Michael M's X10 Blog

Someone once asked me “If you had to choose your top 5 favorite X10 products, what would they be?” Hmmm… interesting question, and the more I thought about it the more difficult it was to choose as there were so many. But in the end, I put together my Top 5 List. Yours I’m sure will probably be different, but here’s mine in descending order:

5. The Wireless Video Sender Kit (VK82A) – These things are the greatest invention next to sliced bread. I have my video sender hooked up to my Playstation and the video receiver hooked up to my projector in another room. Have you ever played Tetris when the falling blocks are bigger than your head? It’s definitely an interesting experience! The video sender transmits video from just about everything to a second tv in any other room! [http://www.x10videosender.com/movie-download-video-sender.html]

4. A Transceiver Module (TM751), with a hawkeye motion sensor (MS13A) and a Palmpad Remote (HR12A) – Sometimes the most simplest things can be so amazing. This is why I put this simple kit as #4 on my list. There’s not really a specific package to purchase this from X10 (you'll have to buy them separately), but when I put these 3 devices together I’m like a little kid with a Legos set at Christmas time. Have you ever tried to outsmart a motion sensor? Well here’s your chance! It brings back flashbacks from that movie Entrapment, with Catherine Zeta Jones trying to break into the world bank by avoiding those laser sensors. That Sean Connery was a lucky guy! [http://www.x10.com/automation/x10_ms13a.htm]

3. ActiveHome Pro Kit – “I actually have a smart home!” was my first thought (of course with a cheesy grin on my face) when I first hooked this system up. Then to see the lights turn on in the morning to awaken me felt like an oddity. It got even weirder to smell the fresh-brewed coffee in the coffee maker when no one else was awake. Now that I’m use to all of this, I expect it. What can I say? I’m pampered by my house... How many people can say that? The ActiveHome Pro Kit will put a smile on your face that’s nearly impossible to wipe off. Who needs a girlfriend when you have ActiveHome Pro? (Haha… I know I’ll hear it about that one) [http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/activehome-pro.html]

2. The XCam Single Cam Kit – This little thing provides so much fun (not to mention added security) by placing it on your doorstep. It’s so small that most people don’t even see it when they knock at the door. I have one hooked up and refer to it everytime the doorbell rings. I love it when the solicitors come knocking at the door that they are adjusting and fixing themselves up waiting for you to answer, only to their unknowing that you sit on the couch quietly watching them until they leave! It’s funny some of the things people do while standing in front of a door waiting for someone to answer! [http://www.x10.com/products4/google/security_camera_vcr_lpdb.html]

And #1. The Video Calling System – This thing is just awesome. I love my Video Calling System kit. Whoever’s idea it was to take the Vanguard and make it into the World’s Best Webcam deserves a raise! I’ve owned webcams in the past, and this just blows those things out of the water. I have a hard time referring to it as a webcam because it does so much more! This thing can pan and tilt across your whole house - so you better keep your place clean when you use it! With a 22X Optical zoom (and a 2x Digital zoom) this baby allows you to see up to a half mile away. But unless you're Bill Gates, "Who has a house so large that you need a 44x zoom?" you might be thinking (Afterall, if you're like me you probably live in a rundown "podunk" shack)... Well, it’s a great thing to gross out your relatives by zooming so far up your nose that they can see your nose hairs! It’s just not a party without the X10 Video Calling System! [http://www.theworldsbestwebcam.com/]

In case you haven’t figured it out, yes I am easily amused! Now Let’s hear your Top 5 list. Tell us why you chose each item and how each one makes you feel. The first list that I think can beat mine (and make me want to abandon my list for theirs), I’ll send you a free Video Sender Kit (VK82A)! So do your best to convince me!

(Disclaimer: This free video sender prize valid only for contestants with a valid mailing address in the US, Canada, or US Territories ONLY. This prize is non-substitutable or non-negotiable. I'ts a gift! and I'm just trying to be nice! =) )

Posted by Michael Mallari at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When many of my affiliates ask me what they can do to increase sales and orders of X10 products, I always ask about their blog. Some either have a blog, and others are confused as to why a blog would make any difference. The one thing I realize though is that the majority of these publishers underestimate the power of how a blog can drive sales, especially those who keep one. The affiliates that do have a blog only write one because they’re told that blogs can help – however, they really have no idea how or why this is so. I wanted today’s post to focus on explaining the effectiveness of a blog and how you should use it to your advantage.

A major benefit to keeping an updated blog is that it helps with your search engine rankings by showing that you constantly have fresh new content to your site. Your site does not appear stale, and this is a big plus to search engine providers. In addition, once you are able to draw readers to your blog, you are able to interact with them by answering questions they have or by offering advice that can be useful. Your job is to sell your website, and by being a helpful blogger, are providing a service to your readers, increasing the chances of making new sales.

But how does just writing about anything help? Here’s the key: when blogging, don’t just blog about anything, especially if you are trying to push products on your website. Have a niche and use it to your advantage. With the millions of people in North America, we are all unique and have individual talents and specialties. Use your specialty to your advantage. For instance, if your background is in the Construction Industry, blog about why it would be important to have security cameras on your construction sites to protect your tools and equipment. If your background is in childcare services, blog about ways to protect and monitor your children and how X10 products will help.

Explain why people can benefit and how these products provide the services they need for the specialties they have. Although it would be nice to target everyone in the world, you have a better chance of landing the sale when you target people who share similar concerns or specialties as you. This allows you to become a consultant and not just some person trying to make a sale.

Add your banners, text links or creatives to your blog posts. But make sure you find ones that fit with what you are discussing. It doesn’t help to post an ad about X10 Home Automation when you just created a very good writeup on how Wireless Security Cameras can protect you from strangers.

Are you aware that there are many resources to post your blog? There are special blog search engines and there are special blog communities. These are the readers where you want your blog to reach. Top blog sites such as Technorati.com or Digg.com draws millions of viewers a day to their sites. If you are able to get a buzz going to these sites you will be able to generate traffic to your own page.

Next, use the power of community sites catering to what you are blogging about. For instance, people who have an interest in X10 products normally congregate in a similar area such as X10Community.com. Have your blogs posted to the site for everyone to read. If your blog is able to provide useful answers or results you’ll be able to make more sales. This is why it’s important to cater to your niche. Because the readers who access your blog stand the best chance of purchasing from you, probably because they share similar interests as yourself. If you can consult them with why purchasing can improve or help them out you’ll start to see you sales go up.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I received a call last week from an affiliate, and we were discussing setup of X10 items. The one thing that kind of perked my interest was a quote he made that “setting up X10 products was so easy that it seemed difficult.“ I asked him to explain this to me in further detail.

In a paraphrase he was telling me that in reading the Community forums, sometimes people tend to have a tough time setting up their equipment and have problems because they expect it to be difficult. This leads to frustration on their part and uncertainty as to if they set it up correctly. He then mentions that sometimes things truly are as easy as they seem and that you really don’t need to question further or look more into detail.

He tells me that he is a person who could be considered tech-savvy, so he has a good understanding of how electronic things work. So I asked him if he felt that since he had better abilities than most who attempt to setup their equipment if that played a role? His answer… No.

I tried to put myself in the shoes of a new customer, one who was excited to receive their product but had no idea what to expect. What I did was open the package of a 1-camera kit and think to myself “If I had no knowledge of how this stuff works, would it make sense to me?”

In this kit I saw roughly 6 to 7 pieces consisting of wires, cables and devices. I thought wow this can seem intimidating for a person new to this stuff. But as I started to piece things together, in the end I ended up with two separate objects each comprising of two to three attachments of cables. So I went from a box full of seven items to two – a wireless camera and a video receiver.

The next thing I thought was what do I have to do to make these two devices work? Now all of a sudden if I had no knowledge of how to proceed what would be the next step? I looked at the devices and realized I needed to plug in the camera to an electrical socket on the wall. As for the receiver, this seemed a little more difficult. However, since it used a standard RCA-Video jack, it seemed appropriate that it be plugged into a device like a television, and of course the electrical plug into an outlet.

I then changed the input on the television to where the RCA port was and I had a picture of what the camera was viewing. Although it seems logical as to how to set it up, I can see why it may seem so difficult. There were still a bunch of questions I had thought about such as what happened if I didn’t do this right, or if there were no picture? What do I do next? I also tried to think about how were these two devices connecting?

I then thought about this gentleman’s comments again. Well, things worked the way they were supposed to. But sometimes this isn’t always the case – what about those poor forum posters experiencing problems?

I know that sometimes the problems they experience are a few simple adjustments or even having an understanding of what the devices are doing. But then sometimes there are other serious issues such as possible defective pieces and such.

If anything, talking to this gentleman really made me think. Are X10 products really that easy that they can be difficult?

Check back to the Community site on occasion, as I plan to add more tutorials in the tutorial section over time.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Attention X10 Affiliates! The VK59A is now SOLD OUT! We are focusing our efforts on finding a viable alternative to this product in the future.

Currently, any customers looking to purchase this item will receive a free equipment upgrade/replacement featuring the VK82A for a limited time only, until a permanent solution can be decided upon.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I usually get a lot of requests from customers, affiliates, and contractors living overseas in 230v countries wanting to purchase X10.com products. Unfortunately, X10.com only carries products catering to the 110v market and ships only throughout the US and Canada. So to our friends abroad, I was delighted to see that X10Europe.com was back up and running. Now you have the ability to once again enjoy your X10 products!

As for our friends in countries on the 110v standard who live outside of the US and Canada, if you are interested in X10 items, I do have a contractor with an overseas distributorship who is willing to work with you. Send me your emails at affiliates@x10.com and I can refer you to this distributor.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Google Analytic tool is one that I highly recommend to my affiliates. This is a website tracking system provided by Google that shows everything in full detail such as where your visitors are coming from, how many visitors you have, and much more. Knowing this information can help you to identify important geographic information in order to cater your website to your customers. It can also tell you the busiest times of traffic or slowest times visitors come to your site. One of the best features is its ability to tell you the sites for where your traffic came through, giving you an opportunity to advertise to your target market.

The Google Analytics program is a free service of Google. You can find the registration link at www.google.com/analytics.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Attention X10 affiliates! Have you published an interesting article regarding something you did with your X10 products? Let everyone know about it and don’t forget to add your affiliate links and banners!

I’ll publish your articles or blogs on the X10 Community and you can have readers from all over the world read about your great idea and click on your links!

So what are you waiting for? Start submitting your articles today! community@x10.com

Posted by Michael Mallari at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Being busy is sometimes not an excuse to have a few laughs and poke fun at myself. I wanted to share something with you that keeps me grinding my teeth and drives me a little crazy. I’m usually left shaking my head every time it happens.

I’ve been the Affiliate Manager at X10 for nearly a year, and for some reason my typing goes to whack every time I have to type the word AFFILIATE. You could imagine that when running this department how many times a day I have to type this word because of all the emails I reply to, and although I know how to spell it, I just can’t seem to type it correctly. It usually comes out looking like AFFILAITES no matter what I do. I’ve even tried slowing down to make sure I don’t cross up my typing and yet to no avail I still get a spelling of AFFILAITES grrrr.

Like in grade school, I can only imagine myself in a dark gymnasium with a microphone in front of me and a keyboard, when the announcer asks me to type the word AFFILIATES in front of all my schoolmates. Ooh the pressure, can I handle it or will I choke?

Well, if I can’t get the typing right, I guess that means another department to head up, the AFFILIATES and AFFILAITES Departments.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is this week’s installment of answers to your emails. Thanks to Robert, Guillermo, George, Andy, and Bailey for writing in!

Anonymous asks: Where do I learn how to install security camera for homes? Please help me I also want to use your products for my jobs.

Answer: You’ve come to the perfect place! The X10 community is where those with an interest in X10 products converge to learn about the X10 product line. Some resources that will definitely help are the ARTICLES section of the community in which we talk about setting up your products for home automation and also talk about setting up a basic XCam kit. A second resource is the FORUM, with over 7,500 members, we have plenty of experts to answer any questions you may have. Last, but definitely not least, is the X10 Knowledgebase WIKI which can be found at http://kbase.x10.com.

Robert asks: I’m an affiliate. Can I use the X10 trademark in my keyword bidding through Google?

Answer: Hi Robert, thanks for writing. We only have one general rule that we ask our affiliates to abide by, that being you do not outbid any keywords that X10 has in place with the search engines we bid on. That means you are entitled to use the X10 trademark for your bidding. Google recently has been very protective of trademarks where bidders use company names within their keyword searches. If you want to use our trademark, let the X10 Affiliate desk know and we can authorize this for you through Google.

Guillermo asks: “Can you please E mail me information to become a dealer?”

Answer: Guillermo, depending on how you would like to sell X10 products, we have a Contractor (re-seller) program in place at www.x10contractor.com or an Affiliate Program at www.x10affiliate.com. As a contractor, you purchase X10 products at a discounted rate for the intent of re-selling. The affiliate program allows you to advertise X10 products and earn commissions for sales you are able to bring to X10.

George asks: “On your advertisement for the X10 Fantasy Sports Tracker, does this come with the Lola software for PC?

Answer: George, as this product is an adaptation of the X10 Lola Music Control system, you do receive a copy of the Lola software for PC.

Andy asks: “With the Video Sender Kit, is it possible to just hook up this device to just a cable outlet with no tv to transmit to another location in the house (example: upstairs by coax cable from the wall to transmitter --> downstairs to receiver with tv)”

Answer: Great question Andy. The Video Sender Kit comes with both a sender and a receiver. The sender contains RCA inputs to plug your devices into, while the receiver has both RCA outputs and coax. Unfortunately, since the sender does not have a coax input, you will be unable to just plug the sender directly into the coax connector.

Bailey asks: “We have three entries that lead out of the building on our property that we want to monitor while we are away...Can we monitor individual activities from each camera without having 3 separate VCR's”

Answer: Bailey, you have a couple of options. You have the ability to monitor your cameras online and have video record to your computer instead of a VCR. Another thing you can do is add a 4-plex (also known as a multiplexor). What this allows you to do is split the view from up to 4 cameras on your monitor screen and continually be able to view each of your cameras and records to one television.

Anonymous asks: “Can the Wireless Video Sender Kit be used with HDTV, directv dish?”

Answer: Hello, you have the ability to use the video sender for these devices and to have them work. However, you will be unable to re-braodcast in high definition, as these devices operate off of coax and/or RCA-style jacks.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekend X10 proudly announced the release of the new X10 iconRemote. A remote control that uses television icons of your favorite tv stations making your television viewing habits a simple experience

A large LCD color screen puts the logos of all major television stations in an easy to see arrangement. At the touch of a button, you can program your remote to go only to the channels you want! Helping you to avoid wasting time and energy on the channels you don’t watch.

The iconRemote serves as a Universal remote control compatible with most major brands of televisions, cable tuner boxes, satellite tuner boxes, video gaming systems, dvd players, stereo systems and more.!

With its ability to let you group your favorite channels under HIS, HERS, KIDS, and more, you have the power to categorize your own personal settings. Your spouse can program their own favorite channels, and you can set the appropriate channels for your children!

Featuring a punchthrough ability, you can program up to 10 different devices to function at the press of one button. Press one key to turn up your home theatre, another to change your television channel, and yet another key to fast forward your DVD player. With so many features, the iconRemote takes X10 to another level.

To learn more about the iconRemote, visit here: http://www.x10.com/promotions/ir10a_remote.html

Posted by Michael Mallari at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Creativity is key for several of our X10 Affiliates. One of the things they are able to do is sell their consulting skills to their customers (when they meet face-to-face) by providing in-depth knowledge about our products that can enhance or better their lives. In doing so, they are able to make the sale and earn the commissions.

A service we at X10 can do for our affiliates is a dropship of the order for their customers. This means that the affiliate would place the order using the customer’s shipping address and information, and X10 would ship the item directly to the customer, providing the affiliate the peace of mind in knowing that the order was properly placed – plus a way to keep their customer informed about what is happening with their order. In addition, it also provides the affiliate the order information in the event a recourse is needed with the X10 Affiliate Department.

This helps you as the affiliate in several ways: first, your customers know who they are buying from and can establish a repoire with you as their consultant. This can lead to follow up sales or even referrals from other friends or family members they may want to share with. In addition, it provides you the ability to sell X10 products without having to purchase them yourself as a contractor (which can get costly – even though you purchase them at a discount).

Providing a dropship service can open up a whole new world to you. It allows you more opportunities to sell and to reach out to a larger target. For instance, now you can set up an eBay store without having to physically carry the product and worry about storage space. When your customer makes a purchase from you, you simply call in the order and the item gets shipped directly from us.

In the event you are looking to provide a dropship service for your customer. I would recommend setting this up first with the X10 Affiliate Department. This ensures your service follows all of the rules of the Affiliate program, and allows us to better help you set up your service.

To learn more, feel free to email us at affiliate@x10.com.

Posted by Michael Mallari at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

One popular request I receive is from customers wanting to locate X10 drivers for operating systems other than Microsoft Windows. I have a lot of people ask about using our home automation softwares for Macintosh GUI’s, Linux and Unix.

I did a search to try and locate some resources and came upon some interesting links. Keep in mind that these are not authored or written by anyone at X10. These are unique individuals such as yourself who have an interest in seeing home automation succeed using other methods aside from a conventional PC. In the event you discover some interesting links that should be shared, let us know by posting the link! Now, in no particular order of relevance:

1. http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/36/07645982/0764598236.pdf

2. http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-lobx10.html?ca=dgr-lnxw03UnderstandingX10

3. http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialX10SmartHomeNetworking.html

4. http://www.linuxha.com/

5. http://heyu.tanj.com/

Posted by Michael Mallari at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(As originally published on www.X10affiliate.com)

How does Shed.com get traffic and earn commission with the X10 VIP Program?

X10: How long have you been involved with Affiliate Marketing?

Shed.com: X10 is my first affiliate relationship. Although I do have a couple of other affiliate links, none has proven to be as simple as the X10 relationship.

X10: How long have you been an X10 VIP Affiliate?

Shed.com: I joined one year ago, but didn't establish web links until February 2005.

X10: What is your marketing strategy?

Shed.com: www.shed.com is a first-page Google hit for "home automation", and is a content-rich site for information about home automation products and techniques.

X10: What website(s) do you promote X10 products on?

Shed.com: www.shed.com and www.machomeautomation.com

X10: How would you rate X10's VIP support?

Shed.com: Actually I was very impressed from the beginning by the affiliate staff, their helpfulness and attentiveness. (seriously)

X10: How easy is it to retrieve links/banners?

Shed.com: I had no trouble whatsoever in getting started, and setting up a complete catalog.

X10: Please provide a brief synopsis of how your affiliation with X10 came to be (1000 words or less).

Shed.com: www.shed.com has been on the web for over 9 years now and has never before had any sort of third-party advertising, other than a few links to related home automation sites. A year ago I received a call from an X10 affiliate representative who suggested that www.shed.com would be a good candidate for the X10 link-thru program.

I was doubtful because I didn't want to suddenly disturb my website visitors with pop-ups and ads. So I chose the simplest front-page link to the daily special, and re-wrote my 'ordering' page to include links to the X10 product catalog.

I can only say that I am very gratified that while I have not received any complaints about the 'advertising', I have maintained an average of a 20% 'click-thru' rate from these simple links. Obviously my visitors and customers see the links and do not feel that they are an intrusion.

The rich content of home automation tutorials and articles on the site is why they come, and being able to easily order the products referenced, is a seamless function.

X10: What would be your #1 tip for success (in one sentence)?

Shed.com: CONTENT...CONTENT...CONTENT... It really makes a difference when you find a site that contains time-proven articles and tutorials with pictures and how-to's. The 'buy-me' links should appear as just a value-added feature.

X10: What advice would you give to a new affiliate, who may be skeptical about Affiliate Marketing in general?

Shed.com: I could not be happier with the whole system. The representatives stay in touch with me without being a bother. And I don't have to change the way I have done business for years... The difference is that now I get a check every month!

Posted by Michael Mallari at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)