Who ordered SBI back in March and has succeeded with it?

[seeker5]

February/March, being when Steve first promoted SBI!...?

I myself ordered it in March, but I never was able to concentrate on it. The videos take a lot of time to just view, and I wasn't able to put in the time needed as I kept having other things I felt was more important for me to concentrate on at the time. So I canceled my SBI! account recently (should have canceled it much earlier).

So I'm curious, who ordered SBI! back in March and made it succeed?

[Fullcrum]

This place has: Discover Lucid Dreaming and Turn Your Dreams to Reality!

It's not a massive niche, but she has tons of useful information and she started SBI early 2008. I think she had her traffic stats on one of her pages: she makes almost $1000/month now.

Tis one example. I got it and am working with it as we speak. Sorry that you didn't have enough time - I can understand your frustration. The beginning is a time-consuming experience. Getting over the hump through concerted effort - that's the approach I think this needs.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

This place has: Discover Lucid Dreaming and Turn Your Dreams to Reality!

It's not a massive niche, but she has tons of useful information and she started SBI early 2008. I think she had her traffic stats on one of her pages: she makes almost $1000/month now.

Wow, that's awesome! I remember now her site many months ago when she was starting out on it, it's great how much it's progressed!

[Wildside]

I ordered it back in March as well...quickly got bogged down in all the Information and went for the refund before my 30 days were up. I think if you had a really good Idea or expertise in something it would be a great way to build an online business...unfortunately I didn't really have either. I still really want to setup an online business, just not quite sure what yet. I have really been considering buying it again now and giving it another try...but I still don't have any expertise to sell or a really good Idea lol. I was considering trying to build a site about mediocrity, as I do seem to have a lot of first hand knowledge in that particular field

[Matt Willard]

I'm still truckin' on mine. It's in my sig! Perhaps you should check it out.

[Wildside]

Originally Posted by Matt Willard

I'm still truckin' on mine. It's in my sig! Perhaps you should check it out.

Looks good Matt...good luck with it!

[LifeHawk]

I like Rebecca's site.

I am big on Wordpress, and still have not found one SBI site that could not have been done with WP + Plugins much cheaper and in less time.

From what I've heard, in the time it takes to learn SBI you can become a WP god. And of course, there is no comparison in pricing. With WP.org all you have to pay is your very cheap monthly hosting (can be done for less that $5 a month)

But success online has to do with determination, so if you're determined to succeed with your site/blog, you will succeed using any software or platform.

If your heart is not in it, or you don't have the time, might as well fail with the cheaper software.

But that is just my humble opinion.

[Fullcrum]

LifeHawk - Do you have any personal experience to back up your claim?

Sure, it might appear on the surface that WP can create any SBI site for cheap, but you're forgetting all the tools and research that went into the website that gives the owner knowledge over whether the site will succeed or not (i.e. niche profitability).

Sure, you can do the research on your own. But really, SBI puts all the tools in one place. We're paying for centralized tools and knowledge, great support, and community (forums).

[LifeHawk]

No...I really don't have any personal experiences with SBI to back up my claims. However:

• It seems there are a lot of people out there who paid for SBI and never actually got their websites off the ground, and many that did, didn't even make back the money they invested.

• For many people, the only way they are making money from their SBI site is by promoting SiteSell. And many sites promoting SiteSell are run on WordPress.

• A lot of the tools SBI offers can be had for free through Google and other sites. And there is nothing better than doing your own research.

So everyone has two options. Purchase SBI, or look at the facts already out there from SBI and Wordpress users, and then make a decision based on the business model you want to follow (and what you can afford at the time). Having choices is always nice.

If you purchase SBI, good for you and good luck. My point was that your website's success depends on a lot more than the platform you're using.

[Plato]

I'm looking into blogging at the moment. Got a lot of free time to make it happen.

I looked at what SBI offers, and I either know how to do it already, or can figure it out for myself through a bit of research.

There are A LOT of blogs about blogging, and site building.

I can see the value of the service... not sure it's for me though. I wait to be persuaded I guess.

[Plato]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

This place has: Discover Lucid Dreaming and Turn Your Dreams to Reality!

It's not a massive niche, but she has tons of useful information and she started SBI early 2008. I think she had her traffic stats on one of her pages: she makes almost $1000/month now.

Tis one example. I got it and am working with it as we speak. Sorry that you didn't have enough time - I can understand your frustration. The beginning is a time-consuming experience. Getting over the hump through concerted effort - that's the approach I think this needs.

That's a really nice site. Great presentation.

[Daffy Duck]

An alternative to using SBI is to read the SiteSell book: Make Your Site SELL! 2002

[rachelMT]

I purchased SBI and was really excited about it, but like another person said, I felt bogged down by all the information I was instructed to read. There was just too much, and though I tried, I just couldn't commit the time to it. I should have gotten a refund

[Niki]

Originally Posted by rachelMT

I purchased SBI and was really excited about it, but like another person said, I felt bogged down by all the information I was instructed to read. There was just too much, and though I tried, I just couldn't commit the time to it. I should have gotten a refund

A refund? For getting too much for what you pay?

[LifeHawk]

Originally Posted by rachelMT

I should have gotten a refund

You can still get a pro-rated refund even if the initial 30 days have past.

Originally Posted by Niki

A refund? For getting too much for what you pay?

SBI's money-back guarantee says that anybody can get a refund anytime, for any reason. So even if she got too much for what she paid, she's still entitled to a refund. That falls under that "any reason" category.

Funny how some SBI subcribers have that notorious Amway-cult-like mentality.

[ticktockclok]

I remember Steve having an article about New Year's resolutions. He said you should set two, so that you actually follow through on them, one professional and one personal. My personal focus is my health and my professional focus is my SBI site which I started in October but have been slacking on.

Check it out!

[Wildside]

Originally Posted by ticktockclok

I remember Steve having an article about New Year's resolutions. He said you should set two, so that you actually follow through on them, one professional and one personal. My personal focus is my health and my professional focus is my SBI site which I started in October but have been slacking on.

Check it out!

I like it...it's very soothing

[Rebecca800]

Hi guys

Glad you like the site

Just want to add to the SBI debate... Although I know a lot about site building / blogging / online marketing etc NOW, I wouldn't have got to this stage without Site Build It. So I do think it has tremendous value and gave me belief in myself that I could succeed with my own website. Having the step by step guide gave me milestones to achieve, with the next step always laid out in front of me.

Many people say SBI is overwhelming and I agree, there is a lot to absorb. But it is doable!! The way around it is to stick to the basics - just follow the Action Guide. I don't think I've read more than a handful of their supplementary articles, of which there must be hundreds, and I still have a working website, right? So anyone who is hanging around the start line, my advice is to just get stuck in. If you commit to the process, you will do well. But Lifehawk is right, there's no room for half-heartedness.

[munish]

Originally Posted by seeker5

I myself ordered it in March, but I never was able to concentrate on it. The videos take a lot of time to just view,

So I canceled my SBI! account recently (should have canceled it much earlier).

dont look for what others do, try ad re - host the site and make it a success.

Dont try to access the value of a site by how much it is making.(money)

I also have a SBI site , which is growing fast.There is not much money because i dont have ads on it.

I have around 30 pages in 4-5 months.

Remember ,as Dr Ken Evoy says,dont expect to make much money in the first 2 years.

Yes there are some exceptions.

So get a new one today, and follow the guide.

It is easy and 1 hour a day for 2 months is good enough for the study.

[Fullcrum]

One of the neat things SBI teaches you is how to develop your unique voice. All the successful SBI websites have a certain style and voice that lends credence to what they are saying. People are attracted to that. I assume it's our innate attraction to authenticity and the self-confidence possessed by someone to allow themselves to be authentic.

For example, Rebecca's Lucid Dreaming website has a very sensible and scientific voice. I'm a science junkie - science has been my passion since I was about 5 - and unlike many LD websites with a more new-agey spin to them, Rebecca uses personal experience and some case studies to back up what she says. It's a unique voice.

A big part in developing unique voice comes from feeling good about one's point of view and confident in what one has to say. Then the person is freed to express themselves in whatever way they feel most appropriate.

[yoopersmith]

Originally Posted by seeker5

February/March, being when Steve first promoted SBI!...?

I myself ordered it in March, but I never was able to concentrate on it. The videos take a lot of time to just view, and I wasn't able to put in the time needed as I kept having other things I felt was more important for me to concentrate on at the time. So I canceled my SBI! account recently (should have canceled it much earlier).

So I'm curious, who ordered SBI! back in March and made it succeed?

I ordered SBI around that time and I am slowly building traffic, links, buzz...it takes time...I still like it though and intend to renew. I didn't expect to make money for about 2 years.

I am still behind the traffic "hump"...floating around 13 visitors per day...and I need to create more content...so that will be my primary focus this year.

I tried to do the Word Press thing (I kept it too)...but I have made that into a personal blog vice a web biz

...perhaps through the process of learning with SBI, I may find that I no longer need it someday...for now SBI works for me.

Both sites are in my sig...feedback is always appreciated!!!

THANKS!

[Daffy Duck]

I am considering creating more sites myself. I don't use SBI since I have been web developing for many years, but I'd like to encourage everyone to give it a try if they have something passionate they want to write about. Don't think to yourself, "Oh there are just too many web sites nowadays. Mine can't possibly get noticed."

Don't forget about our population growth either. All of the kids you see running around will one day be on the Internet looking at web sites!

Rebecca here has already proven that there is still an audience. Ya know, a couple years ago I thought of creating a lucid dreaming site (I love LD) but for some reason that I forget I decided against it. But look how successful Rebecca has been!

I already have a web site that provides me with a healthy second income, but I'm thinking of more. I have some ideas floating around in my head. I might give SBI a try just to see what it's like, even though I don't need help with the technical solutions.

[ssandra]

Hi,

I have been reading this threat because i have been looking into building my own website.

SBI Sounds very good (to good to be true??) but i have 1 questions... all the sides that i have seen have the same layout (some nice picture above, links on the left and text in the middle / right). Is this the only thing you can do, or is it also possible to change this if you want to?

Tnx for any insight or tips for other easy to use programs.

[borisg]

hi sandra,

with SBI you have complete flexibility. You can use the SBI templates and modify the background look and feel, or you can upload your own html pages if you like.

Don't judge SBI based on the look, the reason why many SBI sites look simple, perhaps cheesy is because most SBI owners focus on the most important aspect of building a site...and that is how to increase traffic. There are thousands of beautiful sites out there where people have spent countless hours and dollars on their design, however most of them will NEVER be found.

over the years I have used yahoo web hosting with their site tool, i have also used yahoo online stores, 1&1, wordpress, and blogger and none have been able to deliver what SBI can...visitors to your web page.

I'm using a simple template while I focus 100% of my efforts on creating content and learning how to establish valuable incoming links, use third party free directories, study my site keywords, and evaluate which monetization strategies will work best with my site. If you are contemplating any other company...look a their web site...where do they talk about "growing traffic" most don't, because most don't know how, their main interest is in getting you to pay them their hosting fee.

my site chilean-wine.com has been up for about 3 weeks now. If you go to google.com and type in "chilean red wine reviews" my site comes in second place (as of today). I don't have a lot of content, but with the skills that I'm learning from SBI and their very valuable members forum, in the near future my site will rank no 1 for many chilean wine related keywords. If your interest is in having your website found by other people, then use SBI. If you are merely using it to express yourself, use worpress or blogger or another free service. its very unlikely that i could have placed second on the first google page after 3 weeks without SBI.

SBI costs $300 per year. That's $25 per month for hosting, web design tools, keyword analysis tools, knowledge database of hundreds of SBI users and their kind support and MUCH more. Its quite the bargain. and traffic too!

best of luck to you whatever you choose.

P.S In the future I'll change the look on my site but right now I'll take an ugly site with visitors over a pretty site with no visitors.

[BigDan]

I've read Steve's review on SBI and it looks pretty interesting. I've been wanting to start a residual income stream for a while but have no idea to start. Given the recommendation I might just start w/ this. However couple questions -

1/ Approx how much time is needed to start (in hours not weeks / months). I realize 'everyone's different' , 'it depends' blah blah but I know if its an investment of say 50 - 100 hours I can consider it, if its 1000 hours I cant bother. So having an idea would be very beneficial and I'd be grateful to whoever can provide one. I ask in hours instead of weeks / months b/c "2 months" could mean 30 mins a day or 2 hours a day. Big difference.

2/ This 'too much to read' complaint I've seen above - how many pages (or hours of videos) are included that one must read / see?

Thanks!
Dan

[Rebecca800]

Hi Dan

Each day of the video action guide is a different length. From memory they're anything from 15 to 45 minutes long. There are 10 days in total.

As you work through the video, it gives you little tasks to do (like make a list of your hobbies, or go choose a domain). So overall it will take a little longer - depends how fast you work.

Also remember you can do several "days" of the guide in one afternoon, but then you might want to spend a week on day six (choosing and customizing your design template). By the time you get to day 10 - monetization - you will apply this advice over the next few months and beyond.

It's really difficult to count the actual number of hours I have put into my site, since I haven't kept track! You are definitely more accurate with 50-100 hours than 1000 hours though. Once I completed the "10 days" I probably spend 5 hours per week on my site. Its now officially 7 months old, has 125 articles, 2500 visitors per day, in the top 0.6% on Alexa, and makes a very nice side income. I'm not quite living off my website yet but I very much hope to be at some point in 2009.

Hope that helps put things in context for you. It is totally achievable to do in your spare time, and once you prove it's a financially viable concept, go full time

[BigDan]

Rebecca, thanks, that was very useful.

It seems like most of the 10 days (minus day 6 and maybe day 10?) is on average 30 mins of video but takes about an hour b/c of the other exercises. Did I get that right? Or maybe the exercises take a little big longer?

Day 6 you said is significantly longer. I'm presuming 10-15 hours will be adequate?

Day 10 seems pretty vague.

Spending 5 hours a week is very minimal if you're making good money. If you're making $200 / month from it that comes to about $40 an hour which is not bad. Not exactly residual income but certainly a handsome reward. If its more than that, as I would assume from the top half percent, then thats awesome!

Did you have any previous experience with creating a business or online marketing?

Thanks!!
Dan

[Rebecca800]

Hi Dan

Glad to help

You can download the Action Guide yourself for free if you like! SBI! Action Guide

Check out the table of contents so you can see what's in store each day. You can even start right away but I recommend signing up to SBI sooner rather than later (if that's where you're headed) because the guide relates back to SBI tools so you do stuff online as you go along.

I found the written guide quite hard to absorb but the videos are awesome... if a little drawn out at times but it definitely helps get the point home. Much easier to visualize and remember in the long run.

Day 6 is a biggie - mainly because you can spend hours playing around with your Look & Feel. It forms the template of the site. 3-4 hours should be fine if I remember right. You can always go back and tweak/change your design later on (in fact, I guarantee you will!)

I wouldn't focus on following a timeline if I were you. Just go at a natural pace and pick up where you leave off. That's one of the best things about this kind of project, its so very flexible.

Also, don't expect a great pay rate in the first year. You will generate income but its not technically equivalent to the hours you put in. Think of it this way; my site will earn 4 figures this month whether I work on it or not. I'm building up passive income streams so that my website makes money 24/7 for many years to come. So the hard work you put in now will pay off massively in future.

Before starting my SBI site, I had no experience of running my own business. My background is in stock market data and later a financial writer. So it helped that I knew how to write (ish!) but SBI teaches that too (and web writing is a lot easier than you might think). I did have a cursory knowledge of online marketing as I used to work at an online media company but again this is not the same kind of knowledge I got from SBI. So to answer your question, I don't think I had any advantage over any other SBI user.

As SBI says, the only things you need are BRAINS and MOTIVATION!

[Daffy Duck]

Rebecca, do you make the majority of your money from Google Adsense or affiliate links?

[Rebecca800]

Hi Daffy

I cut Google AdSense from my site about a month ago - it was generating very little; approx $30 per month from 100 pages.

I make all of my income from affiliate partners. I sell lucid dreaming MP3s, meditation CDs, the lucid dreaming kit, dream herbs, essential oils for lucidity, books & DVDs, even inspirational posters for lucid dreams.