I’ve been a member of Associated Content for over a year now. In fact, I joined them in April of 2007. Last year, I submitted about 70 articles and made a whopping $277 or so from Associated Content. Now, before you laugh and say “what a waste”, keep reading.I now realize that I gave up too soon. Like many new writers, I thought, they don’t pay enough and isn’t worth my time. Well, I now see that Associated Content works just like everything else…if you work it!

I received lower offers because I didn’t have a clue how Associated Content worked. I wrote on topics that interested me and didn’t concentrate on articles that they might find helpful. I didn’t concentrate on keyword density at all. But, most importantly, I didn’t promote Associated Content at all and I didn’t use it to my benefit.I basically expected them to promote my articles for me and guess what, this didn’t work.

What I have learned now is that you have to conduct your research, write informative articles and promote them to receive higher offers. You have to prove yourself to Associated Content so that you can make more cash. I also learned that Associated Content is not only great for extra upfront payments, but they also drive targeted traffic to your site.

Unlike EzineArticles however, Associated Content doesn’t allow you to put a resource link at the bottom of your site. However, they do allow you to place links in the resource section as well as your profile there. So, if a reader enjoys your article, they can then visit your recommended resource (your main site) in order to learn more information about it. Cool – right?

Well, after I started funneling traffic to my niche sites from Associated Content, I noticed an increase in site page views referred by Associated Content which lead to more revenue for me. So, now, I see Associated Content in a different way. It is a great way to drive targeted traffic to your niche sites and you can even receive extra money from upfront and performance payments too. Therefore go ahead and give Associated Content a try as it may become one of your favorite ways to make upfront cash and draw targeted traffic to your website.

Take it from me – in the past few eight years, I have been through my share of web designers. Some have been good (an absolute dream) and some have been really bad (a real nightmare). Arrghhh. Arrghhh. Arghhh. Whew, just thinking about the bad ones gives me the sweats.

Although I would love to learn web design and build my own sites, I honestly don’t have the time. Instead, I choose to concentrate on what I do best – write and let my designers do what they do best – design. And, this works well.I have to be honest though. There are times when I do create my own sites. Typically I do this to evaluate a niche to make sure it is profitable before I go all out and create a powerhouse site. When I create my own site, I use www.blogger.com or www.weebly.com because these platforms require absolutely no knowledge of HTML at all. None. Zip. Nada. You simply click and point and you can have a great looking site.However, there are often times when you need something more advanced and need to hire a professional web designer.Here are some tips to help you make the process easier:

1. Know your budget before you start looking for a designer. Visit tons of websites and evaluate their features. See what type of capabilities you would like to have and know how much money you have available for this project. For instance, do you need an integrated shopping cart or will a 3^rd party processor work just as well? Either way, researching beforehand will help you keep your costs down.

2. Get quotes (and lots of them) from various designers. This will give you a sense of the price range for your project. For a smaller project, look for a fixed price and for a more complicated one, you will probably be given an estimate. Either way, try and hone down the price before you begin working with a designer so that you aren’t in for any surprises.

3. Evaluate prospect’s portfolios which will enable you to evaluate their web designing expertise. Ask yourself these questions: Are the sites aesthetically pleasing? Do you like their layout and style? Once you’re done, compare the portfolio samples with other samples in their portfolio. For instance, does it appear that the prospective designer uses a cookie-cutter approach or does each sites seem original?

4. Interview prospects carefully. This can be done by phone or in person. During the interview you should ask them about the types of clients they’ve worked for in the past, technical knowledge and customer service skills.

5. Trust your instinct. If you don’t have a good feeling about working with a potential designer or team, then don’t work with them. You must be able to trust your designer and can’t believe that they are ripping you off. Your designer should have your best interest in mind. They should work quickly and efficiently and not pad their time for a higher fee.

6. Get everything in writing. Use a standard contract and be very clear about your project expectations, delivery and payment terms, project milestones requirements, etc. For instance, when will the site be delivered? Will you own all the rights to the design once you’re done? Will your designer use a template or stock photos? Will it be search engine optimized? Will you be required to host the designed site on the designer’s host? Will they charge you regular price for any updates? How many changes will be required?

7. Negotiate any discrepancies. Always negotiate any discrepancies in the contract BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. This will help you avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings before you get started.

That’s it. If you follow these tips, you will find the perfect designer. One that meets your needs and that you can trust. And when you do, you’ll end up with a great site and a long term writer/designer partnership that could benefit you both for the long haul.

It can be really difficult when your family members or friends don’t support your Internet marketing efforts. In fact, it can make you feel very alone and frustrated. This can even cause you to start doubting yourself. So, what should you do when no one supports your IM efforts?

Well, here’s a few tips that have helped me:

1. Support yourself. Always believe in yourself and know that you can make your financial dreams a reality with your IM efforts. You don’t need anyone else to validate you. Although it is nice to have support, you don’t HAVE to have the support of your friends and family members to be successful. You simply have to have the desire, work hard and apply your knowledge. If you do this, you can succeed.

2. Realize that its OK if family and friends don’t offer support. Not everyone is going to support your IM efforts and that is fine. Some people only view the 9 to 5 or working for someone else methodology of earning a living. They just don’t get the bigger picture of IM and may even think that you are wasting your time online. Therefore, it isn’t your job to persuade them and don’t let their negativity affect you one bit. Just keep learning and growing.

3. Stop confiding in nonbelievers. If your friends and family members don’t support your efforts then stop talking about IM altogether. Stop sharing your joys if they’re going to poke fun at you. For instance, when I made my first .16 online with my niche sites, I was so excited and I told everyone. They all laughed at me so I stopped talking about it. Now I make $1000 a month from those same sites and I only divulge my secrets if asked.

4. Surround yourself with supportive people. If you need support, you can find it online. Join a supportive membership site like Internet Marketing Writers or visit a great forum like the Warrior Forum so that you can find the support you need. At these places, you’ll discover support from like minded individuals that are also making their IM dreams a reality.

5. Read motivational stories. Always read motivational stories from other IMers that have been through what you’re going through. You’ll likely find that they weren’t supported by their friends or family members either but they didn’t let it stop them. They believed in themselves and made their dreams a reality.

In conclusion, don’t worry about non supportive people that don’t believe in your efforts. Although you may care about or even love them, you can’t let them crush your dreams. Instead, find support elsewhere and put your energy into growing your business and becoming successful.