Trying So Hard Not To Get Side-Tracked

Okay, so I'm sort of getting somewhere. It's not much, I know, but I finally have something to work on. A site where I can use all the methods the gurus and the high priests of internet marketing preach.

The things is... it is still so hard to keep focused! I get tempting emails every day. Maybe this other opportunity is better. Maybe there is more traffic there... maybe it is something people are searching for more. Maybe they buy more of that product...

The things is, there is money everywhere! I cannot jump around from one opportunity to the next. I need to learn how to make money with the site I've got. Only when that site produces a substantial income, should I move on.


So what have I done so far, and what am I doing next?

Well, so far I've created a product -- an eBook. So it's basically nothing more than a pdf-file that people can download. After they pay, of course.

I have a "sales letter" kind of a website, so the first thing people see when they come to my site, is a letter explaining all the fantastic benefits of this book. And then it asks them for their money.

So I have a product and a sales letter ... and a way of collecting money in between. And then there was the traffic part. I started out buying clicks on Google, and that is working out well, so there is no need to stop that traffic.

I've also started writing articles and submitting them, and I'm seeing a trickle of traffic from those articles now. They also create incoming links, which makes Google and Yahoo and MSN understand my site is important, so it ranks better for my main keywords.

Oh, and I implemented an affiliate program and a sales letter for the affiliate program, and an affiliate tips newsletter for my affiliates only. Then I submitted that program to some of the affiliate directories, and I'm starting to see some incoming traffic that way -- but nobody's signed up yet (after 42 pageviews of the affiliate sales letter).

What to do with the incoming traffic?

Now this seems like I'm finally gone crazy. I've just told you what I do with the traffic. I send it to my sales letter, and then they buy.

After they buy, they can opt in to my "customers only" newsletter -- which is the only way they can get upgrades to the book (why not?!) and other offers from me. Fair enough.

The thing is, I'm probably loosing out at the front here. All the king's horses and all the king's men say that your first and holiest goal should be to capture email-addresses. And the logic is simple -- you know they're interested, and now you can market to them again and again.

-- So I tried that, but within several hundred of visitors, only 2 opted in (the late Corey Rudl used to say that you should at least get 20% to opt-in). And it also killed my sales.

Now that's a bomb!

So I'm trying to revise the opt-in thingy. I bought some advice from Charlie Page, and when it arrives and I get to test it, I'll tell you about it.

You've got mail

Here comes another great offer to spend my time doing something completely different. Gotta stay clear. Gotta stayed focused.

See you soon!

Love,
Sten