Blog Review

Banned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by ValDu4

So I'm relatively new to Warrior Forum and to IM in general.

Hi - welcome.

I mean all of this helpfully - please appreciate that before I start.

The pop-up opt-in which first assaults the visitor is horrendous and will drive people away. At the point at which people see it, they're going to have no idea who you are or what you're offering, and you're starting off by asking them to give you their email address, the second they arrive and before you even let them see the site?! Think again!

Your main problem is the "niche"/"market" you've chosen, as a newbie. This stacks the deck really firmly against you. Your best chance by far, at this moment, is a Big Strategic Rethink.

These two threads will both help you a lot, if you read them slowly, carefully and thoughtfully ...

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-im-niche.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...tion-gone.html

I wish you nothing but good luck, thank you for your service (even though I'm not American), and in contrast to your father/brother's comment on your site, I can't actually decide, myself, whether your hair's really too short.

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1 reply

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ValDu4

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Hi - welcome.

I mean all of this helpfully - please appreciate that before I start.

The pop-up opt-in which first assaults the visitor is horrendous and will drive people away. At the point at which people see it, they're going to have no idea who you are or what you're offering, and you're starting off by asking them to give you their email address, the second they arrive and before you even let them see the site?! Think again!

Your main problem is the "niche"/"market" you've chosen, as a newbie. This stacks the deck really firmly against you. Your best chance by far, at this moment, is a Big Strategic Rethink.

These two threads will both help you a lot, if you read them slowly, carefully and thoughtfully ...

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-im-niche.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...tion-gone.html

I wish you nothing but good luck, thank you for your service (even though I'm not American), and in contrast to your father/brother's comment on your site, I can't actually decide, myself, whether your hair's really too short.

Alexa,
Looks like you have quite a bit of experience and I always welcome good advice. The pop up was based on several articles I read that said start building your list as soon as possible. Do you feel otherwise? or just suggest a different way of doing it? And if you are just talking about the look of the pop up, I know it's ugly ha ha. I haven't put much work into it. Just put it up yesterday.
And I am well aware of how overly saturated the market is. I figure this is where people have to start, learning the process. My hope is that I will build an appreciation from people looking for transparent real results/information and not all the fluff that I've encountered from the countless people trying to sell me an ebook or info kit.
so are you saying you like the short hair? :-D

Thanks
1 reply

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Alexa Smith

Banned 11 years ago

Originally Posted by ValDu4

The pop up was based on several articles I read that said start building your list as soon as possible. Do you feel otherwise?

No, not at all. I'm an enormous enthusiast of list-building, and the time to start is on day 1.

However, not like this!! This will lose a lot more than it gains.

You shouldn't ask people to opt in before they've seen the site, know who you are, and without providing something they perceive as "of great value". You're not giving them the opportunity to perceive anything at all, the way you're asking them. The opt-in box actually physically obstructs them from seeing even your home-page. It's less damaging (though still not right, in this case) to do that later, after they've had the chance to have a look at it.

A pop-up is honestly not the way for you to do this. I promise I don't mean it impolitely, but the fact that you're doing this rather neatly illustrates my point about this being totally the wrong market/niche for you, and stacking the deck so firmly against yourself. You need to offer something of real value, to ask people for their email addresses. Especially in this niche! The two threads listed above will really help you. I urge you to read them.

On the subject of list-building, this is the thread you need to read: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6123982

And about pop-ups, I'd suggest looking at this post.

Originally Posted by ValDu4

And I am well aware of how overly saturated the market is.

I don't believe that's relevant in itself.

I'm not even sure it's true. I don't really believe in "saturation". This isn't much of the reason you're making a big mistake here, in my view.

Originally Posted by ValDu4

I figure this is where people have to start, learning the process.

You're starting off by "teaching/promoting something of which you have no experience", kind of on the "share my journey" principle. That isn't what people have to do. And more to the point, it isn't what you should do. If I had $10 for everyone here who's tried that over the last 3-4 years and screwed up, I probably wouldn't have to work at all.

Originally Posted by ValDu4

My hope is that I will build an appreciation from people looking for transparent real results/information and not all the fluff that I've encountered from the countless people trying to sell me an ebook or info kit.

You and 10,000 other people starting off with exactly the same idea, who say the same thing, or only very small variations from it. Do you know how many of them ever made any money in that market/niche? I have to tell you: not many, Benny. And there are reasons for that, regardless of the extent to which they all felt they were going to be the exception. Sorry! :p

Excuse my being outspoken (even by my standards), please, but you did say you like transparent, real information and not fluff? Well, you're getting it. You're a serviceman and it's nearly Christmas and I want to help you and not see you still here in 6 months' time having earned nothing to speak of, like so many others. There are people here who posted over 2 years ago that they were looking for a free way to start because they couldn't afford to buy a domain-name, and are still posting asking exactly the same questions this week because they wouldn't listen to sensible advice over 2 years ago and insisted on starting off by offering other people information on "how to make money online" with no experience of it themselves. Please don't be one of those - you deserve better!

You need to change tack and start again in a realistic niche for yourself. Get the deck stacked in your favor instead of massively against you as you have it at the moment. And if you read those threads linked to in my post above, you can also get exactly the same advice from a large number of other experienced, successful Warriors, too.

Originally Posted by ValDu4

so are you saying you like the short hair? :-D

Yes, I like yours, anyway.

Thanks
1 reply

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ValDu4 11 years ago

Hey Alexa,

I've read all the posts you recommended and I'm not sure if I've worded something poorly or what but I'm not really in the IM niche. I'm in the online entrepreneur niche. That blog is just my first attempt to get familiar with the world of online entrepreneurship. I don't plan on staying on that subject for that whole blog or any blog thereafter. Perhaps I'll lose interest in "blogging" all together once I figure out the path that is best for me, but in the mean time I'm hoping someone reads that blog and realizes some truths about making money online and all the crap that is out there. That blog is my very first website period.

I've got plans for a dropshipping site, and another affiliate style site that puts new twist on things. I've also got some "review site" ideas. I'm just dabbling in any and everything to test the waters.

I do appreciate the honesty and directness. That's my personality too. Trying not to judge a book by it's cover, but the people you mention don't seem to be very business savvy, and that's not me. I'm a successful motivated person who now wants to take that and transfer it into a mobile lifestyle with unlimited upside.

Seems you have a lot of info to put out and quite a bit of experience, ever had a student? ;-)
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- Alexa Smith Banned 11 years ago
  
  Hey Val,
  
  Thank you for taking my post as I intended it and not being offended.
  
  Originally Posted by ValDu4
  
  I'm not really in the IM niche. I'm in the online entrepreneur niche.
  
  It's the same thing in the important sense that you're "teaching something of which you have no experience" - that's the main thing about it that makes people fail with it, I think.
  
  Originally Posted by ValDu4
  
  That blog is just my first attempt to get familiar with the world of online entrepreneurship.
  
  I take your point that you're acknowledging there's a learning-curve involved and that you hope to benefit in terms of experience if not money. However, my contention is that people learn much better when they have some success, and many people doing what you're doing literally have none. In internet marketing, part of the learning-curve involves analyzing/tracking, doing more of what works and less of what doesn't work. For that to be a valid, authentic learning process, something has to work.
  
  Your chances would be way higher by starting a blog about home-brewing, home-design, cauliflower soup recipes, or whatever niche interests you, you have experience and knowledge and understanding of, and it has a couple of good, viable products for sale. That's the way to get some experience (and some income!).
  
  Originally Posted by ValDu4
  
  I don't plan on staying on that subject for that whole blog or any blog thereafter.
  
  I hear ya'.
  
  Originally Posted by ValDu4
  
  I'm a successful motivated person who now wants to take that and transfer it into a mobile lifestyle with unlimited upside.
  
  Ok, cool ... this speaks much more highly of your chances, I must admit.
  
  (Here's a blog that might interest you: The Art of Non-Conformity » 3�--5 )
  
  Originally Posted by ValDu4
  
  ever had a student? ;-)
  
  Noooooo, I don't pretend to be qualified to do that. I'm not involved in any IM or MMO niches myself, at all (and wouldn't want to be, at least for now), have too many vast areas of complete lack of knowledge, and am too much of a skepchick, as well.
  
  Christmas greetings!
  
  Lexy
  
  Thanks
  
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faisalmaximus

11 years ago

Hi, I appreciate your starting and feeling interest for such a blog. I think you should add some more articles and then re apply for Google adsense.

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Captain Kent

11 years ago

its not that bad as a site, but needs some pro touch

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ValDu4

11 years ago

Originally Posted by larryboy03

You may learn a few things from my blog. You have a nice looking site but you need more content on the homepage too. Try to target keywords as well.

Hey Larry,
What is your blog?

Thanks

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Surminga

11 years ago

For one it needs a lot more content, filling out and a lot less blank areas - where theres a blank are fill it with links to your content or pages or add a plugin to funnel your most popular posts.

The logo also is not so good. Yes you are growing rich, growing like a tree but you don't need to use an image in either your logo or your pages - you can just use a simple logo of your name with a text snippet/description below.

Rather than having your home page an insight into the site with another picture of a tree, scrap that, make the insight a little shorter and sweeter - either place it in your logo or in an about me section in a widget somewhere and have the home page as a list of your latest articles - that's what people want to read.

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ValDu4

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Surminga

For one it needs a lot more content, filling out and a lot less blank areas - where theres a blank are fill it with links to your content or pages or add a plugin to funnel your most popular posts.

The logo also is not so good. Yes you are growing rich, growing like a tree but you don't need to use an image in either your logo or your pages - you can just use a simple logo of your name with a text snippet/description below.

Rather than having your home page an insight into the site with another picture of a tree, scrap that, make the insight a little shorter and sweeter - either place it in your logo or in an about me section in a widget somewhere and have the home page as a list of your latest articles - that's what people want to read.

Awesome, thanks. Do you have any suggestions about getting a logo? Those images were just meant to brighten up the page. And like I said, I just started this a month ago, this is my first blog period, not just in IM.

Thanks

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Mousumi

11 years ago

As a reader I will be disappointed...You need to add more content on your blog.
And I must say you've got a wonderful domain name

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GrowMyForumCommunity

11 years ago

Oh goodie, another guy asking for a review!
*rubs my hands together*

First off. I wish to comment on the banner. It is rather dull. You might need to change it or modify it. Your blog also needs a few more design touches, maybe something kinetic, but the overall look of it looks fine to me, just not the banner. As for the content, it might need more than that to attract somebody. I have a few suggestions, though. Why don't you replace the content header (the one with the money tree) with a scroller/slider that redirects to your articles? Then place your content headers just below the proposed slider. Just my two cents.

Thanks
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ValDu4

11 years ago

Originally Posted by GrowMyForumCommunity

Oh goodie, another guy asking for a review!
*rubs my hands together*

First off. I wish to comment on the banner. It is rather dull. You might need to change it or modify it. Your blog also needs a few more design touches, maybe something kinetic, but the overall look of it looks fine to me, just not the banner. As for the content, it might need more than that to attract somebody. I have a few suggestions, though. Why don't you replace the content header (the one with the money tree) with a scroller/slider that redirects to your articles? Then place your content headers just below the proposed slider. Just my two cents.

I like the suggestions. The banner was just something I made in paint to have a picture. How would I put a scroller in there? Is that just another plugin?