Your Missing Ingredients For Online Success
ByI’ve tried to explain the following concept in about 27 different ways to beginning online marketers. I still have some members and lots of folks just getting my newsletters who still don’t grasp this basic, but mandatory concept.
I’ll try it again with a new angle.
McDonalds is without a doubt one of the most successful businesses of its kind. But when was the last time they got voted for “best hamburger”? When was the last time their teenage workforce (for the most part) got voted as being the best employees ever? How about the best atmosphere in town? How about the best ANYTHING?
Nope, none of the above. Yet, they are hugely successful.
Sure, they want you to THINK they have “secret” ingredients in their burgers, but we all know they are so-so. They want you to THINK their employees are #1, but we all know the truth. Yet, they make gigantic profits all the time by simply applying massive action to a tried and proven plan (even if it may not brand them with top notch quality in their area…they go for fair to pretty fair quality with huge quantity goals).
What’s the deal and how is this connected with you and Internet marketing.
Most of you out there want to build your own little McDonalds money machine online in some way. Whatever….affiliate marketing, AdSense, selling your own stuff, etc.
But if you were trying to start a burger place and compete against McDonalds, here is how you would fail:
First, you’d spend COUNTLESS hours trying to find just the RIGHT recipe for the burgers. You would research and read and study and buy books and on and on and on trying to find the perfect ingredients BEFORE even making a few of them to try. (equate this to those of you who waste countless hours/weeks trying to find the exact right niche/keywords)
Next, after finding what you think is the “perfect” recipe, you’ll spend (waste) enormous amounts of time just planning the building. You will dwell on such things as paint, furniture, tile colors, and on and on. You will install and rip out things over and over trying to get it “right”. (equate this to those of you who worry WAY TO MUCH about how your site looks …even though it has no traffic)
I could go on here, but you get my point.
None of this is rocket science. There are no secret sauces for online success. Simple and mediocre recipes and paint schemes can make you filthy rich…IF you simply apply massive action with a reasonably thought out, tried and proven plan.
Too many of you out there dwell WAY too much on the simple stuff for which you just need to make a decision for and get on it.
Finding niches is easy. They are a dime a dozen. Finding them is NOT the problem. I help my new members with this. It always amazes them how easy it was to find simple, workable niche.
And for the website, man, that is the LEAST of your worries. WordPress on your own host with your own domain is dirt easy now days. Keep it simple in the beginning. Since there are NO visitors in the beginning, beginners only have themselves to impress with their hours and hours of wasted time building the “perfect” looking site.
Just get the basics up there and begin marketing it. Later, if it shows promise, you can go in and decorate a bit. Google could care less how “pretty” your site is. Ditto for Yahoo/Bing.
Ok, I hope a few more of you out there get it now.
Just form a basic, simple plan for now. Any plan that has some educated thought and planning put into it will do. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Learn what has worked for other people and simply repeat it with your own tweaked plan.
Spend just enough time to learn what an OK niche is, how to choose keywords for the niche, and then learn and apply heavy doses of off-page SEO to a well optimized site.
That’s it.
If you have spent more than one day “planning” this, you are wasting time and/or scared of failure. (uh oh, I know the truth may hurt for some of you….but that’s OK. I never sugar coat anything…especially in places I have been before.)
Like the msg but the how to is like throwing roofing nails in the driveway.
thanks “Doctor” Steve, refreshing as always, cutting through the “bright shiny object” syndrome, and curing us of “excusitis”
all the best,
derek
Thanks Steve. I’m wasting time on my site and doing freebies on other help sites. I will try harder to get on with it.
Thanks Steve, I understand what you say. This is my idea and if you disagree, tell me. I am a artist and is busy making paintings for my website. I am also making drawings that must be transferred on to ceramic dinnerware. I am slowed down because it took a while to find people to outsource the printing on the dinnerware etc and to get at least 5 good paintings ready and samples of the arty dinnerware, for photographing so that I can have pictures on the website. Its going to be quick to do the website but than I need to implement all the marketing tools. It just made sense for me to concentrate on what I already can do and use that to break into a competitive market. The painting side is more difficult but by making posters of originals that I can sell that easier as well as advise and tips to would be artists. The ceramic side is tricky but not to bad on more arty type op dinnerware. Price could be a problem but I want to work on orders in the beginning en then go for keeping stock. As soon as I got pic I get a blog and do a survey there and in social marketing. But I need samples of product to do all that and it takes time. I dont think I am going the wrong way about it but let me know if I do. I did research and know the ceramics pricing is important and that the web is stuffed under art but then the correct marketing will be important and to me is the most difficult part to bridge. I am close to the final products then the proof will be in the eating.
Hehe…yeah, it can be overwhelming when looked at as a whole. But break it down into pieces. For example, first comes niches and/or keywords. Study for example what makes a good keyword. Learn the definition of a “buying keyword. Learn about broad, exact, and phrase match search numbers. Etc.
The next steps, SEO, building the site, monetizing can also be broken down into “doable” parts. Check out this page of videos for more details on it all: http://wordpress-17920-39382-109004.cloudwaysapps.com/steves-videos/
You are welcome Derek!
Recognizing your are wasting time is a big step actually! It comes first before productive time can be spent.
Hi Gwen,
Yes, I think you are on track. You have to focus on your products first. As for your site, art sites are very difficult to use for direct marketing. They are more suited for simply being a “brochure” for your business. Don’t rely on the site for attracting traffic naturally unless you have something like “metal art”, “yard art”, etc. that people search for. Paintings and ceramics would be a tough go for getting search traffic.
It’s best to think of your site as a brochure/sales place for your site. Your traffic will be driven to it by you via social sites, off-line advertising, business cards, etc.
Thanks for the advice. Are you saying to get the site up as quickly as possible no matter how functional it is? Then, drive as much free traffic to it as possible. Then, worry about monetizing it and making it more functional, before doing any paid advertising?
No, I would not say not matter “how functional” it is. The content, SEO, and navigation should all be well done in the beginning. You can “spruce” it up and add links, etc. later.