Introductions Thread

Fantastic intro, thanks for going into such detail!

You know, that cash you'll have to invest will make up for some of the time you can't spend. You can pay someone else to spend their time.

In this situation where your time is limited (as it always is for all of us), you can always be focusing on the Pareto Principle, which says 80% of your progress comes from 20% of your efforts. If you can identify what that 20% is and focus on it almost exclusively, you should still be able to make some serious progress.

People are starting to call this "Pumpkin Hacking" too, referring to those pumpkin growing contests. You find out what pumpkin's use as steroids to grow to crazy sizes and feed them that exclusively.

Make sure you're spending your limited hours on tasks you can't pay others to do properly and cheaply. Then let them do the menial stuff like writing content or whatever else.

Sounds like you're in a great spot to me. Capable and ready to succeed!
 
Thanks for the kind words guys. I know Pareto principle, but have newer managed to apply it 100%. I probably need some persistence here.

Outsourcing is on my list, definitely. The thing with freelancers is that sometimes it takes so much time just to manage them, that you start thinking – should I just do it myself. I always remind myself that it’s not just individual task – it’s a process that I have to implement. If the task appears again, it will be way easier next time.

@mrodriguez27: I wouldn't pay, because I noticed that lots of information is here already (even updated). And you see here some of the same faces as well. I don’t know the reasons behind (I mean, I’m new to all this), but it seems people created this forum and moved here. On the other hand, if you want to read some particular older threads – then it’s really up to you. You can pay once, read it, browse around and cancel the subscription. My case was that I had a couple of links that lead to a protected section. But like I said, later I find information here in the crash course.

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BTW, I just saw they have BuSo Pro upgrade here. I think it's better value and better approach. Upgraded.
 
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Alright, it's time to buckle down. I'm not sure where to add this update because I don't think I'm ready to start a journal in the Laboratory. @CCarter was 100% correct...

CCarter said:
I hate the term 'side projects' BTW cause it conveys they are not serious projects and a frontal focus. Either there is a single focus or not. Side projects never get off the ground, hence why all the failed SEOs have dozens of side projects on a perpetual backburner.
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And after a long conversation with @Phenom, and getting some simple Automation techniques setup for my 'side projects' I've adjusted all my focus to one! I was really close to starting another 'side project' after lurking several threads to make some money fast before he talked some sense into me. With the basic automation setup, I can focus on this one project, while the other sits and slowly gains a following as well as let it age. I'm not even going to monitor the email for my other projects, my focus now is on one and I'm putting all of my available time into building this idea out. I'm turning off notifications to help from being side tracked, I need to get this one idea off the ground.

Once I start gaining some traction, I'll probably start a Journal so you all can see my journey and provide me with feedback and tips!

It's time and I wish I would have acted on it sooner!
 
Excited to be here! I hope to make a home in this forum, learn and contribute positively to discussions too. My objective is to start a long-term project to develop my skills.

Briefly, I seek a career in project management and maybe Information systems management in the future, so I'd like to put a few projects on my belt. I gotta build them myself cause no one would hire me.
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I've tried a few projects before and failed miserably, (does not starting count as failing?). I was down before i got out of the blocks man! I identified the cause of my failure to be a desire to make $$$$ REAL quick. Now I'm gunning for a long slow business that grows progressively into a Big brand. Hopefully.

4 or 5 years down the line, I'd like to brandish all sorts of titles on myself and get those big job noobs will be trying to land with no experience like I've been trying to. I'm not trying to make big money and retire young, though If the chance presents itself, I will take it.

Right now, I'd just like to start a project I'd be proud to show off in an interview. One that pays for itself or is low maintenance.
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Do you have a background in any of the skills that the people you manage will be expected to have? Marketing, PPC, SEO, Scripting, Front-End Design, etc.?

Starting a big authority site is definitely a good way to dip your hands into each of those jars. Seems like quality proof that you can manage those specific skills too, especially if you can show the site is earning a profit.

Then there's the challenge of showing that you manage people... but that could come with the growth of the site and you beginning to manage a content team, a developer, a graphic designer, etc.

Then at that point, you might even decide you don't need or want a job!

Good luck, stick around and let us know how it's going. We're happy to discuss everything and anything.
 
Ryuzaki said:
Do you have a background in any of the skills that the people you manage will be expected to have? Marketing, PPC, SEO, Scripting, Front-End Design, etc.?
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Thanks for your comment. I have a little experience with Facebook ads, no skill in the rest. I guess that is where my main challenge will be.

I'm looking for a project that will be based on a theme or script that won't need a lot of work to turn into an MVP. Any threads you'd recommend? I'd appreciate it.
 
I was fairly active on WF, spend time in a tight Skype group and have been lurking here for quite a while. I am from Nebraska, but have lived in Chicago for the last 20 years.

I work a day job running eCommerce PPC for a large company. I also handle the technical side of things for SEO - working as a liaison between an agency and our IT department. I have a few clients on the side (mostly PPC work) and build the occasional website.

I decided to join as I am looking for a home and will be building a new site soon and may need to get some opinions.
 
Welcome home!

Do you guys constantly split test for thousands (or however many) of products? Or does it eventually hit a stride and become set and forget to a degree? Do you deal with burnout where an ad starts as successful but slowly 'rots' with that demographic until you switch it?
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My experience with large non-tech/non-digital companies is that AB testing is often talked about, but very rarely done. The non-digital executives and management - even in $billion dollar companies - make breaking out of the committee based decision loop difficult.

For a while I was able to use VWO across our entire website. I was given the freedom to test pretty much anything and we were learning A LOT. We were beginning to make decisions based upon test results. This came to a crashing halt when a division/product VP stumbled into one of my tests. I was testing a new headline. It turned out that he personally approved the old headline and absolutely lost his mind at the test. He didn't care that our tests showed the new headline was a statistical winner. I had one more of these incidents with a different VP and the plug was pulled.

That said, it appears that upper management likes to talk about AB testing (heard rumors that someone on the Board of Directors asked about it) because we purchase an expensive yearly license for Adobe Test & Target. I was also sent to training at Adobe. We purchase the license every year and yet...

We have never installed the software.
 
^ Ego over Money! :(

The reason I asked was just out of curiosity. I spoke with a friend who isn't in the industry but knows a lot about constructing databases and cataloging info, etc. He's a super nerd who catalogs his own belongings and collections lol. Anyways, he has friends who know the same things and are in the industry.

He told me about one specific guy who was a master at the entire process from the pitch to finish.

He could contact a company, explain them the benefits of a PPC campaign or optimizing an existing one. He could be a one-man army doing it. He'd always end up on salary or whatever, no percentages. He'd swoop in, increase their profits, optimize and increase it more, then they'd get rid of him because he was expensive and he'd already set it up. Then they'd typically bring in some free intern to manage it from there.

He'd do such a good job and be honest enough that he'd work himself out of a job over and over again.

It'd be great if those campaigns burned themselves out, but on eCommerce with a ton of products, I really doubt it.

^ Honesty over Money! :(
 
Ryuzaki said:
He'd do such a good job and be honest enough that he'd work himself out of a job over and over again.
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When it comes to PPC, a well set up campaign, in an established ecommerce vertical, can often run for a long time with relatively small changes. It's one of the big secrets of agencies and why the best agencies have terrific story-tellers facing the client. Google has so many unused/underused features that it's easy to promote various upcoming efforts and explain the positive outcome. Even if sales didn't go up you built the cookie pool or made it one step closer to a fully automated Shopping data feed - which show great promise during the next big sales cycle.

Always selling.
 
Hey guys!

I'm John from Montreal. Been an Affiliate marketer and media buyer for nearly 2 years and I recently stopped doing this to focus on building an (hopefully) successful content website.

Hopefully I can learn a trick or 2 about websites while I'm here.

Thanks!
 
Welcome fellow canuck... love montreal in the summer. I am not too far from you in Ottawa.
 
Hey BuSo!

I've been lurking for a while, figured it was time to participate...

I'm 26 years old, new father, from North Jersey. Been in the affiliate marketing game since 2011 (dabbling in college). After experiencing cubicle life for a couple years I got serious about online business. After cutting back to part-time and remote, finally quit my day job about a year ago.

Currently operating a low to mid 6 figure/year authority website portfolio, primarily in the Amazon affiliate space (with plenty of exceptions). Growth rate is right around 30% YoY for the past 4 years. Looking to scale up my business while also helping others who are earlier on in their path. Really impressed by the amount of quality information and people in this community.

Cheers!
 
Sinclair89 said:
Currently operating a low to mid 6 figure/year authority website portfolio, primarily in the Amazon affiliate space (with plenty of exceptions). Growth rate is right around 30% YoY for the past 4 years.
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That's fantastic. How long did it take you to ramp up to the 6 figure mark? And if you don't mind saying, how many sites is the portfolio comprised of and of those is it an even spread of income or does one or two make the bulk of profits?

Glad to have you on board.
 
Ryuzaki said:
That's fantastic. How long did it take you to ramp up to the 6 figure mark? And if you don't mind saying, how many sites is the portfolio comprised of and of those is it an even spread of income or does one or two make the bulk of profits?

Glad to have you on board.
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Great question. Amazon is tricky to measure because of the 4th quarter explosion in earnings (usually 3-4x monthly earnings for me). December 2014 I had my first 5 figure month, about 4x December 2013. It drops off a little in January, but I've been adding health/fitness sites to offset that (now it's probably my 3rd or 4th best month of the year).

Portfolio is about 25 sites under development, bulk of the earnings come from 5-6 right now. I build completely white hat so the ROI is a lot longer (but the assets more durable).

Thanks for the welcome!
 
I hear you about the December Christmas Gift to January Drop. That's smart about Fitness and Health to take advantage of New Year's Resolutions. I know some countries have things like "Boxing Day" where returns and over-stocks are put on massive sale. That might be an idea to help you make up some losses, even if it's just additional pages on existing sites.

25 Sites, nice. I once had that many sites rolling and more but couldn't give them the attention they needed. If I had been in a position of having even maxed out the potential of one I could have outsourced a lot and let the rest play catch up, but I put the cart ahead of the horse. My current approach is that I chose a giant vertical so that it'd be impossible to max it out and I could focus all of my resources on one site so it could snowball like a maniac.

I did once have the idea in my "EMD MFA" days (exact match domain, made for advertising) to make a site for every single holiday that required gift purchases for the same reason you mentioned. Instead of taking a dip during those times I'd see an explosion. Never got around to it, but it would have been fun. At this point, I might eventually create posts for the same reason. "Best Father's Day Gifts for _____" style.

You sound like you're slaying it. Happy to hear it.
 
Ryuzaki said:
I hear you about the December Christmas Gift to January Drop. That's smart about Fitness and Health to take advantage of New Year's Resolutions. I know some countries have things like "Boxing Day" where returns and over-stocks are put on massive sale. That might be an idea to help you make up some losses, even if it's just additional pages on existing sites.

25 Sites, nice. I once had that many sites rolling and more but couldn't give them the attention they needed. If I had been in a position of having even maxed out the potential of one I could have outsourced a lot and let the rest play catch up, but I put the cart ahead of the horse. My current approach is that I chose a giant vertical so that it'd be impossible to max it out and I could focus all of my resources on one site so it could snowball like a maniac.

I did once have the idea in my "EMD MFA" days (exact match domain, made for advertising) to make a site for every single holiday that required gift purchases for the same reason you mentioned. Instead of taking a dip during those times I'd see an explosion. Never got around to it, but it would have been fun. At this point, I might eventually create posts for the same reason. "Best Father's Day Gifts for _____" style.

You sound like you're slaying it. Happy to hear it.
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Focus is definitely an issue, but I'm trying to scale with systemized teams of writers/editors/VAs so my focus - in theory - is less of an issue. I find that I can get burnt out with just a single vertical. I like the variety. Also, it's helpful to apply lessons learned in one niche across the whole portfolio. It also keeps me on my toes, always with an eye for new trends to capitalize on...

I like the idea of "best gifts for x". I've even thought of a "gift idea" authority site to capitalize on ALL the occasions.
 
Oh no...

Although, welcome. But don't you dare. LOL
 
Golan said:
Oh no...

Although, welcome. But don't you dare. LOL
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Tucky said:
Play nicely sir Galacon!
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Tuck, I shall endeavor to be a pleasant and constructive member of this community. From first appearances, this appears to be a fairly douchbag-free zone so I should be able to restrain myself.

However, should someone activate one of my trap cards, all bets are off. :evil:
 
is OP a brony? because I googled his username and it came up with loads of brony shit lol
 
Hello folks,

I'm new here. Have been playing around with the Buso Lightning theme. Wow, awesome stuff.

I noticed that the release notes said 2.0 was current. However, when I look at the version as running on a site, it shows 1.4. Not sure if that's supposed to be the case.

Anyways, love the site and theme. Great stuff.

Thanks,

Badger
 
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