Zero to 5 Figures - My 3 Years at the Warrior Forum

39 replies
It was March 2006 when I joined the Warrior Forum as an Internet Marketing Newbie - a little wet behind the ears and not even realising it.

Since then, the Warrior Forum has become my online home; the place I go when I need answers (there is an expert in every area of internet marketing here, and many of them offer their expert advice freely); when I am looking to buy something (I have actually spent a small fortune in the WSO Forum {lol}); and when I am simply looking for inspiration.

So, just a little over three years down the road, I think I can call myself an internet marketer at last as I now make a solid 5 figures entirely passively - all on auto-pilot - and my business is consistently and steadily growing. By the way, I know that 5 figures is absolutely peanuts to some people here, but it's not the amount I am earning right now that leads me to finally conclude that I have achieved that status; it's the position of my business - in terms of revenue and growth.

Much of my success has been directly attributable to the contacts I have made right here in the Warrior Forum. So I thought I would take a little time at this juncture to offer some advice for those who are a little further behind me on this amazing journey we are all taking. Because, my friends, if I can do it, then so can you!

1. It's OK to Struggle

I remember reading an ebook one time by Harvey Segal. You will, of course, know that Harvey is the ClickBank guy. Amongst other things, he runs the ClickBank Forum. Well, I don't even remember what that book was about, but there was something he said in it that really struck me. He was speaking about the time before he became successful; and he said something like, 'that was the turning point for me'.

It stopped me and made me think. Here was this really successful guy, well respected within internet marketing, someone who many (including myself) looked up to as a guru saying that rebrandable ebooks were the turning point in his internet marketing career. Now what struck me was this - at one time Harvey Segal was a struggling newbie just like me. He had to go through the same pain and find his own answers in much the same way as I was doing.

So my first real lesson was this: if you are struggling, it's ok. I struggled - we all struggled; even internet marketing guru Harvey Segal struggled. So it's ok to be there at some time. It's where you start; it's not where you finish.

2. There's Gold in Them-Thar Hills

I said I spent a small fortune in the WSO Forum. This is true, but apart from one or two 'duffers', I have purchased some really fantastic products there. You may know of eWriterPro, for example. It's the Professional PDF eBook Compiler product that I launched as a viral marketing campaign; and it became a huge success. Well, that product was both purchased and launched right here in the WSO Forum.

When I launched it, I had no appropriate back-end, follow-up product of my own to offer. In fact, I didn't even think about it, but guess what? I purchased the perfect accompaniment - our eCover Creator software - right there too! Similarly, I got my Membership site in a WSO; and just yesterday purchased a Graphics Design business there too.

My point is this: there is gold in them-thar (WSO) hills - if you know what you are looking for! You don't have to create your own products - though I do indeed do that - you can become successful simply by keeping your eyes open for the right deals. How do you know which are the right deals? Well, when you hang around here for a while, you eventually develop a kind of 'nose' for them.

3. Get them on Your List - if you don't have a list, start one!

Recently, I have had the real pleasure of mentoring two people. They each approached me and asked me to do it. It's not something I want to do on a regular basis, but I thought it might be interesting so I agreed. Both people were on the verge of seeing some success, but had not quite managed to get things together.

When I visited their sites, I was immediately struck by the fact that I did not get an unblockable pop-up right there in my face offering me a free gift for joining their newsletter. Now that's a very simple thing to do, but I can tell you that when I did it, it tripled my sign-ups; and significantly impacted my sales. I understand why people don't do it. They don't want to annoy people. Well, my pop-up only pops once - on first visit, so it's not annoying for my regulars.

So remember that making money is not difficult, but you need people to pitch-to; and in order to do it, you need them on your list. So make use of unblockable pop-ups, co-registration programs and other ways of increasing your sign-ups.

4. Don't Flog Stuff to them - Make Recommendations

In order to recommend, you need to have actually tried something and found it to be genuinely useful - right! Well, that's a key to success right there. Simply carry-on your internet marketing journey; and every step of the way when you encounter some tool, book, video or whatever that you have personally found to be compelling, join the affiliate program and add a new message to your autoresponder. Just keep doing that and over the course of time, you will build up an awesome autoresponder series that will generate income for you.

Personally, I hardly ever send out broadcast emails from my autoresponder; I only do that when I have a new product or genuine special offer. I concentrate on providing valuable information in that autoresponder series. By the way, you definitely need an autoresponder account; and you should go for a good one right at the start. It will save you having to transfer names and addresses later. I actually use Aweber like many here and have found them to be very good. They boast a very high delivery rate; and their charges are very reasonable too.

Hopefully, you can see the power of combining the unblockable pop-up with a great autoresponder series - this will earn you money entirely on auto-pilot for years to come.

5. Have a Great Back-End

For a long time, I did not have any back end products. I was just selling products and letting people slip away without any real after-sales follow-up. That is a big mistake: you can easily double your income simply by getting a good back-end offering in place. Offer your customers something of real value on your Thank-You page - it's as simple as that.

To go one step further, offer your customers something of value for which they will need to sign-up; and put the sign-up form on your Thank-You page. Make it clear that signing-up is entirely optional; after all, they have bought something from you so they should not feel they have to sign-up. But, if you offer something of real value for that sign-up, you will be building a list of real quality - after all, it is a list of buyers.

What do you do with your list of buyers? You stay in touch and offer them your best deals from time to time. By that, I mean genuine discounts and great offers. They deserve to be treated well - they are your most valuable assets. And they will reward you with even more sales because they know you and trust you.

6. Recycle some of your Profits into your Business

When you start making money, you will be able to have the luxury of deciding how to spend it, so spend it wisely. On one occasion, I made $1K on my own WSO. Guess what I did with that money? I recycled it back into the WSO economy. What was the result of that? Well, some of the answers to that question were given above.

But the point is, you need to get out of the Business and find a way to get it growing automatically. And one simple way is that you can pay others to do what you want done. Recently, I have been paying a Warrior $200 to write 5,000 word ebooks for me; and guess what I am doing with those books? Giving them away! Why? Because Google loves content; and she sends me traffic in return. And you remember what happens to a good percentage of the traffic don't you ... pop-up/autoresponder - profit!

So once you have learned how to turn words into money, use some of that money to generate more words because that is how you can achieve growth.

7. Finally

OK - well, I guess I have said enough for now. I hope some people will find this post useful; if so, perhaps I'll do a part 2 sometime.

In closing, I want to say thank you to all Warriors. So many of you have been and continue to be my inspiration!

Will
#figures #forum #warrior #years
  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    I know you will get ton of these comments - but good post
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    -Jason

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  • Profile picture of the author dean_holland
    Excellent !!!

    What a great read my friend, well done on your success !

    I hope one day that will be me looking back, in fact I know it will be as I want it so much

    Very inspirational, thanks Will !

    Dean
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    • Profile picture of the author yesacpow
      Well done-

      I really enjoyed every word and it is very inspirational. It is very good to read success stories like these. It just pump you up to just get busy right away.

      Great post
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      • Profile picture of the author Tony Dean
        Thanks for that useful post!
        I just hope a lot of new comers to this forum actually read it and do something with it.
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  • Profile picture of the author new2ebiz
    I printed your post out - I wanted to read it again.

    Excellent review of how to create a profitable online business.
    Also good point about how everyone starts off at the same place, not knowing how.
    Grit and determination makes the difference between those who start and those who 'finish'.
    I hope you do a 'part 2'. I'd love to read it.
    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author charlesburke
    The big obstacle for many beginning marketers is that they don't know how to follow a business model. They read so many different reports and products. Then they think they have to use everything they read.

    What you've done is what every successful marketer does. They pick one model - a simple straight line path for a customer to follow - and then they put that one model into practice. Once that model is working, only then do they start adding more pieces. And that's what you've done, too.

    Anybody reading your post can just make a list of what you've done, follow it to the letter - leaving out anything that doesn't fit - and they'll have a very high chance of building a profitable business.

    That last bit, leaving out the parts that don't fit, is a real trick sometimes, but it's important. So many times I hear newbies comment that they can't figure out how to make everything they've read all fit together. Here's the secret - many times they don't fit together. At least not in the beginning of your venture. Keep it simple. Then keep it moving.

    Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
    Charles
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  • Profile picture of the author dwt
    Nice post! I'm sure it will give some people that little extra encouragement to move forward and not give up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kirahster
    That was a very encouraging post. It certainly makes me realise that I may be a newbie now but if I stick with it then maybe someday I too can be a "guru".

    Thank you for sharing!
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  • Profile picture of the author dndoseller
    Well I have been doing this for 2 years but only part time. I have a big family and busy ft gig. I have made some money which is cool but I am definitely in the struggling stage still. Its good to see your post to give me a long term view for persistence.

    I know exactly what to do to make money because I have tools that work. My problem is a matter of time and money for scaling up everything I know. I do a great job of outsourcing, but then I get stopped because I only have so much cash. Then I work on my own until my next check, but then I only have so much time. Very frustrating right now.

    I am seeing improving results and I know how to do some amazing things to promote online, due to this forum mostly. But I am just putting one foot in front of the other day by day right now. I'm in a very boring stage.
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  • Profile picture of the author jeremiasmunn
    This is awesome, congrats, this is such an inspiration to keep going in difficult times.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eric Transue
    Great post! All of us have struggled, some longer than others.

    After quite a struggle of my own, with very little results, I was ready to give up.

    Boy am I glad I didn't! Things have turned around for me and are getting better everyday.

    Good luck Warriors!
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  • Profile picture of the author ClaytonY
    Very inspirational... I've been reading around enough, I guess it's time I take action. Thanks for the post!
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  • Profile picture of the author Nigel Greaves
    Excellent post Will, thank you for sharing your success with us.

    This is the kind of information that newcomers to the forum need to study and then implement.

    Nigel
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  • Profile picture of the author RecurringRevenue
    Will,

    Thank you for sharing. Awesome insights.

    Mark Robbins
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    I focus on ONE online business model - Recurring Revenue (RR). If I can help you in any way just post a RR question or PM me.

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  • Profile picture of the author Debbie2009
    Thanks so much for the post. I am new and learning still. Your word are inspiring. I hope I can become as successfull at this.

    Debbie
    onlinewealthcanada dot com
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  • Profile picture of the author CalvinB
    Great post.

    Thanks,

    Calvin
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  • Profile picture of the author Barbara Eyre
    Congratulations, Will!

    A 5 figure income is great - considering that is what most folks make at their day jobs - but what's different is that YOU call the shots: when to work, how to run your business, etc. So that 5 figure income means a lot more.

    You're definitely a great role model - showing that owning your own business and making money online is hard work, takes time, takes dedication, takes a business plan, and is a struggle.

    Here's to the next few years!
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  • Profile picture of the author SaSeoPete
    Fantastic post! Very inspiring.

    I especially like the part about a backend product. That's something I am missing out on at the moment and am I going to definitely get one (or two) in place soon!
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  • Profile picture of the author Feedwire
    Great post. Successful people understand the importance of giving back and paying forward
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  • Profile picture of the author Mgwolf
    Is there like a "hall of fame" or some similar section where good posts like these are kept on warrior forum?
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  • Profile picture of the author sylviad
    Thanks Will,

    There are tons of excellent threads on this forum, and there are some that have good content but are a little short on actual guidance. Yours is both excellent and offers guidance we can actually use in our own business growth.

    Even though most of what you wrote is very familiar to me, it has an added spark of inspiration to keep us positive and motivated.

    But I must say that I'm envious... you started after me and already you are a bigger success.

    I can't wait to see Part II and, hopefully, a deeper insight into how you beat me at this game.

    Continued success!

    Sylvia
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    I think a lot of those people who are struggling should print Will's post out, it was inspiratonal

    Nice of you to share your success Will, and I suspect those 5 figures will very soon be climbing

    Kim
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  • Profile picture of the author maco
    Great post mate. Thanks you ver much.

    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author ryandales2000
      Will,
      Thank you for the very inspirational post. Just what the struggling newbies need. However something important was left out. Is it five-figures per month or per annum?
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      • Profile picture of the author Platinum Matt
        Originally Posted by ryandales2000 View Post

        Will,
        Thank you for the very inspirational post. Just what the struggling newbies need. However something important was left out. Is it five-figures per month or per annum?
        I believe he meant daily... otherwise why would he post?!?!

        lol jk... Well done Will!
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        • Profile picture of the author Gary J Martin
          Originally Posted by Platinum Matt View Post

          I believe he meant daily... otherwise why would he post?!?!

          lol jk... Well done Will!
          lol. I would imagine he meant a month, as most marketers think of a per month amount as income.
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  • Profile picture of the author Platinum Matt
    I would imagine he meant yearly, that's how us Brits usually use it. Either way, good going Will!
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  • Profile picture of the author MintSEO
    Excellent, maybe one day I will get lucky and earn 5 figures.

    Congratulations
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  • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
    I guess I have to clear up my income - it's 5 figures per annum.

    As I said, it's not a fortune, but it's where I am right now; and I also have growth too, hence I believe I can now call myself an 'internet marketer'. Not a guru or anything close, but just a regular guy, like many here, who is beginning to taste a little success.

    Thanks everyone for your very kind words.

    Will
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    • Profile picture of the author Zack Lim
      Hi Will,

      Thank you for sharing your story and it is very inspiring

      Do keep on going and I am very sure that you will soon hit 6 figures per annum in the near future

      Zack
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom B
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Will Edwards View Post

      I guess I have to clear up my income - it's 5 figures per annum.

      As I said, it's not a fortune, but it's where I am right now; and I also have growth too, hence I believe I can now call myself an 'internet marketer'. Not a guru or anything close, but just a regular guy, like many here, who is beginning to taste a little success.

      Thanks everyone for your very kind words.

      Will

      Congrats Will.

      Like Roger said, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

      It is very exciting to hear of your success knowing some of the stuff you are doing. Simply because you can put most of your effort to increase the amount while others have to work hard to maintain that level of income.
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      • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
        Originally Posted by Thomas Belknap View Post

        Congrats Will.

        Like Roger said, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

        It is very exciting to hear of your success knowing some of the stuff you are doing. Simply because you can put most of your effort to increase the amount while others have to work hard to maintain that level of income.
        Hi Thomas

        Thanks for your kind words; and thanks for all the hard work and thought you put into creating eWriterPro which is, without doubt, the best WSO I ever bought!

        I am sure people around here know that you are the very talented programmer who created it. It opened up a new niche for me. As you know I was not really marketing in the IM niche ... until the launch of EWP that is. Now it is all part of my passive income system.

        Thanks again and best wishes,

        Will
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  • Profile picture of the author Alfred Shelver
    I started in Feb 09 .... i cant wait till i can write about my 5 fig income in a few years , but i was also thinking the other day that no single person on earth was born with IM preloaded in their brains this really got me motivated because if i dont back off i can be the Guru Pitka of IM someday and hopefully give real value unlike some GURUS .... By the way thanks Will great article
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  • Profile picture of the author SullyUI
    Congrats on your success. Hard work, patience, and determination pays off in any industry.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Sullivan
      Well done on your success so far, there is no doubt that the WF is the place to find help for all types of problems. There is always someone available to help with whatever problem you have have.

      John
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