When I first started
In 2009 I started this unique journey trying to make money online.
My very first website was a essentially a video portal that featured videos of local events in my area. I covered everything! I'll never forget my first checks from two local businesses in my area wanting to advertise on my site. I made a whopping $150 dollars for six months of advertising from both businesses.
I knew NOTHING about SEO or about how written content could further increase the value of my site. I even ran a contest giving away a FREE iPod. Nearly 500 people submitted their name and email address to the contest, via a very archaic contact us form. Those names and emails went bye-bye when I dumped my hosting account.
I didn't have a clue about autoresponder's, Adsense, or even Wordpress. My first site was built using a now unbelievably difficult html editor. Every time I posted a new video, I would have to manually add a link to my recent videos "sidebar" on every page. All 134 of them!
I remember actually being terrified of Wordpress. The whole idea of a hosting account different from Yahoo! Hosting seemed foreign to me. Today, ALL of my sites utilize Wordpress as a CMS. And thankfully with the "recent posts" widget I don't have to manually create links anymore.
You should have seen the mess I created when I tried to automatically add buyers to my list when they purchased a product of mine. Not only did I miss out on at least 50 subscribers, but those that did finally receive my "Thank you for buying" saw me mentioning the WRONG product.
Boy, talk about a Charlie Foxtrot!
The message I'm trying to convey is that when I first started, I made a ton of mistakes. I recall one time arguing fervently with another marketer on why I didn't need to learn to build a list... because well, what I was doing was working just fine.
Guess what? I finally built a list and my income doubled within three months. I spent all of 2010 without a list, when I could have really benefited from it. Again... when I first started!
There was a time when I would look at a mind-map for business and marketing and be totally confused. "What do you mean build a squeeze page?" I'd ask myself. At one time I simply did NOT understand why I needed one or how it would benefit me.
When I first started, everything had to be perfect. The site design, the content, the images, the monetization method. There was a set plan for EVERYTHING, yet I barely scraped by. There was no room for improvisation. There was no room to change things. It had to be perfect from the get-go or I wouldn't go through with it.
Today, if it's good enough it's good enough. I can always go back and change something, edit this, or move in a different direction. Back then? Oh no! It had to be perfect! And I had to understand every little detail before I could proceed.
I missed so many opportunities because I never attempted to take the shot!
So for those of you that are new. Don't be afraid of the unknown. Your going to make mistakes. Your going to **** **** up. That is OK. That is how you learn. You take what you learned and apply it to your next project, or continue to mold your current one.
But don't just stand idling by waiting for someone to hand you the keys to the Golden Gates. That doesn't happen. Instead of fearing failure, embrace it, move on and start making some damn money online!
BP
My very first website was a essentially a video portal that featured videos of local events in my area. I covered everything! I'll never forget my first checks from two local businesses in my area wanting to advertise on my site. I made a whopping $150 dollars for six months of advertising from both businesses.
I knew NOTHING about SEO or about how written content could further increase the value of my site. I even ran a contest giving away a FREE iPod. Nearly 500 people submitted their name and email address to the contest, via a very archaic contact us form. Those names and emails went bye-bye when I dumped my hosting account.
I didn't have a clue about autoresponder's, Adsense, or even Wordpress. My first site was built using a now unbelievably difficult html editor. Every time I posted a new video, I would have to manually add a link to my recent videos "sidebar" on every page. All 134 of them!
I remember actually being terrified of Wordpress. The whole idea of a hosting account different from Yahoo! Hosting seemed foreign to me. Today, ALL of my sites utilize Wordpress as a CMS. And thankfully with the "recent posts" widget I don't have to manually create links anymore.
You should have seen the mess I created when I tried to automatically add buyers to my list when they purchased a product of mine. Not only did I miss out on at least 50 subscribers, but those that did finally receive my "Thank you for buying" saw me mentioning the WRONG product.
Boy, talk about a Charlie Foxtrot!
The message I'm trying to convey is that when I first started, I made a ton of mistakes. I recall one time arguing fervently with another marketer on why I didn't need to learn to build a list... because well, what I was doing was working just fine.
Guess what? I finally built a list and my income doubled within three months. I spent all of 2010 without a list, when I could have really benefited from it. Again... when I first started!
There was a time when I would look at a mind-map for business and marketing and be totally confused. "What do you mean build a squeeze page?" I'd ask myself. At one time I simply did NOT understand why I needed one or how it would benefit me.
When I first started, everything had to be perfect. The site design, the content, the images, the monetization method. There was a set plan for EVERYTHING, yet I barely scraped by. There was no room for improvisation. There was no room to change things. It had to be perfect from the get-go or I wouldn't go through with it.
Today, if it's good enough it's good enough. I can always go back and change something, edit this, or move in a different direction. Back then? Oh no! It had to be perfect! And I had to understand every little detail before I could proceed.
I missed so many opportunities because I never attempted to take the shot!
So for those of you that are new. Don't be afraid of the unknown. Your going to make mistakes. Your going to **** **** up. That is OK. That is how you learn. You take what you learned and apply it to your next project, or continue to mold your current one.
But don't just stand idling by waiting for someone to hand you the keys to the Golden Gates. That doesn't happen. Instead of fearing failure, embrace it, move on and start making some damn money online!
BP
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rising_sun Banned-
Thanks
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