2013 at 4:22 am
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Great selection of internet marketing tools there Ana, I must admit I do love the Thirsty Affiliate’s plugin as well as Tweet Adder they were definitely worth the little investment and have made my life a little easier which is what it’s all about!
Cheers,
Mark -
April 10, 2013 at 6:03 pm
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Hi Ana,
I was reading your blog to learn about online marketing and was wondering if you have free marketing courses to recommend on for someone who wants to start learning how to market websites and not just specifically blogs. I am in the process of designing a website for a locksmith business and would like to know how to promote it on my own.
Thanks,
Naomi -
April 9, 2013 at 9:08 am
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Thank you Ana, as it has been said many times. As a newbie, your information and experience are invaluable. Expect to have another follower, soon to be colleague, and a hopeful inspiration-ist.
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March 24, 2013 at 5:12 pm
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Thanks for sharing your rolladex, it’s incredibly generous of you.
Have you ever considered adding a links on this page to your product reviews? I was on the fence about using WPSubscribers but your review completely sold me on the service. Thanks so much
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March 25, 2013 at 8:00 pm
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Thanks, Marty, and yes, I’d love to put together a page with all my reviews; it’s on my very long to-do list.
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March 20, 2013 at 8:09 pm
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Hi Ana:
Two comments on the same day from me on someone else’s blog – That’s unheard of
!!I love your Rolodex – Also checked your search field for Wrodpress Plug-in’s you use. Possibly adding some of your fav Wordpress plug-ins to your Rolodex would be a value add that your readers might enjoy.
Ron
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March 23, 2013 at 3:44 pm
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I am definitely thinking of publishing my plugin list, Ron; I think it would help marketers to save a lot of time separating the wheat from the chaff.
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March 25, 2013 at 7:39 pm
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Hi Ana:
Being a Wordpress techie “nut”, I’d love to give you a hand writing something up re your plug-ins and why they work for you.
Just email me a copy of your plug-in list at ron.merk@telus.net if I can help.
Ron
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March 9, 2013 at 11:50 am
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Hi Ana! I am in the process of reading and digesting your new e-book and please allow me to say that you deliver KILLER content! I just had a Wordpress blog installed for me by John Chow and am in the process of creating my first content calendar. I am a trial lawyer and a professional network marketer. My passion is to build a full-time income from my network marketing business and slowly retire from my law practice. I intend to brand myself as a go-to person for anyone considering building a network marketing business. I will be recommending you to all of my blog audience! Thanks for all you do!
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March 1, 2013 at 2:13 am
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Hey Ana,
hope you are well. Love the tumbling box at the bottom of your home page. Would love to incorporate something like this into my WP blog. Can you tell me where you got it? Is it a plugin or did you have it done for you as a bespoke design job?
Kind Regards
Andy
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February 27, 2013 at 10:08 am
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Hi Ana,
I found your post on Empower network and liked it as well. Will be around to check out what strategies you’re employing to keep traffic flowing.
Appreciate the information!
Mike
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February 25, 2013 at 10:14 pm
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Hello Ana,
Just joined your list after reading your review of the Empower Network, I am afraid that I fell for it initially (I think I wrote 4 blog posts before I realised that I didn’t have the slightest clue what I was doing!) and then walked away. It opened my eyes and your review was perfect. I think that I shall be hanging around here lapping up your knowledge and trying to make a go of it.
Loved the quote at the bottom of your first email! I have the quote”it’s never too late to be who you could have been” on my wall and it now has a companion.
Regards,
Lee -
February 23, 2013 at 3:13 pm
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I love your blog however got a 404 the first time i clicked tweetadder but i just tried again it worked now
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February 17, 2013 at 10:49 am
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If you purchase DIY Awesome, do you have to buy DIY theme as well?
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February 18, 2013 at 9:23 am
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You have to have the theme first to put the skin over it, Peter.
You can have the theme without the skin, but not the skin without the theme.
Does that answer your question?
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February 20, 2013 at 11:43 pm
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Yes it does. Thank you. How many sites can I make with Thesis professional at $197? This was not clear on their website.
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February 23, 2013 at 9:10 pm
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I asked my designer to be sure, Peter, and yes, the pro plan allows you to use it on multiple sites.
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March 12, 2013 at 1:34 pm
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Thank Ana, I’m about to purchase Thesis and Thesis Awesome, but since I’m going to be purchasing the skin, can I just purchase Thesis Basic for $87?
It looks like Thesis Professional at $197 is just added 2 skins along with Social Media Boxes and Email Signup Boxes, and it looks like Thesis Awesome already has that.
I actually had my CC filled out ready to purchase and I believe I got one of those prompting. Thanks.
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February 12, 2013 at 9:55 pm
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wow. ok, i’m on the east coast and this has been the longest day ever, and i still can’t stop reading your stuff. love your style, your smarts, your transparency, your sense of humor and your generosity. I thought I was an expert at SEO. You make me look like a newbie!
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February 8, 2013 at 7:47 am
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Hello Anna
I’m new to blogging, in fact just about to launch my first SEO blog myself, so i suppose we may be in competition at some point in the future. I’ve been in SEO for about 10 years but realise that I want to help others reach a bigger market by using great SEO techniques. I really hope to create as informative and useful blog as you have done and I really appreciate all the advice you are giving. If I were to be recommending a blog to read that is easy to enjoy and practicle to the average man in the street, it would be yours.
Thanks again.
Brian
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February 2, 2013 at 10:21 pm
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Hi Ana,
Your blog is so refreshing to read, and it has validated some feelings I have about EN. I have only just joined and can see myself trying with this for a couple of years and wasting a lot of cash while I learn and listen to all the interviews and videos that I could have got free somewhere else. I am computer savvy but just still not savvy enough to work out this networking stuff, it is really hard and confusing and puts you off a bit after a little while and then you realise that your dreams are going down the toilet because you have just lost your motivation again…… Good on you Ana for bringing your information forward, it has helped me to make some decisions in my life and I hope to read your blog regularly. -
January 26, 2013 at 4:38 am
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Like so many of the other commenters here, I love your blog and your style. Your like the Sammy Davis Jr. of blogging. Just so honest and cool. Any who, I found your site serendipitously today, I’ve was weighing the options of creating an authority blog vs. Joining the dreaded MLM that is EN. I stumbled upon your authority blog by actually Googling “Empower Network success rate”, filtered through eight pages of crap then saw what you had created and I am not looking back. I’ve been “blogging” for a while but just mainly ranking really thin affiliate EMD sites and was just getting sick of being a faceless marketer with a bunch of sites hence why I’m not posting any website attached to my name because none of them are anything to be proud of imo. I have experience in this seo stuff so I’m probably just going to go your route and not try to reinvent the wheel on my blog topic. I thank you for giving me such a great example, actually all the sites you link in and out to were my prior examples but your sites just, I don’t know, your cooler
. Here’s to hoping I get to your “networks” level. -
January 20, 2013 at 12:24 pm
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Hey Ana, i know it’s pretty new but have you taken a look or heard anything about traffic tsunami. I seen it on WF for $47 and then looked online and it was $97, just don’t want to pay for a method i probably already know about.
Thanks,
Chad -
January 4, 2013 at 4:14 am
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Wow, some amazing stuff here that I didn’t know existed, like SEMRush. Will definitely try it out. Thanks Ana!
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January 2, 2013 at 8:32 am
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Great and exacting post, Ana. I know most of these tools but some of them I should test too
But if you don’t mind, I would like to cite one more tool which is very useful. It is created to support business as internet marketing and SEO tool.
Few months ago we started to test it using free trial and it worked surprisingly well It includes GA integration, backlinks counter, conversion measurements and more. It’s possible they still have free trial so you can test it – Best regards
Mike-
January 13, 2013 at 10:18 am
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So which tool is it, Mike?
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January 16, 2013 at 3:32 am
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Colibritool.com didn’t I mention it?
cheers!
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December 31, 2012 at 10:31 am
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Been a fan since reading some of your posts on Firepole. Heard your interview today on Entrepreneur on Fire and it was absolutely fantastic. Great information and extremely sincere. Love the 2 pictures of (Want new iPad) and (Want old iPad)….very creative. Thanks for the sources above.
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December 26, 2012 at 8:44 pm
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I really appreciate your candor and style. In just a few minutes on your blog, I have learned more than I thought I already knew. I have subscribed and look forward to learning more and perhaps doing some business, as opportunities present themselves.
Have and awesome day and thank you!Dr. Bush
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December 13, 2012 at 3:00 pm
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Ana,
I was wondering, what is the bar that appears on the top of the screen if I click away from your site following one of your links? (Am I making any sense?)
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December 2, 2012 at 1:18 am
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Anna,
This is very generous of you, even if in some cases you will get compensated. I think it is just great. Thank you and I really appreciate someone (one of a few) in this industry trying to help instead of just profit. Your business will thrive because of your motives. And by the way, I tried your disclaimer to rap music and it goes best with "Goin' Back To Cali" by LL Cool J. Yes, I am a child of the 80's. We need more women IMers! -
October 14, 2012 at 7:18 pm
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Just wanted to say Thank You.
I’ve been swimming upstream trying to find the basic ingredients to even get started marketing online effectively.
As a Web Designer, it’s hard enough getting site owners to understand the need for semantic coding, and effective scripts, having the added knowledge to help them effectively capitalize on their designed website is going to be a big help in showing them the WHY, and allowing me to continue to do the HOW of designing their site purpose and marketing efforts. -
October 12, 2012 at 5:18 am
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I love your style of writing, and I think the next time I need to buy one of these Internet Marketing tools I will come back here and buy it from you, just based on the strength of not only the great reviews but also those two incredibly cute and funny photos – awesome!
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October 12, 2012 at 11:39 am
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Thanks, Shell; if those pics don’t make people buy, I don’t know what will.
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October 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
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Just opted-in to your list, Ana. I’m loving your style and your content so far. These marketing tools are great! …now I just need to make a few bucks and I’ll be already to buy.
I found your introduction in your “Welcome” message really interesting. Such a low-key way of introducing future sales messages. I just might ‘borrow’ that idea if it’s all the same to you. (Afterall, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery…)
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October 7, 2012 at 8:43 pm
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Hey Ana, how would you compare WPSubscribers to MaxBlogPress Subscribers Magnet. Thanks.
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January 9, 2012 at 2:31 pm
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Hi Ana and all you folks,
I use some of what you are mentioning here for tools. I really like some of the digi line of software that a lot of folks use. It does seem to help with backlink building and gaining exposure. I tried thesis theme, but have to admit I really don’t care for it at all. I use Catalyst instead. I did not have the time it took to learn all the hooks it used. This is a good list here, the main thing some folks do when starting out or should be doing, is to go and study blogs and see what they are using that is visible and hope somebody like you will actually tell them what is on the backside of the blog. That is one of the stumbling blocks for new bloggers, knowing where to start and what to use in their blogs for extra exposure and power.Jim
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January 6, 2012 at 4:28 pm
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Ana I agree with you completely about picking the right blogging platform. There is no doubt that Thesis rocks! I would add that the Genesis platform is also well coded for SEO and does very well in the SERPS.
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January 6, 2012 at 9:34 pm
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January 10, 2012 at 12:54 am
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True. I use Thesis on some of my sites and Genesis on a few others. They are both great – both for customization and. of course, SEO.
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