If You Could Suggest Only One Element of Success, It Would Be…
So, I got one of those emails from a reader that asked 50 questions that all started with: “If you Could Only Have One [insert 50 different tools here] What Would it Be?” I’m about halfway through the list and when its done, I will let you know where its located… One of the questions however, was very tricky… yet surprisingly simple.
If I could suggest just one element of success for someone just starting out, what would it be? The answer has so many variables that come into play, like what type of site… who is the audience, etc, etc.. but when I pulled out my pen and paper to list the common factors amongst all of them, the single golden nugget was right there. After all, its my own biggest weakness also!
Without Offsite Marketing, You’ll Probably Fail
- You can have the best websites around!
- It can run faster than ALL it’s competition!
- It can be a great landing page that converts 100% of your visitors into action!
- Your site can be so well search optimized that the spider-bots get all hot and excited just by seeing it!
- You can have a product or solution that EVERYONE needs!
- You can write the best reviews around! (Or have them written for you!)
Without visitors though, you’re just that tree in the forest nobody hears hitting the ground when it falls. A Ghost-town… poof, nobody cares, nobody notices, nobody will miss you… pretty harsh, but very true! The search engines WILL give you the benefit of the doubt when you build a new site and launch it, but that’s about where it stops!
If YOU don’t get out there and make SOME NOISE (or have someone else making the noise for you) about your new website, you can just revert back to the previous statement… because it’s gonna fail! (And I have enough failed sites of my own to prove it!)
I mean, how many would visit the new Lawnmower repair shop on 31st street, if they didn’t advertise that they built it? How many people would keep coming back, if they stopped advertising it in the spring? Furthermore… How many would even care, since the competitors ARE Advertising their new store also? You gotta make noise! You don’t have to be the loudest, but you have to make some! And… once YOU start the noise making, your visitors have to continue making noise for you!
Offsite Marketing
There’s Two Main Ways to Start Making Noise Offsite
- Do It Yourself – You Go out and build links, build buzz, generate the noise!
- Hire Someone – You hire someone to build the links, get the buzz going, generate the noise!
And MANY Ways to Do It!
As long as you are careful and vet each place you link to/from properly (aka make sure they are related and not spam) Most links will count for something!
- Content Link Building – Contact site owners and sponsor, or write guest content!
- Directory Backlinks – Each one is worth a penny, so it takes more to be worth much!
- Blogroll Swaps – Make sure the sites are very relevant!
- Submit your RSS Feed to Related Mashup sites
- Search for Articles that would be linked to yours on eHow, Mahalo, etc (Seed your link buzz)
- Article Marketing – Article directories are just like link directories and losing value fast! The trick is to get your content picked up and posted to great sites! (Not the article directory)
- Link Wheels – Relatively new in 2010, but seem to work well when done right!
- Social Marketing – Twitter, facebook, and hundreds of others! Pain in the ass, I know. If you don’t do it yourself, hire someone to do it for you!
- Blog Commenting – Use these to join conversations, not build backlinks! (There’s a lesson in that statement)
- Volunteer to Moderate a Related Forum – This alone can have a HUGE impact!
- Answer Related Questions at Ask.com, Yahoo Answers, or any other UGC Question and Answer site.
- Write weekly “Lists” that are linked to the Topic Authority sites! – Giving links, usually gets links in return!
- Give Something Useful Away! – Create a tool that people will post on their website.
- Make it Easy for People to Link to you! – Use Social Widgets, Create pre-coded banners, etc.
- ASK for the Backlink! – Did you like THIS post that I just wrote? How about sharing it somewhere?
Rinse and Repeat – Never Stop!
There, you now have the one key thing, that Golden Nugget of information, that I think 95% of the Affiliate world misses… If I could suggest One Key Element of Success, it’s that you learn how to Market your Website! After your site is built properly, and until you have enough traffic to influence into marketing it for you, the majority of your efforts should be spent OFFSite, getting people to it!
Peace – Happy Holidays!
Previously Published Articles You May Like to Read:
- The Numbers Don’t Lie – Interest In Your Niche Equals Success!
- The 10 Essentials for Build a Niche Store Success
- Don’t Be a Tightwad – Reinvest for Success & Long Term Growth!
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I have been doing my part to "Build the Internet" since 1994, when I built my first website! Since then, I have built hundreds of niche websites for myself and many others, focused on design, applications, ecommerce, search optimization and internet marketing.
This is so true. Without offsite marketing, nobody is going to come. Having partners is probably the most important part on my opinion.
Great post Mark, looks like you gave me a great start on a duties list for a future assistant. =P
Mark,
Love the topic. For someone just starting out the thing that stands out is not to get wrapped up in ALL that you can do, just get started and complete something. The lessons taught by experience seem to be the ones that stick with us.
If you made me choose one thing however, it would be to read through all of YOUR site and gleen as much as you can. There is a wealth of information here!!
Great post.
one of those ah ha moments but if this is all done by oneself it could take up all of ones time promoting the site and for a beginner that is new to all this stuff just figuring out what works and how to go about it properly will take time.
t least we know what the problem is now and have some idea as to how to go about fixing it.
Appreciate your stuff Mark
@ All – Thanks for reading for sure.
I spend WAY TOO MUCH time on the building aspects of my own sites, overlooking the time that should be spent networking and marketing the sites.
M
Happy Holidays All: Mark as usual right on the money. As a newbie( I have been saying that for three years) the single hardest point that I have to keep hammering myself about is 10% on site 90% off site. It is so easy to get washed over by all the information and all the different ideas that Mark and many others offer. I found that I could loss an entire day just going from one idea to the next and getting nothing done. First rule: Pick one thing to work on,Article,Press Release,back link building. whatever it is pick just one and do it. if you get done great then go on to something else but commit yourself to getting one thing each day done for your site. If you can stick to that rule you will be ahead at the end of the week for sure.
DaveT
P.S. I hope you all like my new gravatar it is a self portrait sorta
Where would you find mashup sites to submit your RSS feeds to?
@Dave T – Er… Mt Einstein – Happy Holidays backatcha Dave! During the site build… 90% onsite, 10% off. After you open the gates, flip it – 10% On, 90% Off…
@Three Stooges – Do some searches for rss aggregators, rss news aggregators, or click this link: http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators
Alltop comes to mind… so you can also search for: “sites like alltop”
http://www.moreofit.com/similar-to/alltop.com/Top_10_Sites_Like_Alltop/
Mark
I think the one aspect for someone just starting out is the ability to work through diversity and not quit before they figure this stuff out. The internet is FULL of advice, much of it bad, and noobs can waste a lot of time and learn a lot of bad habits without even knowing it.
My 2 cents.
Merry Christmas Mark.
@Bill – Merry Christmas to you too Bill! Excellent point for sure! You have to go through a LOT of trial and error before you find what works for you and your specific site visitors.
Mark
@Bill – Bill you are so right about misinformation. It is easy to get lost in the maze. I would also add to your thought that the cost of all the mistakes also sends a lot of beginners over the edge.Many folks out there have figured out ways into your wallet. All the glitter ain’t gold
One way I’ve tried to approach this is to use link building as my “default” activity. When I’m not sure what to do next in my business, I go to link building. Even if it’s just a few forum links, when I find myself starting to drift, I build links.
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