7 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
7 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

I would be grateful for some advice, suggestions, and tips on marketing and more.

by TekNite
5 replies
NOTE: Apologizes if this if the wrong section post this in. (and for how long this post is) I think it's relevant as I am seeking marketing help and advice. I believe a brief overview of my history is also relevant so you can understand me to better answer my questions. Mods: if this needs to be moved to a different topic/thread please let me know and I will create it in another thread or feel free to move it for me. Thanks! = )

Some of you may have seen me around these past few weeks. I am new to this side of the Internet (Internet marketing, affiliate marketing for the most part, etc,.) as well as new to this forum. I've been here for 2-4 weeks I think. In that that brief amount of time I have learned SOO very much from you all. I spend a few hours a day minimum reading over peoples questions and guides learning everything I can. This forum is a gold mine of information. Also I just wanted to say thank you all for answering all my questions. I ask many questions a day so thank you for putting up with my newbishness. = ) I have learned a lot but still have a long way to go. The journey to this knowledge is pretty exciting I have to say.

That being said I have some more questions I would like to ask as well as receive some general advice and suggestions. I think you all will need to know where I am coming from though before you can know exactly what advice or suggestions to give me.

I am 26 years old and have been a web developer for only 2 years. I have been dabbling with it for 6 or 7 years but just got into it hardcore 2 years ago. I have no schooling or formal education. I never steped foot in high school as I was mostly in juvy for my teenage uears. I only made it to the 8th grade. Missed 4th-6th grade. I do have a GED I got in juvy but that's it. Everything I know is self taught. Google and Youtube are amazing for that. Also I have some serious mental disorders. Won't go into to much detail on this but I'm severely learning disabled, have ADHD, Bi Polar, and some others. They really effect my ability to stay focused as well as my ability to learn and retain information. I manage. Like I get by and am able to learn some stuff but it takes me 10 times longer to learn something than most people. I don't let it stop me though. It just gets frustrating to say the least. On top of all that, and the worst part of it, I am homeless. I've been living on the streets for the past 9 years. Hoping freight trains, hitchhiking, living in the woods, tents, allies, etc,. Moving from big city to big city. Also I battle with drug addiction. That's getting better though.

All I have is my backpack, my laptop, dedication, and motivation to learn and succeed in this industry. For me succeeding is of the utmost importance and a necessity. I have a lot of medical things I need to see a doctor for. I also need a car, a license, a place to live, cloths, food, and many more necessities. All this requires money. To make money requires that I launch a site that generates income. I've never been able to hold a normal job. Never lasts long. I'm lucky though in one sense: I love web development and Internet marketing. It's a passion. It makes it much easier to do and to learn. I can work at it all day and be happy. Being homeless isn't a problem as far as being able to work on my sites and learn. Wifi is everywhere. I tend to stay in the bigger cites for the resources so there are always places to go for free wifi 24 hours a day. I pretty much just stay inside coffee shops and cafes for 10-20 hours a day working and learning. I'm going to continue to remain persistent and dedicated. I find motivation hard sometimes but I make do. I'm hoping to get a little motivation from you guys tonight! = )

So with all that being said here are some of the things I would to know..

1.) As I said I have little to no education. Only what I learn from the Internet and from people like you all who answer my questions. (You really can learn just about anything from the Internet) Can someone like me who has no formal education make it in this industry? Do you have to be a genius or well educated? Don't get me wrong I may have little education and some serious mental issues, like learning disabilities, but I'm not stupid. I Just learn WAY slower and take longer to retain information. I refuse to get put on disability though. I feel that I can make it in this industry and support my self. I feel I can make it in the web industry. What do you all think?

2.) My vocabulary is not as hugely diverse and overly abundant with words as most. My grammar is also subpar as well as my ability to write dialogue. Like articles or blog posts for example. Engaging, diverse, and thorough articles are really hard for me. I have no problem writing articles on subjects I know about, which isn't a lot, but that does not mean the article is all that great. The quality of the article is lessned by the fact that my vocabulary is limited and my ability to really engage the reader is not as good as it could be I think. I do have creativity though. I have some really good ideas. I also have dedication, and I have the ability to see a project through no matter how tough it is. So my question is, in this case, can I still make decent websites and decent money online by out sourcing my article/content creation? Like can I still do well by having people write all my articles for all my sites? So long as I make sure the articles are quality, relevant, and consistent? I can build a good website, and I can get the traffic. (still learning that to). I am able to do everything else really well and what I can't do or can't do well I am still learning. I'm just worried that if I can't write my own articles I'll never be able to make it in this industry.

3.) I wanted to know if I could get some opinions on the first niche site that I made. I made it last week. I built it based on all the things I have learned from this forum. It's my very first site like this. I used worpdress and did my best to optimism it for SEO and whatnot. I know I wont make much off of it, if any, but I mostly made it as a project to learn SEO, SEM, wordpress, Internet marketing, outsourcing content, link building, etc,. Pretty much to learn the processes involved start to finish. The site only has two pages for now and is lacking some basic things but as my first site I would like to know how I did from other warriors. That site is How to Astral Project for Beginners - Learn Astral Projection
I would like to point out I've learned a lot sense building the site. IE: I now know that an EMD is not as important as I thought it was. But for what I am doing it is fine. I'm not looking to brand it or have people remember it so they can come back so a smaller domain is not necessary, etc,. But yeah, for my first site what do you all think?

4.) Do you all think I have the ability, from what you've read about me, to make $1,000 or $2,000 a month? I don't need to get rich but 1-2k a month and I could finally not be homeless, find a place, get a vehicle, and finally be happy. Not that money can buy happinesss but money would open up a lot of opportunities for me. Like I'd be much more happy if I had a place to live, know that I could buy my food when I was hungry, and to be able to do things as trivial as wash my clothes. Those things would make me happy.

5.) Is there anything at all as far as suggestions, advice, tips, tricks, etc, you think I should know or would like to tell me? I would absolutely LOVE to hear them if you do.

If you took the time to read this post and respond than I appreciate it very much. I know it's a long one. lol. And as always thanks in advance and I hope to hear from you!

Daniel
#advice #grateful #marketing #suggestions #tips
  • Profile picture of the author jayden1981
    Hello Daniel.
    Absolutely you can make 1-2k per month...
    1)You Need The Right Mindset
    2) you already have a niche site up and running just concentrate on giving valuable content
    3)if you have an optin box on your site..to capture your leads..tha's where the money is at in the list
    4)Build a long lasting relationship with your subscribers.keep giving them great content for example in your newsletters you send out to your list weekly, bi weekly or monthly
    5)And yes all you need is internet connection and laptop to create a great income..

    if you have anymore questions
    connect with me like to have a chat
    Signature

    Read my article What is Affiliate Marketing?
    http://www.memoryrameka.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9613241].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author kilgore
      Can you make it in this industry? Can you make $1,000 to $2,000 a month? Of course you can.
      Will you? I have no idea. It's not easy.

      Building a business, any business -- whether IM or opening a restaurant -- is hard work and the odds are definitely stacked against you. I've often seen it quoted that 95% of people fail in IM. I have no idea if that's true (and probably neither do they!) but it seems about right. That's certainly comparable to the failure rate for people who open businesses in a lot of other industries.

      And as you say, you've got a lot going against you. Little education, little money, little relevant job experience, addiction, mental health issues... These aren't deal killers in themselves, but they certainly will make it that much more difficult. That said, you seem intelligent, you're writing is actually better than you give yourself credit for, and you seem motivated. Again, these won't guarantee success -- lots of smart, motivated people fail -- but they're certainly points in your favor.

      Your main problem as I see it is that building a business -- any business -- takes time. You're not going to make $1,000/month next month. You may not even make that much a year from now. Can you afford to wait that long? Especially when there's no guarantee whatsover that you'll ever get there at all?

      Business is a risk. Yes, the payoffs can be great, but it's not enough to be smart and hardworking. There's a fair amount of luck that goes into it as well.

      If this message sounds like I'm trying to discourage you, you're not far off. Actually, I'm not here to say what you should or shouldn't do, but I do think you should know the risks you're taking so that you can understand whether or not now is a good time to take them. After all, the internet will be around in a year if you're in a better position to try then.

      My first two attempts at starting businesses failed before I even launched my websites. I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of learning, learning that I'm much, much better off having done. But I could afford to fail -- because for me failure meant continuing to go to my regular 9-5 job making good money as a web developer while my partners went back to their jobs as university professors. It was a pretty cushy landing for all of us. I'm not sure your landing would be as cushy... That said, maybe your more dire situation will motivate you more -- though I was pretty motivated even in the businesses that failed. Hard to say...

      I'll also say that online business is not like an hourly job where if you work 20 hours you get paid $400 and if you work 40 hours you get paid $800. It's more all or nothing. The big guys get really, really rich and most of the rest struggle to get by. (Look up "The Economics of Superstars" by Sherwin Rosen if you want to understand why.)

      All that said, there's certainly no guarantee that you'll fail either. You may be one of the lucky ones. Who knows? But if you do decide to throw your hat into the ring here are some recommendations:
      • Don't jump around from idea to idea, but if you fail, fail fast. Do things that will enable you to get quick feedback on whether you're moving in the right direction or not. If things aren't working (and they likely won't be -- at least in the beginning -- try to figure out why and make the changes that will get you on the right track. Failure is almost inevitable in any new venture -- just be sure you limit the damage and learn from it. This advice goes for all entrepreneurs, but especially one in your situation.
      • Learn from others, but don't assume that what works for others will work for you or what doesn't work for others won't work for you. Learn about and understand your customer, what they want and give it to them.
      • Don't just look to IM for inspiration on how to build your business. The best business models and the most successful businesses are outside of IM, and while the business tactics they use might be different, the same business principles apply.
      • Speaking of principles and tactics, start with business principles and strategy (learning how to identify customers, deliver value, monetize, etc.) before delving into business tactics (building lists, creating web pages, etc.) Not all tactics are applicable to all businesses, so you really need to understand your business strategy before you move to a tactical level.

      Anyway, just some random ideas for you to think about. But whatever you do, I certainly wish you luck!
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9613338].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author John Pagulayan
    short answers to your very long but wlecomed post:

    1. Yes. Neither did I

    2. There's always outsourcing. But from your post alone, I could say you're a decent writer who can improve with exposure to copywriting materials.

    3. No opinions but a question: Why not make your core offer about web developing? IM doesn't always have to be about digital products.

    4. With the kind of attitude you have towards learning I say 'YES'.

    5. learn and apply. Don't just learn.

    Cheers!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9613360].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TekNite
      Originally Posted by kilgore View Post

      Can you make it in this industry? Can you make $1,000 to $2,000 a month? Of course you can.
      Will you? I have no idea. It's not easy.

      Building a business, any business -- whether IM or opening a restaurant -- is hard work and the odds are definitely stacked against you. I've often seen it quoted that 95% of people fail in IM. I have no idea if that's true (and probably neither do they!) but it seems about right. That's certainly comparable to the failure rate for people who open businesses in a lot of other industries.

      And as you say, you've got a lot going against you. Little education, little money, little relevant job experience, addiction, mental health issues... These aren't deal killers in themselves, but they certainly will make it that much more difficult. That said, you seem intelligent, you're writing is actually better than you give yourself credit for, and you seem motivated. Again, these won't guarantee success -- lots of smart, motivated people fail -- but they're certainly points in your favor.

      Your main problem as I see it is that building a business -- any business -- takes time. You're not going to make $1,000/month next month. You may not even make that much a year from now. Can you afford to wait that long? Especially when there's no guarantee whatsover that you'll ever get there at all?

      Business is a risk. Yes, the payoffs can be great, but it's not enough to be smart and hardworking. There's a fair amount of luck that goes into it as well.

      If this message sounds like I'm trying to discourage you, you're not far off. Actually, I'm not here to say what you should or shouldn't do, but I do think you should know the risks you're taking so that you can understand whether or not now is a good time to take them. After all, the internet will be around in a year if you're in a better position to try then.

      My first two attempts at starting businesses failed before I even launched my websites. I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of learning, learning that I'm much, much better off having done. But I could afford to fail -- because for me failure meant continuing to go to my regular 9-5 job making good money as a web developer while my partners went back to their jobs as university professors. It was a pretty cushy landing for all of us. I'm not sure your landing would be as cushy... That said, maybe your more dire situation will motivate you more -- though I was pretty motivated even in the businesses that failed. Hard to say...

      I'll also say that online business is not like an hourly job where if you work 20 hours you get paid $400 and if you work 40 hours you get paid $800. It's more all or nothing. The big guys get really, really rich and most of the rest struggle to get by. (Look up "The Economics of Superstars" by Sherwin Rosen if you want to understand why.)

      All that said, there's certainly no guarantee that you'll fail either. You may be one of the lucky ones. Who knows? But if you do decide to throw your hat into the ring here are some recommendations:
      • Don't jump around from idea to idea, but if you fail, fail fast. Do things that will enable you to get quick feedback on whether you're moving in the right direction or not. If things aren't working (and they likely won't be -- at least in the beginning -- try to figure out why and make the changes that will get you on the right track. Failure is almost inevitable in any new venture -- just be sure you limit the damage and learn from it. This advice goes for all entrepreneurs, but especially one in your situation.
      • Learn from others, but don't assume that what works for others will work for you or what doesn't work for others won't work for you. Learn about and understand your customer, what they want and give it to them.
      • Don't just look to IM for inspiration on how to build your business. The best business models and the most successful businesses are outside of IM, and while the business tactics they use might be different, the same business principles apply.
      • Speaking of principles and tactics, start with business principles and strategy (learning how to identify customers, deliver value, monetize, etc.) before delving into business tactics (building lists, creating web pages, etc.) Not all tactics are applicable to all businesses, so you really need to understand your business strategy before you move to a tactical level.

      Anyway, just some random ideas for you to think about. But whatever you do, I certainly wish you luck!
      Thank you for your in-depth reply! It was actually very encouraging and informative. I did some research into the failure rate of IM businesses and most of the research I saw put the failure rate right at what you quoted. 95%ish. That being said I feel pretty confident about making it. One, I love and enjoy web dev and IM. Two, it's my only chance at making money and securing my self a future outside of lucking up and finding a web dev job. So my motivation for making it happen and my strive for success, like you said, is much much higher based on that fact I HAVE to succeed due to my living arrangements.

      I've set a goal this month. I would like to be pulling in $800.00 - $1,000.00 monthly by October 2015. 1 year from now. I can revisit this goal in the future if I need to but it seems reasonable enough.

      Also I will look more into your suggestion of "The Economics of Superstars".

      Again thanks for the info and reply!

      Originally Posted by John Pagulayan View Post

      short answers to your very long but wlecomed post:

      1. Yes. Neither did I

      2. There's always outsourcing. But from your post alone, I could say you're a decent writer who can improve with exposure to copywriting materials.

      3. No opinions but a question: Why not make your core offer about web developing? IM doesn't always have to be about digital products.

      4. With the kind of attitude you have towards learning I say 'YES'.

      5. learn and apply. Don't just learn.

      Cheers!
      To you as well your direct answers were also very encouraging and very welcomed. Needed to hear this all. Not that'll it'll be easy, because it won't be easy, but that it is in fact possible. No matter how small a chance I just needed to know it's possible. I can take care of the rest. I'll keep that little bit of hope with me till I make all work out. However long it takes.

      And after a bit of consideration and research today i'll be moving on from the small micro niche sites I've been working on. I'm going to sit down over the next week or two and build a framework to follow. A framework of guidelines for building an authoritive niche web presence. Thanks again for your response! = )
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9613385].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author kilgore
        Originally Posted by TekNite View Post

        Thank you for your in-depth reply! It was actually very encouraging and informative. I did some research into the failure rate of IM businesses and most of the research I saw put the failure rate right at what you quoted. 95%ish. That being said I feel pretty confident about making it. One, I love and enjoy web dev and IM. Two, it's my only chance at making money and securing my self a future outside of lucking up and finding a web dev job. So my motivation for making it happen and my strive for success, like you said, is much much higher based on that fact I HAVE to succeed due to my living arrangements.

        I've set a goal this month. I would like to be pulling in $800.00 - $1,000.00 monthly by October 2015. 1 year from now. I can revisit this goal in the future if I need to but it seems reasonable enough.
        Glad to hear you know what you're getting into -- that's the main thing I was trying to get across.

        So if you feel ready and motivated, by all means, go for it!

        One more piece of advice: goals are good, but evaluation is even more important. If you're not making $1,000/month in October, it might be that you're doing 80% of the things you need to be doing right, but that 20% is really costing you. Likewise, if even if you're getting $1,000/month, it may be that you're doing 80% of the things you need to be doing wrong, but that 20% is making up for it.

        So when you're evaluating your progress try to break down what you're doing into things like:
        • Are you getting the traffic you want?
        • Is your traffic converting?
        • Are your customers happy with the products/services you're providing?
        The answers to questions like those will tell you a lot more about how you're doing than whether you've met a particular financial goal.

        Lastly, I think John Pagulayan's idea about focusing on web development is a good one. Even if it's not where you want to focus eventually, you can still learn a lot about business by building sites for other businesses. Ultimately, of course, you need to decide how best to direct your energy.

        Anyway good luck!
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9613468].message }}

Trending Topics