ScottKalbach.com

Product Ad Widget Screencast Series

I just published the first in what will hopefully be a series of screencasts to cover the functionality of our new Product Ad Widget tool.

I’m completely new to this screencast thing but I think it came out okay. Not bad for winging it anyways. No teleprompter required.

Here’s a link to the post and screencast over on AvantShare.com – Product Ad Widget Screencast – Product Comparison Widget
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Scott Kalbach

AvantLink.com Product Ad Widget public BETA

Just a quick post to mention that we rolled out the public beta of our new AvantLink affiliate network tool, the Product Ad Widget.

This tool will serve as the next generation of our Product Display Builder tool. It provides a completely redesigned configuration interface as well as a lot of new functionality that affiliates have requested over the last six months.

We think this ad tool is pretty awesome and we’re hoping that affiliates and merchants will feel the same way about it.

Scott Kalbach

One of the great wealth destroyers of all time

The title of this post if from a comment Jim Cramer of Mad Money recently made about Obama’s budget being one of the great wealth destroyers of all time.

I’m not a supporter of Obama’s agenda. Personally I think it’s mostly aimed at greater dependence on the government and as a result is stripping away our liberties, freedoms and free market capitalist system. The current administrations policies are the complete opposite of what history shows us would really stimulate the economy.

What’s interesting to me about Jim Cramer’s comments is that they are coming from a financial guy who’s been a life long Democrat and a big supporter of Obama.

Actually, Cramer claims he still supports most of Obama’s agenda but he thinks it’s radical to try to get this agenda through in the current economic climate.

But these are issues that we have no time for now, on the verge of a second Great Depression. This is an agenda that must be held back for better times. It is an agenda that at this moment is radical vs. what is called for. I am proud to have voted for the Obama who I thought understood the need to get us on the right path, and create jobs and wealth before taxing it and making moves that hurt job creation — certainly ones that will outweigh the meager number of jobs he’s creating.

Most important, I believe his agenda is crushing nest eggs around the nation in loud ways, like the decline in the averages, and in soft but dangerous ways, like in the annuities that can’t be paid and the insurance benefits that will be challenging to deliver on.

So I will fight the fight against that agenda. I will stand up for what I believe and for what I have always believed: Every person has a right to be rich in this country and I want to help them get there. And when they get there, if times are good, we can have them give back or pay higher taxes. Until they get there, I don’t want them shackled or scared or paralyzed. That’s what I see now.

– [Jim Cramer response to White House - full article]

The full article is definitely worth a read.

Free Integration for Internet Retailer Top 500 Merchant’s

AvantLink.com is currently offering merchant’s on the Internet Retailer Top 500 list a free integration into our Cost Per Sale affiliate network. Normally this is a $1000.00 fee.

Since AvantLink doesn’t charge monthly minimums or any other nickel and dime charges for that matter, this is a zero risk way to start or expand your affiliate marketing channel and get into the best affiliate network in the space.

More information can be found here…

Snowbasin – one of the last great secret resorts

In Utah we’re blessed with The Greatest Snow on Earth. Many of our resorts average 500 inches a year of low density, light, dry powder.

From our house we’re within an hours drive of 9 world class ski resorts. So why do I consistently choose to make the hour drive north to Snowbasin every chance I get? Well, in a nutshell the terrain is in the same ball park as the Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts (Snowbird, Alta), they average about the same amount of snow (500 inches), the facilities are unbelievable and you rarely have to wait in line to get on a lift. This is the plush locals resort.

I recently went to Snowbasin on a Monday with a couple co-workers and it was literally like backcountry skiing with lift access. We were getting fresh powder lines all day long. Of course I probably shouldn’t be posting this on my blog if I want it to stay a secret. Sorry Snowbasin locals. I couldn’t help myself.

Anyway, I headed up to Snowbasin with the family this weekend to get some runs in with my wife and five year old, Lance. In addition to plenty of insane steeps, they have some really nice long green and blue runs that are perfect for beginners who want to strengthen their skills. It’s pretty amazing how fast kids can pick something up. I saw a noticeable improvement in Lance’s skills with each run we took.

Here are a few pictures from our day.