How to leverage my PHP/mySQL/etc skills with Internet Marketing?

19 replies
Hey guys,

WarriorForum has been the best site I've discovered in 2010, and as I move out on a mission to learn Internet Marketing I keep coming back here for useful information.

However, after reading a lot of posts and purchasing a few WSO's that I have taken action on I have realised a few things.

First and foremost a lot of them are set up for people with no or little technical skills. I understand this may help a lot of people, but I feel I am not using up my full potential as somebody who has been working with PHP and building websites now since the 90s.

As I spend more time and take more action in the IM field, I am starting to dream up new PHP/web apps that I will be able to build that take advantage of what I have learnt. These are things that would be impossible to do without some kind of programming (i.e. automatically roll out a web site with 10,000's of web pages say, representing each city in the world filled with useful keywords for a certain niche).

However, I'm wondering if anybody knows if there are any specific WSO's that really leverage somebody with PHP, web development skills.

I would be interested in getting in touch with other 'techie' types on here to talk about how we can make the most of our skills.

Feel free to add me on Skype or PM me if you have any ideas.
#internet #leverage #marketing #php or mysql or etc #skills
  • Profile picture of the author DrGUID
    If you can program, then you can build software products to sell. That is far and away the best way of making money online if you are a programmer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Garratt
      Originally Posted by DrGUID View Post

      If you can program, then you can build software products to sell. That is far and away the best way of making money online if you are a programmer.
      I'm a programmer but I find it incredibly difficult to figure out what products to create that will actualy return a profit. I have had several failures attempting this over the years. I build a software product and it goes nowhere.

      Any suggestions.
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      • Profile picture of the author agc
        Originally Posted by howdo-i View Post

        I'm a programmer but I find it incredibly difficult to figure out what products to create that will actualy return a profit. I have had several failures attempting this over the years. I build a software product and it goes nowhere.

        Any suggestions.
        Yeah, partner with a marketing / sales type.

        Sadly, we live in the age of mediocrity. The average consumer has no idea. About anything.

        Even the best product won't sell without a good pitch, while a good salesman can sell even crap products.

        So if you make a good product... find a partner who can sell it.
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        • Profile picture of the author Gary_The_Ace
          Originally Posted by agc View Post

          Yeah, partner with a marketing / sales type.

          Sadly, we live in the age of mediocrity. The average consumer has no idea. About anything.

          Even the best product won't sell without a good pitch, while a good salesman can sell even crap products.

          So if you make a good product... find a partner who can sell it.
          This!

          I have PHP/MySQL skills, and graphic design skills myself, but I tend to focus on working with skilled developers who are willing to listen to my take on the marketing side, and who are willing to program not what will be the most efficient solution, but what will be the most usable for the client, and there's a HUGE disconnect here with most programmers and developers ...

          Typically I'll argue with my programmers for about 3-6 months about adding in extra steps, and other things that programmers hate if they're really good with development ... but then when the paychecks start rolling in, they have no problem listening ...

          Here's the thing everyone here probably has an issue with ...

          You're either going to get paid for your time, or you're going to earn a percentage of the profits ... but not both, period.

          So either decide to keep freelancing, or be willing to partner up with someone who can handle the marketing for you for what will usually end up turning into a bigger paycheck in the end ...

          All of my programmers end up being wildly overpaid in the end, but it's more than worth it for me to overpay them because I end up with a solid, reliable partner ... and that's worth more to most intelligent marketers than saving a few bucks during the start-up phase.

          - Gary Ambrose
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      • Profile picture of the author buffblaze
        Originally Posted by howdo-i View Post

        I'm a programmer but I find it incredibly difficult to figure out what products to create that will actualy return a profit. I have had several failures attempting this over the years. I build a software product and it goes nowhere.

        Any suggestions.
        Build a software that automates the process of creating high pr profile backlinks.

        u will definitely make some money with that idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author theIMgeek
    I'm in the same boat. Coming at this from a technical/design background and wanting to work for myself rather than freelance.

    My strategy (in progress) is to be a maker of products/services, and probably leaving the selling up to affiliates and JVs. I suppose you could generalize that the personality type drawn to programming is not the same personality who excels in sales. (I know I'm not one to "toot my own horn")

    Just had a thought...

    The "Programming Talk" forum seems to be primarily an "ask a techie" section. While I've enjoyed helping other Warriors with my skills, why don't us IM-minded programmers also use that section to talk more about applying those skills on a more technical level.

    -Ryan
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  • Profile picture of the author LocoDice
    I think there is definitely a hole in the market for this. I've spent years learning how to work in a LAMP environment.

    Yet when I download WSO's I keep seeing 'and don't worry you don't need ANY technical knowledge..' and I'm like come on!! I want to use my technical knowledge for a change. I'm sure WSO's for coders could be more powerful.

    Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about, I egged my buddy on last night to just go live with a beta version of what he had and make it go live, here is an example page: Is the water in New York safe to drink? - United States

    Basically he has gotten a database with every single country, state/province/etc, city name in the world and has a simple poll on whether or not the water is drinkable. Any coder will know this is a pretty simple thing to do, but now this guy has probably 100,000's of pages that are spiderable.

    Who knows if it will work or not, and I'm not looking for feedback because I know it is really buggy. But my point is, this is what I believe what can happen when you apply coding skills+internet marketing together. This would be impossible for somebody without coding skills to build.
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    When it comes to selling software, especially in the internet marketing niche, I think the biggest mistake you can make is to "write something you can sell."

    If you're just creating a product to sell, then chances are it's probably not going to go a long way.

    On the other hand, if you're creating a product that you yourself need, and would use, then chances are other people will need and want to use it too.

    Creating software is about creating solutions to problems, not about just creating a product.

    Does that make sense?

    cheers
    Sam

    (Hmm, this kind of feels like one of my Twitter soapbox moments )
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    • Profile picture of the author agc
      Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

      When it comes to selling software, especially in the internet marketing niche, I think the biggest mistake you can make is to "write something you can sell."

      If you're just creating a product to sell, then chances are it's probably not going to go a long way.

      On the other hand, if you're creating a product that you yourself need, and would use, then chances are other people will need and want to use it too.

      Creating software is about creating solutions to problems, not about just creating a product.

      Does that make sense?

      cheers
      Sam

      (Hmm, this kind of feels like one of my Twitter soapbox moments )
      On the one hand I agree with you.

      But on the other hand, I know that most of the software I make for myself is REALLY useful, and is almost completely unusable by a user. They're all about 80% done, with the 80% thats done being the 80% that does all the heavy lifting.

      The 20% that NEVER gets done is the U/I, decent error handling, documentation, or even making it work one set way consistently... I seem to do things different each time because I'm always learning from the potholes I hit the last time I did it.

      And then I tack on the 80/20 rule... that the first 80% of the functionality takes 20% of the time, and I have little incentive to go spend 400% additional time to polish it off.

      So making a product is definitely something much more involved than making something useful.
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      • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
        Originally Posted by agc View Post

        The 20% that NEVER gets done is the U/I, decent error handling, documentation, or even making it work one set way consistently... I seem to do things different each time
        This is the difference between a programmer and a developer.

        Once it bites you in the arse enough times, you'll figure out that this stuff isn't extraneous crap that gets in your way, it's the foundation on which your "real" code rests - and you'll start doing it first.

        It's surprising how much that clarifies your thought process. You write a lot less crap once you build this habit.
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        • Profile picture of the author agc
          Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

          This is the difference between a programmer and a developer.

          Once it bites you in the arse enough times, you'll figure out that this stuff isn't extraneous crap that gets in your way, it's the foundation on which your "real" code rests - and you'll start doing it first.

          It's surprising how much that clarifies your thought process. You write a lot less crap once you build this habit.
          Exactly how do you think it clarifies my thought process?
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    • Profile picture of the author Mokai
      This is how all great software gets started!


      Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

      When it comes to selling software, especially in the internet marketing niche, I think the biggest mistake you can make is to "write something you can sell."

      If you're just creating a product to sell, then chances are it's probably not going to go a long way.

      On the other hand, if you're creating a product that you yourself need, and would use, then chances are other people will need and want to use it too.

      Creating software is about creating solutions to problems, not about just creating a product.

      Does that make sense?

      cheers
      Sam

      (Hmm, this kind of feels like one of my Twitter soapbox moments )
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    • Profile picture of the author blackjack
      Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

      When it comes to selling software, especially in the internet marketing niche, I think the biggest mistake you can make is to "write something you can sell."

      If you're just creating a product to sell, then chances are it's probably not going to go a long way.

      On the other hand, if you're creating a product that you yourself need, and would use, then chances are other people will need and want to use it too.

      Creating software is about creating solutions to problems, not about just creating a product.

      Does that make sense?

      cheers
      Sam

      (Hmm, this kind of feels like one of my Twitter soapbox moments )
      Sam

      Totally argee with you. I am not programmer but I ask others to create solution scripts for my own use and I am sure if I make those tools available for sale then people will buy because it solves a problem or makes things easier for me.

      Also don't make too complicated software or script, make easier scripts.

      Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author jaiganeshv
    If you are into Internet Marketing,

    I think you need less to zero skills on php, mysql and other coding stuff, im not saying that you should not learn them. But its better to handle those technical coding jobs to a coding specialist. You just concentrate on the marketing, concentrate on new marketing ideas, new product ideas and etc. Pass away those techy and manual jobs to freelancers. It will save you plenty of your time and frees your mind allowing you to think of other opportunities and exploring new areas...

    Have always two sets of people with you, one that does development or coding, and does your manual jobs. This is how a perfect system works, IMO.

    HTH

    Thank you.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by mkterbynite View Post

    However, I'm wondering if anybody knows if there are any specific WSO's that really leverage somebody with PHP, web development skills.
    Why would anyone try to sell something for programmers on a marketing forum?

    Not that you couldn't, but seriously... why? There are just so many programming forums out there.
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    But on the other hand, I know that most of the software I make for myself is REALLY useful, and is almost completely unusable by a user. They're all about 80% done, with the 80% thats done being the 80% that does all the heavy lifting.
    Oh yeah, I write stuff just for myself that's never designed for external use simply because I need it, but the work involved in making it user-friendly and flexible enough to make it useful to other people is much greater cost than what I'd recoup selling it.

    Having said that, I've had requests from other people to buy some of my personal systems, and so that'll be done eventually.

    But basically I was just saying that if you write something that you yourself would use, you've generally got a much better chance of producing a long term product than if you simply set out to create a script to sell to other people.

    If it's something you yourself would use, then that's a good start to knowing that other people would proabably use it too.

    For example, years ago I wrote a "Tell A Friend" script because I thought people would use it. On the other hand, I wrote DLGuard because I needed it. The tell a friend script is all but forgotton. DLGuard has become one of the market leaders.

    I don't think there's much money in slapping scripts together and selling them off (unless you sell PLR rights). But if you create something useful, THEN you're onto a winner.

    cheers
    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    Also don't make too complicated software or script, make easier scripts.
    Hi Blackjack!

    That's a really important point - when I first started out, scripts were designed to be used by techs or web guys. Most people hired techs or web guys to help set up their website, install scripts, etc.

    But as technology is changing, so does how we design software.

    Software solutions are more and more becoming aimed at allowing people with no experience in web technology to create intricate websites; to create systems that would have been impossible without a certain skill set even 5 years ago.

    Software design, these days, is about allowing absolute beginners do the work of a highly skilled tech.

    But at the same time, we also need to allow the flexability to allow the techs to push the boundries even further.

    It's a delicate balance, but a facinating insight into the changing landscape of the internet software industry.

    cheers
    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author debra
    I've been looking for a real programming (if you knew the story..you'd understand why I said "real")with integrity for over 2 years now. To code a web app according to my spreadsheet.

    I wrote the book...created the spreadsheet. I need a small version of my manuel system coded into a web app. And a full version coded as a desktop app.
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  • Profile picture of the author jacktackett
    Marketbynight (hint - a real name makes communicating a bit easier),
    I would suggest you check out a fellow warrior by the name of Robert Plank. He's a developer who has graduated into full time marketing.

    He started out by building and selling php tools that IMers could use to help with their sites. He also sold several tutorials etc.

    I would recommend you scan the various threads to see if there's a problem you can easily solve and then build a program to help solve that problem.

    Welcome to the forum and good luck!

    best,
    --Jack
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