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Hi Johnny;
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I also know that you said in another forum that you really did the creative part of a site and your hubby does the tech stuff.
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I'll start at the beginning. Yes, I mentioned in another forum that I do the "creative" stuff and Peter does the "technical" aspects. But - that only applied to here at Adland.
You see, when Peter was an Advisor, we had to ensure that our forums were not repetitive or overlapping. So, we agreed that his reviews would focus on the technicalities and mine would focus on the marketing and creative. Now that he has resigned as an Advisor, it's not an issue.
I also do the "technical" aspects of design and taught Peter html and design back in the late nineties.
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You can buy Dreamweaver or Front page and hammer out a site. You can buy templates, hosting some with build it on line services.
But for the person that is really trying to get a professional site like you and your husband can create it is alnost priced out of our range of affording it.
So I not sure what you have in mind here of us doing. But what I see people in home business needing is to be able to have a site that they can use for business that works and that can be affordable.
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You are very right. What people need is a site that works. And most don't have that. You have noticed that, too. And I'm going to explain why, because it is something I have noticed through experience, too. (below...)
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I don't know if I am even in the ball park here. But I do know that most of what is out here is not working
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You hit the nail right on the head. Most of what is "out there" is NOT working. And I have finally figured out why!
I designed my first website in May 1995. 11 years ago this spring. In those 11 years, I can't count the people I've worked with. Each one, I learned from. Over the years, it is like each person I worked with was part of a big puzzle and finally the picture has become clear to me.
First of all, here are 5 facts of this day and era;
1) The Vast Majority of People Have Financial Problems
That's fact. According to the US census dept, over 95% of adults today will not be able to afford to support themselves at age 65 and will need to depend on family or government to take care of them. Sad, but true.
2) Make Money Schemes are Alive and Well
Ever since the first newspapers, there has always been people making money from other people's financial duress. I recall the old newspaper ads that said "Learn to make money from home. Send $20 and SASE to..." If you sent $20, they would tell you where to place ads just like theirs. Make money schemes have always existed.
3) People Don't Like to Feel Dumb
That's just human nature. No explanation required. Most of us would rather "ignore" that which we don't know than feel dumb. Technology makes a lot of people feel dumb or intimidated.
4) We have become a society of easy solutions
Got a headache? Take a pill. Need to lose weight? Take this stuff. Indigestion? Take that. We have grown to look for fast solutions.
5) The Value of Social Proof Increases as Information Overload Increases
The more and more we have to 'choose from' the more we value a respected opinion.
Mix those 5 together and you get the Internet of today. Most people selling internet "solutions"
a) Know most people have money problems
b) Know most people will pay for a solution
c) Know most people don't want to feel dumb
d) Know an easy solution appeals to most people
e) Are happy to give "social proof"
That's why you see things like
"No need to learn html!," "push button sales pages," "blueprints to success," "turn key websites," "how to make money online," - and etc., and etc. It goes on ad nauseum. And, they will give you long lists of testimonials to provide the 'social proof' you need.
Bada bing, bada boom - your money is in their bank account. Make money schemes are alive and well. And, because most of them pay good commissions, everyone and their dog will try to sell you on them.
And even if you're not looking for an "easy fix" - even if you don't have money problems - the "easy fix" is what's plastered ALL OVER the web.
But there is ONE thing *most people* do not take into consideration. Can you guess what it is?
But first, let's play pretend....
Pretend there is a health food store in a local mall and it's doing a WHOPPING business. That little wee store is cranking out a hundred grand profit every month like clockwork.
Pretend that the owner desperately needs to sell fast because of a personal issue. The issue doesn't matter. What matters is that YOU can get the store for a song! And if you scrape all your money together, you can afford it. So you buy the store.
If you do not know the health food industry, and you do not know how to manage the store, guess what's going to happen? Odds are, it's going to DIE FAST.
So, now - can you guess the one problem with most of the "internet solutions" out there?
You can NOT succeed at a business if you don't know how to RUN it. And THAT is what happens online. You can not make a success story out of a business that was slapped together with "dummy proof" programs.
If you use frontpage or a template and your website isn't in the search engines, would you know why? Or if visitors aren't responding, will you know why? Or if you have no traffic, will you know why? Of course not, because there's not a magic button to fix that.
Businesses build on a basis of "don't need to know how..." are designed to fail. You can't make a store "work" if you don't know how - and you can't make a website work if you don't know how, either.
But, here's secret I've learned in 11 years online...
All the things that people "dummy down" so you don't feel dumb don't NEED to be dummied down. They are simple enough for a 12 year old to learn, or an 80 year old to learn.
I have tested bits and pieces of my course on people that range in age from child to the elderly. No one found it "too hard" to learn. NO ONE.
The trick is taking them one step at a time so it's not information overload. And isn't that how we get anywhere... one step at a time? Of course.
So - the whole treasure map - step by step - that's what I'm putting together. And you six are my first guinea pigs for the entire kit and caboodle. I've tested bits and pieces. Now I want to test the whole thing.
The first step will show you how to determine if you have a business idea that is viable enough to bring you the kind of dollars you want in the first place. If your idea passes the test - great. If not, I will show you how to fix or enhance it so it does.
From there, we move on to a web business plan. Offline business plans often don't apply to the web - but jumping into building a business with no plan isn't the solution.
Step by step, we'll cover everything. From search engines to promotion, to page building or editing, etc.,
And what I'm going to bet on is that at the end, two things will have happened.
a) You will realize that NONE of it was too hard. Rather, taken a step at a time, it makes perfect sense.
b) You will see results and have a confidence in what you're doing that very few online do.
Sorry that was so long - but I hope it answers all your questions! lol.
: )
Linda
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