And the second thing you need to know is that when it comes to video cameras, you get what you pay for.  That means a $1,000 camera will perform dramatically better than a $200 camera.

If you’re just starting out with video, I always recommend you go with a cheaper camera as having the “best” won’t give you any advantage…it’s like buying the world’s best golf clubs although you’ve never played golf.  They won’t help you play any better, you have to gain experience first.

And when it comes to entry-level cameras, most people go with the popular Flip style cameras.  The Flip and Kodak brands are the most popular in this arena.  The advantages of these cameras are that they are cheap and easy to use.

However, there are many drawbacks when it comes to image quality.  These cameras don’t give you any manual control over the image.  In a nutshell, that means if you’re shooting outdoors, the image is usually pretty good.  If shooting indoors, the quality can take a hit.  If shooting at night, the quality is poor.  And if shooting with any type of professional lighting, the quality is awful.

Click here to see a head-to-head comparison of footage from a Flip camera vs. a high-quality video camera.

Depending upon what you want to do with video, a better choice for an entry-level camera is the Canon ZR960.  While still an entry-level camera, it does provide much more control over image quality…which means you will get overall better video from it (please note this is a standard definition only camera).

Moving up the food chain to the higher-end (better quality) cameras, I recommend anything from the Canon Vixia line.

If you prefer to work with tape-based cameras, I specifically recommend the Canon Vixia HV40.  It’s an outstanding camera that shoots both standard and high-definition and is consistantly rated to best camera in it’s category.

If you prefer solid-state cameras, I specifically recommend the Canon Vixia HF S10 or Canon Vixia HF S11.  These are Flash based cameras that shoot only high-definition.  And they do so beautifully.  In fact, the HF S10 has even been used to shoot scenes in a $30 million dollar Hollywood movie.

Personally I use the Canon Vixia HF S10.  You can see my video review of the HF S10 by clicking here.

You’ll also notice that I almost always recommend Canon cameras.  As a result, I get a lot of questions like “why don’t you recommend Panasonic, JVC, etc.”?

Well here’s why.

Actually I recommend either Canon or Sony cameras.  These are the largest camera manufacturers and as a result, they are the most widely supported by video editing software.  That means you have the fewest headaches working with the footage from them.

These also happen to be the cameras that the pro’s use.  If you ever see a news or television show being made, 9 times out of 10 they’ll be using either a Canon or Sony camera.

I prefer Canon in particular because their focus is on video and photography only.  The products they make are only focused in those areas (much like Nikon is only focused on still photography).  As a result, the tend to produce the most innovative products.

The same can’t be said with other companies that make video cameras…where they may also be making vacuums, telephones, electric shavers and more.

That doesn’t mean you must buy a Canon or Sony camera…you are free to choose whatever manufacturer you like…don’t let me stop you.  I can only tell you that in general, you’ll never go wrong with Canon or Sony…and that the same can’t be said with other manufacturers.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on these products.  But I am also an affiliate of these products.  That means if you order a product using the link I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

There is a such a solution…however it does have a few warts.  It’s called WildFX.  It works on both Windows and Mac.  And you can see my detailed video review and demonstration of it below:

OK…let’s cover the good things about this product again.  It’s very easy to use and gives you hundreds of very nice, point and click animated text effects.  The videos created by the software can be used with any video editing software.  And the help documentation provided, while not always 100% current, is far better than most products.  The bottom line?  If you want a quick way to come up with animated text, this software delivers as advertised.

And the bad? My biggest gripe is the QuickTime issue.  The software uses QuickTime to produce videos and you must use an old version of QuickTime…I had to uninstall version 7.6 and install version 6.5 to get the software to work…effectively killing my ability to open or render QuickTime files in Sony Vegas along the way.

That’s not a deal-breaker for me though, as I rarely if ever work with QuickTime videos on my Windows machine…and this problem doesn’t exist in the Mac version…it’s a Windows only problem.

Because of the lack of competing solutions in it’s price range (around $100), I don’t have any problems recommending WildFX either.  Just be aware that if you’re a Windows user, you might have to jump through a few hoops before you get it working.  Consider yourself warned.

A free demo version is available if you’d like to try before you buy (I highly recommend you go the demo route before purchasing, because of the aforementioned Windows/QuickTime issues).

And you can get your free demo version by clicking here.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on this product.  But I am also an affiliate of this product.  That means if you order the product using the link I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

This is list building…a critical component of marketing online.  And when it comes to list building, popup windows are far and away one of the most effective tools you can use to build a mailing list.

The problem is, most people hate popup windows.  They are annoying.  And some marketers even use the kind that trick you into clicking on certain buttons so you can’t exit the page.  Like I said though, as annoying as popup windows are, they are very effective in list building.

But back to the popup window at the bottom of this page.  It’s called a footer popup or a slide in popup.  It’s designed to be unobtrusive…to not get in your way.  Yet it still gets your attention.  And I can personally tell you that they are very effective for list building.  What’s more, they can easily be used on all types of web sites…from blogs to straight HTML sites.

But where can you get software that allows you to display these types of popups on your site? Well, there are a few options available.  And I’ve tested them all.  The one I’ve picked as the “winner” is the one you see being used on this site…as well as all of the other sites I run across Web Video University.  It’s also pretty inexpensive as far as software goes.

Any drawbacks to it? In my testing, it doesn’t always work perfectly on Wordpress blogs that are using specific themes or plugins.  But that’s not really the fault of the software, as Wordpress is notorious for not always playing well with third-party software…even Wordpress plugins can conflict with each other.

But…if you’d like to use the same software I’m using here to display popups…but on your own site, click here now to grab a copy while it’s still available at such a cheap price.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on this product.  But I am also an affiliate of this product.  That means if you order the product using the link I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

With virtually all other titles, there is either no upgrade path or if there is, you have to learn entirely new software.  But onto the two titles I recommend.

For Mac user’s, it’s Final Cut.  Specifically if you’re just starting out, Final Cut Express.  This will give you near pro-level video editing software for under $200 (and it’s made by Apple).

Later, if you want to upgrade to Final Cut Studio, you’ll get basically the same video editing software…along with a suite of additional applications for color correction, graphics, DVD creation, sound and more.  Final Cut Studio is used to edit many television shows and movies.

For Windows users, I recommend Sony Vegas.  If you’re just starting out, go with one of the lower Movie Studio versions of Vegas.  You’ll get an awful lot of bang for around $100 or so.

When you’re ready to upgrade, Sony Vegas Pro is the way to go.  It’s extremely powerful, flexible and easy-to-use software.  Plus if you’re upgrading from a lower version, there will be nothing to re-learn…the interface is the same.  Sony Vegas Pro is used to edit many documentaries, news and television shows.

Which do I use? I use both.  I am both a Windows and Mac user.  That means every video you’ve ever seen produced by me was done in either Sony Vegas or Final Cut.  You simply cannot go wrong with either of them.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on these products.  But I am also an affiliate of these products.  That means if you order a product using the links I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

But first let’s cover the basic options you’ll get from any web host:

Dedicated Server – This is a server that can host thousands of web sites.  If you run a lot of web sites or need lots of power to run a single web site, a dedicated server is for you.  The server is all yours…the only sites on it are the ones you put on it.

Virtual Private Server – This is a dedicated server shared by just a few people.  It’s usually far cheaper than a dedicated server, but you don’t have total ownership control…there are a few other people sharing it with you.  Still you get a lot more power over lower costing options.

Reseller Account – This is a dedicated server where dozens or hundreds people buy “reseller” space on the server.  Then they turn around and sell portions of their space to other web site owners.  These resellers are basically acting like little web hosting providers.  But you can get a reseller account and not sell portions of your space…you can just use that space to power your own web sites.  This is a step below a Virtual Private Server but a step above regular web hosting accounts.

Web Hosting Account – This is what most people use to run their web sites.  For $10 a month or whatever you get a web hosting account.  In reality, you are renting a tiny amount of space on a dedicated server.  And there are often thousands to tens of thousands of other web sites being hosting on that same server.

So those are the basic account options you’ll be given with most web hosting providers.  But what about all the other stuff…bandwidth, drive space, scripts, databases, etc.?

Well…I’ll make it simple for you.  You want a web host that provides Cpanel access (or WHM access for reseller, VPS or dedicated servers).  You want a web host that provides unlimited MySQL databases.  And you want one that provides Fantastico.

Why all this stuff? Cpanel and WHM are the industry standard control panels for managing your web hosting account.  If you ever need to install scripts, etc. on your site, instructions will almost always be given using Cpanel or WHM.

MySQL is the industry standard database on the Internet.  Again, if you ever need to install scripts, a Wordpress blog, etc., you’ll need a MySQL database.  And it’s nice to have unlimited ones, because it’s pretty easy to end up with dozens and dozens of scripts that require them on your site.

And Fantastico makes installing things like blogs, forums, CMS software and other popular, open-source applications easy…just click a button and everything is done for you.

But here is the #1 thing you need to have from any web hosting service you use.  Customer support.  By phone.  24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Only the best, most reliable and reputable web hosts provide this.

For example, if you’re on the site of a hosting provider, go to their contact page.  They should list a toll-free number for live, 24/7 customer support.  If they don’t, avoid them like the plague.

Why is this so important?  Well, if your livelihood depends on your web site…and it suddenly goes down for some reason…what will you do?  Call someone and immediately get it taken care of…or email someone and wait 4 days to get a response (if you’re email even works, since your site is down).

And all of this leads to the web hosting providers I recommend.

My top recommendation is LiquidWeb.  They are who I personally use to host all of my web sites.  Their customer support is world-class.  And I can’t tell you the number of times they have saved my butt.  My sites have (attempted) to be attacked and hacked more than once.  Each time, LiquidWeb called me before I even knew about it.

Plus, there have been countless times where I screwed up my own sites.  But everything has always been fixed with a simple call to them…even at 1:30 in the morning.

LiquidWeb is not the cheapest.  But if you don’t mind paying a little extra for peace of mind, they are my top recommedation.

Next is HostGator.  Throughout the years I’ve used them for standard and reseller web hosting accounts.  You get a lot of bang for your buck, they are reliable and I’ve never had any major issues with them.

The only drawback to HostGator is that a lot of Internet marketing types use them, so they automatically disable certain, popular Internet marketing related scripts from working on their servers.

And finally there is FatCow.  I haven’t personally used them, but I have friends who do (friends who run heavy traffic sites)…and they recommend them…so I am recommending them based on that.  Plus they include all sorts of freebies in their hosting plans.

So there you go.  If I wanted to, I could fill this page with web hosting providers you should avoid, but that’s not what this post is about.  It’s about the web hosting providers I recommend.  And now you know my top 3.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on these products.  But I am also an affiliate of these products.  That means if you order a product using the links I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

So you have to compromise and go with what works best most of the time.  And in my opinion, that service is 1shoppingcart.  It’s what I personally use for all of my businesses.

It’s not perfect, but then again, it’s also far more than just a shopping cart.  It’s a tool that can be used to run multiple facets of your online business.  With just the shopping cart portion, you can accept credit cards or PayPal (you’ll need to get separate accounts for these first) for both physical or electronic products.  People go to your site, click a button to order, make the payment and are given a receipt to a product or a link to a download page.  The shopping cart handles all of this for you.

But like I said, it’s more than just a shopping cart.  You can also setup autoresponders to build and mange your mailing lists.  If you happen to be on any of my mailing lists, the emails you receive from me are created and sent from within 1shoppingcart.  You can use ad trackers.  These allow you to track the performance (clicks and sales) of any type of ads (banners, Adwords, etc.) for your own products or even affiliate products.

And you can run an affiliate program.  The software handles everything…from signing-up affiliates, to providing affiliates their links, to tracking all of their sales, to letting you know what affiliates you need to pay and when.

So what’s not to like about 1shoppingcart? Well, at times the service can be very slow.  I once (unfortunately) launched a product at the exact time that they service decided to “be slow”.  I then received a flood of emails from people who were trying to order the product but couldn’t because the shopping cart page took forever to load.  Not cool.

If you use any type of third-party integration plugins with the service (like for separate membership site software), occasionally “buggy” things will happen.  The cart will stop communicating with the third-party software or not perform the tasks like it’s supposed to.  Then just as suddenly, everything will start working normally again.  And their help documentation is poor and out of date.  They do provide a help section, it’s just that it’s not much help and often provides images or training videos that are old and often useless.

Yet even with those warts, it’s still pound for pound the best tested and proven shopping cart solution for the money.  And that’s why I both use and recommend it.

If you’d like to take a 30 day trial of 1shoppingcart, you can do so by clicking here.

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on this product.  But I am also an affiliate of this product.  That means if you order the product using the link I supply,I will be paid a commission on the sale.

For years I’ve used products from NCH. I’ve used their products for recording audio books, to create voice-overs for video, to cleanup the audio in videos, to cleanup the audio in recorded telephone interviews and more.  In short, their products are inexpensive, they are simple to use, they work as advertised and they work on both Windows or Mac.

The product I most often use is WavePad.  With just two clicks of a button you can start recording an audio file:

From there you can easily edit the file to remove any mistakes you’ve made:

And you can also add over a dozen “point and click” effects to the recording, from reverbs to noise reduction to fade in’s and out’s and more:

You can then instantly save your recording in a variety of file formats, including all popular and standard formats like MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A and more:

Of course the bonus is that you can edit existing audio files in the same way.  Say for example you have an existing audio recording of some type of interview.  You can open that recording, chop it up however you’d like, add effects…and even record new audio to insert into it:

Any drawbacks?  Not really.  It can be a bit confusing adding new recordings inside existing recordings and the help documentation is pretty basic, but other than that, it’s a very solid product.

They also offer a free demo version that you can try before you buy.  If you’d like to learn more and instantly download a free trial of WavePad, just click here now .

Disclosure - I’m a compensated affiliate.  I gave you my honest review and opinion on this product.  But I am also an affiliate of this product.  That means if you order the product using the link I supply, I will be paid a commission on the sale.