Try Everything?

Or Buy Everything?

The hubby and I went golfing yesterday.  With all the craziness in life lately, it sure was nice to get out in the fresh air and hit that silly white ball around.  I lost money to PotPieDude (about $40) – but, it coulda been MUCH worse.  Good news is that this post has nothing to do with my score (which was flat out embarrassing)!  Instead I want to talk about something I realized while on the golf course yesterday.

Golfers and Internet Marketers… The Same Breed

As I lost my THIRD golf ball yesterday in a little tiny, not-even-in-my-way pond, I got to thinking about golfers and our need for the latest and greatest equipment.  A dozen of the Callaway golf balls I like costs every bit of $40 – that’s over $3 per BALL!  Yikes!  And that’s just the cost of the golf balls.  That doesn’t factor in clubs, tees, gloves, greens fees, apparel, shoes…and on and on.

And we golfers, we don’t hit just any old golf club or choose any ol’ golf ball.  We like what we like and we firmly believe that if it works for Tiger Woods, it will work for us, too.

Crazy, isn’t it?  Just HAVING that ball or club will “work”???

Thing is, any ol’ golf ball or golf club WILL work.  The secret is not in the equipment – it’s in the swing.  I know golfers that can beat me silly using their 6-iron and a range ball – and that’s it!

Now, on the other hand, you CAN play better golf by having the equipment you need to make your game more effective.  A sand wedge is needed…but it doesn’t have to be a $300 sand wedge.

Back In My Golf Business Days

Back when I spent my days as a managing Golf Professional, I would watch people put away their perfectly good (and perfectly effective) driver or putter only to have them buy the latest and greatest of the week….at about $500 a pop – sometimes more.

It wouldn’t take long for that same golfer to come to me in a totally exasperated and frustrated state of mind declaring that they have “tried EVERYTHING” and their game still wasn’t better.

Try Everything?? Or BUY Everything?

Buying things doesn’t make you better.  Buying things does not constitute TRYING things either.  Above all, buying things sure won’t make your golf score lower.

Having the best equipment, the most expensive golf balls, or the coolest new golf jacket will NOT make you a better golfer – yet, millions and millions are spent in this industry every year.

Same with internet marketing.

I get many emails from folks who are so frustrated and jaded with internet marketing. Usually, somewhere in their email will be the statement that they have “tried everything and nothing works”.

When I politely ask them what they have tried….they end up telling me what they have bought….and how much they have spent.  But very rarely will people show me what they have DONE.

This breaks my heart.

It’s very hard for me NOT to ask, “Ok, you bought XYZ, can you show me how you tried XYZ?”  I’m afraid this would embarrass people – and I certainly don’t want to do that!  But why buy something if you’re not actually going to DO IT?  Buying is not trying.

There’s tons of people everyday that quit golf because they spent too much and nothing “worked”.  Same is true for internet marketing.  These are two of my favorite things…and I hate to see people leave feeling jaded and “scammed”.

If you buy something, but don’t learn to use it properly (or don’t use it at ALL) – how is this being scammed? I don’t get it.

The Only Thing That “Works” Is YOU

In golf, the only real thing that makes your game better is practice and DOING.  Once you learn some good golf mechanics, you repeat it over and over again on the course.  But ya gotta learn solid basics first and then PRACTICE them over and over.

Same with internet marketing.  Find a plan that suits you and DO IT over and over again.  You learn a TON by doing…and results only come from DOING, too.

I know it’s tough to get started.  I know its frustrating.  I know how hard it is to break thru that fear of doing it all “wrong” and just get something out there.

But ya have to do it.

I can’t think of anyone, in any sport or business, who tried something once and hit it rich.  Usually the most successful are not only the most dedicated, but they are also the ones who spend way more time than the majority of the population trying to always be better.

When Should You Buy Something?

This is a great question – when should you buy something to help your online marketing career?

Here are some situations where I think it is totally smart to buy something/spend money:

1.  You’re new and you need a plan of attack

I think this is why One Week Marketing is so popular.  When I was new, I needed a simple daily plan of action, so I created One Week Marketing for MYSELF.  It’s not all about concepts that might work if you figure them out and how to apply them… It’s not something else that adds to the fog and confusion… Instead, it is finally something that teaches you what to DO (and gives you some darn good internet marketing roots for the rest of your online career to succeed from).

2.  You realize you need to learn more and want to advance your knowledge

This is why I am such a BIG fan of Wealthy Affiliate.  I can’t think of another place online that is private, teaches you from very beginner and way beyond, and has 24/7 help in their awesome forum (not to mention all the tools they have, too).  If I could, I would get everyone and anyone I know to at LEAST sign up for the $1 trial that will happen next week (June 1st).  For $1, you can see and try everything inside Wealthy Affiliate and make a decision that works best for YOU.

BUT, there is limited space from what I understand.  If you think you might possibly even consider doing the $1 week long trial, go to the Wealthy Affiliate page here and get the free guide so you will on the list to know when it is first available.  To me, spending $1 to make a serious and informed decision for your business is extremely smart.

3.  There is a software or program that will save you time and enhance the business you are building

I like to offer bonuses to those that make a purchase thru my link.  The “downside” is the time it takes me to email all them bonuses out.  This is time I could be spending doing something else.  In this example, I am looking at this bonus software script that emails the bonuses FOR you.  To me, this would be a very smart purchase for me because it would free up my time so I can work on other things AND it makes my customer service that much better.

4.  You are paying someone to perform the processes that already work for you – or to free up some of your time so you can work on more profitable things (outsourcing).

I am doing more and more outsourcing as time goes by.  For me, it got to the point where it was humanly impossible to keep up with all I had going on.  I also outsource a lot of content generation for my niche sites and campaigns.  Now, I don’t see me ever outsourcing “PotPieGirl”, it sure helps and makes my bottom line better by outsourcing other things.

When Should You NOT Buy Something?

This answer is simple – don’t buy something if you have no plans, or no time, to implement what you’re purchasing.  And above all, don’t buy anything if your main motivation to purchase is because you think it is the “magic answer” that will replace effort on your part.

Nothing replaces you, your effort, and your knowledge.  YOU are your business…and for most of us, YOU are the only employee of your business, too.  If you owned and operated your own cleaning business, would you make more money by reading guides on how to clean – or by getting out there and cleaning?

However, getting someone to work with you, or getting better cleaning tools CAN make your business better and enable you to earn more – BUT, you still gotta get those houses cleaned….lol

When it comes to making money online, it all comes down to getting pages on the web, and eyeballs on the page.  HOW you choose to do that is totally up to you – but you gotta do it.

When you have those frustrated, nothing works type days, help yourself.  No, do NOT be your own worst critic – instead, be your biggest fan.

Common Internet Marketing Problems

There are three main problems people ask me about all the time -

1.  My web page ranks great but I get no traffic – Why?

One of two reasons a highly ranked page gets little to no traffic from Google -

a. There isn’t any search volume for that phrase.  If no one is looking for that phrase, how can you get traffic from it?

b.  Your title that is showing in a Google result isn’t compelling enough to get people to click it (simply re-work your page title and see if that helps)

2.  I get traffic, but no one clicks my links – Why?

Main reason for this is that people aren’t finding your links easily….or the invitation to click them isn’t interesting enough to the readers.  Try new wording and put your links in different places.  Most internet readers scan, they don’t read – and they won’t usually spend the time to hunt for a link to click next for more info.  They just use the back button.

3.  I get page views and traffic and people click on my links, But I’m not making any sales – Why?

Could be that the sales page for the product is not “talking” to the reader – it may not be what your targeted traffic is looking for.  Also, as much as I hate to say it, it could be a cr@p sales page that doesn’t convert.  In either case, think about testing another product.  Also please note, that “not making any sales” means after 100 clicks or so to me.  I’d really go with 200 clicks for many Clickbank affiliate products, but 100 clicks (and clicks that are NOT your clicks) is a good place to start considering another product for your readers.

Isn’t it funny that three of the main problems I just talked about require no money to be fixed?  They simply require YOU.

You don’t need to buy everything on the market to be successful with internet marketing.  However, you DO need to pick a starting plan and do it.  Do it alot…and keep your chin up… and most importantly -

Be your biggest fan and cheer yourself on.

While it might feel overly saturated in this make-money-online world, it’s really not.  Go to your local grocery store or a family gathering and I’d bet most people you talk to don’t have any idea what this is all about.

You are unique and you are doing something that most folks don’t know about and don’t understand.  You are fearlessly making big steps to change your financial future.  You aren’t staying where it’s “safe”, you are holding yourself accountable and making changes that YOU want for you and for your family.

In my opinion, that makes YOU very courageous!

Monetizing with PPP Audio Ads – To PPP or Not to PPP?

PPP, or Pay Per Play, Audio Ads are all the talk lately. Yes, I am one of the ones doing a lot of the talking about monetizing web sites with audio ads. I think PPP audio ads are an interesting concept, and for niche site owners like myself, they can be a good solution for sites that are hard to monetize/convert.

I use PPC on most of my niche sites. The Google AdSense program has been good to me and my earnings thru the AdSense program have been on a steady increase the past few months (with a little help ::wink wink::: ) This makes for a nice additional income stream.

What are PPP Audio Ads?

In essence, PPP audio ads are short 5-second audio ads that your visitors hear when they visit your site. These audio ads start automatically, they take up no real estate on your site, and the user has to do absolutely nothing for you to get paid.

Yes, you get paid with PPP ads for 100% of your web traffic.

	100% Free Opportunity
	Paid Weekly
	Earn off of your own website(s)
	Earn by referring others
	Limited Opportunity
	Breakthrough technology
	Massive Residual Income

Ok, sounds good, right?

What Kind of PPP Ads Will My Visitors Hear?

PPP claims that they have ‘big name’ advertisers on board. Advertisers such as Taco Bell and Harley Davidson.

PPP is a way for advertisers (Like Harley Davidson or Taco Bell) to serve a 5 second audio advertisement to website visitors. It is a way for advertisers to target their 5 second audio ad to specific interests, demographics and geographic locations.

Big TV’s ad revenue is dwindling because PPP offers advertisers a more cost effective advertising solution that has been providing positive Return on Investment (ROI) for over 2 years. PPP offers advertisers a way to reach their target audience and is the only form of media whose impressions and ad placements are verified by an independent 3rd party.

NetAudioAds™ PPP is not new, it has been running for 2 ½ years, has over 66,000 advertisers and over 550,000 websites that serve PPP ads to their visitors.

The 550,000+ websites that currently serve these ads are responsible for up to 43 million streams (impressions) of advertisers’ 5 second audio ads on a monthly basis.

PPP Compensation Plan

Ok, let’s talk money. With the PPP Audio Ads compensation plan, you will be paid:

• 25% of what the advertiser spends on PPP ads you serve on your own website(s).

• 5% of what the advertiser spends on PPP ads played on the website(s) of those you refer.

• 5% of what the advertiser spends on PPP ads played on the website(s) that your direct referrals bring on board.

Here is a good short video to better illustrate how the PPP compensation plan works, and examples of how much a participant could earn.

Nice compensation plan…paid weekly…. free to participate in.

PPP Advertising – The Cons

First off, this site monetization program is new. While many of us participating have already installed the code into our websites, the actual audio ads won’t run until February 1st. So yes, this is a new venture, basically unknown. Will it succeed? Will it flop on its face?

Naturally, there are the ones that are all gung-ho over this opportunity. Starting a downline with a brand new system such as this IS exciting. Heck, imagine being one of the first involved with AdSense… woooooooweeeeee!

And of course, we also have our skeptics. I came across this blog post that has this (and plenty more) to say:

No serious internet marketer is going to take the time to SEO a site for top search terms to deliver traffic to an advertising platform using offensive, intrusive advertising as a source of monetization it will offend surfers and cause them to bounce from the site. Taking away the real benefit of their SEO work and sites purpose of selling their own product, building a reader base or higher revenue affiliate conversions.

Fair enough. This blogger also went on to voice doubt over the reality of such a strong advertiser base that the PPP system claims to have and closes out the post with this:

With the combination of manipulative claims, Voice2Page’s insincerity with prior affiliates and turning website visitors away with the automatic audio plays a snowball in hell has a better chance of surviving than this one replacing Google Adsense or living up to the claims made by PPP.

Now, I am not picking on, nor am I singling out, this blog owner in anyway. He makes some valid points that I thought were worth sharing with y’all so you know ALL sides of PPP Audio Ads. Please take a moment to read his post here (it will open in a new window).

PPP vs AdSense PPC Ads

Currently you can use PPP ads on sites that you already have monetized with AdSense PPC ads so there is not a choice to be made, one OR the other. As for my personal opinion of PPP ads, well my first answer is, “Why not try it?”. I’ve tried so many other programs that didn’t work out for ME. I don’t see experimentation as a failure – I see it as smart business. So, I will – and I HAVE – added PPP audio ads to some of my niche sites.

Are PPP Ads Intrusive or Obnoxious?

Personally, I don’t think so. We’re talking a 5 second audio ad. I have come across banner ads and what-not that have TOTALLY irritated me. Experimenting with a 5 second audio ad doesn’t bother me. If it seems to bother my viewers, I will turn them off.

I have sites that are geared towards the younger crowd (ie, they don’t buy squat). These sites get a ton of traffic, but AdSense clicks are ok quantity-wise, but what I make per click is pretty sad.

It is niche sites like this that make PPP audio ads more attractive for me. Since it is against AdSense TOS to post my actual earnings per click and CTR (click thru ratio) stats, lets take a hypothetical poor-earning Adsense site.

Let’s say I have a niche site that is monetized with AdSense. The site gets 100 visitors a day and enjoys a whopping 20% CTR (click thru rate). Lets also say that each click earns me a massive 5 cents per click. That would be 20 clicks per day at 5 cents each meaning I earn $1 a day with AdSense on that niche site.

Now, if I add PPP audio ads to this same site and earn even only 2 cents per play, that would be an additional $2 per day for that site ( you get paid for each visitor – not each click). Since I can keep my AdSense, too, that same niche site would now be earning me $3 a day ( $90 a month) as opposed to $30 a month.

Not only that, but what if I have 4 site owners in my 2nd level downline, and they each have the same web stats as my niche site. I would also earn an additional 5% of their earnings each day, too. Not much, but its that little bit extra that could really add up and make a difference for me.

Based on that theory, PPP audio ads are definitely a site monetization option I want to experiment with.

To PPP or NOT to PPP

Each website owner will have to make his/her own judgement call on PPP audio ads on their site(s). As to whether the program will fall flat on its face or not – well, if PPP ads are planning to pay site owners every week, it shouldn’t take long to find out, should it?

I encourage each of you to take a look at PPP audio ads and make an informed decision for your online business. What’s the old saying?

“If only people jumped at opportunities as fast as they jumped to conclusions”

Read all the details of PPP Ads here

Get more info sent to you thru email here

Sign up for PPP Audio Ads here

Find Your Niche – Free Niche Finder Video

When learning how to start an online business, I’m sure you came across someone mentioning the phrase, “niche market”. The all-illusive, all-important target-market for your business known as your niche.

Niche. Some pronounce it “neesh” and some pronounce it “nitch”. Why? Heck if I know… I think it has to do with what side of the “pond” you live on and if you pronounce tomato as “toe-may-toe” or “toe-mah-toe”. In my personal opinion, if “niche” was supposed to be pronounced as “nitch”, then why didn’t we just spell it n-i-t-c-h?

Anyway….

Please, Define a Niche…

Finding a niche market in any business is crucial to its success. I read somewhere a great conceptual definition of a niche market. A niche is a market within a market, if that makes sense.

Lets take for example, Cat Food. The cat food market is pretty well dominated, right? If you were interested in penetrating that market it would feel like running into a solid, brick wall. However, in your niche research, you found a little chip in the brick wall….a little hole that you could work with. Say you found an area for cat food for adult cats, or cat food for indoor cats, and that market was NOT saturated with products, yet DOES have a market that is pretty much under-served. Bingo – you found a niche market.

Think: Vitamins. Think: Vitamins for Women. Think: Vitamins for pregnant women, vitamins for older women, vitamins for vegetarian women…etc etc. The niche finding thought process starts there. Then you do your market research and keyword research to find a viable market you can be profitable in.

Seems easy enough, right? Sadly, if you are like most of us, that brain freeze locks in. When you can think about anything in the world, why suddenly does nothing come to mind?

I’ve always wondered what brainstorming processes successful internet marketers use to find those golden niches. The internet is an endless buffet of brain food to feed a brainstorming session for a new niche market to conquer – what are their secrets?

How to Find a Profitable Niche Market

I found a fantastic free video entitled “Find Your Niche” that is put out by an extremely successful internet marketer names Jermaine Griggs.

Jermaine Griggs, is different from these other internet marketing guru types. Mr Griggs started off online with a grand total of $70 at the age of 17. He turned an idea into millions – and changed his life.

Jermaine’s niche is so unusual – so unique – and it turned into a goldmine for him. Ready for this niche he found? Learning Piano by Ear.

Can you stand it?? Who would ever think of that? and HOW did he think of that?

Jermaine shows this video of his sales from 2002-2007. You actually see him go from making $2000 to months of $112,000+… but I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that he makes this much as an online piano teacher (and 80% of his products are focused around gospel music at that).

I’m really excited to be talking about Jermaine today. He has a phenomenal site launching tomorrow where for a grand total of $2.97, I can get inside his brain for a full month. No, I didn’t misplace the decimal – that is two dollars and ninety-seven cents. I told ya, he’s not like the other $297 gurus…lol!

If you watch his video on his info page and see the story he tells of his up-bringing and the circumstances he rose above, you will most likely be just as amazed as I am at his accomplishments. Jermaine pretty much takes the phrase, “I can’t” out of our vocabulary as you see how he DID.

If anything, I sincerely recommend everyone go at least watch his video story. It’s just a few minutes of your time, it is put together in such an out-standing way….and it is so genuine and inspirational that, like me, you’ll get back to busting butt this week to make YOUR millions!

Here’s your links:

Find your Niche Video Instruction

Jermaine Griggs Personal Story

Jermaine Griggs Sales Proof Video Story

Have a great day!

P.S. I sure wouldn’t be a good little internet marketer if I didn’t tell you how YOU can promote Jermaine Griggs launch tomorrow. He has an EXCELLENT affiliate program. Click here for more info.

Brand New to Internet Marketing? Read my four-part blog series – How to START Making Money Online

To PPC or Not to PPC – That is the Question

Website traffic – gotta have it… all there is to it. PPC, or pay-to-click, advertising always seems to be the “easy” answer. Need traffic? Pay for it!

I have refused to go that route. I don’t want to pay for traffic, yet I know my online business is getting to the place where my niche markets are more refined and defined. My keyword lists are better…I’ve found “buying” niche markets..so why not throw some PPC advertising on these campaigns? Adwords can be learned. It’s not rocket science, but it is also something you do NOT go into blindly.

Ok, so I can learn and I can pay for traffic to my already profitable niche sites and make even more money. Right? Right.

To PPC or Not To PPC ???

Perhaps you are in this same situation – trying to decide if you are ready, willing, and able to pay for traffic thru Google Adwords. If you research the topic of PPC like I have, you may have also found many generous souls willing to charge us $97 or so for all the deep, dark secrets.

Also, perhaps you are thinking what I am. If I use PPC, I am cutting into my profits. There WILL be a learning curve. I WILL need to focus a lot of attention on my new PPC campaigns or else it WILL be a very expensive learning curve!

Ok, NOT to PPC, that is my answer.

Sorry folks, I am still all about FREE WEB SITE TRAFFIC. There is nothing better than organic, targeted traffic to your web site. I also believe that consumers have gone “ad blind” and don’t even see adwords ads anymore.

Free Web Site Traffic – the Solution

So, how do you get free traffic to your niche site or blog? This is where “Make Money Online – on a Budget” comes into play. This is a fabulous resource for many, many free traffic generating strategies – that work. Some of these strategies work very quickly, too.

Whether you are new to this make money online thing, or you’ve been doing this for some time, Make Money Online – on a Budget will give you great ideas, proven concepts, AND get traffic to your site or blog.

PotPieGirls Traffic Mindmap

No Traffic = No Sales = Bad
Random Traffic = 1 or 2 sales = Better
Paid Traffic = Lots of Traffic = Expensive
FREE TARGETED TRAFFIC = Lots of Sales = Pure Profit Revenue…and lots of it!

Gee, that PotPieGirl is a genius, isn’t she? (yes, I am picking on myself. It’s part of my charm…lol)

To PPC or Not to PPC – What is your answer?

If you are also toying with the idea to try PPC (Google Adwords) and think there is no other way to get high-volume traffic, stop for just a sec and check out these free traffic generating strategies. Even if you DO end up using PPC, you will need these strategies working for you, too.

Brand New to Internet Marketing? Read my four-part blog series – How to START Making Money Online

PotPieGirls Internet Marketing ToolBox

You know the commercials – the ones where they ask, “What’s in YOUR wallet?” – well, I’m about to sound like that right now.

What’s in YOUR IM toolbox?

What tools do you use, day after day, in your internet marketing business? I certainly have some tools that after a LOT of trial and error have become things I wouldn’t consider doing a day of business without.

I started off in this business using nothing but 100% free programs, methods, and platforms to make some money online.

Guess what happened? I DID make some money! I remember the way I felt when I made my very first commission online – a $7 ebook payment into my Paypal account.

I was amazed and my first thought was…. “Oh my God, this really works!”

I was off and running.

Slowly, more payments started coming in, and since I had no overhead I chose to reinvest my earnings into marketing tools that will make my business not only easier, but better.

I still completely advocate Squidoo, free blogs, and article marketing as a solid and cost-free method to make money online. Those 3 things combined make a sound vessel to sail your business with. However, there are now things I pay for that have enhanced my business model and made it sooooo much better (and yup – a lot easier on me, too.)

What’s in YOUR tool box, PotPieGirl?

Autoresponder

I have used the free auto-responders that are available such as www.freeautobot.com. They’re fine. They work..and they’re “fine”. Yes, you are extremely limited with the free options, but for a $7 script or basic needs, they work just fine.

aWeber…. I won’t go back. Oh my goodness, they sky is the limit with aWeber. The free 30 day trial impressed me enough to sign up on a monthly basis, but the more I use it, the more impressed I am.

In this business, there is nothing more important than your list. Capturing your visitors info and having contact with them is at the heart of all this.

Keyword Research

In the past, I about killed myself doing keyword research the free (and old-fashioned) way. I used free keyword tools such as this one from wordtracker and then would go hunt thru Google to see what my competition was and then make an educated guess from there. It worked fine. My friend, Luke, from SureFire Success System (an excellent system, by the way), has a free keyword tool that is one step better. Lukes tool also shows you how many searches a keyword receives and how many competing websites on Google. It works a bit better than fine. =)

Then, one day I tried the free trial from WordTracker. Holy smokes – internet marketing life will NEVER be the same. WordTracker gives you such better flexibility and results than any free research tool I’ve ever used. I highly recommend at least taking the free trial and playing around with it. You will be in awe – and, if you are anything like me, you will find yourself in there messing around with words for hours. I have found some really golden nuggets while playing with WordTracker. I love it – and I will never do old-fashioned keyword research again.

Domain Names

Yup, you read that right… PotPieGirl is now buying her own domain names! Since I’ve gotten such really great finds during my keyword research, I can’t help but make a real site for these hot little niches! Yes, I still make Squidoo pages and free blogs…and article marketing….but now all that work is to promote my actual web sites (that have an auto-responder opt-in box…gotta build those lists!).

I am in love with NetFirms. I am all about free things, but you can’t buy a domain name for free, can you? NetFirms offers domain names for $4.95! That is lower than I have found ANYWHERE.

Oh, wait! Speaking of domain names… I have found a cool little online tool (yes, it is free) that you can do while trying to think of domain names and to see what is available. This is yet another tool I can play with for hours.

Check out: BustAName.

Hosting

So, since I’ve let the cat out of the bag that I’m buying domain names and making niche sites, I guess you’re wondering where I am hosting my websites, right?

I’m not. Well, I don’t pay to have them hosted, anyway.

I’ll save that story for another day.

Brand New to Internet Marketing? Read my four-part blog series – How to START Making Money Online