I had a few things I was looking for:

[checklist]

• The ability to “clone” a set of tasks. We use this because we have a number of procedures that are repeated again and again, whether it’s for beginning promotion of a new website or hiring a new staff member. We wanted to be able to quickly and easily create a set of tasks again and again, when the need arose.
• Multiple team members, control of which team members have access to which projects, etc.
• A “Notes” or “Blog” type area. This way I could keep all our procedures and how-to docs within the task manager itself, instead of in a separate system.
• Recurring tasks (for example, “Moderate FromIdeaToEmpire.com blog comments” should be able to be put on repeat and occur every day).
• An “Activity Stream” type of view where I can see everything (completions, deletions, task creations, comments, literally everything) the team has been up to in one place, across all projects, tasks, etc.
• Comments within a task. We use this when someone has a question, needs clarification, etc.
• The ability to create, assign and respond to tasks via email.
• An area where I can store my personal to-do’s without mixing them with the business stuff. It’s senseless for me to use an additional system just for my personal stuff – I want it all in once place.
• An iPhone app would be nice, but not a must-have.
• Must have a free trial to try it out – it’s the only way to know it’ll really work in my organization.
• It should be gorgeous. I’m going to spend a ton of time in it and I want it to look pretty!

[/checklist]

I scoured a few Facebook Groups, forums and ran a few Google searches to get a list of web based task management apps that I wanted to look into further. If your favorite isn’t on the list, it’s because I didn’t know about it, I thought it was ugly or it didn’t have a free trial to take it for a test drive.

TEAMBOX

Teambox is fun to use and has an attractive interface. It’s “Activity” tab shows me everything that has happened in my account at once glance, very important for managing my team. It also has “Pages” which allow me to keep notes and allows comments within to-do items. There are Task Templates so a set process can be entered again and again without manual intervention.

But…

There’s no such thing as recurring tasks within Teambox. So it’s dead to me. So sad, it was pretty.

DO

Do.com is pretty too, but it uses slide in-and-out panels and I find the more traditional layout in Teambox to be faster and more intuitive.

It accomplishes everythign I need, except for… again… recurring tasks.

How the hell am I supposed to remember to take a shower every Tuesday if I don’t have recurring reminders?

ACTION METHOD

ActionMethod has a lot of good stuff going for it, but it’s my least favorite so far.

Firstly, “Discussions” is seperate from individual tasks or even the project (in it’s own tab) so conversation about a project, about a to-do item occurs in a different area than the actual task itself. That’s how Basecamp used to function as well, and it’s always caused a lot of confusion for my team members. And unnecessary clicking / finding of conversations. Not a fan.

“Backburners” are a nice way to store great ideas you’re not ready to act on yet. I like the concept. And “References” is that storage area I want where I can keep notes, links, training materials, etc. for future use.

And… drumroll… no recurring tasks. Buh-bye Action Method!

ASANA

Asana is gorgeous. It’s a pleasure to use. I know I shouldn’t be biased, but I really wanted Asana to work.

When I first looked at Asana, about 3 months ago, they did not have a way to view the activity on your account. So I would have to click each project, each task, to see if my team had worked on it or open every email Asana had sent me. Not very efficient, which is why Asana didn’t work out for me at the time.

Funny thing, just about a week ago Asana announced “Inbox,” which is their name for the “Activity Stream” view I was looking for.

I’ve been taking another look at Asana because of this improved feature set.

It has recurring tasks, comments within tasks and projects can be duplicated for those procedures you do again and again.  It does not have a “Notes” area to store how-to’s and other procedural information. That’s ok, but here’s the kicker:

When you make a task in Asana, it is by default unassigned. If you just make the task and hit “Enter” the task has no assignee. Since you’re then not following it or the person assigned to do it, you never see it. And in this way, I lost a bunch of to-do items I’d entered. They’re in there, but they don’t pop up under “My Tasks” or the “Inbox” view. And so they don’t get done.

A task that is created should, by default, be assigned to you until you assign it to someone else. Or at least prompt you to assign it to someone.

And that’s the bummer about Asana. Lost tasks with no owner. No bueno.

FLOW

Flow does it all, and it looks good doing it. I’ve been using Flow for about a year.

When I went  looking at the systems above 3 months ago, it was because I wanted a “Notes” type of area. I found a few that did, but as you can see from my reports, they were missing other must-have features.

What I’ve done in the interim is create a task list called “Notes.” Within it I have tasks that actually contain the notes/training materials that I wanted to store in Flow. It’s a less than elegant solution, but Flow does everything else so much better than the competition I’m willing to make an adjustment or two to make it work.

Recurring tasks – no problem!

Anything I create is automatically assigned to me so it never disappears. Comments within tasks.

Tasks are put into individual task lists and task lists can be organized into folders.

Where Flow really shines in in it’s Activity Stream – it’s the bell icon in the upper left. From there I can see everything my team has done since I last logged in. I know what’s getting done and who has a question. I know if I’ve been assigned tasks from my team. All in one glance.

I keep a personal to-do list within Flow as well, and have complete control over who on my team sees what.

Finally Flow is fast. It’s not the most full-featured project management system out there – but I didn’t want that. Spending time fiddling with milestones and priority levels stops me from just DOING THE DAMN WORK.

Flow has just enough structure to help me organize the work in a way that makes sense, without so many options that I lose myself (and hours) in it, fussing.

As much as I love Flow, I know everyone’s work style is different and it may not be a match for you. What’s your favorite task management app these days?

The post 5 Task Management Apps Put To Test appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

Marge asked about the cartoon in Redomestication’s header banner:

Is that the one you posted about having made in Fiverr? Thx for sharing & letting us watch over your shoulder!

Marge knew I had an avatar made because I posted about it on my Facebook Page weeks ago. Lots of fun stuff gets shared there before it makes it here to the blog, so join us on Facebook if you haven’t already.

In case you hadn’t seen the header, it looks like this:

I made it myself (har, har, har) and don’t think it turned out too bad, considering my rudimentary graphics skills.

The avatar was from Fiverr, just as Marge suspected.

I’d originally gone to Fiverr to look for someone to make the banner, but didn’t find completed banner work from anyone that I liked. However, one job offering to make a customized “character” stood out with high reviews and, of course, that $5 price. I went for it.

I showed her my picture, and also showed her 2 recent videos I did for The Challenge, so she could see what I looked like. Then I wrote:

I’d like the character to look chic and but still approachable, friendly and fun. I’m *not* looking for anything homey or country.

And here’s what she came up with:

I was FLABBERGASTED. For $5?!

There are a few “Cartoon Yourself” services out there, where you can make a Simpsons or SouthPark character in your likeness for free, but I definitely didn’t want something like that for Redomestication.

The Fiverr deal I got can’t be beat, and it’s still available if you’re looking for something similar for your own sites. Enjoy!

The post How I Got a Custom Cartoon Character Drawn For My New Blog appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

Those are the type of results you get from being in the number 1 spot in the search engines!

Even if you’re in position 2 or 3, the number of folks clicking through to your site drops to a piddly 5-12%?

BIG difference!

If you’ve watched my “Steal This Niche” series, you know that I find profitable niches by using Market Samurai.  It’s the first thing I open when I’m ready to launch a new site.

Take a free peek – http://www.fromideatoempire.com/samurai/

(YES!  SERIOUSLY! The Market Samurai guys will let you test each and every feature of the software at no charge, no cost!)

Knowing your rank for each of your keywords is important.  So is having the most profitable keywords, knowing your competitor’s rankings and knowing what your competitor’s weaknesses are.

If you know your competitor’s weakness, you can make the strategic moves to outrank them and increase your bottom line.

Here’s what you’ll use Market Samurai for:

- Keyword Research
- SEO
- Writing and researching articles
- Building high-value backlinks
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Checking your Website Rankings

http://www.fromideatoempire.com/samurai/

This is *THE* tool for keyword research.  There’s nothing else out there that will drill down into a niche as quickly and easily as Market Samurai – and that’s just the first module of the software.

It’s got a really pretty, intuitive interface.  That might sound like a silly thing to say, but USEABILITY makes a big difference in whether you actually USE a software product.  It doesn’t do you any good if you don’t (or can’t, cuz it’s too complicated) actually USE a software.

I use it everyday, at this point I couldn’t live without it – and if you’re living without it you are losing TIME and MONEY. Period.  It’s fast and the data it will reveal for you will make you look at your niches in a whole new light.

Download a copy right now:

http://www.fromideatoempire.com/samurai/

P.S.  I had plans to build an app that would do what Market Samurai’s keyword research function does – that is, take a niche,
generate keywords and then automatically narrow down those keywords to only the ones that fit your traffic and competition criteria.

When I found out Market Samurai had done just that, I was (seriously) kinda disappointed that my idea had been “scooped” out from under me.

And then I saw the software… What Market Samurai does was well above and beyond the ideas I’d had.  They really nailed it!

Get it here:

http://www.fromideatoempire.com/samurai/

The post The difference between #1 and #2 is HUGE! appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

The tools below are indespensible to my business, and you must have a familiarity with them as well:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Firefox
• YouTube
• Skype
• Google Analytics
• Google Docs
• Google Alerts
• iTunes
• Ustream

In a series of 5-15 minute step-by step videos, the Thirty Day Challenge team introduces you to and walks you through each and every one of the tools mentioned above (with more to come).

Rather than say, “You really should be using Google Analytics,” and send you off to muddle through it, you’ve now got one platform from which to get concise, clear explanations on using these business building tools.

And, as always, the Thirty Day Challenge is free.  Log in and visit the link to “Training” for access to everything.  This is “pre-season” where you get the basics, the tools and the fundamentals.  Come August the actual Challenge begins (which is free as well) and you’ll learn how to put these tools to work to make you money!

The post Training on Internet Marketing Tools appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

Some key features that make this WordPress plugin a must have:

• Ability to flexibly insert ads all over your blog without editing your theme’s code
• Split test ads (find which performs best and later only display that one)
• Rotate ad placement within your blog posts to prevent “ad blindness”
• Works with opt-in forms, banner ads, text ads, widgets – whatever you can imagine

In the video below, which was originally published inside Crowd Mountain, I go over some of the main ways one can use Max Banner Ads with their blogs and how it can optimize your sites’ monetization:

There is a discount available for my readers, to access that discount click here.

The post Max Banner Ads Demo appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

(I’ve never bothered attending an internet marketing conference before, but I couldn’t resist this one).

Dan Raine & Ed Dale of the Immediate Edge did a fabulous job providing KILLER content – one technique I came home, fired up my computer and am killing a niche with RIGHT NOW.  I was so excited about it I started in on it before even checking email.

I’d give thank you’s and shout out’s to everyone I met, but the list would be too long and I’d probably forget someone I adore, but suffice to say the Immediate Edge / 30 Day Challenge team, Market Samurai team and WordPress Direct team, all whom attended and presented, are a fabulous, fun group of folks at the absolute top of their marketing game.  It was a pleasure to get to know everyone.

Also, Ed made an announcement at the end of the meeting that has HUGE repercussions on our industry as a whole.  It’s something you’ll want to be a part of, so do be sure you’re following Ed on Twitter (he’s @Ed_Dale) to get updates as they’re made available.

I’ve always loved the Immediate Edge, it’s one membership site I *make* the time for even though I’m often swamped.  Having met the many geniuses behind it, the absolute sheer brainpower that fuels it, there’s not another site out there of the same caliber.  If you want a comprehensive marketing education that covers everything from copywriting to buying and selling websites to cutting edge Web 2.0 domination, the Immediate Edge is the place to go.

The post Over The Edge 2 appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

A VPS is like having your own server in that you can control the entire environment.  Got a host that won’t let you run certain scripts?  You can do whatever you want with your VPS.

This is an unsolicited post, but I wanted to throw my recommendation in for PowerVPS.  They are FANTASTIC, the support is always within MINUTES.  I adore them and couldn’t recommend them any higher.  I’ve done some dumb things, and the suppurt staff is alwsy kind (never condescending).  If you’re in the market, they are tops.

The post VPS Hosting At Power VPS appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

The process goes like this:

Start a WordPress blog on the niche of your choice, optimize on-page, bookmark it, get it indexed, do some preliminary link building.

Once the site is indexed, add the “All In One Adsense and YPN” WP plugin.  Enter in your Adsense code and tell it to auto add Adsene to all your posts.  It’ll put the Adsense in both your previously published posts and in new ones you create, withough having to hack into code or write weird symbols in your posts.

Viola!

You can, of course, edit the colors of the ads to make them blend into your site.

One of my favorite features is that it has the option to automatically randomize the size and position of the ads.  This is nice because it helps with reader’s having ‘ad blindness” – that is, they see in ad in the same spot in every post, every time, and they begin to ignore it.

For getting your WP Adsense Auto – magically inserted into your site, this plugin is tops.

Later, you can check you stats, see what the payouts are and see if the market, or site, is worth moving forward in.

The post WP Adsense Auto – Magically appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

You need quick, you need interesting, you need fun.  But at the same time, you need something that’s somehow descriptive of your service.  One of the things that, in the beginning, made Twitter such a hit was that the name – while not a “real” word, was totally descriptive of what the service provided: a place for people to “twitter’ little thoughts as they stream by.

I was very amused when i came across the Web 2.0 Name Generator; just hit “Generate Name!’ and it’ll spew out all kinds of Web 2-ish potential product names for you.  The catch, of course, is to find one that actually fits your service.  Catchy name software generators like the Web 2 Name Generator might not give you the best domain name right off the bat, but they can get your imagination flowing and LEAD you somewhere that’ll be a perfect fit.

The post Catchy Name Software Generator appeared first on From Idea to Empire.

So now that I’ve got that off my chest… A word on Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula. Killer product. I do own it, I have used the techniques I learned in it, and it can directly attribute $500,000 of income from the techniques I learned from it. Jeff is the real deal, one of the kindest people you’ll meet in marketing, incredibly sincere and known to over deliver on his products in such an overwhelmingly incredibly way, we could all stand to learn from him.

No, I don’t have an affiliate link for you. But I did want to let you know that if you are on the fence, afraid it’s a “scam” or whatever, that Jeff is one of the good guys, and his Product Launch Formula is something I recommend and use. I cleared out my marketing library last fall and it’s one of 3 products I kept, and actually the only one I’ve gone through in it’s entirety.

Get on the list, enjoy his free content and consider of Product Launch Formula is a good fit for where you want to go with your business.

The post Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula appeared first on From Idea to Empire.