Boy do I know the feelings of not having a supportive upline!  If you need any help, please feel free to ask and I'll do whatever I can to assist....

Ed

You can only use the outgoing mail server of your ISP.  That varies from ISP to ISP so you will have to check your ISP's help pages or call them up.

Ask away Paul!  You're get plenty of answers here.

Hi Jared,

When you see references to bulk mailing online, it's usually referring to purchasing a list of email leads from a company and them mass
mailing them.  You DON'T want to do this unless you are EXTREMELY experienced!!!  If you try it, you run the risk of being accused
of spamming.

The best way to explain single opt-in and double opt-in is by example:

Let's suppose you publish an online newsletter (a.k.a ezine) and have a form on your website for interested visitors to sign up by
providing their name and email address.  The information they provide is sent to an autoresponder and their address is now in your
database and ready to be sent messages.

The double opt-in method adds one more step to that.  When a visitor submits their information, a confirmation email is sent to the
email address they submitted first, asking them to confirm that they did in fact request to join your newsletter.  This is the common
method used by nearly all publishers today.  When someone submits their information and then confirms their request, the odds of
you being accused of spamming are greatly reduced.

As far as you purchasing a .com domain name and forwarding it to your GDI affiliate link, why would you want to do that?  If you
don't want to use your GDI hosting to create your own website, you can just use it as is and it.  Please see my previous post
concerning my feelings about GDI affiliates not using their hosting service here:
http://talk.ws/index.php?topic=7068.0

I hope you find it useful.

Cheers,

-Ed

I want to thank you all for the positive feedback.  It's nice to know every now and then that somebody is actually listening.

Let me share some more words of wisdom, if I may.  Maybe I should start a new thread and call it "Persaverance".

Way back in 1999 when GDI first came online, I jumped on because at that time, they were the sole registrar for
.ws domain names and you really could get some awesome domain names like "make-money.ws", "workathome.ws" or
"myonlinebusiness.com", etc. etc.

Like many, I was "internet young" and greedy!  I figured it was sure fire way to get rich quick because and focused only on promoting
the income opportunity.  So was EVERYONE else.  I was disappointed real fast (maybe 1 or 2 months into it) and quit.  Moved on to
next best "opportunity".

I think it was maybe a 1-1/2 later, after seeing several GDI ads floating around, I decided to try it again.  The forum was getting
active and more helpful people were sharing their techniques.  It was also easier back then (and a LOT cheaper) than it is now to
advertise, so I signed up for GDI again.  And again, after about a month or so of not getting any signups, I quit again.  That was
only part of the reason though.  I was serving in the U.S. Air Force at the time and after 9/11, my focus and priorities all changed.

My daughter had just turned 1 year old and between looking in her eyes  and watching the images repeatedly played on Fox News,
I left the internet to "handle my business" and didn't get back into the marketing arena for 2 years.  When I did come back, it was
sporadic at best.  A few months here, few weeks there.  In 2005, I started establishing myself on the internet again.  Although alot
had changed, alot of the same programs were still around.  I can't remember when, but sometime during that year, I joined GDI
again.  Wanna guess what I did after a short period?

I know I wanted to make residual income or if not that, at least a get with a 2-tier affiliate program so I could start building that
long term income.  I spent another year trying I don't know how many different programs and in July 2006, there comes GDI again!

Maybe it's because I'm older, maybe it's because I'm [internet marketing] smarter or a combination of both.  But I finally realized the
potential of GDI.  So many programs have come and going over the past 7-8 years, but GDI is still here.  There's a reason for this
folks.  There are alot of program out there that have been around for awhile but are not as strong as they were in the beginning.

These programs provide a product or service that's actually beneficial to new members, but after awhile, their usefulness is worn out.
When you have no use for the product/service and don't get any signups to offset the cost, guess what?  It's a loose-loose situation
and you're outta there!

The worst case scenario with GDI is you end up in a win-loose situation -- IF you use the service.  There will always be a need
for web hosting.  You need to find a use for your domain.  Create a product to sell, resell other people's products, create a personal
page to share with family and friends, anything to get your 10 bucks worth!  If you don't get any signups, no big deal.  You still
have your website.

Had I thought this way back in 1999, the first time I joined GDI, I can only imagine where I would be today.  I joined GDI July 3rd, 2006
and during that time, I have had 17 signups with 10 dropping out.  One member actually quit after only 13 days!  Even during my "dumb"
days, I gave the program at least a month!

The seven I have now, I'm confident they are in it with me for the long haul.  I help them when they need it.  I only have 3
members on my first line because I move new signups under my team.  I encourage them to do the same when they get signups.
You get $1 for your referrals regardless of what level they're on, so share the wealth.  It keeps your team motiviated.  But don't do
the work for them.  Teach them everything you know so they can do the same thing.  This is how you build for the future.

I don't recruit anymore.  I interview.  When I come across someone interested in the program, I let them know up front,
they won't be making any money for quite awhile, depending on their level of expertise of course.  If the $10 monthly strains the
budget, then GDI is probably not for you.  If you can live without 10 bucks each month, it's the best investment you can make!

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.  NEXT!!!

You and your hubbie are both geniouses!!!!

Taking your GDI hosting and using it focus on what I assume are
your favorite past-times.  Once you get all your information posted,
focus on good SEO and you should see some growth.

Please read my post about NOT focusing on GDI while building your
income:
http://talk.ws/index.php?topic=7068

Cheers,

Ed

P.S.  When you have your sites completed, be sure and look me up
so I can include a link to them.

Here's what is probably the best advice I can give to newbies promoting GDI: STOP Focusing on the GDI Opportunity...
Otherwise you're going to continue running into "nay sayers" with the following type comments:

"...but, like most pyramids those at the top make the money while those at the bottom make little or no money at all."

There are ALOT of people out there that know [in their minds] this to be a fact about GDI.  Here is American Heritage Dictionary
definition of a pyramid scheme:
   
n.   A fraudulent moneymaking scheme in which people are recruited to make payments to others above them in a
hierarchy while expecting to receive payments from people recruited below them. Eventually the number of new recruits fails to
sustain the payment structure, and the scheme collapses with most people losing the money they paid in.  

Folks, we aren't recruiting people to pay us anything!!  We earn commissions for referring others to GDI hosting.  Remember that. 
Clients get a .ws domain name, 100mb of webspace (with hosting) and 10 email accounts.  Which leads into the next obstacle you're run
across:

"...The problem I have with GDI.... is that you can get better hosting (with all the bells & whistles that GDI offers) for cheaper ($4-6
a month)"

This is a very true statement -- BUT -- that company offering the cheaper hosting doesn't provide you with the opportunity to earn residual
income through 5 levels.   'Nuff said on this one.

Then you get comments like...

"...Here is where I dislike the program: you cannot seperate the two, the opportunity from the services. If you try to sell just the
services you have to do it by trying to sell the opportunity thats what I dislike in the first place. You only get an affiliate site that
markets the opportunity not an affiliate site that markets just the services. Makes it difficult and confusing for new comers and is not
really set up to attract customers just affiliate agents. In that sense of the word it can be close to being considered a scam. I can
help you find hosting for 5 pages at 5 dollars a month and a domain name for 9 dollars a year. Thats cheaper than GDI $51 dollars
cheaper."

This, obviously from a previous GDI "tire kicker" or someone who has never joined GDI.

Here is the link to promote the GDI products (replace homebizop with your userID):
http://www.website.ws/kvmlm2/hosting.dhtml?sponsor=homebizop

and

Here's the link to promote the GDI opportunity:
http://website.ws/kvmlm2/my.dhtml?sponsor=homebizop

or

http://freedom.ws/homebizop/show_dvd  <== your best bet in my opinion

And of course, my personal favorite, YOUR OWN .ws website:
http://homebizop.ws

Everyone should do something with their hosting besides using it as a referral link.

I see it all over the internet.  "1000's of people worldwide are earning quiet fortunes, from their homes, even while they sleep.
Are you next? Get started for free right now!" and all the others.

This leads people to believe they will become very successful, maybe not overnight, but soon.  For online marketing newbies
(the target market of pretty much everyone here), This is just NOT going to happen.  Results will be different for everyone,
but you may have to re-evaluate your goals if you think you will be earning a substantial income within the first year.  I don't like the
above ad created by GDI because 7 days is just not enough time to evaluate any program.  And then having to call them to cancel
your membership if decide to cancel after the trial period.  What about the non-U.S. folks?  Not very fair, but not my rules.  I do make
sure ALL my prospects are aware of this though.

I don't know much, but I know this: GDI is long term and takes a long-time.  You have a website, use it to earn some short-term cash
while you build your future.

I hope at least one person find this bit if info helpful in someway.

Cheers...

Hello All.  I went with the WS hosting and use FTP to upload my pages.  So, here's my site:
http://www.homebizop.ws

You can get a copy of the flyer at http://1.ws/flyer

Any ideas on what to do about downline members who don't respond to emails?

One of my pet peeves has always been unsupportive sponsors and now I'm starting to feel the same way about unresponsive
downline members.  I think I would rather have a responsive member who's struggling over one who's doing well but choosees
to ignore me.

-Ed

Hello, my name is Edward Gause and I live in Ft Walton Beach, located in North West Florida. I currently work for the Department of
Air Force and consider internet marketing a hobby. I have been at it off and on for almost 10 years now.

I have a bio on my website so I won't get long winded here.  Just recently and now that I'm getting older, I decided to stop trying
to compete in the internet marketing arena and focus on building a residual income and maybe consider early retirement. Granted,
this has always been what I wanted to do, but I always repeated the same mistake that other newbies make -- joining too many
programs at once and bailing out when nothing happens!

I now fully understand that building a residual income takes years (for some - months) and prepared to do that with one company.
Now that I'm doing that, I have more time to participate in my other favorite past time - helping others. So, if you ever need any
help, don't hesistate to call on me.

Cheers,