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Article by the Expert: Progress, No Matter What
by David Cross
Article by the Expert: Progress, No Matter What
by David Cross
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I make it a point to follow up with everyone who asks me a
question about setting up an Internet business. It takes me
just a few seconds, and it usually motivates them to take
action.
Usually. But not always. After my most recent follow-up e-mail
to "Bob," for example, I received this response...
"Hi David,
"Sorry, we've been having challenges with infrastructure here
in paradise. Internet is more off than on. Our landline was
just fixed this week. It has been down since June 22. There
was a major fire at the power plant 2 weeks ago. And to add to
the festivities, I was assaulted by a crackhead who, I am
told, was turned into a zombie by some Haitian voodoo curse.
(I couldn't make this stuff up.) I am about to leave for
Albuquerque to visit my son and grandchildren. I haven't seen
them since my son's commissioning with the Air Force 8 years
ago. I am anxious to get going with my website. But, as you
can see, there have been a few distractions."
The last time I followed up with Bob, he had a few other
"distractions" that were preventing him from starting his Web
business (though none as interesting as being attacked by a
voodoo-cursed crackhead).
What I can't seem to get Bob to recognize is that achieving
success in your Internet business (or anything else) is not a
place you suddenly arrive at. It's part of a process. And it's
formed by a habit. A habit of doing something to progress
toward your goal every day, no matter what. I am not saying
that the "challenges" of day-to-day life won't throw you
off-kilter. But in the time it took Bob to write and explain
why he hadn't yet made a start, he could have made a start.
Just Do It!
Now is the time to start anything -- not necessarily a
brand-new business. It could be starting something new with an
Internet business you're already operating. Maybe advertising
on Facebook... using video on your website... or sending a
follow-up e-mail series to your subscribers.
For the online entrepreneur, now is always the time to make
improvements. To do more of something that's working; to stop
doing something that's not.
But when you have a long list of things you want to try...
how do you know what to focus on first?
The answer to that is easy. Focus on the one that will
generate the most results that most closely match the core
purpose of your business or your stated conversion goal.
Let's say your primary purpose is to build an e-mail list and
market to that list. In that case, what would give you the
best return on your investment of time and money? Should you
do paid search advertising? Write more articles? Build a new
shopping cart? Or test landing pages?
In my experience, you should begin with a combination of paid
search advertising and writing articles designed to drive
organic ("free") search engine traffic to a simple landing
page. On the landing page, you offer a free report on your
chosen topic. People who are interested in your topic sign up.
You deliver the report. You then e-mail them ongoing
information -- and offers -- related to that same topic.
You could get all of this set up with one day of focused
effort. You could start right now by spending just one hour to
open your Google AdWords account and create a single ad.
You say you can't find even one extra hour to work on your
Internet business? What about some of the time you spend idly
surfing the Web? Or watching television? According to a recent
Veronis Suhler Stevenson's Communications Industry Forecast
and Report, the average American spends 1,745 hours watching
television in a typical year. That works out to 145 hours a
month -- more than six full days in front of the TV every
month, or slightly less than five hours a day.
You cannot alter the fact that there are only 24 hours in a
day, but you can change the way you use them. So figure out
how to use some of those hours to make progress on your
Internet business goals. Do it now. There's no excuse not to.
question about setting up an Internet business. It takes me
just a few seconds, and it usually motivates them to take
action.
Usually. But not always. After my most recent follow-up e-mail
to "Bob," for example, I received this response...
"Hi David,
"Sorry, we've been having challenges with infrastructure here
in paradise. Internet is more off than on. Our landline was
just fixed this week. It has been down since June 22. There
was a major fire at the power plant 2 weeks ago. And to add to
the festivities, I was assaulted by a crackhead who, I am
told, was turned into a zombie by some Haitian voodoo curse.
(I couldn't make this stuff up.) I am about to leave for
Albuquerque to visit my son and grandchildren. I haven't seen
them since my son's commissioning with the Air Force 8 years
ago. I am anxious to get going with my website. But, as you
can see, there have been a few distractions."
The last time I followed up with Bob, he had a few other
"distractions" that were preventing him from starting his Web
business (though none as interesting as being attacked by a
voodoo-cursed crackhead).
What I can't seem to get Bob to recognize is that achieving
success in your Internet business (or anything else) is not a
place you suddenly arrive at. It's part of a process. And it's
formed by a habit. A habit of doing something to progress
toward your goal every day, no matter what. I am not saying
that the "challenges" of day-to-day life won't throw you
off-kilter. But in the time it took Bob to write and explain
why he hadn't yet made a start, he could have made a start.
Just Do It!
Now is the time to start anything -- not necessarily a
brand-new business. It could be starting something new with an
Internet business you're already operating. Maybe advertising
on Facebook... using video on your website... or sending a
follow-up e-mail series to your subscribers.
For the online entrepreneur, now is always the time to make
improvements. To do more of something that's working; to stop
doing something that's not.
But when you have a long list of things you want to try...
how do you know what to focus on first?
The answer to that is easy. Focus on the one that will
generate the most results that most closely match the core
purpose of your business or your stated conversion goal.
Let's say your primary purpose is to build an e-mail list and
market to that list. In that case, what would give you the
best return on your investment of time and money? Should you
do paid search advertising? Write more articles? Build a new
shopping cart? Or test landing pages?
In my experience, you should begin with a combination of paid
search advertising and writing articles designed to drive
organic ("free") search engine traffic to a simple landing
page. On the landing page, you offer a free report on your
chosen topic. People who are interested in your topic sign up.
You deliver the report. You then e-mail them ongoing
information -- and offers -- related to that same topic.
You could get all of this set up with one day of focused
effort. You could start right now by spending just one hour to
open your Google AdWords account and create a single ad.
You say you can't find even one extra hour to work on your
Internet business? What about some of the time you spend idly
surfing the Web? Or watching television? According to a recent
Veronis Suhler Stevenson's Communications Industry Forecast
and Report, the average American spends 1,745 hours watching
television in a typical year. That works out to 145 hours a
month -- more than six full days in front of the TV every
month, or slightly less than five hours a day.
You cannot alter the fact that there are only 24 hours in a
day, but you can change the way you use them. So figure out
how to use some of those hours to make progress on your
Internet business goals. Do it now. There's no excuse not to.
About the Expert:
David Cross is a veteran Internet marketing expert who has
worked closely with Early to Rise and Agora for many years. He
is also a featured expert in ETR's Internet Money Club.
worked closely with Early to Rise and Agora for many years. He
is also a featured expert in ETR's Internet Money Club.
