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thank you guys!

If I was good as SEO, I would be offering SEO
I can't even do seo myself much less offer it as a service, and have no desire to do "other things"

So I want to stick with the basic

and have them purchase a domain and hosting through my link and I will build a "simple one page site" for them...

This is what I've read, and honestly if I find something that "I can get behind the method" I don't want to try to "deviate" because all that does is "murk" the waters for me, and throw in a new "learning curve", pulls me in different directions, and causing me to drop it all together...

(soory it has to be free info, can't afford a "purchase" at the moment! hard times you know!)

I don't want to "drop things" if anyone has any "talking points" (probably more like "email exchange points" I'm definitely open to listening as it's the "questions" and how to "respond" that are generally at the heart of what I need to proceed and get that last piece of the "comfort, move ahead" piece of the puzzle

(please don't send me to a "make a website" ebook, or something not specifically related) thanks!

Danni~

Ya that's a great Midas Man and seems to have worked for some Warriors in the past.

The other way I've heard is just to do that but just sell the domain, rather than trying to rent it.

But I imagine both ways could be effective and profitable.

Is this still working for you ?

Getting offline seems like a good way to go these days...

I am currently only doing online because I don't like calling prospects.

I guess you could hire someone to make the phone calls for you?

The method is simple, and you know the steps. I read something on it and it was a nice angle at the situation. Like Bill mentions, you will probably be better off selling the hosting yourself... and you can probably get more than the price they would pay the hosting company from them (on top of being able to sell them services as well.)

The gist of your method is that you are working primarily for the hosting commission and not so much for anything else. I debated doing something like this (set up a site) and was going to go with a squeeze page to get the information, as well as to give them the details on how to set things up for me. This way I could market to them on the back end much easier (either my services, or guides on how to do it themselves). I never did anything with it, but don't really plan on getting rid of the site... it may yet come in handy.

I don't care for cold calling myself, but do have a few people I work for occasionally. I have been in talks with a local band about setting things up for them, I think this would be a fun one to do... though the money I could get might not really be that great.

^^ I've used Don's method. It is a lot of work / risk for SMALL payouts. You really have to do a ton of these for it to become profitable.

Quick note: Profit = money made above expenses. Your time is an expense... if your hourly is $50, and it takes 10 hours to build a website + another $50 for domain and yearly hosting, you're already $550 into it, before lead acquisition and your monthly SEO costs. [/note]

Also, if you've ever done offline marketing, then you will know that people are finicky. Some web builds you might sale through, while others you'll face tons of revisions. People won't want to pay for this, and will likely try to cancel if you try to get them to pay. This is largely because you are going after the cheapskate clients!

Anyhow, a different model of this is to build the site to your specifications and get it ranked. Network with 10 local businesses. Sell leads directly to them from your website. $5-10 per lead. Convert and get paid. 'nuff said.

Hi Qamar,

What are you basing that statement upon?

You're right that it's not a problem, but there's a lot more wrong that's with this approach.

Except the important part - it will take some time to get this revenue and in the meantime you are dealing with 30 new clients with all of the expense that goes with that. Are you stopping after one month, or getting 30 new clients in the second month - because you still won't have those payments after just one month, especially if you don't get every single one of them clicking through the links on the first day of the month.

Can I ask, is this based on experience of going out and getting 30 new offline business clients in a month, or is this based on what it looks like on paper?

How are you planning to communicate with these businesses? Email, telephone, in person?

How are you going to deal with peripheral issues, for example - most decent sized companies require proper invoicing for their accounts department, and 1001 other things that take time, money and effort.

Do you have experience of outsourcing things like this? Do you realise how problematic it is when the client deals directly with you, therefore whenever they want slight changes made it involves three different parties all communicating, with the person in the middle (you) being able to decipher what either party really wants? Multiply this by thirty and it gets really complex.

So they're likely to be upsold on a bigger/better website, even though their shiny new one page website has achieved 0 traffic?

Can you expand on what you mean by 'do a good one so that they will be impressed' - in terms of a one page website?

Contrary to popular opinion, I don't like being negative unless I'm doing it constructively to help someone - in this case, it's anyone reading this.

The way this is written is like a typical salesletter - all of the difficult stuff is glossed over or ignored and it's written using verbage which seeks to minimalise everything that's impossible to minimalise in reality -

EG - 'the offers are literally endless.'

Please explain how/why they are 'literally endless'?

Hi greggreg,

I agree with you. My main point is that in a positional sense, this is a weak business model.

The main income source does not go directly between the buyer and the seller, there is a go-between and the seller is simply an affiliate. This is the main weakness.

This is a model adopted by the majority, usually because they have issues preventing them from creating their own product and cutting out the middleman.

In online business not so long ago, it was more feasible to make a thriving business out of this type of model. But the market has matured and vendors have seen the influx of 'low barrier to entry' marketers and have adjusted their models accordingly.

The exact same process has happened more recently with CPA networks. When they appeared a few years ago, they needed a load of people making big money (and shouting about it) to attract the opportunity seekers to the market. Once this was accomplished, they started turning the screw, as always occurs.

Just read around to see the stories of last year's CPA heroes who are now starting from scratch.

Therefore it's imperative that to avoid this cycle of boom and bust, once people have learnt the ropes from affiliate marketing they need to think positionally and cut out the middleman - he is the weak (greedy and lazy) link in the chain - he holds the aces and calls the shots - and shaves away, while dong relatively no work. The 'chain' can't afford leaches and parasites.

To take this model and involve multiple offline businesses who you are answerable to - for small returns, is not advisable in my opinion.

Hi mike gregory,

Do you not see the gaping hole in the logic of this approach?

It's like a product that is sold as 'all you need', then no sooner than the buyer commits to buy he is offered an upsell that provides a 'more complete' solution.

When you say 'now you have created them a site they are much more inclined to take additional services' then you need to be very careful how you sell the initial one page site.

If you use any sort of wording that suggests that the one page site will do a job for them on it's own, they will baulk at the upsell and complain that you misled them.

Plus, if someone refuses the offer of the upsell on that basis, you have then turned them into a disgruntled buyer, of which you might well be creating 30 a month.

All of this for a paltry affiliate commission. It's a flawed/outdated business model yet people are calling this 'a very high potential business model.'

It's a lot of work and hassle for a small return, that is utterly dependant on far too many external factors and middlemen. Many experts (such as Kiyosaki) suggest that cash-flow is the single most important aspect of a successful business - this one falls down on that aspect.

Give something valuable before asking for money is a good marketing mindset. Show them you treat them like kings and they will be happy to spend money and they will be happy to get your awesome services.

That's it.

Hi Sagar,

It makes it better. But then it's starting to become a completely different thing. It would eventually be renamed 'provide internet services to offline business' and the major 'selling points' of the above plan would be void. The difference can be put in perspective by considering that -

a) it's not going to be possible to twist it into sounding newbie friendly, which is more than likely the main reason this 'plan' was conceived in the first place - to sell IM products to those who don't know better - which just happens to be the very same reason for many of the IM products out there that turn out to be way more impractical in reality than they sound in the hyped up salesletter.

b) you can make a good living from only one customer, but they will provide enough headaches to keep you busy full time

Personally, I would rather have 1000 clients who solely require me to administrate the management of their websites on my reseller accounts, than to have 30 clients who have been promised a website that will make a difference to their business, that I am responsible for creating/managing.

Reseller accounts are no problem - once you learn how to use them, you're done.

Human beings, particularly business people, who have been made promises, are a totally different kettle of fish. Yes they each provide huge potential, but they're also keen for their pound of flesh and some of them are purely predatory.

Hi erichammer,

I don't know for sure, but as far as I know John Chow is an internet marketer (of the 'blogger' variety) so I presume that he runs an email list. Therefore I would also assume that this is simply a loss leader in order to get those people onto his list with a functioning website and then do what internet marketers do with email lists - make money.

Yes you are absolutely right. You can get a full time worker to do just that for only USD250 per month here---- Find a real, online job! | Home

First of all, there is nothing dodgy/trickery about this. I was suprised to see people writting long post trying to justify that this business model is wrong for business owners. The IDEA is to get your foot through the door.

Get to know business owners and establish a relationship with them. Offering a FREE website will do just that to break the ice. Stay in regular touch with them, visit them and show them you care about their affairs.

Look at GOOGLE, the search engine is FREE right? But they have a DRUM full of customers paying them to advertise on their site. Not everyone pays GOOGLE, but there are those who give them billions. You might not get paid huge premium fees by everybody, but you'll surly find those who will pay you more.

It is how you look at it. It works. In fact most of the models that are being sold on the forum and online works. If you think it is difficult, it is difficult!

If you think you are being helpful and getting to know more business owners then you are right! These business owners will become an asset for you to build a a solid business. Next time when you tell them to come to a free seminar, they will gladly come. One seminar, great info and then a back end product.....hmmmm money is knocking on your door.

Buy internet programs and products from superstars like Dan Kennedy and educate these guys! They will see you as the go to guy for internet and offline marketing stuff. Talking about The Strategy of Pre-eminence here. Thanks Jay Abraham

The business model of offering FREE works. I offer FREE seminars. If you're just starting, have a plan of what you really want and start by offering FREE websites, begin to learn the ropes of SEO, Google places, facebook fan page, marketing campaign licensing, direct mail, etc Go and talk to these business owners, listen to them and begin to help them grow their businesses. Show them how they can reduce their working hours, how to have more time off by systemizing their businesses. You will be thanked coz you know a lot. Trust me!

But start somewhere.Get you foot in there first. "Yes get in there my son" we say that here in the UK.

Offering a FREE website is a perfect place to get started. Then move up the Ladder See you at the TOP!

I think it can be safely concluded that this business model works pretty well, especially when even big national campaigns are run using it. Whether or not you choose to cut out the middleman (and just resell hosting to your clients directly) is a matter of personal choice. The upfront affiliate payment of $125 per sign up from Hostgator (and I'd imagine the other hosting companies offer similar payouts as well) is nothing to sneeze at, as that is equivalent to 12 months or more of basic hosting.

As long as the affiliate program is honest and pays promptly, it becomes more a matter of personal choice as to which business model you'd like to employ.

Precisely....

I believe that is the up-sell the TV people offer.

If they fail to convince you of the importance of the full marketing package, then they still get the hosting commission. If they succeed then you get a website and marketing package, and they make even more.

The free introduction is a standard opening gambit, usually followed by a series of up-sells and down-sells. The point is, as an opening pitch it is very effective at getting people into your sales funnel.

Cheers,
Colin Palfrey