SiteSell is experiencing problems with upgrade to SBI! 3.0

April 3, 2012 by John Dilbeck · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Sitesell and Site Build It

I’ve told you for years how much I like using SiteSell’s SBI! to build my websites, and my opinion has not changed. At all.

Last week, SiteSell began the roll-out of the new SBI! 3.0 that included the new BB2 editor and SiteDesigner. Anyone who purchases a new SBI subscription now will have access to both of the new tools (and all of the old ones) when they are ready to begin building their sites.

Upgrade problems

There have been a number of both minor and major problems with the upgrade. Both the number of problems and the severity of some of them have been worse than expected.

Some people are calling it a disaster, but I don’t believe nor agree with that level of hyperbole. It has not gone as well as they planned and hoped for, but I don’t think it’s a disaster. However, since my sites have not been affected by some of the serious problems, I’m sure that I’m not seeing this the same way other subscribers are seeing it.

This has not been just a simple upgrade of an editor. It has also involved transitioning to a new platform, new hardware, and rewriting and integrating all the tools that come with SBI. It is a MAJOR undertaking.

Even with a lot of beta testing, the actual roll-out has uncovered a lot of bugs that were not found before going into full production.

Fortunately, SiteSell support and technical teams are working long hours to document, find, and solve the problems. They are making progress.

Most of the bugs have been relatively minor, but there were a few serious problems encountered by some users.

I, personally, have not been affected by any of the bugs. My sites are humming right along and I’ve been able to work on them when I wanted (other than for a few hours last week on the day the upgrade was introduced).

Reactions from SBI subscribers have ranged from being very excited about being able to build new sites using SiteDesigner and BB2 all the way to anger because of some problems that have affected some people.

Although I recognize the seriousness of the problems that some people are encountering, I have been a SiteSell customer for long enough to know that they will solve the problems and they’ll keep us informed about what is happening.

I’m still ready to do major revisions and expansion on my sites, but I’m going to move slowly for a couple of weeks until the major problems are resolved — even though they are not affecting me personally. I prefer to let the tech teams resolve the worst problems before I really dive into my project.

I have no doubt that it will be resolved soon.

Do I still recommend SBI and SiteSell? Yes I do.

Do I plan to jump ship and move to something different. Absolutely not.

I feel for the people who experienced the problems. I know how scared and angry one can feel when your site isn’t working as it should.

In all the years I’ve been a happy SBI subscriber, this is the first time I can remember that some people have had serious problems with their sites. My memory isn’t what it used to be, so there may have been similar problems in the past, but I do not remember any. There may have been problems I was unaware of, too.

I remain optimistic about SBI! 3.0

But, I do want to give both sides of the story.

I can’t wait to start using SiteDesigner and BB2, and my enthusiasm has not diminished. However, I’m going to move slowly until the bugs are found and squashed. I don’t think it will take much more than a couple of weeks for that to happen.

I may be wrong. I’ve been wrong in the past.

I appreciate all the work that the support and technical teams are doing to isolate and solve the problems.

Tags: BB2, bugs, problems, SBI! 3.0, SiteDesigner, Sitesell, upgrade

SBI 2.0 is now SBI 3.0

March 29, 2012 by John Dilbeck · 2 Comments
Filed under: Business, Sitesell and Site Build It, Webhosting

Yesterday was an exciting day at SiteSell.

The long-awaited launch of the new SiteDesigner and BB2 page editor were launched. Three years and $3.5 million in the making, and several months after the expected launch date, the propeller heads threw the switch yesterday and made the big change.

Anyone who purchases SBI now, will start out with BB2, and I think you’ll like it.

Those of us who are already using SBI will see a phased implementation. I’m in Group 2, so it will be a week or so before I get access to BB2 on my sites. I’m looking forward to completely revamping and expanding both of my sites, but I’m waiting patiently for access to BB2, because it’s going to make it so much faster and easier.

After my experiences beta testing SiteDesigner and BB2, I’m looking forward to unleashing their power.

So, with the flip of the switch, yesterday, SBI! 2.0 became SBI! 3.0. It’s going to be a new era for building online businesses with SBI.

Plus, in a bit of serendipity, the milestone of 100,000 fans of SiteSell’s Facebook page was reached on the same day as the launch of BB2.

How cool is that? (grin)

Is everything working smoothly, after the launch?

Most things are working well. I’ve already seen a new website built with SiteDesigner and BB2, and it is written entirely in Russian. That was not possible with SBI! 2.0.

Yes, there will be bugs — even after extensive beta testing. When everything is redone and is moved to new architecture, there will be bugs.

Support is on alert and the programmers are standing by to squash bugs as quickly as possible.

No, it won’t be perfect right from day one, but it’s very good and will get better as each bug is tracked down and stomped.

Now, let’s talk about the price increase…

There isn’t one. Not a penny more.

SBI! 3.0 costs exactly what SBI! 2.0 did. More power. Greater ease of use. Same price.

Thanks SiteSell. I’m looking forward to many more years of being a very happy customer.

Tags: Facebook, online business, SBI, SBI! 2.0, SBI! 3.0, Site Build It, Sitesell

A hint of what is coming to SBI in the next year or two

March 18, 2012 by John Dilbeck · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Facebook, Sitesell and Site Build It

A few minutes ago, Ken Evoy, Founder and Chairman of Sitesell, posted a note on Facebook listing some of the new features, or upgraded features, that are planned to be released for SBI over the next couple of years.

I had only one comment I could make as a reply, “Wow!”

And people wonder why I am a happy customer and a fan of Ken, Sitesell, and SBI.

“Wow!”

And that’s on top of all the tools that are already included in SBI.

I’m loving being able to work on my business and my websites, again.

Act on your dream!

PS. If you go to Sitesell’s Facebook page and like it, you can keep track of what’s happening with SBI, too.

Tags: Facebook, Ken Evoy, SBI, Sitesell, tools, upgrades

Sitesell is about to reach 100,000 fans on Facebook

March 18, 2012 by John Dilbeck · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Facebook, Sitesell and Site Build It, YouTube

Less than a year ago, I wrote about Sitesell reaching 10,000 fans on Facebook.

Then, in December, about three months ago, I told you that Sitesell had 50,000 fans on Facebook.

A few minutes ago, I noticed that they now have 93,800 fans on their Facebook page.

We’re growing and the excitement is building for the upcoming release of the new BB2 editor and site designer for SBI.

I’ve been beta testing BB2 for about a month, or so, and I really like it. I can’t wait until it’s released and I can use it to refurbish and expand both of my SBI sites. This new editor is a giant leap ahead. If you’re interested, Kelly has been uploading some sneak peek videos of how to build a page using BB2 on Sitesell’s YouTube channel.

It took me a couple of days to get used to using it, and I can’t wait to quit editing my beta site and get to work on my real, live sites.

So, with all the great things happening around Sitesell and SBI, it’s time for a contest! Between now and tomorrow at noon (EDT), you can guess when Sitesell reaches the 100,000 fans milestone. And, if you want, you can help us get there a bit faster by liking their page and inviting your friends. Here’s Sitesell’s Facebook page.

And, if you want to enter the contest — it’s very easy — you, too, can guess when Sitsell will have 100,000 fans on their Facebook page. The person who guesses closest to the actual event will win a full year of SBI for free. That’s worth $300.

And, although I don’t know for sure, based on their other events, there may be some other surprise gifts along the way. I won several months of free SBI in the last two contests.

BB2 went into pre-production this week and looks to be on track to introduction to some SBI sites in a week or so. The new editor will be rolled-out over a period of days to groups of sites at a time so that any problems that may crop up can be quickly resolved.

It has taken two years and over $3 million to develop BB2, and you know what that means, I’m sure. The price is going to go up?

You’d expect that from most companies. I know I would.

However, this is Sitesell we’re talking about. They’re not like all the other companies out there. Even though this has been a big project that has taken longer and cost more than they originally planned (don’t all complex projects?), they are only increasing the price by $0.

That’s right. No increase in price. We continue to get a better product with more capabilities and the price is the same. $300 per year, or you can subscribe for a bit less than $30 per month. (Save $60 per year with an annual subscription.)

Plus, there’s a 90-day full refund guarantee. If you decide SBI isn’t for you, you can cancel within the first three months and get 100% of your payment refunded.

Where’s the risk?

Sitesell has helped me earn a living for the last decade and I’ll continue to be their very satisfied customer as long as I’m able to run my business.

As I’ve said before, if you want to learn how to build a business involving online marketing without all the scams and drama, my top recommendation continues to be Sitesell and SBI.

Nobody else even comes close.

So, when do you think Sitesell will reach the 100,000 fan milestone? Don’t tell me, go and enter the contest.

Act on your dream!

PS. I’m not the only one who says that there are no challengers who have a better system for the same low price as Sitesell and SBI. They put up a $50,000 challenge to anyone who had a better system, and nobody even entered the contest. It’s true.

Sitesell’s $50,000 Match It! Challenge.

Want to build a business instead of a website? Then, why aren’t you using SBI?

Tags: BB2, challenge, Facebook, fans, SBI, Sitesell, videos, YouTube

Sitesell announces new BB2 contest on Twitter

January 14, 2012 by John Dilbeck · 2 Comments
Filed under: Sitesell and Site Build It

More than two years in the making, at the cost of several million dollars, SiteSell has been completely rebuilding the SBI system. It is transitioning from individual servers to a sophisticated clustered environment that will make it possible to add new features, and to improve existing features, in the coming years.

These changes will bring the underlying technology of SBI into the 21st Century and will pave the way for the next ten years of growth for Sitesell.

It’s being called “The End of Clunky.”

Now, I don’t really agree with this description of being “clunky.” I don’t think SBI has ever been clunky, but some people feel that way.

Basically, I think, the argument is that the Block Builder is clunky.

While I agree that building a new page using BB is not as easy as writing a blog post or sending an email, I believe that the original Block Builder has been a wonderful success and has helped thousands of people with no knowledge of HTML to build successful, profitable websites using SBI.

Others disagree and just don’t like it.

So, the propellerheads at Sitesell have been working very long hours for a long time to make all these changes and improvements.

I think the underlying architecture is the most important part of the story, but I think the new Block Builder 2 will be the most visible change.

Coming in January 2012: Block Builder 2

Some of the new things that will be introduced are:

Block Builder 2
Site Designer
Image Library

and many more features that will be added over the next few months

So, to celebrate all of this, Sitesell will be having a contest on Twitter, next week, from Monday, January 16, 2012 to Friday, January 20, 2012.

If you don’t follow their Twitter account, here it is: @SiteSell

(Following their Twitter account is one of the requirements of the contest.)

Now for the contest

The details and rules are on the Sitesell BB2 Twitter Contest page.

There will be five prizes awarded.

1st prize is one year of SBI! plus $500 cash.
2nd through 5th prizes are one year of SBI!.

(One year of SBI! is worth $299 USD.)

If you are not an SBI subscriber, and you are one of the five winners, you can get a free year to build your online business.

If you are already an SBI subscriber, and you win, you can extend one of your subscriptions for a full year at no cost.

It will be a fun, easy contest and it lasts only five days.

Good luck!

Tags: BB2, Block Builder 2, contests, SBI, Sitesell, Twitter

Rebuilding my business with SBI in 2012!

December 10, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 4 Comments
Filed under: Business, Marketing, Opinions, Sitesell and Site Build It

Several important currents are coming together to make 2012 a much more productive year for me. Sitesell is going to play a very big part.

1. I am recovering from a very serious illness and I finally feel like working on my sites again. It has been a difficult period (almost three years), but I’m ready to go. (I’m getting tired of talking about being sick. I’m looking forward to it becoming a distant memory.)

(If you’re interested, I wrote about my battle with cancer on my other blog. It’s a good thing I wrote it down, because I have no memory of writing those posts. Fortunately, my memory is improving, this year.)

2. I have closed over 50 websites that I built over the last decade (non-SBI). I started about half of them before SBI was introduced and the other half to test ideas and to see if I could put together a system that was better than SBI (for my own use, only, not to sell to others). I tested many different ways of building websites and blogs, and some of them were successful, but all of them had problems. Problems that I’ve never experienced on either of my SBI sites.

As an example, I spent a whole day last week fighting a security issue on one of my non-SBI sites. It took several hours with that company’s support staff, a supervisor, an administrator, and their security team to find one PHP malware file hiding on the site. I have no idea how it got there. Additionally, I spent several hours reprogramming the webserver on that site, so that it would block a group of people from around the world who were using my server for their purposes (to the tune of over 20 GB of bandwidth per month, and nearly 200,000 page views). I devised an elegant solution to block them, and still let everyone else see the site.

At one time in my life, I would have enjoyed that. I used to enjoy devising fast, elegant solutions to tech problems. Now, it’s just a hassle. A major hassle. This is one of the reasons that I fully support Sitesell for not allowing scripts (other than javascript) on our sites. Every non-SBI site I’ve ever built has been hacked more than once. Neither of my SBI sites have been.

Why did I build so many websites? I am a firm believer in testing to see how well something works. I don’t believe what people say, until I test it for myself. That’s probably a character defect and it has caused me a lot of unnecessary work, but I’ve reached my conclusions based on my own experience, not from someone’s claims.

3. The release of BB2 is coming at just the right time. I’ve spent the last three or four months brainstorming, planning, and thinking. I’m going to rebuild both of my sites and I’m going to take the time to do it the right way.

When I built my first SBI-powered site in April 2004, it was basically to learn how SBI worked so I would be better as a 5P affiliate. At the time, I was building a couple of large (1,500+ page) sites using a database created by Dave Winer (one of the inventors of RSS and an early blogger, as well as a very talented programmer and application developer). His product was called Frontier and later became Radio Userland and Manila, before he moved on to other things a few years ago. Over a period of several years, I modified that system heavily by tweaking the programming and adding my own modules. (Even with all my work and thousands of hours invested, it did not do all that I can do with SBI.)

It did, however, offer an easy way to build templated sites from a database. I could modify the template and rebuild the entire site, any time I wanted to, with ease. It made it easy to manage large sites. It made it easy to manage sub-sections of a site.

I’m looking forward to seeing how well I can do similar things using BB2. Reusable blocks open up a new way of approaching a block-built SBI site.

At their peak, each of my largest sites was getting about a million page views per year and earning enough income for me to be able to stay at home and be my mother’s sole caretaker for the last years of her life.

4. My income from affiliate marketing took a nose-dive in 2009. It has not recovered, yet.

The sites I built were very successful until the North Carolina legislature passed the nexus tax law in 2009 and Amazon.com cancelled my affiliation, and all the other affiliates in the state. Several other large merchants also dropped me at the same time. I had been an Amazon.com affiliate for 13 years and all of my sites were heavily monetized through their affiliate program. *poof* *gone*

For the last 2 years, my income has been decimated, so I’m basically starting over. I’ve managed to hang on and not close my business, but it was touch and go last year. Last spring, I showed my daughter how to close the business, if necessary, and gave her my power of attorney to do so.

This happened just as I was getting so sick that I had a very difficult time thinking straight and trying to make the necessary changes. I was able to update one large site by deleting several hundred pages and removing most of the Amazon affiliate links, and I removed most of the Amazon links on my smaller sites. I never got around to updating the other large site, so it’s been sending thousands of people to Amazon.com to purchase products we recommended, for more than two years — and we’re earning nothing from it. (Even after two years of total neglect, that site still gets more than 50,000 visitors and about 300,000 page views per year.)

Do I feel bitter about this and resent Amazon.com? I did, at first. Now, I recognize that our state legislature made a decision, Amazon.com responded to that decision, and I (and many others) took the hit. That’s business. There are always ups and downs and obstacles in our path to success.

For most of 2009 and 2010, I was so sick that I could not work, at all. I wrote a few blog posts and played on Facebook, but most of the time I slept. Fortunately, the surgeries were successful and chemotherapy did its job. I’m getting stronger every month and I’m back up to about half-speed.

5. After nearly 15 years of building websites and earning a living with my marketing business, I’m turning my attention from all the other ways I know of building websites and blogs and focusing on SBI.

My first SBI site was something I built because it was a subject that is important to me, not because I thought it was something that would make a lot of money. I liked how SBI made it easy to build and manage the site and how it did so much for me behind the scenes. I made some mistakes with that site, and some of those mistakes are evident in my choice of keywords. I did not choose very well. I’ll be testing the bottom-up approach to building that site over the next couple of years.

I was heavily focused on other ways of building money-making sites, at the time. I’ve built social communities, forums, websites, blogs, and even an article directory. I wanted to know, from the inside, how these various sites worked and performed — and I wanted to discover their benefits and problems. I think I spent more time modifying and writing PHP code over the last few years than doing any other activity.

I was a Sitesell 5P affiliate before there was an SBI. So, I had the chance to watch as SBI grew and expanded. It continued to improve and offer more features, year after year. And, the price has not increased, even though the product is many times better than it was all those years ago.

Despite inflation and all the new and improved modules, the price for SBI remains at $299 per year.

I spend more than that for coffee. (…and Reece’s Pieces…)

I’ve also observed, for about 13 or 14 years, the high levels of intelligence, honesty, ethics, integrity, innovation, and good-judgement that are possessed by the people who make up the Sitesell team. I’ve observed how the company has adapted to a changing world, not by following every fad, but by evaluating each new innovation from a business standpoint and then deciding whether or not it would have a long-term beneficial or detrimental effect on all of Sitesell’s subscribers.

I have observed how deeply focused the Sitesell team is on helping us succeed. They don’t just say it. They do it. Much of it for free.

The private, members-only Sitesell Forums are dedicated to helping and being helped, and I have observed more times than I can count or remember how SBIers help each other. Individuals on the Sitesell team offer their help, too, above and beyond their official duties.

This has been true, day in and day out, for years.

When I built my first SBI-powered site, in early 2004, things were very different from what they are, now. (I also have to admit that I thought I was something of an expert in building websites and I didn’t pay as close attention to the advice I got as I should have.)

The brainstormer was impressive and was a FileMaker runtime database that actually ran on our own computers, before being rebuilt to run entirely on Sitesell’s servers. That was a big change. It’s even better now, and the improvements that are planned for next year will be important improvements, also.

I don’t remember there being an Action Guide, although there probably was. I know, if it existed, it was nothing like what’s available now.

Until last year, I lived where there was no high speed Internet and I had a very, very slow dial-up connection. Last year, while I was too sick to work, I moved about four miles away to live with my daughter and her family, and jumped into the 21st century, complete with high-speed broadband. For the first time, I was introduced to video on the Internet and it changed my whole approach to using the ‘net. I discovered the video Action Guide and watched all of them, but remember almost none of it. My illness left me with some real memory problems, but that’s getting better, too.

I’ll be re-reading the Action Guide and re-watching the videos as I work though my site redesigns and expansion, next year. I’ll also use the action steps gleaned from a (recent members-only research) report to help guide me to making my sites as good as I can. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time. It feels almost overwhelming when I look at the big picture, but I’ll take the tortoise path. One keyword, one page, one topic at a time — over a period of months and years. Each individual task is relatively simple.

I am more of a technogeek propellerhead than I am a businessman. I’ve been self-employed as a computer consultant, analyst, programmer, and SysAdmin since the late 1970s. I also taught people how to use and program computers at a couple of colleges along the way.

Over the last ten years, I mostly built websites for the fun of it. I did it for the achievement of overcoming the technical hurdles and creating sites that worked as I wanted. In most cases, the goal was not to earn more money, it was to revel in the joy of learning and doing.

As I said, I closed most of my websites and blogs and I’m changing my focus. Now, I’m more focused on business. I’ve gotten the joy of testing and tweaking out of my system and now I intend to earn a good living from the income produced by my sites.

6. I am moving from being wide and shallow to being narrow and deep.

For a decade or so, I was wide and shallow — lots of websites with not too much depth to any of them, except for a couple. I spent a lot of time on various forums and commenting on other people’s blogs. Although I enjoyed those activities, and they gave me something to do when I wasn’t able to focus on work, I was not building a business in the process. That was not an investment in my business.

It is important not to confuse busy-ness with business.

I actually believed the nonsense about having 100 sites producing $1 a day being a good way to earn $100 per day. Now, I know that this is ridiculous. That’s a whole lot of work to earn very little money. Now, I know that it’s much, much better to focus on a few sites and build them so that they attract thousands of readers and earn much more money.

7. Success is a process.

Of course, as all SBIers know, it takes a lot of thought and work to build an income-producing, niche-focused, original-content website. The Action Guide is a tremendous help, but important parts of building a successful online business can only be learned by doing what you think is best, and then adapting and improving the things that don’t work as well as expected.

I did not focus on my own business as much as I should have, but I will in 2012.

The planning is mostly done. The mind maps are created, the site blueprints are completed, copious notes have been written, and now I’m waiting on BB2 before I completely revamp my two SBI sites.

Even though I made some mistakes when I chose the niche for the first site, I’m going to work through the Action Guide and do my best to correct some of those mistakes and then proceed forward with a patched foundation.

My second SBI-powered site will be much easier to build and monetize.

8. I’m going to quit focusing on what SBI doesn’t do, and focus more on all that it offers.

This time, I’m going to stop fighting the things I didn’t like about SBI (the main one being no integrated blog module with commenting) and start fully using all the tools that ARE available.

It turns out that blogging is fun for me (busyness), but doesn’t produce any real income (business), so the lack of an integrated blog or forum module in SBI no longer bothers me. I’ve learned, after a decade of blogging, that I don’t make my money on my blogs or forums. I enjoy writing them, and sometimes enjoy the conversations in the comments, but the money is made on my websites, and that’s what I am going to focus upon next year.

I should also mention that it has seemed to me that it was easier to write a blog post using WordPress, Radio Userland, or Blogger than it was to write a comparable page using SBI.

There are a couple of reasons for this.

A. WordPress comes with an almost-WYSIWYG editor for writing the posts. It’s easier to write an ad hoc blog post. That’s more of a perception than a reality, however.

B. I put a lot more thought, research, and planning into writing a page on one of my SBI sites, because I knew more people would see it. That may be partly self-fulfilling prophesy, and it may be partly due to all the things that SBI does behind the scenes to make it easier for people to find a page.

When I first started using WordPress, it pretty much required knowledge of PHP in order to get anything done. Now, it’s much easier, but still takes more technical knowledge.

SBI templates offered fewer options with the basic block builder, but, a few years ago, they introduced the ability to upload pages built using any site design software. However, those of us who preferred using the block builder tool had fewer options. The introduction of block builder 2 (BB2) this month will make a huge difference in how we design and build our sites. It’ll still be easy for beginners, but will offer more options as SBIers learn more.

In reality, however, I believe this is mostly perception. What we gain in ease of use in modifying a blog, we lose in spending additional time researching plug-ins and dealing with other technical details.

Ease or difficulty aside, however, I have proof that my blogs did not earn as much and took much more time than my SBI sites — even though I largely neglected my SBI sites for over two years.

I’ve also quit focusing on wanting comments and conversations on my website pages. That’s been a sticking point for me for a long time. When I started focusing on the lack of this feature, I really believed that all the commenting and discussions I was having on multiple blogs (my own and others) was helping my business. Earlier this year, I stopped most of that, and neither my income nor the number of visitors to my sites dropped.

It turns out that commenting is not that important, after all. It is a fun social activity that I enjoy, but it does not produce more income. Maybe I should qualify that by saying that it didn’t produce more income for me. Your mileage may vary.

Now that I have Facebook commenting on my SBI sites, it has become a non-issue.

Once again, I was confusing busyness with business. They are not the same.

Also, by focusing on the lack of a feature I wanted, it dimished the usefulness of all the features that SBI provides. I learned that lesson a long time ago. I’m surprised that I had to re-learn it.

So, this old dog is going to learn some new tricks.

I’m going to forget about using PHP and PERL to accomplish things and I’ll adapt to the tools that SBI offers. The new reusable blocks feature of BB2, that makes server side includes available to people who use the block builder editor, will make it possible for me to do some things I’ve long wanted to do.

My first SBI site may never be a real moneymaker. It’s always paid its way and made a profit, however. My second SBI site is the one around which I’m rebuilding my marketing business.

9. It has taken me a long time, but I have finally proven to myself that SBI is the right choice for me. Not just another choice in my bag of tricks and tools — the best choice.

I feel comfortable in stating that I’ve tried most of the alternatives and they are all lacking — especially in performance.

If you hear that SBI is only for beginners who don’t know how to do the technical stuff, part of that is true. It is perfect for beginners, but it is also perfect for us old propellerheads who have been slinging computer code for decades and building websites for almost as long as there have been websites.

(I was building websites before the introduction of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Before javascript. Before Google. Before websites could show graphics. When I still had to compile source code to build tools. When websites were listed in printed books. When I had to write CGI code in Perl or C to do any kind of animation or process forms. When I had to write my own program for building autoresponders. Before most people had even heard of the World Wide Web. I may not be great at it, but I’ve been doing it for quite some time.)

I admit that I am not a great business-person. I don’t have the knack for making big profits. I’m trying to learn how to do it. I think it’s probably a skill like any other, and even those of us who don’t have a natural talent can learn how to do better.

Ken Evoy has been a great mentor and I have learned a great deal from him. I haven’t implemented all that I learned as well as I could have and I’m going to remedy at least some of that.

He has also been a great inspiration. I admire his dedication, work ethic, intelligence, and ability to cut through the fog and keep things real. I look forward to learning more from him and putting that knowledge to work.

Unfortunately, it seems that I have learned how to write incredibly long posts from him, too. (grin)

10. SBI is a bargain.

Some of us have proven to ourselves that SBI offers a better way of building the kinds of sites we want to develop. Many of you have done much better with this than I have, but I intend to do better next year.

I won’t waste thousands of (more) hours on trying to prove to myself that SBI is the real deal. I’ve already done that. Yes, I learned a lot. Yes, I tested and proved to myself what works and what doesn’t. Yes, I learned all about the high cost of “free” websites.

And the price? $300 per year, per site?

That’s a bargain.

I know.

You have to look at the big picture. Sitesell is much more than a webhosting company.

SBI is not magic. It is not a magical Internet money machine on steroids.

SBI is an online business success toolkit, complete with detailed instructions that you can adapt to the niche of your choice. It comes complete with a set of tools that are unmatched in one service — anywhere. (Remember that there were no challengers in the recent $50,000 Sitesell challenge!) SBI offers a forum with a friendly, helpful atmosphere where fellow subscribers enjoy helping each other succeed.

Only for beginners? Not true.

Too expensive. Not true.

I still spend several hundred dollars every month for webhosting, email mailing services, domain names, and other expenses related to my online marketing business. Only $60 of that is for my two SBI sites. By comparison, they are a bargain. (In fact, I’m saving enough every year (by not renewing a lot of non-producing domain names) to pay the inexpensive cost of both SBI sites.

Later in 2012, I am seriously considering building two more websites powered by SBI. Both are profitable sites, currently, but I know I can create more revenue by taking the content off of those sites and building new sites using the tools that SBI provides. All I need is more time and energy.

I have a dream and I’ll act on achieving it in 2012 and beyond.

Act on your dream!

Tags: Blogging, Ken Evoy, online business, SBI, Sitesell, success, Websites

What is happening with Sitesell and SBI in December?

December 10, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 1 Comment
Filed under: Business, Sitesell and Site Build It

December has turned into a very busy month for Sitesell.

Sitesell reached 50,000 fans on their Facebook page

Their Facebook page now has over 50,000 fans and they are celebrating with a Best of Breed photo competition.

“Best of Breed” photo competition

Go to their Facebook page and click the Contests tab in the left column.

As soon as I saw what the contest was about, I immediately entered Apple’s iPad as the best of breed product for tablet computers. I knew what I wanted to say and where I could find a good photo (on Apple’s site), so my entry was completed in just two minutes following the announcement of the contest.

I was surprised, later that day, to learn that I had won a free three-month extension to one of my SBI subscriptions for being the first entrant in the contest. Several more three-month extensions have been given to other entrants.

The contest is open for entering until tomorrow, and voting starts on Monday. Before entering, be sure to read the Official Rules for the contest.

Ten prizes will be awarded in this contest (in addition to the fun surPRIZES that are being awarded):

First Prize: 2 Years SBI! + US$500 + 1 hour of exclusive coaching with Ken Evoy, SiteSell’s Founder and Chairman of the Board

Second Prize: 1 Year SBI! + US$250

Third Prize: 6 months SBI! + US$150

Fourth to Tenth Prize: 3 months SBI!

I would love to win that First Prize. The two free years of SBI! is a great prize and the $500 cash would be nice, too, but — for me — a full hour of one-on-one coaching with Ken Evoy would be the grand prize.

I would be honored if you would visit the contest on Monday, 12/12/2011, and vote for my entry, the Apple iPad, as best of breed in its category.

In just two days, you can vote for me and my entry! (two days) (2) (grin)

Or, if you are so inclined, you can enter the competition and compete with me for the prizes.

Live demonstration of the new Block Builder 2

For over two years, the designers, programmers, and database experts at Sitesell have been working to transition SBI! to a new platform that will help us be even more competitive for the next ten years. All of the modules (about 70 or 80) are being upgraded to work with the new architecture. It’s a massive project and already over $3 million has been invested in getting it completed.

On Monday, December 12, 2011, there will be a live video sneak preview of the new BB2. This will replace the original (sometimes called clunky) block builder that is used to build pages on sites powered by SBI! and will introduce a new state-of-the-art page builder. It also has a number of new site design features and probably a few surprises I don’t yet know about.

The presentation starts at 6:00 pm (Eastern Time) and there will be a link to it on Sitesell’s Facebook page.

You can learn more about this event here: BlockBuilder 2 Live Video Broadcast

I’ll definitely be there.

The public Beta test of BB2 is imminent and Sitesell is hoping that BB2 will be introduced for all SBIers to use on their sites before Christmas.

This has been a massive project and I can’t wait to get my hands on this new tool.

I have big plans for my marketing business and SBI! in 2012.

Christmas Two-For-One SBI! sale

Ken Evoy announced yesterday that the holiday special Buy-One-Get-One-Free! offer is now live and will go until midnight on December 25th.

During this sale period, you can buy two SBI! subscriptions for the price of one.

Keep both for yourself, if you want. (You can start the second site up to 9 months after purchase and it’s renewal date starts from when you start working with it.)

That means you can start one now, and wait until next summer or fall to start the second one.

When the annual renewal date arrives, each site will renew at the $299 price, so the second site is completely free for a full year.

Or, if you prefer, you and a friend can go together and start two sites (and split the cost, so that each of you can get started at half-price). If the two of you work well, you can help each other as you both learn the SBI! proven method of building an online business.

Or, buy one for yourself and give the other as a gift.

There are a number of ways you can choose to proceed.

If I didn’t already have so many tasks on my to-do list for the first few months next year, I’d take advantage of this sale, because I have two more SBI! sites on my drawing board and I hope to start both of them next year.

That’s a lot of things happening at Sitesell this month!

Over 50,000 fans; Best of Breed photo contest; live video preview of BB2; introduction of BB2 (hopefully — fingers crossed!); special holiday sale!

I won’t give you a lot of breathless hype. SBI! is the real deal. They won’t stop selling subscriptions to SBI! if you miss a fake deadline (although you won’t be able to take advantage of the 2-for-1 sale if you miss its deadline).

SBI! was a great deal a few years ago. It’s a great deal now. It’ll be a great deal a few years in the future.

Don’t miss the SBI! 2 for 1 sale!

Act on your dream!

P.S. Of course, you don’t have to take advantage of the special offer. If you want only one SBI! site, you can still buy one. Choose either the monthly or annual payment plan and get started!

Tags: contests, Facebook, holidays, Ken Evoy, sales, SBI, Sitesell, Special Offers, upgrades

Sitesell has almost reached 50,000 fans on Facebook

November 29, 2011 by John Dilbeck · 1 Comment
Filed under: Facebook, Sitesell and Site Build It

We are less than 100 people away from 50,000. It’s been moving quickly this evening. Won’t be long, now.

Here we go!

Tags: celebration, Facebook, party, Sitesell

Sitesell and SBI are going to play a big part in my 2012 marketing

November 29, 2011 by John Dilbeck · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Blogging, Business, Forums, Opinions, Sitesell and Site Build It, Webhosting, Websites, WordPress

Several important currents are coming together to make 2012 a much more productive year for me. Sitesell is going to play a very big part.

1. I am recovering from a very serious illness and I finally feel like working on my sites again. It has been a difficult period (almost three years), but I’m ready to go. During this time, my income was decimated, so I’m basically starting over.

2. I have closed over 50 websites that I built over the last decade (non-SBI). I started about half of them before SBI was introduced and the other half to test ideas and to see if I could put together a system that was better than SBI (for my own use, only, not to sell to others). I tested many different ways of building websites and blogs, and some of them were successful, but all of them had problems. Problems that I’ve never experienced on either of my SBI-powered sites.

I am a firm believer in testing to see how well something works. I don’t believe what people say, until I test it for myself. That’s probably a character defect and it has caused me a lot of unnecessary work, but I’ve reached my conclusions based on my own experience, not from someone else’s untested claims.

3. The release of BB2 is coming at just the right time. I’ve spent the last three or four months brainstorming and planning and thinking. I’m going to rebuild both of my sites and I’m going to take the time to do it the right way.

When I built my first SBI site in April 2004, it was basically to learn how SBI worked so I would be better as a 5P affiliate. At the time, I was building a couple of large (1,500+ page) sites using a database created by Dave Winer (one of the inventors of RSS and an early blogger, as well as a very talented programmer and application developer) and which I had modified heavily by tweaking the programming and adding my own modules.

The sites I built were very successful until North Carolina passed the nexus tax law in 2009 and Amazon.com cancelled my affiliation. Several other large merchants also dropped me at the same time. I had been an Amazon.com affiliate for 13 years and all of my sites were heavily monetized through their affiliate program. *poof* *gone*

This happened just as I was getting so sick that I had a very difficult time thinking straight and trying to make the necessary changes. A few months later, I was so sick that I could not work, at all.

So, my first SBI site was something I built because it was a subject that is important to me, not because I thought it was something that would make a lot of money. I liked how SBI made it easy to build and manage the site and how it did so much for me behind the scenes.

I was heavily focused on other ways of building money-making sites, at the time. I’ve built social communities, forums, websites, blogs, and even an article directory (for awhile). I wanted to know, from the inside, how these various sites worked and performed — and what were their benefits and problems.

I was a 5P affiliate before there was an SBI. Before even Page Build It! So, I had the chance to watch as SBI grew and expanded and expanded and continued to get better and better, year after year. And, I noticed that the price has not increased, even though the product is many times better than it was all those years ago.

(Actually, I think the price did increase for awhile, but I don’t remember the details. I also know that the C2 module used to cost about $100 per year in addition to the SBI subscription. C2 is now included free. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that SBI cost about $500 per year at one time. Can anyone else verify this, or is it just another hole in my memory?)

Despite inflation and all the new and improved modules, the price for SBI remains at $299 per year. (Or, you can get it for $29.95 per month. You save almost $60 per year if you pay for it annually. Plus, there’s no risk. SBI comes with a 90-day no-risk money-back guarantee. Sign up today and try it for yourself!)

I spend a lot more than that for coffee. (…and Reece’s Pieces…)

I’ve also observed, for about 13 or 14 years the high levels of intelligence, honesty, ethics, integrity, innovation, and good-judgement that are possessed by the people who make up the Sitesell team. I’ve observed how the company has adapted to a changing world, not by following every fad, but by evaluating each new innovation from a business standpoint and then deciding whether or not it would have a long-term beneficial or detrimental effect on all of Sitesell’s subscribers. (Known affectionately as SBIers.)

I have observed how deeply focused all of the people on the Sitesell team are on helping all of us to succeed. They don’t just say it. They do it. Much of it for free. The members-only Sitesell Forums are dedicated to helping and being helped, and I have observed more times than I can count or remember how SBIers help each other. Individuals on the Sitesell team offer their help, too, above and beyond their official duties.

Day in and day out, for years.

When I built my first SBI site, in early 2004, things were very different from what they are, now. (I also have to admit that I thought I was something of an expert in building websites and I didn’t pay as close attention to the advice I got as I should have.)

I don’t remember there being an Action Guide, although there probably was. I know, if it even existed, it was nothing like what’s available now.

Until last year, I lived where there was no high speed Internet and I had a very, very slow dial-up connection. Last year, I moved about four miles away and jumped into the 21st century, complete with high-speed broadband. For the first time, I was introduced to video on the Internet and it changed my whole approach to using the ‘net. I discovered the video Action Guide and watched all of them, but remember almost none of it. My illness left me with some real memory problems, but that’s getting better, too.

I’ll be re-reading the Action Guide and re-watching the videos as I work though my site redesigns and expansion, next year.)

As I said, I closed most of my websites and I’m changing my focus. For a decade or so, I was wide and shallow — lots of websites with not too much depth to any of them. I spent a lot of time on various forums and commenting on other people’s blogs.

Of course, there’s more to choosing and building an income-producing niche-focused original content website, but some of it can only be learned by doing what you think is best and then adapting and improving the things that don’t work.

And, I want to emphasize this — it takes work! To be successful, you have to plan, organize, and then implement. SBI makes it easier, but it DOES NOT DO THE WORK FOR YOU! If you don’t want to invest your work, time, and creativity into building your online business, stay away from SBI! Go waste your time blogging. Did you know that you can do that for free — sort of?

To be fair, there are some good reasons for having a blog. If there weren’t, this site would not be powered by WordPress. However, I have proven to myself that blogging has been mostly a waste of time — for me. When I get my other two SBI sites situated, I am seriously considering rebuilding this site as an SBI site, instead of a blog. Those plans are on the drawing board, but I have a lot of other things that must be done first.

I did not focus on my own business as much as I should have, but there were other, more important, things I was doing, at the time. Caring for Mom, primarily.

Now, I’m moving to narrow and deep — a few websites that will go as deeply as I can on their topics.

The planning is mostly done. The mind maps are created, the site blueprints are completed, copious notes have been written, and now I’m waiting on BB2 before I completely revamp my two SBI sites.

So, 2012 is going to be a big year for me.

BB2 and the new site design features and templates are going to make it much easier to build the sites I’ve envisioned, but was unable to build (due to overextension on other sites and a debilitating illness).

This time, I’m going to stop fighting the things I didn’t like about SBI (the main one being no integrated blog module with commenting) and start fully using all the tools that ARE available.

(It turns out that blogging is fun for me, but doesn’t produce any real income, so the lack of an integrated blog or forum module in SBI no longer bothers me. In another year or two, John Dilbeck And Friends may be my last blog. I’m considering turning it into an SBI site, too, but don’t have any firm plans, at this time.)

I’ve learned, after a decade of blogging, that I don’t make my money on my blogs. I enjoy writing them, but the money is made on my websites, and that’s what I am going to focus upon next year.

So, in summation (finally!!), this old dog is going to try to learn some new tricks. I’m going to forget about using PHP and PERL and Frontier and Radio Userland to accomplish things and I’ll adapt to the tools that SBI offers. The new reusable blocks that make server side includes available to people who use the block builder editor will make it possible for me to do some things I’ve long wanted to do.

My first SBI site may never be a real moneymaker. It’s always paid its way and made a profit, however. My second SBI site is the one around which I’m rebuilding my marketing business.

(If you need SQL databases, scripting, and other similar features, SBI is not for you. If you are unsure if you can do what you want to do with SBI, you can always ask your questions. Answers are free and there is no obligation.)

And the price? $300 per year, per site?

That’s a bargain.

I know.

You have to look at the big picture. SBI is much more than just a webhost.

Only for beginners? Not true.

Too expensive. Not true.

I spend several hundred dollars every month for webhosting, email mailing services, domain names, and other expenses related to my online marketing business. Only $60 of that is for my two SBI sites. By comparison, they are a bargain.

The best way I know to build a successful online business, no matter how much experience and technical skill you have, or don’t have? Absolutely true.

But, I’m just one of nearly 50,000 fans of Sitesell. If you want other opinions, just ask.

I intend to be here when there are 100,000 Sitesell fans on Facebook.

Perhaps you’ve been wondering if you can be successful at building a business with SBI. What do you know that other people want to know?

That’s part of the beauty of SBI. The Action Guide includes 10 steps (metaphorically known as days, although some may take much longer to complete), and it teaches you all about building a website, identifying your strengths and interests, and helps you choose a niche, before you decide upon a topic and domain name.

Most people put the cart before the horse when building a website, but SBI’s Action Guide teaches you a much better way of approaching building an online business.

If you’ve been on the fence about trying SBI, or if you’re skeptical because you have been burned by online scams and get-rich-quick schemes, I understand your reticence. I’ve been burned by a few of them, too.

I have never had a bad experience with Sitesell. Never. Not once. In over a decade.

I can’t say that for any other company. I won’t say that for any other company, even if they offer to pay me.

You never know what you can accomplish until you get off the fence and start working to build a better future for yourself and your family.

Will you get rich? I am almost positive that YOU WILL NOT GET RICH. Possbily, but the odds are stacked against you, by far.

Can you earn a few hundred dollars to supplement your income while you learn new skills, probably, if you follow the Action Guide and do the work. Don’t expect it immediately, it may take a year or two to start earning real money.

Can you quit your job? A few have been able to do that, but I’m sure the majority have not.

Maybe you don’t want to quit your job. Maybe you’re retired and want something interesting to do, and maybe earn a bit in the process.

(I’ll be 60 in 2012 and I’m thinking about my retirement. But, I don’t think there will be much difference. I already work at home, at my own pace, on my own schedule. I enjoy researching and writing, and continuing to build websites really appeals to me — and so does making extra money.)

Maybe you’re a work at home mom or dad and you’d like to supplement your income.

Maybe you’re a student or recently-graduated young person and you’re having trouble finding a job that will help you grow and learn more. Why flip burgers or do something similar when you can learn valuable skills that will help you earn more in the 21st century. Learn how to build effective websites that earn real money. Do it for yourself. Perhaps you can leverage your new skills into a better job. I know several people who have done that after they spent a year or so learning what SBI teaches.

Students, and their parents, invest thousands of dollars in formal schooling, some of which actually helps them in life.

Why not invest another $300 in something that will help you (or your children) learn real-world skills related to business and 21st century communications and marketing.

Did you know that one of the more famous SBI-powered websites, Anguilla Beaches, was built by Nori Evoy (Ken Evoy’s daughter)? Would you believe she was only 14 years old when she started the site? It’s true. Now, she’s a college student who already has a profit-making online business.

Maybe you’d just like to earn enough to make payments on a new (or newer) car or save money for a vacation.

All of these are possible. I personally know people who have done all of these, and some of them didn’t know any more about building websites than you do, when they started.

Get off the fence.

Do something.

Thousands of people took the chance and ordered SBI. The great majority of the ones I know are happy that they did. That’s why they continue to renew their subscription year after year and even purchase several subscriptions so they can build multiple sites.

But, slow down. Start with one. Give it a try.

Take it one step at a time, and learn from the people who have helped thousands of people like you.

What will it cost? $300.

What about all the options, upsells, continuity programs, bundles, and all the back-end products they’re going to try to sell you?

There are none. They provide optional coaching services (by the hour), if you need them to get past something you don’t understand, but they are optional.

There is no hard sell.

$300 per year. That’s it.

Order SBI today.

Do it now. Six months from now, you can comment and tell your story. Is it working for you, or not?

Try it for up to 90 days risk free.

You can’t find a better deal than that. At least, I can’t find a better deal than that, and I’m always looking.

Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished in 2011? If you said yes, say it again, proudly. Congratulations!

If you said no, then think seriously about how 2012 is going to be the same, or different.

I can’t speak for you, but for me, 2012 is going to be different.

Sitesell and SBI are going to help me.

I choose to invest time, energy, and money in myself and my future.

Act on your dream!

Tags: online business, SBI, Sitesell, success

Sitesell is about to reach 50,000 fans on Facebook

November 28, 2011 by John Dilbeck · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Facebook, Sitesell and Site Build It

You won’t believe it, but this is going to be a very short post.

I was planning to talk about this later in the week, because I thought that it would take until December before 50,000 people liked Sitesell’s Facebook page, but now it looks like it will happen today or tomorrow.

I know how much I like Sitesell and I’m obviously not alone.

Looks like it will be party time soon. There will be lots of surprises and prizes when it happens.

Tags: Facebook, fans, like, Sitesell