OpenID Review by the Rich Sage

OpenID is an initiative to create a log-in system that uses the same digital identification to access any participating online site.

You may actually have an OpenID and not even know it.  If you have an account in any of these organizations, you already have an OpenID account:

• AOL
• LiveDoor
• LiveJournal
• WordPress.COM

And a host of other web properties.  What interesting is that when you access an account that you have in any of the existing properties, you can use that account to create your OpenID.  That is exactly what I did to create my openID in a few clicks.

OpenID is not controlled by any one organization.  It is an open interface to help you log in to over 10,000 web properties.  They claim to have over 150 million users.

One of the reasons that I opted to do this sooner than later was to protect my brand, the ‘RichSage’ — I make it a point to register in many places as I can as the ‘Sage’.  I don’t want to keep running into others who use my brand name and perhaps, could misrepresent and even make claims as my character becomes popular.

It’s all about creditability.

Rich Sage

Most Powerful Site Monetizing Strategy for Business Success that is Often Overlooked

• What we overlook
• How to Take Advantage
• Where to Make Sales
• Follow Up Sales & Recurring Sales

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time this spring, summer and fall talking about the campaign of presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul. What does this have to do with making money online? Well, a lot. Just stay with me…

Dr.Paul’s campaign took a “life of it’s own” on the Internet as people who had the time and knowledge to explore the issues took notice and organized themselves very well. That’s what happened…

It was much more interesting WHAT DIDN’T HAPPEN, and that’s what you need to understand to make money using your online skills.

Even the Sage needs to take a break once in a while and enjoy a special day…

Just wanted to share this with you. I would’nt say that this is a classic love story. However, I am posting it just for the effort that someone put into creating it. However, the true test of it is that “I at least hope the two lovers are together” for real…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Rich Sage

For the foreseeable future, Apple (AAPL) Will Dominate the Home Computer Market –Rich Sage Analysis.

During the quarter Apple stock dipped to the $120’s, when I initiated a buy of the stock based on strong sales growth and a high discount at current prices, for my consulting services. Apple keeps gaining outstanding marketshare –taking away from Windows users and gaining many new fans. How many of you have decided to “Go Apple” instead of making a jump to Vista? I think there are droves of such switches, and it’s just the start. The current 8%+ market penetration is going to double in my opinion as Pentium powered iMacs and the latest OSX dazzle users.

More and more time at the computer is spent working on utilities that are driven online. The connected software model is taking over. Many of our badly needed applications are running on servers, from Google to blogging platforms to even our own servers.

The iPod generation is now turning on to more and more Apple products. I can see Apple’s market cap, which is near $100 Billion, reaching 3 times as the Apple innovation and marketing engine expand. Companies that are “firing on all cylinders” are the leaders when the market emerges from it’s correction that we are part of at this time. Apple fits this model perfectly. Sure it’s stock price has gone up several fold in 4 years. However, following this correction, where the price has dipped nearly forty percent, it’s a great time to “stock up on Apple” shares and options.

Let’s look at many of the trends that Apple is riding on in 2008.

FREE Desktop Publishing (DTP) Tool Review by the Rich Sage

I believe the best way to make money online is to have a “real world” component that greatly enhances your online work.  In my case, I work with many local clients in the investment area helping them manage their funds.

To explain your business model, you’ll need to “put it all down” on paper.  Yes, real paper.  You’ll need to make a brochure that you can print and leave behind with potential clients.  I’ve done that several different ways, but the usual desktop publishing software was getting very expensive.

I’ve turned to the open source community for a solution:  Scribus! >>

Scribus is the perfect solution for development of brochures to books or e-books:

• It will manage everything from page layout to image placement
• Supports professional features, such as CMYK color, spot color, separations and ICC color
• Robust commercial grade PDF, great for e-books

You’ll find the Scribus download page here >>  Note that you’ll also need to install a font library called “Ghostscripts” on some operating systems.

I’ve seen complete books that were made on Scribus.  I’ll follow up with an update to this post after I publish my first e-book using Scribus.

Rich Sage

Take this Simple Step in WordPress to Increase Page Views and Increase Making Money Online

Obviously, the more time a visitor spends on your site, the more potential that you have to earn from that visitors’ experience on your site.

This is a very simple, and highly effective way to keep visitors just a little longer, and increase the pages that they see by making a slight posting adjustment in WordPress.

Here is what you do:

When you are writing a post in WordPress, one that is particularly long, inset the “more” tag from the WordPress Post areas’ “code” tab. By taking this step, you’ll break down a post that is perhaps, two pages long on your first page, to display on it’s intended page. So, what’s displayed on the first page ends here…

Google Apps Gets an Update with Teams Feature

Over the week I took a look at Google’s online applications that now has a feature allowing collaboration by creating a team. Google Apps Team Edition feature allows you to create a simple account using your domain name, and then enables you to invite “team members” who have an e-mail address in the same domain.

Here is a short video explaining the benefits:

Using a HTACCESS File to Manage Affiliate URLS

Indeed, htaccess files are great for managing URLs of all kinds. From Affiliate Program links to URLs that you post in signature files to e-books –htaccess helps you manage them all.

I am sure that you’re aware of losing affiliate sales commissions when the actual “affiliate URL” is published for the world to see? For example, you could have a URL pointing to http://www.some_affiliate_site.com/track/affiliate_program.php?my_id_is_12345

Often that type of URL will jeopardize your sales commissions for several reasons:

• The URL can be too long for e-mail.
• Perhaps a potential buyer might not “copy and paste” accordingly.
• There are a myriad of other reasons as well for you to lose the sale.
• Then there is the problem of publishing an affiliate URL in an e-book or review

What is the best way to control the traffic that comes from your advertising and leads to your affiliate sales? Or just for the sake of it, having a short URL. None of these tasks can be achieved if you are using a URL that is given out by the many Affiliate Programs.

SEO Elite Study by the Rich Sage, Starting February 2008

For several weeks I’ve read about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) software. My original plan was to just let WordPress and one of the many SEO plug-ins do the work.

However, when considering how much time and energy I am putting in as the Rich Sage, it seems wise to spend a bit more time and money to do it right. And to double check things as well.

I am turning that responsibility to SEO Elite, >> which will analyze my pages, and let me know the edits that I need to make to have it complete with the best.

What Impressed Me About the Software:

• I can analyze how any page (competitors) that comes up first is ranked for select key words and the software will then tell me why it’s listed at the top.
• I can search by category and find similar pages and display sites that are linking back to Rich Sage (backlink searches)
• SE will let me know which pages are indexed by the search engines, allowing me to better optimize my writing and stick to good content.
• Keeps ranking data by the day, week, month or year for search terms and changes.
• Plus dozens of other features that you can learn about from here… >>

What Impressed Me About the Company:

The software is produced by Brad Callen, a fellow Warrior Forum Member, >> who provides an outstanding SEO training series which you can join for free from his SEO Elite website.

I’ve left the current search engine optimization strategy to WordPress and it’s many plug-ins, but the problem of doing that is I’ve learned very little about where the majority of my (least expensive) traffic comes from… Regardless of what you do online, the majority of visitors are going to come from organic searches.  This traffic is FREE, and when the content provided is exactly what readers are looking for, the traffic is dependable and keeps on coming!

I’ll keep updating all my readers as this software is used on my entire network to make sure that I am doing everything right to build online make money success.

Carpe Diem,

Rich Sage

RICH SAGE 5-STAR REVIEW: RoboForm Software >>

When I look at programs that I’ve depended on for years, and the amount of time and money those programs have saved me, I think RoboForm is at the VERY TOP of the list. I’ve spent just a few dollars on it over the years and the amount of headache and time it has saved me is incalculable.

Here is what RoboForm Does:

RoboForm is an award-winning automated password manager and web form filler with some serious Artificial Intelligence. These are the features it will support and the way it helps you manage information while protecting it from various malware.

• AutoSave passwords in browser: Memorizes your passwords and logs you in automatically
• AutoFill passwords to login form: RoboForm will also remember the username with the corresponding password.
• Even click the login button for you.
• Fill personal info into online forms: Fills long registration and checkout forms with one click
• Save offline passwords & notes: Remember, all the personal information is on your computer.
• Generate secure random passwords that hackers cannot guess.
• Encrypts your passwords to achieve complete security: Encrypt passwords and personal data using AES, Blowfish, RC6, 3-DES or 1-DES algorithms.
• Take RoboForm with you on USB key for ultimate portability.
• Sync your passwords and notes to Palm or Pocket PC.
• Backup & Restore, and print your passwords.
• It is well-behaved: NO ADWARE, NO SPYWARE.
• Fights phishing by filling passwords only on matching web sites
• Defeats Keyloggers by not using keyboard to type passwords
• Neutral: works with Internet Explorer, AOL/MSN, Firefox running on Windows: IE 7 and Vista are now supported.
• Backs up your passwords, copies them between computers.
• Searches for keywords in your passwords, notes and Internet
• Portable: RoboForm2Go runs from USB key, no install is needed
• RoboForm was named PC Magazine Editor’s Choice, and CNET Download.com’s Software of the Year.

Get a RoboForm 30-Day Evaluation for FREE via this Download Link!
RoboForm Software >>