What is SBI? A one minute introduction

July 29, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 15 Comments
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Business, Sitesell and Site Build It

I’m going to try something different today.

Instead of a long post telling you lots of reasons why I like, use, and recommend SBI, I’m going to present this video introduction.

It’s about a minute long and goes pretty quickly, so pay attention…

Whew!

I bet you didn’t have time to read all that, did you?

One of the great things about watching video on the Internet is that we can stop it at any time and select parts of the video to re-watch.

If you missed anything or if you want to read all that it says, watch it again and stop it at any point.

Just wait. When you use SBI and start to understand all it does to help you build a real online business, you’ll find that describing and explaining it is difficult, too.

SBI remains my most important recommendation. Don’t build a website, build an e-business.

Act on your dream!

P.S. I’m both a very happy customer and an affiliate, too.

Tags: SBI, Sitesell, Video

Mac OS X Lion – Have you upgraded?

July 28, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 9 Comments
Filed under: Apple Computer, Mac OS X, Macintosh, iCloud, iOS, iPad

This article is for my fellow Macintosh users and may not be of any interest to you if you don’t have a Mac or plan to buy one.

Mac OS X Lion

On July 21, 2011, Apple announced, “Lion Downloads Top One Million in First Day.”

The announcement went on to say, “Apple® today announced that in just one day, over one million users bought and downloaded Mac OS® X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system.”

I’ve been reading about Lion for some time and I recently watched, for the third time, the video of the June 6, 2011 keynote presentation at the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Since then, I’ve read everything I can find concerning news and reviews of Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and iCloud. This fall, we’re going to see an incredible leap forward in utility and ease of use for Apple products — if it all works well.

Graphic of the Mac App Store showing OS X Lion

Purchase Mac OS X from the Mac App Store

For the first time ever, the newest version of Mac OS X 10.7, called Lion, was released as a download from the new Mac App Store. Traditionally, new versions of Mac OS X have cost $129.00 and could be installed on one computer. With the release of Lion, the price was dropped to $29.00 and it can be installed — legally — on all computers in the household that have the same Apple ID. In my case, that’s two computers, so that means it’ll cost $29.00, instead of $238, to upgrade to Lion.

Caution! Warning! Be Aware!

This is a major upgrade to Mac OS X and you need to do a few things before impulsively installing the upgrade.

There are a few things you need to know before upgrading to Lion.

Apple says this:

Step 1:
Make sure your Mac can run Lion.
Your Mac must have an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor to run Lion. Find out if your current Mac has one of these processors by clicking the Apple icon at the top left of your screen, then choosing About This Mac.

Step 2:
Make sure you have the latest version of Snow Leopard.
Get up to date with the latest version of OS X Snow Leopard to purchase OS X Lion from the Mac App Store. If you have Snow Leopard, click the Apple icon and choose Software Update to install Snow Leopard v10.6.8, the latest version.

Step 3:
Download OS X Lion from the Mac App Store.

Your system also needs at least 7 GB of available disk space and a minimum of 2 GB of RAM.

You should also be aware that many older applications written for PowerPC processors worked in Mac OS X version 1.6.x Snow Leopard, using emulation software called Rosetta. None of those applications will work with Lion. This includes a large number of popular applications such as older versions of Photoshop, Quicken, Quickbooks, Microsoft Office, and many others. If you use these applications, you should check with their manufacturers to see if there is an upgrade path to versions that will work with Lion. Upgrading your software may be expensive, so you may want to consider alternatives.

A few examples of alternative applications

I bought professional-level software decades ago and have been using it until now. With the change to Lion, many of the apps will no longer work, and I decided not to pursue the upgrade path (and expense) offered by the original vendors. So, I went looking for alternatives.

For decades I’ve done my business accounting with QuickBooks. Rather than upgrade, I’ve switched to a cloud-based accounting system called Kashoo. It is accessible via browser, so it can be used by Windows and Mac users (and others) as long as you use a compatible browser. I use Safari and it works fine.

They recently released an app that is supposed to be a free, stand-alone accounting system that runs on iPad (not iPhone or iPod). It is also said to interface with the online version of Kashoo. I have not tried it, but I plan to get the app as soon as I buy an iPad. I won’t recommend it until I try it, but you can read about it: Kashoo Accounting – Kashoo, Inc.

I’ve replaced Photoshop with a nice application called Pixelmator, from the Pixelmator Team. It does everything I did in Photoshop at a fraction of the price. It is developed specifically for Mac OS X and takes advantage of many operating system features not available in other photo and image editing software. I’ve been using it for months and it has performed flawlessly (except for about a week when they released the upgrade for Lion and it quit working on Snow Leopard — this has been fixed and the current version runs on both).

I haven’t used Microsoft Office for nearly 20 years. Until last year, I’ve been using OpenOffice and then changed to NeoOffice (a version that has been adapted for Macs). Last year, I started using Apple’s products, instead. For word processing and desktop publishing, I use Pages, from Apple®. For spreadsheets, I use Numbers, from Apple®. For presentations, I use Keynote, from Apple®. All of them do everything I need and more.

There are other applications that won’t work on Lion and there are a many alternatives. I’ll stop here. These are the products that I use in my business and I rely on them.

Learn more about Lion

You can learn more about OS X Lion – Apple® in the Mac App Store.

Bleeding Edge of Technology

I’ve been using Macintosh computers since 1984, when they were first introduced. In my youth, I lived on the leading edge of technology (as it pertains to Macs) and would upgrade as soon as a new version of the operating system was available and I would buy and install new applications as soon as possible.

Later, I joined the Apple developer program and had access to beta releases of the software. That’s when I moved from the leading edge of technology to the bleeding edge.

As is usual with most beta software, there are bugs that haven’t been found and squashed, yet. (While this is true in all software, it’s a bigger problem in beta software that is not ready for general release and use.)

Over the years, I got burned a few times by installing pre-release software on the computers I depended upon for earning a living. Sometimes a new install would necessitate days of problem solving before the system became stable, again.

Wiser as I age

I like to imagine that I’ve learned from my experiences and have gotten wiser.

(The truth may be that I’ve gotten lazier and don’t want to deal with unnecessary problems.)

So, as much as I want to go ahead and purchase Lion and install it on my business computers, I’m taking a short “wait and see” look at what others are experiencing.

I’m reading many, many glowing reports of how easy the installation process is and how well the new system works. I’m also finding a lesser number of reports of the system not recognizing a hard disk, errors with disk partitions, application compatibility problems, and other assorted problems associated with upgrading to a new major operating system version.

For the last 15 years, I have waited to upgrade to major releases of operating systems or applications until the first maintenance “bug squashing” update. So, that means that I would rather wait to install version 10.7.1 rather than 10.7.

I’m tingling all over

I want to learn this new system and put it to work as soon as possible, because I want to be up to speed and ready when iOS 5 and iCloud are released in a few weeks.

So, even though the rational, logical voices in my head are saying things like, “be patient,” and “it’ll be better if you wait,” the exuberant, passionate voices are screaming, “DO IT! DO IT NOW!”

As I see that the reports are mostly that the installation went very well and people are loving the new OS, I’m paying more attention to the voices that are screaming at me to do the upgrade now.

Have you upgraded? How did it go for you?

So, I’m seeking your advice and reviews. (Thank you very much, in advance!)

Have you already purchased and installed OS X Lion?

How did it go for you?

If you were a voice in my head, what would you be whispering or screaming?

(Keep it clean now, there may be children and immature adults reading this.)

Act on your dream!

P.S. The affiliate program for iTunes, the iOS App Store, Mac App Store, and iBookstore are managed through LinkShare. Partner for free with 500 of the Internet’s top online merchants!

Tags: Apple, Mac App Store, Mac OS X, Macintosh, operating system, upgrade

Mind mapping is an incredible way to brainstorm and organize

July 27, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 24 Comments
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Facebook, Mind Mapping, NovaMind, Sitesell and Site Build It, Squidoo Lenses

Did you ever wake up one day and go to work, school, the club, church, or somewhere else and everyone was talking about that great party last night? You know, the one that everyone else went to and had an outrageously good time, but you never heard about it until it was over?

I feel a bit like that today.

Except for the fact that the party is still going strong. I just missed the first few years of it.

What the heck are you talking about, JD?

Have you ever heard of something called mind maps? The process of creating a mind map is called mind mapping.

I just heard of it about three days ago, and I’ve been studying everything I can find about it for the last two.

Where have you been all my life, mind maps?

I am far from being an expert on this, but it has already changed my life when it comes to brainstorming, planning, and organizing my life and my business.

Hard to believe, isn’t it?

For decades, I’ve tried all kinds of systems to help me keep track of everything and to help me plan my life and achieve the goals I set for myself. I’ve tried big whiteboards, notebooks, databases, spreadsheets, project management software, and others, and each of them has been valuable to some degree, but they’ve all had shortcomings, too.

That will probably be true of mind mapping, as well, but — so far — it’s the best way I’ve ever found for organizing my life and work.

I’m not going to tell you the history of mind maps (you’re welcome), but I will point you to some interesting resources.

Tony Buzan invented mind mapping, I think

Apparently, Tony Buzan created this process and wrote several books about it. One of those books, The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential, may be helpful if you want to learn more about mind maps and how to use them.

There are a lot of websites and many videos on YouTube that are devoted to mind maps and how to use them for various purposes. I visited several dozen sites and spent most of an afternoon watching the videos, before I decided that this was something I wanted to learn.

iMindMap Software

ThinkBuzan.com is the official site for Tony Buzan’s mind mapping software, called iMindMap. I have not tried that software. I found this site rather late in my searching on the subject and I’d already found a couple of applications that I liked and had already started using. They have an affiliate program. I am not an affiliate, although as I learn more about this subject, I may apply. It looks attractive.

The main reason I am not an affiliate is because my policy is to recommend only products I use and which help me run my business more effectively. If I had found this site earlier in my searching, I might very well have decided to use it. I don’t know.

MindMeister

One of my friends, Pat, was the first to recommend MindMeister, which is a tool she uses. They offer several versions, including a free version. Here is their versions and pricing information.

I can’t comment on the software, since I have not used it.

MindNode

As you may know, I am a Macintosh person and I prefer to buy programs that I can use when I am not connected to the Internet — especially when I’m brainstorming and organizing. I find it much less distracting when I’m not being tempted to check on Facebook and see what’s going on, for instance.

I found several applications that run on Mac and on iOS mobile devices. I have an iPod Touch and carry it everywhere with me. It is my portable memory.

I compared a couple and downloaded the free version of MindNode.

I put it right to work and really like it. It’s easy to learn and fun to use. You can get it free from the Mac App Store: MindNode (free) – Markus Müller

Of the tools I tested, it remains my favorite for easy brainstorming and organizing of my thoughts. It’s like drawing on paper or a whiteboard, but I can save it on my computer and come back to it later.

Here’s the start of one of the mind maps I created with it, within just a few minutes of installing MindNode from the Mac store:

An early version of the mind map for John Dilbeck

As I said, earlier, I really like MindNode and I’ll be using it for relatively simple mind maps.

I like to support software developers, so I’ll be purchasing the Pro version of MindNode, which adds a few extra features. You can learn more about it on the Mac App Store: MindNode Pro – Markus Müller

As I said earlier, I carry my iPod Touch with me every where I go and I’ll be buying an iPad for demonstrating my services to my clients and for brainstorming with them and discussing projects.

There is a version of MindNode available for iOS and it works on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. I bought it and I like it. Here it is in the iOS App Store: MindNode – Markus Müller

The description of the product says the iOS version can interchange mind maps with the Pro version of the Mac app. I have not tested this, so I can’t verify it. It will read several import formats and export to others. I have not tested these features, either, other than one simple test that worked with no problem.

NovaMind for Macintosh and Windows

As much as I like MindNode, I could already tell that it was not going to work for all I wanted to do with mind mapping. It remains my first choice for relatively simple mind maps with a few dozen nodes, but when I continued to add to the map I showed above, it got harder to use. I knew that it would not support the really complicated mind maps I could already see in my mind.

For example, here’s part of a complicated mind map I’m creating in NovaMind:

A graphic of a mind map created in NovaMind.

John Dilbeck's Master mind map in NovaMind

This mind map has grown rather more complicated since I exported that image of it.

Over the decades, I’ve managed a number of projects and some of them were rather complex. I learned early on that I needed to use project management software to help me plan and organize a project, to present the project overview to clients, and to use PERT and Gantt charts for managing tasks, timelines, and resources.

I tried various methods of doing this, and eventually started using professional project management software.

I have been looking at buying Merlin 2 for Macintosh from Novamind and that is what I will probably do in a few months, when I need it. I had been entirely focused on Merlin and never even noticed their mind mapping software, called NovaMind 5 Mind Mapping.

I think that is interesting, because their company and mind mapping software are both named NovaMind. I guess it’s true that things are invisible before you start looking for them.

The more I looked at professional-level mind mapping software, the more I was drawn to NovaMind. They offer three versions of the software: Express, Pro, and Platinum.

The two versions I find most interesting are Express and Platinum. For me, the differences in features between Express and Pro are not compelling, but the Platinum level offers lots of project management tools and can help generate a project in Merlin. That pretty much seals the deal for me. Here is a comparison of the features of all three levels: NovaMind Feature Comparison.

Please note that NovaMind Mind Mapping software is available for both Mac and Windows, but Merlin is available only for the Mac. Microsoft Project is pretty much the standard in the Windows world.

Start with NovaMind Express and upgrade to Platinum

At the moment, I don’t need all the project management features, so I don’t have to buy what I don’t need. I can start out by buying NovaMind Express and, later, when I need the project management features, I can upgrade to NovaMind Platinum by paying the difference in the prices plus a small processing fee. So, that’s the route I’m taking.

If I needed the project management features right now, I’d go ahead and buy the Platinum version.

Without a doubt, for me, NovaMind 5 is the best mind mapping software.

It is more complex than MindNode and takes longer to learn. I spent several hours yesterday afternoon learning how to use it and watching videos that introduced the software and showed ways it can be used.

That time and effort was well invested, however, when I realized all the power that NovaMind brings to my brainstorming and organizing toolbox.

One of the things I like about MindNode is how easy it is to use and how I can drag different parts of the map around however I want.

I can do the same thing in NovaMind, but the real power starts to show when I don’t do that. When I follow the directions on how to enter nodes using the keyboard, that’s when NovaMind begins to shine! No matter how complicated the mind map (in my admittedly limited experience), it automatically adjusts the map to make room for the addition or deletion of nodes, and does a darn good job of keeping everything neat and presentable. It does a much better job than I did when my mind map started getting complicated in MindNode.

If you’re interested, you can learn more about the challenges the NovaMind team faced when designing the layout and display algorithms that set their software apart from all their competitors.

One of the things I really like about NovaMind is that I can show or hide nodes (and all their children and descendants) with the click of a button. As soon as I hide a node, the entire map redraws (in seconds) so I can see the relationships easily. When I show the node, it redraws in seconds and shows the more-complicated version.

So, for example, if I’m brainstorming, organizing, or documenting my Dilbeck Marketing business, I can hide all my personal nodes.

If I want to concentrate on income and expenses, I can hide all the nodes showing my websites, blogs, communities, lenses, social network profiles, and all the rest. I can even hide all the expenses while I’m thinking about generating income, and vice versa, when I’m concentrating on expenses.

Where it really shines, and what led me to consider mind maps in the first place is how it can help me create a page-by-page site plan for a website (large or small). Each page can be a node. Children of that node can be topics. I can document the page by adding keywords and other information in the notes field, and — although I haven’t tried it, yet — I think I can store all the source code of the page in the notes field. I’m going to try this, soon, to see how large the file grows and how much slower it runs.

Right now, I’m putting everything into a single big mind map. This includes linking to each page of my websites (as I document them), to my blogs (both the sites and the editing dashboard), to each of my lenses on Squidoo, and so forth. It’s going to be huge.

In addition to being able to hyperlink to URLs, it allows me to link to documents and files on my computer so that I can find them easily. Or, if I prefer, I can embed the documents into the mind map. I haven’t tried that, yet, and probably won’t.

Gideon King, founder of NovaMind is the father of this company and software and has written quite a bit about himself and the project. I find it interesting reading. I like to know the name of the person behind the software and their philosophy and some of the obstacles they had to overcome to succeed.

He has a number of videos on YouTube that show how to use NovaMind.

Of all the videos I watched when trying to grok mind mapping, this one on using mind maps to write books, articles, and technical documentation was the first to help me start to “get it.”

Before I forget the main subject of this blog, NovaMind does have an affiliate program.

Free versus Paid Mind Mapping Applications

In the past, I was a big proponent of free open source software, but not so much these days.

I have found many security vulnerabilities in open source software that is used for building websites and I’m rapidly moving away from using those scripts. This has, in turn, colored my perceptions of open source applications.

I have GIMP and NeoOffice on my computer and rarely use them.

GIMP is a photo and graphic editing application with much of the power of Photoshop. For some people, it has a great advantage and that’s because it is free, while Photoshop costs hundreds of dollars.

NeoOffice is a Mac-specific version of OpenOffice, which provides much of the power of MS Office and is free.

Likewise, there are free versions of mind mapping software and it looks to me (with my limited knowledge) that FreeMind may be the leading open source application for mind mapping. It was recommended by my friend, Deb, and she has a Squidoo lens on mind mapping that you may find informative: Mindmap – Tools to Organize Your Thoughts – Powerful How-To Tool. She links to FreeMind in that lens and also to books and other software that I haven’t mentioned in this article.

What prompted my interest in mind mapping?

A few days ago, on the Sitesell Facebook page, we were talking about how important it is to go through the SBI action guide, do the keyword research, determine a good niche, and then build a site map plan for the website, before starting to build the site.

If we already have a site, it is important to go back and build a plan for the site in order to add material we may have overlooked and to better organize the site.

I’ve tried using spreadsheets and databases in the past for this task, and I always hated it.

Yesterday, I started working on a site map plan for one of my existing sites using NovaMind, and it seemed like an easy and natural way to approach the task. That got me to thinking about documenting what I do at Dilbeck Marketing, and before you know it, I had a fairly complex mind map for my business — and I’m just getting started with it.

For me, and maybe for you, a mind map is a great way to conceptualize, organize, and document what I’ve already done and what I want to do.

Doing all that in spreadsheets, databases, hand-written notebooks, and word processors just didn’t work for me. It was like trying to pound a square peg into a small round hole.

On the other hand, to use another cliche, I took to mind mapping like a duck to water.

What do you think?

Do you use mind mapping to help you brainstorm, organize, and/or manage what you do?

What applications do you prefer? Why?

Act on your dream!

Tags: brainstorming, managing, mind map, mind mapping, MindNode, NovaMind, organizing, project management

Sitesell now has over 25,000 fans on Facebook

July 21, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 12 Comments
Filed under: Facebook, Opinions, Sitesell and Site Build It

This is going to be a very short post. Really. I can do it.

Last night, we had a celebration on Sitesell’s Facebook page that started around 10:30 pm (EDT) when we passed the 25,000 “likes” milestone. That’s when the party started. It was fun.

Now, they’re running the 72-hour-only, buy one, get one free celebration special. That’s a deal that doesn’t come very often. It’s been awhile since they offered it.

Just go to their page, like it, and then click one of the images at the top of the page to go to the special order page. Only people who have “Liked” the page can get the special offer — it’s for fans, only.

Early this morning, Ken Evoy, the founder of Sitesell (who is on vacation in Scotland) saw that there was a glitch with the special order page. Ken contacted the CEO and they got the right people onto the problem, which was fixed in a few minutes.

I posted this note on the private Sitesell forums this morning:

I enjoyed the 25K celebration last night!

As a bonus, I won a couple of the prizes (each worth a free month of SBI) and I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you, Sitesell, it made the party even more fun.

On a side note, I watched on Facebook this morning when Ken realized the special offer order page wasn’t working as planned. Even on vacation, he got right on it. A few minutes later, Daniel was on the case, too. I don’t know who else was involved, but the glitch was fixed in short order.

I don’t know of any other company where the Founder and the CEO would both get involved in an order page glitch.

They set the standard and the whole Sitesell team rises to their level. That’s one of the reasons we get so many great things and such good support from Sitesell in return for our small subscription fees.

Facebook needs to add a “Love” button on Sitesell’s page. I’d click it.

Act on your dream!

JD

I really mean it. That is an amazing group of people and an outstanding service.

I’m looking forward to working with everyone at Sitesell for years to come.

Now, I gotta go work on my websites.

Act on your dream!

Tags: celebration, Ken Evoy, party, SBI, Sitesell, special offer

Sitesell Facebook page approaching 25,000 Likes

July 19, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 6 Comments
Filed under: Facebook, Sitesell and Site Build It, Webhosting

It’s hard to believe how quickly the number of people who like Sitesell’s Facebook page is growing. 10,000 a few weeks ago, then 20,000, and now they’re less than 350 away from 25,000.

Guess what, it’s going to be a party.

I know what one of the surprises will be. As soon as there are 25,000 fans, there will be a strictly time-limited 72-hour-only Buy One and Get One Free special for SBI.

If you haven’t already, go like their page and keep a lookout for the special offer announcement. It’ll start today or tomorrow, as soon as they reach 25,000 fans.

That’s the best deal they will offer this year, I’m sure.

When you buy one subscription to SBI at $300 per year, you get a second subscription free and have up to 9 months to start the second one. (Each will renew next year at the standard $300/yr.)

If I had more time and energy, I’d take advantage of this offer. I have two more websites planned and I’ll power them with SBI, but it’ll be next year before I can get started. (sigh)

This is a great deal if you and a friend each want to start an SBI site and see what all the fuss is about. Or, buy one for yourself and give one to someone in your family.

As usual, the 90-day money back guarantee applies.

How do you take advantage of this special?

It starts by liking the Sitesell Facebook page.

Then, today or tomorrow, when they get over 25,000 people who Like the page, the special will start. Look for the announcement when it’s posted.

Be sure to follow the directions in that special announcement. Do not just go to the regular SBI order page. Follow the special link from the Sitesell Facebook page.

Three days, only. This special is worth $300 to anyone who takes advantage of it.

Buy one and sell one to a friend. Each of you can get started for only $150 each (one has to buy at $300, but then you can transfer the second site to your friend).

Please, if you take advantage of this, slow down and follow the action guide. The first five “days” are critical to the long-term success of your online business.

Act on your dream!

Tags: Facebook, SBI, Sitesell, Special Offers

Avoid the scam artists

July 18, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 14 Comments
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Marketing, Opinions

This started as a reply to a comment on the SBI Urban Myths post I wrote a few days ago.

The part of the comment that started me thinking was this, “… most methods actually work, you just need to know how to make them work. So we often get in the situation when two people contradicting each other in regards to a method are both right. The method work [for] some people, and it fails for other.”

There is some truth to that, but it is not nearly the big picture.

There are a lot of scam artists who are happy to rip off people who want to learn online marketing. There are overpriced schemes that don’t work. There are people who release “the next big thing that you have to buy NOW” over and over and over. They are the ones telling you that you can get rich in a few weeks with no effort.

They sound just like the pitchmen in a carnival or sideshow, because that’s essentially what they are. And they are surrounded by shills who make the marks believe the scam is real.

There are people who use something that works for awhile (like mini sites) and then, when they quit working, they are happy to sell you ebooks and systems telling you how great they are.

Ken Evoy wrote a great blog post about that awhile back. Let me see if I can find it…

I found it. I’m surprised that it has been over four years since he wrote it.

Mooch Marketing

He followed up with Success Stories and Mooch Marketing.

He said it better and in more detail than I can. It will take only a few minutes to read those two article, and it may save you thousands of dollars and months of wasted time and effort.

So, while there are times when something works for one person and not for the other, there are also a lot of people out there who will deliberately cheat you and take your money. A lot of them.

It’s no different from the rigged games in a carnival or sideshow. When they find a mark or mooch, they’re going to do their best to take all his money and tell their friends so they can get what’s left.

The big difference is that they don’t mark you with colored chalk on your shoulder, they do it by trading and/or selling mailing lists to each other. A list of mooches is a very valuable list, in the hands of someone who is willing to exploit it.

Some people feel that it is morally wrong to leave a sucker with any money in his pocket, bank account, or credit card limit.

Believe this. It’s true.

The trick is to learn who is honest and helpful and to avoid the mooch marketers.

Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer beware.

Do your research carefully and think it through before you buy anything that promises you easy riches. It has been my experience that “easy” and “rich” are good warning signs when someone wants my money.

My policy is to tell you about the good guys. Ken Evoy is one of the good guys.

Tags: mark, mooch, mooch marketing, scams

SBI urban myths

July 14, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 12 Comments
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Amazon, Aweber Autoresponders, Blogging, EzTexting, MailChimp, SMS text messaging, Sitesell and Site Build It, Webhosting

Sitesell has been around for over a decade and SBI is getting close to a decade old.

Along the way, a lot has been written about the company (Sitesell), the product (SBI), and the founder (Ken Evoy).

Some of it has been accurate and truthful.

Some of it has been inaccurate and misleading.

Some of it has been a scam to promote something else that doesn’t work.

So, if you’re like most of us, you’ve learned about affiliate marketing and how to approach it from different people here and there and, most likely, you have learned a lot of conflicting information and advice from a lot of different people.

I’ve been there.

Really.

I mean, I’ve really been there.

I’ve read thousands of websites and blogs, have joined and tested hundreds of marketing systems, have bought and read dozens of books and ebooks (really studied them), and have subscribed to hundreds of mailing lists and newsletters.

I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve read one person recommend something as the very best approach, only to have that contradicted by someone else who says it’s the absolute worst approach and doesn’t work.

The truth is, that there are many different approaches to building websites, blogs, and an online presence and what works well for one person may be entirely ineffective for another.

We all have our own personal approaches, preferences, filters, and blinders, and I guarantee that you and I can look at the exact same thing and have different opinions about it. That’s basic human nature.

But, through research and testing, we can try various approaches and find what works best for us. Right?

Or, we can just try the “flavor of the day” approach and never really know what works and what doesn’t. Right?

It’s okay to do something on a whim or as a hobby. We all do them.

It’s a different thing if you want to build a business that can provide for you and your family.

I have a couple of websites that I’ve built just for the fun of it. I like to write about different things and I’d rather do it on my own sites than on a bunch of free sites where my writing is lost in mix of stuff from thousands of others.

So, I really do know, and appreciate, the difference between doing something for the fun of it, versus building a business with the intent to earn a profit.

I’ve tried and tested hundreds of approaches and have settled on a very few that I know work for me. Whether they’ll work for you, I can’t guarantee.

What doesn’t work for me?

MLMs and Network Marketing. I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hours trying to build a team and offer support and training in order to leverage their efforts into a profitable business. Huge.waste.of.time — at least for me. Maybe I don’t have the right personality. Maybe I chose the wrong merchants. Maybe I attracted the wrong people. Maybe I just suck at multi-level marketing.

I’ve watched others and some of them seem to be successful. I know a few, personally, who are successful with MLM — very few — count em on my fingers and have fingers left over.

I think, for many people, it can be a way to earn some extra money. For a few, it can be a really good business. For most of us, nope.

I could go on and on with many other examples.

Build a hundred sites and earn a buck a day from each of them. Nope. Doesn’t work. Lot’s of effort for no return.

Downline builders and traffic exchanges. I had some good results with some of them. But, I got tired of the whole “work at home” and “make money online” niche. For me, semi-successful. Don’t like the feeling of running on a treadmill to nowhere.

Yes, SBI is a system that’s designed to help folks make money by building an online business, but the focus is definitely not on the get rich quick schemes that are so prevalent in the “work at home” niche.

Over the years, I’ve heard lots of things about SBI and Ken Evoy that just aren’t true. Some of them are even malicious.

Yes, we can all have different opinions, but I just don’t see a reason to lie about something.

When I want to know about something, I want to know as much as I can learn about it. I buy the product or service. I read all the instructions and participate in the forums. I write support to see how they solve problems. I follow the steps and do my best to make it work. I join the affiliate program (if it has one) and try it out. In short, I do all I can think of to see if this is something for me, or not.

Many things, even those that look attractive, just don’t work. Maybe they once did. Maybe they never did.

A few things that I’ve tested really do work. And they work for lots of different people in a lot of different industries and niches. Those are the gems that make it worth sifting through all the duds.

SBI is one of the gems.

Mailing list services like Aweber and MailChimp are gems. I’ve used Aweber successfully in the past and intend to use both services effectively in the future.

Last week, I identified a new gem that is going to help me with SMS text message marketing to opt-in lists. EzTexting looks like a very good system and has passed my initial tests with flying colors. So, now it’s time to invest some money in it and put it to work in a real-world environment.

Other gems include WordPress and Hostgator for my traditional websites. I’ve used the combination of a WordPress blog on a domain hosted by HostGator for years. That’s how this blog works.

But, I’m moving away from that particular combination. I’m also moving away from Hostgator and that style of hosting using cPanel and all the other traditional Linux/Unix hosting. I want to concentrate less on tech stuff and more on business and marketing.

For my small websites and simple blogs, I’ve started using Weebly. I have several sites that I’m transitioning to their service and my Dilbeck Marketing site/blog will be hosted there.

I’ve been testing Weebly for the better part of a year (mostly with one of my client’s sites) and I am very happy with their service. I like how they combine a tier-structured website with blogging and e-commerce features. I also like that they automatically serve a site using mobile formatting when it is appropriate. I’ve tested it with feature cell phones, smartphones, iPods, and other similar mobile devices and it works very well — and I didn’t have to do anything extra.

So, I test a number of different approaches, including many I haven’t mentioned. I’ve been doing this for a long time.

I won’t say bad things about the ones that don’t work for me. I generally don’t mention those companies, systems, or individuals. I believe this, “if you can’t say something good about someone, keep your big trap shut.”

My approach is to identify the gems and then discuss why they are gems.

Others, however, take a different approach, and that brings me back to my original topic: SBI urban myths.

(About time, JD!)

Yes, I tend to write long posts and go in multiple directions. If you can hang on, it can be a fun ride. (grin)

Some people write about Sitesell, SBI, and Ken Evoy and give a totally different view from what I’ve observed over the last decade+.

If I had to name one person that had the most to do with my online marketing success, it would be Ken Evoy. He has never lied nor mislead me in over 10 years. He has never tried to sell me something I don’t need just so he can make a profit. He has never given me bad advice. I like and trust him.

Ken Evoy was already successful before he founded Sitesell and wrote his first ebook, Make Your Site Sell!

He was an emergency physician. Later he became a very successful developer of toys. He developed a product for a very narrow niche that was successful. From that experience, he wrote MYSS to help others learn how to build websites and make profits.

That’s how I got my start in online marketing. I am forever grateful that I bought that book and met Ken (online). One of these days, I hope to meet him in person and shake his hand.

He learned from the experience of writing that book and helping the people who bought it, that there is a minority of people who really want to succeed in an online business, but most of us don’t have all the skills to make it work. So, he started developing Site Build It! which is now generally known as SBI.

I don’t remember exactly when I first subscribed to SBI to start building my Act On Your Dream! site. I started that site because it involves something that is important to me. I truly believe that anyone who is willing to set a goal and work to achieve it can become a very different person in as little as a year from now. It may happen sooner, or it may take longer, depending upon the goal, but I have seen many people do just that.

Act On Your Dream! is more of a philosophy and hobby than a part of my business. I’ve worked on it here and there and it’s been earning a profit for years, month in and month out, with very little attention from me.

Now that I’m no longer caring for Mom and I’ve kicked cancer’s butt, I’ll be putting more attention and effort into that site. I have a lot I want to add to it.

People ask me why I spend $300 per year on that site when I can host it free on my HostGator account (I have a reseller account). That’s simple. It earns a profit every year and I have never had one single technical issue with it. Not once. I can’t say that for any of the sites I have hosted by HostGator, and I know they are a quality service.

Act On Your Dream! just works. Now and then I add to it, but mostly I just ignore it for weeks or months at a time.

It used to be even more successful when I advertised products sold through the Amazon.com affiliate program. But (you’ve probably heard this already) all the Amazon affiliates in North Carolina (including me) were dropped when our politicians passed the ill-advised nexus tax law in 2009.

The important point is that I earn a profit from that site. It’s not an expense, it’s a reliable, sustainable profit center even though there is much I can do to expand and increase that profit.

I earn more from that site in a year than I have from all my blogs (except this one) and all my forums ever did. And I’m not even really trying.

My other SBI-powered site, Murphy Gold, will be my primary revenue producer and focus for the coming years. Even in it’s present form (just a tiny part of what it will be), it has been profitable from the very first month I started it and that was back when I was so sick I could barely do anything. Now that I’m feeling better, it’s going to start shining!

This month, I’ll send out invoices to my clients on Murphy Gold and will earn more than I will from all my other sites combined for an entire year. I don’t give out my income figures to anyone but the IRS, but I’m talking a few thousand dollars — and that’s just the start.

In the process, I’m helping real people in the real world. It’s going to be even more exciting as it picks up speed.

That is the central hub of the biggest project I’m working on in my marketing business. I’ll be earning a full-time income from that site within another year.

Am I unhappy that I have to pay $300 per year for a site that earns many multiples of that investment? Not a bit.

The best part is that Sitesell continues to add new and better features to SBI that I can use in my sites and they haven’t raised the price in years. SBI is a much better deal now than it was when I first subscribed.

I can’t say that about any other business that I’ve worked with in my online marketing career. None of them.

Am I a raving fan of SBI? You bet I am.

Am I tired of all the misinformation about Sitesell and SBI. You bet I am.

That’s why I write about them now and then on this blog.

I know it looks like that’s all I write about, and that’s true for the last year or so while I was so sick, but it won’t be true over the coming months. I’ve joined and am in the process of learning and testing a variety of other affiliate programs that I’ll tell you more about as soon as I know more facts.

Hey, JD!

What?

You said you were going to talk about SBI urban myths.

Yes I did. And I’ve been addressing several of them already. Here’s the link to more information about some of the SBI! Urban Myths as presented by Sitesell.

I’m going to stop here. I have a lot more I could say, but I’ll leave it for another day and maybe another site.

So, what do you think? Questions? Comments?

I always enjoy hearing from you.

Act on your dream!

PS. You do realize that this is about affiliate marketing, too, don’t you? I am an affiliate for Sitesell and I believe they have the best affiliate program on the planet. I haven’t tested all of them, of course, but of the several hundred I have tested, Sitesell’s 5 Pillar Affiliate Program is the best. I’m not surprised. They are very good at what they do.

Tags: Aweber, EzTexting, HostGator, Ken Evoy, MailChimp, SBI, Sitesell, urban myths

Here are a few of Sitesell’s Facebook fans

July 11, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 9 Comments
Filed under: Sitesell and Site Build It

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Sitesell getting 20,000 “Likes” on their Facebook page.

Here’s a short video showing some of those fans:

By the way, they now have over 22,500 people who like Sitesell.

There are many reasons for this growth, but I believe it all boils down to providing a very high quality service for a low price. Yes, I consider $300 a year for all they offer to be a very low price.

Now that I’m stronger and starting to feel like working again, I’ve been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes planning and strategizing on how I’ll be expanding my Murphy Gold site this year. I’m looking forward to really working on it, again.

Cancer: sucks. Kicking cancer’s butt: rocks. Being able to live where I want and do what I love: priceless.

Act on your dream!

PS. I know I’m sounding like a broken record lately, but I am happy to share the news about a company, it’s people, and a superlative product that is helping thousands of people around the world build businesses that produce real income. This is not another of those “chase your own tail on a never-ending treadmill” schemes that are so prevalent in the get rich quick world. This is the real deal and it works for people who want to build a real business.

Tags: Facebook, fans, like, SBI, Sitesell