The Internet, A Never Ending Gold Rush

QUOTING MYSELF WITH A SELFIE.... :) I agree with everyone. I believe the "Gold Rush" will last until someone replaces the internet with a new medium... About 10,000 years from now....hehe... what do you think ? 

 

I look at the internet as being a reflection of the off-line world. It is and will continue to be a dynamic environment. Everyday someone is inventing a new product or technology that will spin off 1000s of niches. And remember this, there is an effect that I see rarely (if ever) communicated.

Even if you're in a crowded market, people drop out of that market daily. Stick with it long term and you will float to the top. And I also think that the same crowded market can vanish from relevance when you come in with a far superior product or service. The longer you're in the game, the more you learn, the better you become... failure is not an option. 

 

Enjoy the Ride, Read along! I'm very passionate about this. I think there is a lot of opportunity online. I just think a lot of people don't have the direction they need to capture it... And I wanted to add: The internet is not going to go away unless something better replaces it down the road which would probably only create more opportunity for us. I believe that the internet and off-line world will merge and create huge opportunities in the years to come. 

 

And remember, it's growth into the global sphere has barely gotten off the ground. There is a whole world out there that hasn't even jumped on board the World Wide Web! Hang in there... It's a number game! This is something I posted on the Warriors Forum after having a small, short drought. 

 

I hadn't made a sale for a longer than average period. I finally made one this day and had to communicate how I felt to someone. It sort of developed into more than that. QUOTING MYSELF WITH A SELFIE AGAIN:

I just want to say, I love this internet stuff!! To all the newbies out there that are just getting started with their online businesses and haven’t seen the first sale yet or anyone that’s having a streak of bad luck... I just wanted to take the time to tell you to HANG IN THERE.

 

 There is nothing better than being in business for yourself. I’ve been my own boss for years; I had a remodeling business a few years ago…

I’m so conditioned to working on my own that I think it would drive me crazy if I had to punch a clock again. Getting up without an alarm clock every day is so nice. It is so exciting when someone actually spends money on one of your products. You've worked so hard on your website or choosing the perfect affiliate programs that are going to offer the best products at the highest commission. It's great when you see that hard work pay off. My main product is affiliate programs and Adsense. 

 

I’ve been doing PPC for a long time, but once in a while I fall into a rut like I have been the last week or two. It’s a little worry some, but I keep doing the things that I’ve always done.  

 

I keep my eye on the ball and don’t let up. I stick to my routine. I work on my site, I write my articles, I fine tune my PPC campaigns and add new ones, I study SEO, I learn from e-Books and Forums about the online business, and just systematically work the plan... yes, I do have a plan. I’ve been a salesman for a long time. There is one thing I’ve learned from my sales experience that can be translated to online world:
 

Numbers. Numbers. It’s all about numbers. I can possibly sell life insurance. I work with a couple different brokerages and can literally quote 100s of companies for any one person in minutes. I use various lead systems to find prospects. 

 

About 2 years ago I  got with a lead program to sell "Computer Hardware Products" This one company really had an incredible system that really drove home the importance of knowing your numbers...
 

Here were my numbers selling Hardware Products: If I got leads per week, made phone calls, I would set 5-7 appointments, and make 2-3 sales... Consistently. It’s a numbers game. It never failed. If I was making $2000 per month I could double that just by doubling the leads and the phone calls… of course it probably helps to be a good salesman also. 

MY POINT: It’s the same way with online business. If you see X number of people, you will make X number of sales. This is why I don’t worry. I can predict when I am due. I know my numbers. (i.e., I’ve had 300 clicks without a sale, I normally get one sale every 200 clicks... ... 

 

Maybe that's why I like PPC, it's a numbers game. I’m certainly not making 1 million dollars a year online (yet). But I know it’s just a matter of time. More traffic = More sales
 

If I consistently work my plan and stick to my routine I will realize success... actually a nice 6 figure income would be sufficient. And so can all of you! It may not happen overnight, but it will happen if you’re persistent. 

 

I could write an eBook, but I just wanted to take a few minutes and communicate my experience... I’m off a fresh sell after a short drought and still have the residual adrenaline effects running through my body. So please forgive me. Stick with it everyone and I’ll see ya’ll at the top!!

END QUOTE 

 

Sometimes I get in the zone and write something profound... Have a wonderful day.

The Trouble With Managing Forums

The main trouble with forums is that the medium is imperfect, but what on earth is perfect anyways. Therefore we have to rely on one of our senses to interpret our communications with each other.
Our sense of sight.
You have people from all over the world. Different backgrounds, different educations, different values, different attitudes, and different personalities. The medium itself is expressionless. Expression and body language are big parts of communication. Many forums have used smileys as a means to express yourself better by giving the post a mood. There are many little notations you can add to express your mood or reactions. Unfortunately even those can be misinterpreted easily by different people. There is also the writing experience of the poster that is a factor. There are different levels of posters - beginner to advanced all mixed together. There are different styles of writing influenced by education or geography. Every forum has rules that can be slightly different from one to another. One will allow a little self promotion and another will prohibit it. Sometimes it's a fine line to follow.
A large issue is the fact that we often depend on the number of posts a person has to determine the validity of statements or intentions. Many posters with a few posts are in awe of those with thousands. If you have 3000 posts, you can say something about anything and have an impact whether it's based in truth or not...
The volume of posts alone cannot determine intelligence or the experience of the poster. One person can have 100 posts of pure brilliance. Each post composed of profound thoughts, well written comments, smart ideas, and relevant information. Another can have 4000 posts which are composed of nothing more than fluff. Most contributing little to the forum.
Someday I hope to see a universal method that stretches across all forums. Create a way to document a persons journey and experience in forums. Essentially a fingerprint that can be implanted in the posters profile. A stand alone database that can be accessed for information on this poster. That combined with some new innovations to help communicate... Is it a size factor. The larger the forum the easier to control.
I don't think so. It's the management of the forum. The Administrators or Moderators are in control. The trouble is some forums lack leadership. I've seen, on several occasions, forums destroyed or at least wounded, because of the lack of control. Then regular people in the forum will try to act as police and it will mushroom into a war. The Admin or Mods need to police the halls. They need to control the crowds.

It can happen fast. One second all is calm. The next, the forum is on fire. A Policing Presence is so important. Also there must be a clear system of conduct. Clear to anyone stepping foot through the doorway. There also has to be a clear discipline policy that is followed to a "T". It's not an easy task to keep things together. This is especially true for a newer forum. Unless you already have a team of people in place you can trust to control things, it's a crap shoot. So, know, if you are considering starting a forum for any reason, it's not as easy as just uploading it to your server and letting the visitors have at each other.

You have to have a game plan. It has to be well thought out. Try and recruit some people to help you out with it. This is if you have the traffic and expect a lot of signups. If the process is slowed it may be easier to control on your own and people will grow with the forum. But if you dump hundreds of people from all over the world in a short period of time... look out! And lastly, it does depend on the topic of the forum. If it's a forum about Scams, you will attract the scammers as well as the people trying to get help. If you create a forum for hungry entrepreneurs, expect some conflicts. If you have a forum about the Care of Rabbits, you'll probably be safe.

Certain topics will attract certain personalities. Just some thoughts about the subject I had on my mind. It's interesting. Forums have become a good way to create community. So I know a lot of people are already doing it or probably considering it. You just have to know that it will take some of your resources (i.e., time especially) to manage it. This isn't a thing that can just put up and forgotten about. Plan well before taking it up. Have a nice day.