Sunset on 2009

As the sun sets on 2009, it's time to look back on the year to see what we have accomplished and to set goals for the new year. The web design business has been extremely slow this past year with only two new clients. This has allowed me to develop a few ideas of my own. I had time to create a database for the Midwest Machine Shop Network and also started Poetlady's Craft Store. A lot was learned about php and database design in the process.

First pass editing is complete up to chapter 28 on my girlfriend's second novel "Curse of the Lost Tribe". Unfortunately, the remaining chapters are not written yet. A lack of motivation has been causing a delay in that project. I'm sure it would be different if huge royalty checks were coming in and we didn't have to work at our regular jobs. I estimate there are at least 20 more chapters before the second book will be complete and it will most likely take the better part of 2010 to get it done at the current pace. You can visit Amazon.com if you want to buy our first book.

My own writing project also ran into the same trouble with motivation this past year. I had hoped to make more progress on "The Early Years of Online Gaming", but a manuscript template and a few chapters was as far as I got with it. My fear is that the hardcore gaming community would rip apart anything that didn't capture their hobby in a positive light. We will see if I can get past that in 2010 and write something for gamers that isn't totally lame.

Despite the poor economy and 4 weeks of layoff in 2009, my income looks about the same as it did in 2008. I was only able to achieve this because I put most of my money in longer term CD's when interest rates were around five percent. Now, interest rates are at 1.8 % and show no sign of going higher anytime soon. This is forcing me and many others to change their investment strategy. The next step up from CD's is to Bonds. There is a higher risk with Bonds, but my plan is to utilize Bond Funds to minimize the risk. Harder times is sometimes what it takes to push you to the next level. Happy New Year!

Groupons and Adwords

One Internet marketing site that is getting a lot of buzz lately is www.groupon.com. Groupons are coupons that can be purchased during a one day period and are valid only after the group size meets or exceeds a preset limit. Once the limit is reached anyone who signed up for the deal gets charged and is sent a link where they can print the coupon. Groupons don't have to be used on the day they are purchased, but they will have an expiration date. That's what I was able to gleen from their FAQ page. Most of the Groupon examples on the site are for discounts of 50% or more.

The only problem I see at this point is that you can only list (and use) Groupons in about 45 major cities in the US. In order for a business to list a Groupon, they need to contact a market representitive at Goupon.com. The system isn't automated like Google Adwords or Ebay. They must have decided that having a marketing rep for each major city would be the best way to control who is listing and would maximize profits during the startup phase. Groupon.com gets a piece of each Groupon sold, so they have a vested interest in your success. It's a great concept, but you may have to wait a while before it gets to your city and with interest so high right now, good luck getting in touch with them.

I recently setup a new Google Adwords account, but I've had trouble with delays in getting the new ads approved. The ads are sitting in the dreaded "Pending Review" state. A search of the Internet shows that many other people are in the same boat and frustrations are running high. My old Adwords account is running well and I have not noticed any delays when adding or modifying ads. I did open the new account with a $100 coupon from Google, so I suspect they may have a lot of new customers who took advantage of that promotion. Other rumors are that Google has cut back on their ad approval staff. Google makes a lot of dough from their advertising system, so I'm surprised that this is happening. It just makes it that much harder for a Internet Marketing consultant like myself to deliver positive results.