InvestorBlogger

It’s been months since I started working with SiteBuildIt, and I’m sure that you’ve been keeping uptodate with the posts and pictures of my site(s). But I haven’t really told you much about my experience of the program, and the different phases I’ve gone through.

The Basics

It took quite a while to digest the material from the SiteBuildIt program from the purchase date, and that’s not a surprise, really. I didn’t start building the site until I was comfortable with the initial steps of the program, and had completed my basic keyword research.

The Action Guide in SBI is crucial to the whole learning process, and you can read much of it yourself, though it may not always make much sense if you don’t have access to the tools mentioned! But it’s a thorough treatment of the basics of business building, and one that many new members skim through as they race to Chapter 6.

It’s in the first few chapters that I wrestled with the choice of my site concept:  blogging, coffee, or Taiwan. In reality, I could have chosen all three of them, and (if I have time) I may well pursue the others, the numbers all turned out to be really good.

So in the first three months, I decided that my concept had legs, and was in some demand using the numbers provided by the BrainstormIt Tool. Then I worked on the keywords choice, and came up with a basic siteplan that really helped propel me to answer the question: Can I make money with the concept?

Can I make money with the concept?

Actually, the question is really a lot different from the typical  yes or no questions you might expect. Even lower keyword demands may be profitable if you have the right skill set, and so it was actually not such an obvious to answer.

But I did identify several methods by which I might generate some revenue: Display Ads, Affiliate programs, and Display Links, of which I anticipated that I might make more money from Display Ads at first, but that Affiliate products may be better and more profitable long term.

False Starts

So I went ahead, all eager and registered my first domain; started work on the Look & Feel of the site, and wrote my first articles. Unfortunately, I discovered that I had registered a name with hyphens that had an active unhyphenated variant on the same subject.

It took a while to come to the painful decision to start over, but I’m 100% glad that I did. I did lose a little traffic, and some money but I felt that removing the sword of Damocles was the responsible thing to do.

In January, I refounded the site, diverted all traffic from the original domain, and redid the entire site. It also coincided with some technical problems at SBI that needed fixing, but within about four days, I redid the entire site, and it started building from there. I only had about 25 pages at that point, most of which was policies and boring stuff, totally not related to the subject I chose.

Where now?

It takes a while to build content that is worth reading, but the biggest and most important tactic is finding the keywords for articles that you need to write. You need to find keywords that have sufficient demand and limited supply for you to have any chance at having realistic traffic levels.

I actually spent quite a while trawling sites with traffic issues, and was confident enough with my choices to realize that it was perhaps the MOST important choice you could make.

Choosing a word with sufficient demand and limited supply really is matching a product in demand with a market! But it’s amazing how often website owners fall down on this basic step by selecting keywords that had outsize competition, and limited traffic. In other words, the owners are going to have an invisible placement because there’s just too much choice in the market place.

Commercial Intent?

The second issue is one that I also failed to grasp properly for my first few websites: commercial intent. In other words, my good buddy Steve who’s developing his business niche very nicely now wrote:

"Commercial Intent – Are people buying in that niche (check Big G’s keyword tool to see if people are spending on Adwords). Search your keywords and read the Adwords and see how others are monetising the niche." – personal email.

But having some tools to assess commercial intent really REALLY helps a lot! I found my education sites really weren’t what people were spending money on, at least with the keywords I chose. I guess checking people’s wallets to see what they really do vs. what they say they do is paramount!

Knowing that people are looking for things to BUY really made a lot of sense, instead of chasing customers with things to sell that they didn’t particularly need, had no interest in, or didn’t trust you enough to buy through you.

10% of $1 is not much: 1% of a million is a lot!

The third issue that I’m now facing is choice of market: I opted to choose a market with a lot more demand, but in doing so, I may have chosen a much smaller pie to get a share of than I could otherwise have chosen.

However, I have resolved to build out the site as much as I can, co-opt the more lucrative keywords and try to take a chunk out of the larger market. I’m not sure that I will be successful, but I have already set myself several long term goals with the site:

I would like to get 7500~10000 page views a month at the end of phase IV. I hope that I will have about 10c per unique visitor meaning that I should earn about US$350~500 potentially. At that point, I guess I may have a site with about 200 pages or so of detailed, relevant coffee related materials.

So where are we now? I mean, NOW!

Phase I: the goal was to create 51 pages including 35 pages of content, get to about 20 uniques per day, and have a good set of keywords with potential.

In fact, I reached that goal around March 22nd, though I have yet to tidy up a few articles properly. Traffic has been building well, so far.

Phase II: this phase is just an interim phase. But I figure it’s pretty important to the site’s overall success: I want to improve the content of my existing pages ( I don’t necessarily mean rewriting the content, though it’s possible). I want to:

• Improve the meta information, esp. the choice of secondary keywords, and change the meta description to something much more engaging. I’ve already changed four pages, and partly changed a fifth.
• Improve the on-page features to create a page where readers will linger a little longer to watch a video; look at pictures; read a related article or search for an additional article to read. The pages on the top of my sidebar already meet most of those criteria.
• Build out the backlinks to the site by carefully selecting directories, websites, blogs, article directories, and other relevant locations so that I can get some decent in-pointing links. I will also expand some outpointing links to other sites, but I’m very picky about those.
• Beginning Monetization: I’ve already selected three or four candidates for monetizing the site, including Adsense,  Infolinks, and Popshops which I will experiment with. The most crucial in the short term is demonstrating that it is POSSIBLE to make money with the niche I have chosen. To that end, I’ve added Adsense to about 10 pages that are the most visited T2/T3 pages or that are linked from the sidebar.

Even in Phase II, I’ll be adding some new content occasionally but it will be some time before I complete Phase II properly … I still have over 40 pages that need revised, and I only have a little time each day to do the entire project, so it’s going to take some time!

Phase III, IV, and further…

Once in Phase III, I’ll be expanding the content to over 100 pages, and I hope to have that completed by the anniversary of the site on December 21st, 2010. I’ll also be expanding C2 options, soliciting more aggressively for submissions, and so on. I’m hoping that by that point, I’ll be earning $50.00 per month for at least the second month, but I’m not confident about monetizing the site properly yet.

Phase III is much clearer than Phase IV at the moment, so I’m going to worry about Phase IV only when I’m nearing completion of Phase III! This site on SBI is the most ambitious project I have ever undertaken, but with good competition out there, I feel I could really achieve something superb, rewarding, and remunerative in the long run.

Wish me luck.

I’ve been busy these past few days, one of the reasons I don’t post much on this blog. What have I been doing?

Needing Photographs

In the effort of building my own product site (click to see the post about that), I realized that I needed very specific photographs for my site, far more so than I had anticipated.

I had originally thought that I would be able to get by using photos purchased from Istockphoto.com but I didn’t realize that the photos were merely depictions of generic items.

For many of my upcoming review and profile pages, I needed specific products that had been photographed: eg, Columbian Coffee Beans or Instant Coffee Powder or whatever.

It’s okay to use some of the generic pictures available, but if you want to be specific, you just can’t use generic photographs of products: there’s no way you can be sure what is being photographed.

I’m not sure of the legality of using pictures taken from places like Amazon either. Even though I’d be using the pictures to promote Amazon products, I wouldn’t be using them in EXACTLY the way they intended.

While I could use product manufacturer’s pictures without too much of a problem, I guess that part of the problem is that I can’t photograph or portray exactly what I wanted.

So enter the Light Tent

I know it’s not exactly impressive, but I thought I needed to take a first step rather than just sit twisting in the wind! So I did.

The exact instructions are here. I followed them as best I could. But I had to make up the part about the lamps I need. I ended up using 2 x 15W white light CF bulbs in each of the smaller lamps, and a 23W white CF bulb in the top light. There’s also a lot of ambient light from the room lights.

The other part where I had to improvise was the camera: I just used what I had, my Lumix LMC-DX30 which could do small and reasonably close up shots of products. I’m not exactly sure how I will be able to take photos of beans yet. That may require some artistry on my part, esp. if I can’t get a decent close-up.

First sample photographs

When you start taking photographs, it is merely testing the waters: take a look. Any feedback would be appreciated!

This picture isn’t well cropped, but that’s because I cropped it too closely. I know that. What do you think about the sharpness? The color? The background?

I’m making it up as I go along. I do believe the next few shots will be better but the background seems troublingly gray. I’m not sure why yet. The background is why, so perhaps there’s an overcast of shadow on the back.

Having fun!

Spacky is an interesting keyword tool that you might like to try out next time you are searching for keywords for your blog or marketing campaign.

It’s called Spacky and it provides search results and volumes for the top 3 search engines: one word, one site… three sets of results to compare. Add this one to your arsenal.

To use the site enter your keyword, and the captcha phrase. Then hit query, and you’re done. The answers are provided in a jiffy.

Free keyword research tool – Overture, Google, MSN keyword estimator

For marketers and business people everywhere, I thought this article would be worth mentioning on my blog!

How to Tap Into Your Customer’s Inner Desires for Fun and Big Profits

When Did This Become About You?
The evolutionary biologists and psychologists are right about one thing – humans have a tendency to put themselves first. That makes sense – for example, you can’t save someone else from drowning until you’ve saved yourself first. Those scientists would argue that this is simply a survival mechanism, a way to help propagate the species.However, what started out as a survival mechanism has spilled over into every part of our lives. Americans in particular are known to put their individual needs ahead of the group’s needs. Perhaps you’ve seen this selfish behavior taken to sickening levels – face it, we all have the friend who only talks about herself and never asks anyone what’s going on in their life….moreadwritingtips

Let me know how it turns out for you.

Image via CrunchBase

As a longtime webmaster, I think that the new Google sidewiki feature could be seriously abused.

I reserve the right to control who sees/says what when they visit my site(s)… as such I just don’t know why Google hasn’t implemented an opt-out/opt-in feature….

This is decidedly high handed IMHO, esp. as there is NO way to control or edit the content. PLEASE restore the rights of your webmasters otherwise your Google Toolbar users will face a degraded experience when visiting other sites.

Having seen the quality and stupidity of many comments on YouTube, I wouldn’t want to have any of that associated with my sites. In the end, the only one who gets tarred is Google for creating a system that could be so seriously abused as this. It’s dumb.

And Google says: "…" Still waiting!

After yesterday’s post from J. F. Straw, I ‘d would like to share with readers a discussion I was having with a friend on this very topic:

Steve Sutherland, the "The Start-Up Expert" wrote:

I hear that all the time on WarriorForum – stick with one thing, choose one business model and persevere until you succeed. Unfortunately my business model involves content creation, copywriting, website development, article marketing, other SEO techniques and pretty soon email marketing etc! (Hardly getting good at one thing).

And in the same breath and email:

Sales are up anyway …!

So he was doing something right, for sure! However, I was turning this over in my own mind when I wrote my reply to him, and also to you:

I don’t think they mean get good at one (discrete) task, I can’t see how success could be based on one task, ONLY. I think they simply mean one business (this may involve multiple tasks) but keeping the focus on what YOU are good at. It doesn’t mean you have to be a MASTER of all trades! Obviously, you have to be reasonable at all of them and in some tasks you may have to be even better.

For example, when you buy a car, you could choose a Ferrari that excels in speed and acceleration. But the repair bills for simple things like oil changes are huge, AND, you won’t be able to drive it on less than standard roads. So you look for something more reasonable, say a Toyota. Toyota excels in producing great cars at affordable prices, but NONE of them will race as fast as that first car you looked at. However, that is their focus. And their customers like that. Toyotas are successful, not because they everything perfect, but because they do well in most important areas: engine capability, comfort, economy, efficiency, pricing, and repair service. They may not be the best, fastest, cheapest, MOST reliable, most comfortable, most powerful… but they are certainly successful. I think that’s the point.

I think the focus is what you said earlier: "The Start a Business Niche Expert". You’ve found a number of useful and sellable products, developed a marketing approach and put it into action more than 8 times already. Even better, you’re getting great feedback on sales/visitors on what sells, what is profitable, what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t. That is YOUR thing, isn’t it?

Even as a blogger, you have to know a bunch of skills, in some ways similar to Steve’s skill set, but you also have to know how to use WordPress, LiveWriter, and a whole bunch of skills. Being even a moderately successful blogger requires development of more than one skill, even though you may excel at one particular skill or subset of skills. Without some grasp of other skills, you will not achieve your aims.

What do you say, gentle readers?

Over the past few months, my friend Steve Sutherland has been encouraging me with the whole affiliate marketing thing. I’d just like to share with readers some keysites he’s suggested me to try including…

So you want to buy an Asus Eee PC. There are more than 30 different models that have now been released, but you have had a look at all the great models available and you’ve struggled to make a choice. Battery life: you don’t know if the one you want is appropriate, or if a more expensive model is really worth it. This article aims to help you think a little more constructively about the battery life issue, and while you still will have to make your own decision, I hope that the criteria I outline will help you find the best model.

1. Your situation: where and when?

Where exactly will you be using your Asus Eee PC after you buy it? Will it be within easy reach of a power outlet? Or will you be unpacking it in a variety of different locations, and power sockets may be unavailable? What kind of time period will you be using it for? A couple of hours a day or in excess of five hours? If you suspect that you will be using it a lot more for a lot a lot longer, you can choose to either buy an additional battery if you are buying an older model Asus Eee PC, you’ll be getting a more traditional Li-ion battery which gives out power for approx. 2.5 to 5 hours, or choose a newer model with a 6-Cell 48Wh Li-ion Battery or Li-polymer battery which should help you get more time.

2. Your price: how much and why?

If you’re on a limited budget (say: you’re a student, buying a 2nd/3rd PC, a present for a kid,…) then you may want to steer away from the latest models and choose an earlier model. But the oldest models really do have the shortest life span. Buying an extra battery may add an unexpected expense and cut the difference between the model you bought and a more expensive model with longer battery life. In other words, do your homework carefully, and treat any manufacturer battery life times as generally approximate. You may do better (but not likely!)… most likely you will get about 60-75% of the amount because you will not always run your machine on the most optimal settings. So figure carefully.

3. Its size and weight: how much do you want to carry?

This sounds like an odd point, but if you look carefully, you will notice that the Asus Eee PCs with the longer battery life do really weigh more. That’s partly because the machines themselves are getting bigger – 10.1" vs 7.0". But the difference may be important to you if you are buying this to put in your kid’s backpack or planning to slip it into a small briefcase or valise. The Eee PC 1000HA sports 7 hours but weights 1.45Kg and that is approximately 50% heavier than the Eee PC 701SD which weighed only 0.92Kg. This also goes for the physical dimension: the newest bigger machines are quite a lot bigger than the original ones.

Weighing up these factors will help you decide whether you value battery life over price or weight or portability. One aspect that seems to matter less though is the preference of OS. Most people these days do prefer XP over Linux for simple choice of applications. So which Asus Eee PC will you be buying? If you’re not sure… you can visit Buy Asus Eee PC to help you figure and select the right models, find the latest models, and get good deals on whatever model you want to buy.

James Dickson has been following the Eee PC since it first came out, and is an eager enthusiast. Do drop buy and let us know what you think of your purchase or whatever is on your mind at http://eeeblogger.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Dickson

(James Dickson is my nom de plume! Fancy, eh?)

I was making my first ‘review’ site when I realized that I needed stars for my reviews. So I made them in OpenOffice, using the special symbols, formatted them nicely and screen printed the results! Works nicely!

I’m posting them here for others to use. If you use them, do link and say thanks!

After yesterday’s ramble about Hitting the IM wall, I’m really needing a kick up the proverbial Ass.

Ever just hit the wall. That’s pretty much what I’ve been feeling the past few weeks. Perhaps I’m just burned out. I’ve been trying out the IM much more than in the past, and while I don’t particularly feel overwhelmed, I’ve had some success in getting things going.

And John Chow could be the guy to do it! Why? Because he’s hosting a competition for 10 free passes to the Affiliate East Summit in NYC in August. And I’m thinking: that would be a good thing to do for prospective affiliates, wouldn’t it?

The kicker: he’s having a Dot Com Pho – New York Style with PIZZA from New York. Now how can I say no to that?

I’ve already got my ‘in the sky’ reading list planned: books on marketing, PDFs I’ve downloaded (including John’s), all I need is the insight and the kick to get my first site working!

So wish me luck! I might win one ticket!