Newbie requiring your advice

Well, beachguru this is quite a long list of questions. I'll try and break them down as easily as I can. But first I must ask a question of you. What are you looking to do? Blog, make money, give me that answer and I'll try and help you as best I can.

Probably the easiest way to start is with a self hosted blog. Write some good content and add a few affiliate links.

You could also start with article marketing

There are many different avenues to explore, but the key is to pick one..learn the methods needed to make it a success and stick to it until you start to see success.

Don't expect overnight success.

Thanks, Harry.....I am looking to make money....and am an excellent writer....so blogging, ezine or other articles interest me. Also, I am interested in possibly creating a website. (I know it's an aggressive plan for someone as "green" as me)

Hi

The first thing I would do is to spend some time reading the threads in the forum.

Do you know what you want to do? That may sound a simple question but what you do next depends on what route you are planning to take. For instance, you mention article marketing - do you have your own products to market or will you be marketing affiliate products?

Have you got a plan? Withought a 'roadmap' you won't know which direction to travel in.

Is this going to be a business or a hobby?

If it's a business then you need to build the foundations first. Without these how will you know whether to use a site or a blog?

Make a list of the tasks you can do yourself and what you may need to outsource.

By all means ask questions here but try and be as specific as possible as practically everyone here is willing to help. Before asking though see if there are any threads already running where your question may have been answered. Read the stickies and make use of the search button.

Hope that helps

Mary

I would definitely start with a self hosted wordpress blog. Pick a specific niche that you would like to write about, write a lot of content related to that topic, and attempt to gain links to those articles.

Building Links is the number one thing you'll have to do. But for now, just get started with content building. Don't worry yourself with getting a lot of readers at first, as you probably won't have a ton.

Step One - sign up for a wordpress blog at wordpress.com

Step two- buy a domain and host your wordpress blog at that domain

Step three - build out plenty of content

Step four - seek links from others to your articles

This is a really shortened version of what to do. It's not as easy as everyone thinks it is. But if you are as good of a writer as you say you are, hopefully you'll find a following of people who enjoy reading your stuff.

What do you know about SEO, link building, domain selection. I would research everything you need first. Start out with maybe shoemoney.com or seobook.com to get a good starting point.

When I started out I just read SEObook cover to cover and it gave me a great foundation for the rest of my work online. I suggest starting with that before anything else.

I am not affiliated with seobook in any way, just a fan of Aaron Wall's work and I learned a great deal from him. If you have any other questions please just ask me.

Hey Beachguru,

I'm also a newbie and have asked very similar questions in the past. Right now I'm learning Internet Marketing on the excellent and FREE Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge. If you want to gain some foundation in the business then this is perfect.

Good luck.

Thanks, everyone....will begin reading and learning (hopefully)...and will report back with more targeted questions.......appreciate all the input!

Wordpress should def be on top of your list as the site you use to build your empire.

You should find a market that you can exploit. You should develop a marketing plan.

Then you can build your site. It's not about YOU, it's about the person you want to sell to. You won't make much money until you figure that out.

What can you do to solve the needs/wants of a market?

Get a domain name as soon as you can, even if you decide not to develop your own website right away. Eventually you'll want to have your own, and the age of your domain matters, so get one asap.

Someone recommended wordpress.com I would suggest wordpress.org instead. When you install the wordpress software from the .org site, you have a lot more flexibility.

If you're looking to get started quickly with little learning curve, try blogger (ie. blogspot.com)

Here are a few pointers...
28 Basics of Business Success - Some Food For Thought!
by Brye Bishop

Basic #1: Focus your efforts - target a niche or multiple niches. Basic #2: First priority. Identify and understand a problem within that niche. Basic #3: Priority 2. Find or create practical solution. Basic #4: Deliver that solution for a profit.
Basic #5: Add value - Over deliver on your promise and build trust within your niche.
Basic #6:Establish yourself as an authority by providing originality and quality content.
Basic #7: Innovate- It's not about resources, it's about resourcefulness.
Basic #8: Give to receive - he or she who gives wins...
Basic #9:Never greet a first time subscriber with a sales message.
Basic #10: Integrity will carry you further than trickery.
Basic #11: Help others to succeed and you will prosper.
Basic #12: Take new step each day... success is accumulative.
Basic #13: It's not necessary to know each step in advance - just keep moving forward.
Basic #14: It's not about visitors, it's about sales.
Basic #15: Track and test everything - eliminate guesswork - with smart software. Basic #16: Offer proof - testimonials work.
Basic #17: When you feel like giving up- Don't - take a break and come back tomorrow.
Basic #18: It's never crowded along the extra mile... Basic #19: Bond with your niche use simple copywriting psychology such as, the 3F's. Basic #20: I understand how you Feel - I Felt the same - but Found that (offer the solution) Basic #21: Business is about numbers, but equally it's about building relationships. Basic #22: People buy from those they like, trust and respect. Basic #23: Celebrate your success! - But Learn from your failure... Basic #24: Continuous improvement - learn what you don't know. Basic #25: Plan daily tasks in advance - Organization - the first rule of expansion. Basic #26: Do what you say you will do! Basic #27: Duplicate proven systems - Don't reinvent the wheel. Basic #28: Keep it simple, have fun and remember to enjoy the ride!
I've left it at 28... of course there are many more - my personal favorite is...
You can't make money and excuses at the same time...
Why not add to the list?

There is a simple, step-by-step guide in my signature below. It's free. Get it. Put it to work. Tell other people. It works.

After you read it you will realize it has more step-by-step simple value than most of the ebooks out there being sold.

I would start by giving away something of good content in your niche for FREE to build a
list...List building should be your #1 thing you should be concentrating on...

Cause without a list to promote to at any given time, your dead in the water...

hope that helps...