Thanks for your comments. I agree with you.

We’re going through some unexpected problems with the rollout of SBI! 3.0, but the entire SiteSell team is working diligently to find and correct the problems.

I expect things to settle down and run smoothly before much longer.

JD

I just found your post and thought I’d make a comment. The release of Block Builder 2 is literally history in the making. With sitewide dots that allow site builders to insert code, text, images, etc. on every page of their site with just a click of the mouse, easy drag and drop function and a sleek, modern interface, sitebuilders are going to be thrilled at what they can now create.

Add that to Site Build It!’s comprehensive suite of tools (http://tools.sitesell.com), unsurpassed tranning and support, SBI! 3.0 has leapfrogged all other site builders AND teaches people how to be successful all in one place.

As you know, this is not get rich quick. Those who appreciate honest-to-goodness business-building tools will find SBI! 3.0 to be just what the doctor ordered. In fact, our list of Top 3% sites is about to get much longer! (proof.sitesell.com)

Congratulations and thank you for being a part of the amazing celebration! Thanks to people like you spreading the word, Site Build It! just keeps getting bigger (and better).

Denise Taylor
SiteSell Answers
http://answers.sitesell.com

I don’t want to write more about BB2 while it is beta or pre-production. Things are still subject to change until it is rolled out to all of us when it is released.

Once it is released and is publicly available, I will be writing more about it. I’ll be using it for hours every day and I’m sure I’ll have something to say about it, including the things I love and the things I don’t.

In the meantime, Kelly has been uploading sneak-peek videos on the Sitesell channel on YouTube.

JD

JD

You’re probably right. However, Sitesell has done interviews with people who signed up for SBI and then refunded in a few weeks. It’s my understanding, and I could very well be wrong, that one of the cited reasons was because the editor was “clunky” and I think that means as compared to editors like WordPress, Weebly, and others.

BB2 was not released in January, but it went into pre-production this week. I’ve been doing a lot of beta testing of BB2 for the last few weeks and I can’t wait to use it on my sites. Nobody will be able to call it “clunky” or “clumsy” or “cumbersome.”

I think it’s important to remember however, that tens of thousands of SBI subscribers have created profitable websites using the old block builder editor.

I agree that it’s not as easy to use as other systems, but BB2 is going to be a game changer. It’s not at all clunky.

Kelly has been creating new sneak peek videos of BB2 and has been loading them on the Sitesell channel on YouTube.

It took me about two days to become accustomed to editing with BB2 and it will take a little time to really plan for how I’m going to use all the features (especially reusable blocks, which are essentially the same as server side includes, but are easier to use).

Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Sitesell made some design decisions with which I disagree, but I’ve found easy work-arounds for the small handful that I really don’t like. (Fortunately, they are very minor. Things like adding a caption to a photo and similar things.)

Honestly, though, having talked to a number of people who bought over the years and refunded, many of them blamed it on the editor, but following more discussion, it turns out that they did not want to do the work, or they did not have a good idea around which to build a business. I’m sure that’s not true of everyone who refunded, but for a small sample that I know, it was the case.

My first SBI site was a terrible choice, too, but I killed it and went with something I believe in and that made a difference.

I try not to mislead anyone. There is a lot of work in building any kind of business and it always takes longer than we hope before it becomes profitable.

But, for me, it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable than many of the jobs I’ve had in the past.

JD

Thanks for your comment.

It’s true that many SBI sites do look similar. With the old block builder editor, there was a limited number of templates we could choose, but we’ve always been free to modify our templates to individualize our sites.

I particularly like a two column site with navigation in the left column and a main content column on the right. It makes it easier for me to build pages that focus on a single topic and I can more-easily control the reader’s choices of responses.

The busier a website becomes, the more choices there are, and the more likely it is that the reader will not do what I’d like for her/him to do.

With a simpler site, it’s easier to control the number of choices.

Yes, they look old, but my simpler sites work better and produce more income than my busy blogs do. For me, that’s the key.

But, for several years, SBI subscribers have been able to design their sites using the HTML editors of their choice and upload the HTML. They don’t have to use the existing templates, if they don’t want to.

There are a number of SBI sites that don’t look at all like what you might expect.

Later this month or next month, there will be another big change when the new page editor (BB2) is rolled-out into production. I’ve been doing some extensive beta testing with it over the last few weeks and I’m really impressed.

It will make it much easier to design sites that look different and page building is much more flexible and easier.

You can learn more, if you’re interested, on the BB2 Introduction page, and Kelly has been creating a number of BB2 sneak peek videos and has uploaded them to Sitesell channel on YouTube.

It has been my experience that my simpler sites earn more than the others, but I’m not a designer, I’m an old code slinger.

I think BB2 will make it better for both camps — those who want good-looking sites and those who want to concentrate on producing more content and aren’t as concerned with the look of the site.

But, it’s our differences that make us all more interesting!

I can’t wait for BB2 to be released so I can completely rebuild and expand my sites.

JD

Thanks for your comments.

I have not done nearly as much with Zoho CRM as I plan to in the future.

For the last month, I’ve been sidetracked doing a lot of beta testing for some upgrades to services I use in my business and that has stopped me from doing other things. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything!

I have spent some time reading Zoho CRM’s documentation, help files, and watching a couple of videos.

I know that their product does a lot more than I’ll ever need, but I’m still convinced that it is a good choice for even a micro business like mine.

When I actually put it to the uses I intend, I’ll write a review of my experience with it.

JD

It is very important to focus on the important things in a business and not get pulled off-course by everything that comes along. For those of us who market through websites and blogs, you are right on the money when you say that the quality of our content and links is very important.

Even more important, I think, is offering the best advice, reviews, and opinions that we can.

It’s one thing to get a visitor from the search engines. It’s quite another to educate and entertain them and persuade them to take the next step in our monetization plan and click on one of our links to buy something.

I like it when people read what I write, but I like it even more when they buy a product or service I recommend. That’s how I pay the bills and test more products to see if I can find others to recommend.

Once you get your business plan worked out, managing your herd is how you build long-time valuable customers and earn some lifetime friends, too.

JD

I’m very late in responding to your comment, but I appreciate it and I agree with what you said.

Sitesell has been working for a couple of years to build a new editor for building their sites and it will replace the old block builder that you didn’t like. I agree that it is much easier to edit a page with WordPress than with the old BB editor, and I also agree that most SBI sites are more successful because of all the planning that goes into them.

If you’re not aware, the new block builder (called BB2) just went into pre-production after a long round of beta testing. It’s scheduled to start roll-out late this month or early next month. It will be a gradual roll-out across all SBI sites.

I’ve been extensively beta testing it for the last few weeks and I’m very impressed with it. I’ve used lots of CMS tools as well as coding websites from scratch, and have used drag-and-drop editors like Weebly offers, and I like BB2 better than any of the others.

You can learn more about BB2 on the BB2 Introduction page.

Kelly has been building a number of sneak-peek videos that have been uploaded to the Sitesell channel on YouTube.

After using BB2 for the last month, I can’t wait until it is in full production and released on my SBI sites. They are going to get a major refurbish and expansion in the coming months.

JD

I agree that Don is doing a very good thing.

JD