What was your first website?

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Hey, I'm new here. Let me introduce myself. I'm Ben, I'm in highschool and interested in internet marketing.

School's out for the summer so I have a lot of free time. Lately I've been learning about copywriting and I think I got a feel for the basics. But I want to get started and learn as I do. I'm interested in starting my own website however I'm unsure about some things. So I've got a couple questions :

How did you get started in internet business? What business model was your first website?
Could I get started by boot-strapping? How much would e-commerce be to start up?
What are the big components of a website? Content, SEO, Copywriting, Product?
How do I conduct research and validate it? Adwords?

Ideally, I'd like to get started with e-commerce, however I don't have much start-up funds, would getting into affiliate marketing be bad? It would be more for learning the ropes of Internet marketing and building funds for a bigger project in the future. However, I'm also interested in making content like my own blog or a website promoting awareness about a chosen topic. I'm a bit confused as to which direction to go.

 

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[funkj25]

Ben, welcome to the forums.

Searching on the forums is going to be one of your best friends, there are literally hundreds of hours of content to read through. Most on the forums aren't going to recommend affiliate marketing for various reasons. One of the main ones for you, disregarding that you lack control of your product/offer, is that it is my understanding you need lots of cash to test things out to find a winning combination of traffic to offer to be profitable.

If you haven't yet, pick up a copy of The Millionaire Fastlane (the forum's namesake book) and it will get you started on understanding where to start as far as business focus is concerned. Other than that, check out as many of the "gold" threads you can find here on the forums, they're marked that way for a reason of course.

I have definitely been where you are. Confused, lost in all of the shiny objects (and shiny is my favorite color) trying to figure out what the heck you should do. My two bits, for what they're worth, after reading TMF start here

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...s-guide-to-buying-and-selling-anything.35889/

Work on that, figuring out the very basics of buying/selling, build up some actual cash reserves then build on your knowledge you gained from there to a more scalable business. All I can say is that's what I've done and just "hustling" has taught me tons about what it means to provide value and the basics of running a business. Cheers, hope you stick around.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Hey, I've been around for a bit, I've been lurking the forums for a while. I've already read the book, I already have knowledge about sales and marketing.

But I can only learn so much, I was looking for info regarding the best way to start developing my own fastlane business. I know affiliate marketing isn't fastlane and that's why I was wondering if I could use it to test my skills. I could start advertising myself on odesk, elance but I'm more interested in using them to market products and earning passive income. I've learned a lot about copywriting and SEO but wanted to start getting experience. I wanted to know if affiliate marketing is a good way to start, or if I should just try to develop my own internet business from the start. I've been doing keyword research with google adwords and think I've found some profitable niches but was wondering what else I should be doing for market research. Everything seems pretty simple to me and I'm just wondering if I'm missing something? Let's say I found a topic I want to market. So I buy a domain, write content to attract visitors, rank my site by keywords, social media, link building, ad campaigns, etc. then sell them something? Is that it?

 

[LightHouse]

You are off on the wrong foot. Being lazy, asking lazy questions, wanting to get into "business" for the passive income, etc. None of that will get you a fastlane business.

If you want to learn by doing, there are plenty of ways to start a free website, instead of trying to make money from it. Learn how to build it, optimize it, then transform it to solve a need.

Easiest way to do something meaningful, look up the last time you helped someone and they genuinely got a lot of value from it. (Ie you know how to tune guitars and helped a classmate out when they were struggling) and build around that. Be the best website teaching that, one you actually provide enough people value day in and day out, then think about making money from it.

There is no instant overnight road to riches online. In fact it's faster and easier to make money offline in most cases.

 

[GuestUser113]

Let's say I found a topic I want to market. So I buy a domain, write content to attract visitors, rank my site by keywords, social media, link building, ad campaigns, etc. then sell them something? Is that it?

 

[constantin]

Everything seems pretty simple to me and I'm just wondering if I'm missing something? Let's say I found a topic I want to market. So I buy a domain, write content to attract visitors, rank my site by keywords, social media, link building, ad campaigns, etc. then sell them something? Is that it?

you far off from it. i suggest you read the threads on the forum.
everything you just said shows that you truly don't understand what the book was trying to convey to you.
you seem more interested in trying to make money quickly then actually building a true business and creating value from that business

 

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[funkj25]

Hey, I've been around for a bit, I've been lurking the forums for a while. I've already read the book, I already have knowledge about sales and marketing.

But I can only learn so much, I was looking for info regarding the best way to start developing my own fastlane business. I know affiliate marketing isn't fastlane and that's why I was wondering if I could use it to test my skills. I could start advertising myself on odesk, elance but I'm more interested in using them to market products and earning passive income. I've learned a lot about copywriting and SEO but wanted to start getting experience. I wanted to know if affiliate marketing is a good way to start, or if I should just try to develop my own internet business from the start. I've been doing keyword research with google adwords and think I've found some profitable niches but was wondering what else I should be doing for market research. Everything seems pretty simple to me and I'm just wondering if I'm missing something? Let's say I found a topic I want to market. So I buy a domain, write content to attract visitors, rank my site by keywords, social media, link building, ad campaigns, etc. then sell them something? Is that it?

You can tell by my join date and number of posts I spend a lot of time lurking as well. Reading, reading, reading, constantly, multiple times of the same threads, again and again. But there's a big difference between reading with the theoretical understanding and learning by doing which becomes an inherent - identity style understanding (See London Real interview with Peter Sage for more clarity on this thought stream). I think you're wanting to take this step and just aren't sure how to make it (correct me if I'm wrong).

I'll probably re-hash a little of what Lighthouse said, but hopefully phrase it differently so maybe one of us will have some clarity for you.

For the moment, let's forget everything you're trying to hash through right now. Throw out all of the terms: internet marketing, affiliate marketing, freelancing, passive income, adding value, marketing, heck even throw out the word business - I sometimes want a new word for it because I feel the connotation of business is business = money machine.

Now the heart of what this activity is, this entrepreneurial venture, is helping your fellow human being. That's it. It's no more complicated than that.

The internet is just a medium for you to share your gift to other people. Much like the newspaper is a medium to share this gift as well.

You can think of it like this: You love chocolate chip cookies and I happen to make some spectacular chocolate chip cookies which you crave. How do I get them to you? There's a river between us. I can take the road/bridge, a boat, a plane or swim across to get you these cookies, but the essence remains. My sole activity is getting you these cookies that you crave so much (helping you, my fellow human being).

Hopefully that makes some sense. Figure out how you're going to help people first, then start trying to apply the knowledge of how to get it to those people (validation, then regular business).

 

[codo3500]

Easiest way to do something meaningful, look up the last time you helped someone and they genuinely got a lot of value from it. (Ie you know how to tune guitars and helped a classmate out when they were struggling) and build around that. Be the best website teaching that, one you actually provide enough people value day in and day out, then think about making money from it.

I'm sorry to disagree here, as I normally love your posts LightHouse, but this sounds a little too similar to "Do what you love" for my liking. I know the emphasis is on filling a need you've spotted, but not all needs are created equal.

Tuning Guitars is a saturated market (in comparison to how thin it is), as are most needs you'll just stumble upon. I believe in digging for needs, solving problems that people may not even realise they have, and subsequently don't have hundreds of other entrepreneurs looking to solve them.

Ben, I'd recommend doing some home-work, and finding a category of people that aren't actively targeted by other people; and that are easy to find. Traffic is the hardest part in this equation - building websites is a skill, traffic is an art. If you can find a group of people with a common interest, that you can market to for cheap, then they're the prime candidate for understanding their needs, and solving one. I believe spotting a need first, leaves you too open to filling a market that is too small and unprofitable, and potentially saturated by people doing what they love.

 

[pickeringmt]

Hey man, I can actually speak from experience here!

I built a niche site for my first site, a little beauty about rapper chains. Pure niche site strategy.

Ranked well, and has stayed on the first page for 2 years. I have made almost $40 so far.

Do what you want, but I highly suggest you find a space that you can really contribute something. It will feel pretty stupid to you, but there is knowledge that you take for granted that people are searching for.

I now run a beard related business and site. I spent a few minutes yesterday walking a random guy on FB through how to trim his beard and it was like I had cured him of ebola or something. He was thrilled. That is what people want - don't get jayded to the term "solve a problem". It is true, just don't let a limited perspective of problems or how to solve them blind you to opportunities right in front of you.

Now go buy some beard stuff- just kidding

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

I appreciate all the replies, you all have some very valid points and great stories, however I feel I was a bit misunderstood. I understand how I can't just focus on money, and that money is a side effect from giving good to the world. But I will admit that money is part of it, i'm not in the best situation at home and am trying to find a way out of it, i'd would be amazing if I could earn enough to live alone, that's my "snow in the toilet". My main reason for starting this thread was just to confirm what I had been learning about distributing content, and how I can take that first step. I want to start a web business as I can affect people across the world. I want to create something I have interest in that I can be proud of. I was looking for more technical details about what I need to do to establish a solid website and topic. Is adwords enough to find my topic? I have a couple good ideas but i'm just looking for reinforcement. Once I have that figured out I want to start testing what i've learned already and improving my skills, but my main focus will be how can I improve my content.

 

[codo3500]

I appreciate all the replies, you all have some very valid points and great stories, however I feel I was a bit misunderstood. I understand how I can't just focus on money, and that money is a side effect from giving good to the world. But I will admit that money is part of it, i'm not in the best situation at home and am trying to find a way out of it, i'd would be amazing if I could earn enough to live alone, that's my "snow in the toilet". My main reason for starting this thread was just to confirm what I had been learning about distributing content, and how I can take that first step. I want to start a web business as I can affect people across the world. I want to create something I have interest in that I can be proud of. I was looking for more technical details about what I need to do to establish a solid website and topic. Is adwords enough to find my topic? I have a couple good ideas but i'm just looking for reinforcement. Once I have that figured out I want to start testing what i've learned already and improving my skills, but my main focus will be how can I improve my content.

Adwords alone isn't enough. You need to understand the motivations of that group of people.

I'll give you an example:
- I found out there are hundreds of people searching for keywords relating to "Weight Gain"
- It was cheap clicks, averaging $0.18/click
- I wrote a book, "Weight Gain Blackbook"
- I split-test dozens of landing pages, ads, everything, and while I sold some books, I didn't sell enough to cover my (low) costs per click
- I surveyed the audience, and it turned out it was very segmented, this wasn't niched enough. Despite the traffic, the need wasn't strong enough, the audience varied too much, and it wasn't a good idea.

Some idea's just aren't good, but you don't know until you try it out. But going straight off Adwords Data simply isn't enough, you need to actually talk to people in that niche, it'll save you quite a bit of money, and time.

 

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[pickeringmt]

Well listen, the best way to learn is to do so I am not at all against somebody doing something online to take a crack at it.

It is a positive thing that you are ready to make an effort, and considering your age you are way ahead of a lot of people.

Good luck, and be sure to get a progress thread going. You will have to deal with a lot of stuff like this thread already has, but the people here genuinely want to help and have been where you are. It will compliment your learning very well.

 

[LightHouse]

I'm sorry to disagree here, as I normally love your posts LightHouse, but this sounds a little too similar to "Do what you love" for my liking. I know the emphasis is on filling a need you've spotted, but not all needs are created equal.

Tuning Guitars is a saturated market (in comparison to how thin it is), as are most needs you'll just stumble upon. I believe in digging for needs, solving problems that people may not even realise they have, and subsequently don't have hundreds of other entrepreneurs looking to solve them.

Ben, I'd recommend doing some home-work, and finding a category of people that aren't actively targeted by other people; and that are easy to find. Traffic is the hardest part in this equation - building websites is a skill, traffic is an art. If you can find a group of people with a common interest, that you can market to for cheap, then they're the prime candidate for understanding their needs, and solving one. I believe spotting a need first, leaves you too open to filling a market that is too small and unprofitable, and potentially saturated by people doing what they love.

Come on now, don't take my suggestion literally. LOL.

I was trying to use an example that was generic, that doesn't mean pick the most saturated thing and go for it, for all I know, he could have helped someone make some chemical composure in lab recently and may be great at chemistry. Something that there isn't a lot of help on.

The point being, to learn the ropes, make something you know something about and can actually provide value in, it may not even end up making money, but the OP said he wanted to learn how to do it.

There is a member here who has not posted in a while that did something similar. He started a blog about crystallography and it turned out to be a huge hit, once he got tons of readers, he added a store to his site and started selling supplies, undercutting the few over priced vendors that had been around for ages. As I recall, it made him a good bit of money. The site is still up, i have no idea how it is doing now.

When he started, he asked a few targeted questions on this forum back in 07/08/09 but ultimately he just learned while doing and asked for help when he got stuck. It worked out well.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Adwords alone isn't enough. You need to understand the motivations of that group of people.

I'll give you an example:
- I found out there are hundreds of people searching for keywords relating to "Weight Gain"
- It was cheap clicks, averaging $0.18/click
- I wrote a book, "Weight Gain Blackbook"
- I split-test dozens of landing pages, ads, everything, and while I sold some books, I didn't sell enough to cover my (low) costs per click
- I surveyed the audience, and it turned out it was very segmented, this wasn't niched enough. Despite the traffic, the need wasn't strong enough, the audience varied too much, and it wasn't a good idea.

Some idea's just aren't good, but you don't know until you try it out. But going straight off Adwords Data simply isn't enough, you need to actually talk to people in that niche, it'll save you quite a bit of money, and time.

Thanks for the reply, could I ask you a few other questions?
I think I'm going to start a blog about something I'm knowledgeable in. Should I market it from day 1?

And about their motivations. Should I conduct survey? How would I survey online, with email?
How would I talk to them? Forums and social media? Also when do you think I should start split-testing? How much traffic should I get first?

 

[DennisD]

The problem is, there ARE no answers to the questions.

Personality, niche, topic, fanbase, work ethic, skillset... ALL these things alter specific strategy or tactical questions.
One person might market from day1, another person might not.
I've done it both ways.

Because each business is different, the most important skill to learn is the ability to
#1) Be okay with imperfections
#2) Be able to adapt as you move forward.

With those two things taken care of, the questions start to answer themselves.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Thanks Dennis, that was the push that I needed.

 

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[codo3500]

Thanks for the reply, could I ask you a few other questions?
I think I'm going to start a blog about something I'm knowledgeable in. Should I market it from day 1?

And about their motivations. Should I conduct survey? How would I survey online, with email?
How would I talk to them? Forums and social media? Also when do you think I should start split-testing? How much traffic should I get first?

It really depends on what problem you want to solve, sometimes it's information, sometimes it's a physical product - perhaps at a better price, or more functional than their current solution. I personally prefer people that I can pick up the phone and talk to (such as Plumbers or Electricians, as they're in the yellow pages). I've found that people will often lie in surveys, as it's reasonably anonymous, so they'll subconsciously tell you what you want to hear - in saying that, it's much better than not doing surveys.

I'd recommend you scheduling a call with JackEdwards, it costs $75, and he has a thread running. It'll teach you much more than I can, Jack will open your eyes to the type of opportunities you should be chasing.