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Just Do It
By admin | June 6, 2007
I love most of the “For Dummies” books and recently bought;”Starting and running an online business for Dummies” and I’m going to use some of it’s content without shame since I think it’s worth a read 
Although the most information throughout the book was either stuff I already knew or something that didn’t take a whole lot of imagination to figure out on your own, there were certainly some great tips and tricks I am going to implement on my way to online riches. One interesting part I found were the following 7 tips. I have implemented 4 out of 7 and I can confirm that they are all worth it.
Do Something You Know All About
euhm..Well I failed miserably on this one. When I started blogging I never saw the Internet as a medium to make money for me personally, although I’ve been online over 10 years. The net offers a plethora of money making opportunities if you know where to look. You don’t need to have a fancy title and diploma from some expensive University (Don’t drop out of school though!) to earn a living. Online we are all equal and what it comes down is your own determination and persistence to succeed in your goals. Look at it this way;”I know all about learning” so really, the sky is the limit. The book adds:”In the Online world, experience sells”.
Make a Statement
This blog does not really have a statement as it started out purely for fun and to gain experience. Depending what you are selling, the general advise is to write a mission statement in the form of a FAQ or About page, telling your visitors who you are and why are better than the competition in your field. I believe giving a little insight in the person behind the site will make visitor feel like they know the author. This obviously is good for your returning visitors rate. Just think about it:”You are probably more inclined to visit a friend or a familiar face than a perfect stranger”.
Include Contact Details
Check. You really should offer readers more options than just the comment spaces to get in touch. Sometimes they will have questions on a more personal note or perhaps a “silly” question they feel a bit embarrassed about and don’t want everyone else to see. Well trust me, there is no such thing as a silly question, only silly answers! Everyone who does know the answer to your question probably asked the question themselves at one time. But for your readers comfort, provide the alternative contact option.
Give Something Away For Free
Again?! I think I have had my share of free giveaways but I can tell you that it’s all been worth it! One reason is obviously to attract new readers and increase your online presence, another slightly less obvious reason is the fact that you can make people happy by giving them stuff which in return will make you feel good about yourself. It’s a win-win situation really. (Just to remind you of this month’s running contest, you can get paid to read my feed) I know I’m always on the lookout for freebies and you’re no exception 
Be Obvious
Duh! My name is Bob and I’m trying to meet the world..how much more obvious does it get? If you are into the marketing business, you sure as hell don’t want to call your site johnshomepage.com (Made me think of John Chow who is doing very well for himself these days with johnchow.com, but don’t forget that his blog never was intended to become what it is now though). Looking in my blogroll, sites like CashQuests.com and NotsoBoringLife.com are way more appealing for anyone to click and have a look. They have captured in one URL what they are all about.
Find Your Niche
Yeah, ok…I’ll let you guys know when I find this one out for myself A lot has been written about niche marketing and blogging and although it’s true that you will get targeted visitors, you also miss out on a lot of potential readers. For example: Someone is just browsing the internet using Stumble Upon (fantastic tool if you want traffic), comes across a funny video you posted ages ago and another article in the sidebar catches his or her attention. They will check it out and before you know it these people will subscribe to your RSS feed or bookmark your blog because you got them curious. They might learn something from one of your articles and pick up a new hobby. You’re creating a niche audience.
Do Something You Love
That’s not hard, I love the internet with its endless possibilities and amazing amounts of free information for self-development. Talking about it and sharing the findings of my online experiments is something I could do all day long. Unfortunately there’’s not many people IRL that will take the time to sit down and listen to you. The beauty of a blog is that you can post whenever you want to and just sit back and wait until someone found the time to talk back to you. Conversation on demand. It’s awesome!
P.S. You can help me do what I love by voting for me today, and tomorrow, and the day after etc.etc.etc
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Topics: people, blog, personal |
June 6th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I think I’ve done 5 of those 7. I think I’ve found my niche… but I’m not sure I define it as my visitors do. Also.. my website name is ambiguous at best.
I don’t care… I’m follow John’s footsteps
June 6th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
I don’t think you can follow someone’s footsteps and expect to have the same level of success. Part of that success comes from your own input and personality.