How to Build a Successful Online Business (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

How to Build a Successful Online Business

[Kylark]

I was slightly disappointed by the content of this post. The title promises actionable content on how to build an online business, but the body is mostly an advertisement for Site Build It.

I understand that affiliate marketing is a big part of your income, and you've stated that you wouldn't recommend a product you don't believe in, but I feel the article would have had more congruency if you had mentioned Site Build It in the title.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Kylark

I was slightly disappointed by the content of this post. The title promises actionable content on how to build an online business, but the body is mostly an advertisement for Site Build It.

I understand that affiliate marketing is a big part of your income, and you've stated that you wouldn't recommend a product you don't believe in, but I feel the article would have had more congruency if you had mentioned Site Build It in the title.

Yeah, I'd have to agree. You only find out about "Site Build It" half way down when the article starts to feel like an advertising. Maybe mention it near the beginning paragraph so there isn't that negative connotation that comes up when realizing half-way down that the post is kind of an ad.

Nothing wrong with advertising Site Build It and getting revenue from your endorsement. I'd just suggest you advertise it like with the other stuff you've advertised, where it's clear from the get-go you're talking about a product.

I'm still interested in Site Built It myself, and I may decide to use it, and I do appreciate the info posted.

[Steve Pavlina]

Thanks for the feedback. Sometimes it's hard for me to see these kinds of posts objectively. I wasn't trying to mislead anyone. It wasn't my intention for this post to sound like an ad, since it's my own personal recommendation of a solution to a common problem.

My recommendation for Site Build It! is the primary actionable content in this case. I genuinely think this is a great tool for non-programmers to build their own web businesses. This is a much more realistic path for most people than my previous approach of writing mega-articles or doing PowerPoint presentations to try to teach people how to manage all the technical details themselves, only to see them waste a lot of time getting it wrong.

As I mentioned in the post, if you're already savvy enough to be running a profitable web business, you don't need SBI.

Other articles may have more entertainment value than a post like this, but I think this one will benefit a lot more people in terms of helping them get real results.

I spent many hours researching this service before deciding to recommend it. A few forum members have also recommended SBI in the past after building successful sites with it.

I think that securing an exclusive bonus for StevePavlina.com visitors -- a bonus you won't find elsewhere -- is a worthwhile benefit too.

If this sort of service doesn't interest you, it's easy enough to ignore it of course.

[Dan.Linehan]

Right. This is more like, "A Good Tool To Publish Online Content With."

As an alternative to SBI... Dreamhost offers a one click wordpress blog installation that should be pretty straightforward for new publishers to use. Two years of hosting at Dreamhost would be $214.80, or actually $164.80 if you use the coupon code PRICESLASH ($50 off).

That's 27.5% of the cost of SBI over the two year period (assuming you pay the full $299 / year for SBI) - with a total savings of $433.2 dollars. You can also use your Dreamhost account to run multiple sites during that period, you get online storage, much higher transfer rates, etc.

Add an adsense optimized theme, switch over to permalink titles, test your contact form, and you're good to go.

Dreamhost also uses green hosting. SBI not so much..

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

As an alternative to SBI, Dreamhost offers a one click wordpress blog installation.

SBI isn't a blogging tool or CMS. Comparing it to Wordpress is sort of like saying that a crate of apples is the same thing as a grocery store. A blog isn't a business.

If all you want to do is self-publish your own content, a blog is all you need, and SBI would be overkill. SBI is for people who want to build traffic and generate income from their sites, not merely post content.

[ericabiz]

Steve, as a longtime reader and huge fan of this blog, I have to say I'm disappointed with this entry as well. You build up the problem expertly...and then dump an affiliate link in our laps! How about some real, useful, actionable items other than "Go buy this software (and make me some money in the process.)" Also, I don't see you state anywhere that you use this software.

Really love your blog. Really didn't like this post. It should be marked as an ad.

-Erica

[annie]

I liked the article and found it an answer to my questions today. I will definitely be looking into it. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting as I started the article...I didn't think it would mention a particular "tool" and yet that is exactly what was needed for me.

More ideas on how to do it on my own wouldn't have fit the bill today.

Thanks Steve

[Shagaia]

I have had a Site Build It account for some time and being computer challenged not to mention web challenged has kept me from getting anywhere with the program. Nubies be warned it is not as simple as 1,2,3 which I was led to believe. Steve you have, however, inspired me to try it one more time. Thanks

[annie]

Originally Posted by Shagaia

I have had a Site Build It account for some time and being computer challenged not to mention web challenged has kept me from getting anywhere with the program. Nubies be warned it is not as simple as 1,2,3 which I was led to believe. Steve you have, however, inspired me to try it one more time. Thanks

Well i was planning on purchasing it within the hour. Your post concerns me slightly...however, I am familiar with quite a bit of techie things...but nothing regarding traffic building. I have a message into the company. They promise to contact me within 12 hours. I wonder if they hold your hand at all?

If you watch that 30 minute video...I feel like i"m going to be a millionaire next year! I know it can't truly be that easy....but I'm in the situation where I have a great website, but little traffic. This looks like it really could answer some of my problems.

I"ll let you know how it goes. I admit...I'm kind of excited about it. I'll pay $300 a year if it's really that simple and I get the traffic. It's a no-brainer.

[Rosie]

Did you get paid to talk about SBI?

[theknightwhosaysni-NI]

I'm happy you posted this. Personnaly I was expecting the article to be about site build it ! because I saw the new add on the top left of the forums this afternoon and had clicked on it.

About Site Build It ! :
I came across this service a few months ago and thought it seemed good but I couldn't get totally sure it wasn't a scam. I am not very web savvy and decided to learn a little more with free CMS like Joomla before taking the step to buy Site Build It. ( I don't intend to make money on the web yet)

Also after browsing a few sites hosted by this company I saw that all of them had a link to a page selling Site Build It ! services, and I found that strange. Actually now that you explained that their affiliate program is quite rewarding I understand better.

It's good to have the opinion of a very web savvy person about this company and its services, so thanks

[annie]

Originally Posted by Rosie

Did you get paid to talk about SBI?

No. But thanks for asking. I just had a REALLY interesting day today! Quite discouraged about getting traffic to my website...I was about ready to hang it all up today (just kick back and live my life ....I'm pretty well-off financially) and give up on business...100% due to lack of traffic on my blog/website.

Honestly, this might sound corny, but it was exactly like an answer to my prayer. I went snowshoeing into the mountains today and literally asked God..."If you want me to keep doing what I'm doing....then help me!" I was literally in tears because I know what I'm doing is truly my mission in life...it's my purpose. But I'm technically challenged. (I feel stupid admitting this...but I asked God to throw something at me TODAY. When I got home I was surfing the web and landed on Steve's blog. And there it was!

I'm sure this all seems silly to you....but hey, it very well could be THE answer I'm looking for. (And if it's the answer from GOD himself...I'll be sure to pass that on

here's my website:

Let Your Life Speak....... LifeVision Coaching

Thanks

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Rosie

Did you get paid to talk about SBI?

Nope. I never do pay-per-posting stuff. They haven't paid me a dime.

I did, however, join their affiliate program when I decided to recommend their service, and I also worked out the extra 3-month bonus deal with them for my readers. This is a bonus people can't get elsewhere, so you actually get a better deal by clicking my links vs. if you found SBI some other way. That seems like a pretty fair arrangement to me. This is certainly no secret -- I mentioned it in the SBI articles.

I spend a ton of time researching products and services, the vast majority of which I never mention because they aren't of high enough quality. I think it's fair that I earn income from those efforts, especially when it benefits my visitors. If I didn't earn income from this, I probably wouldn't bother with these kinds of recommendations at all, since the research investment would make it prohibitive.

[Deyvon]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Nope. I never do pay-per-posting stuff. They haven't paid me a dime.

~~~
I spend a ton of time researching products and services, the vast majority of which I never mention because they aren't of high enough quality.

These two quotes are the basis of why I was not too distressed by the way you introduced the service. I would be beating a certain horse if I said you could have done it differently, but in the end we all read your work for a reason.

I personally see no reason not to try it out, and I think I am going to try to use it to start my first "job" blog.

Any way thanks for this review, it may be some of your readers saving grace.
~David Palmer~

[Steve Pavlina]

Some people get upset when I recommend anything with a price tag, but the good stuff isn't always free.

If you want 100% free, there's always Mars.

[beel]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Some people get upset when I recommend anything with a price tag, but the good stuff isn't always free.

If you want 100% free, there's always Mars.

i don't think that is the issue. i think the issue is the somewhat misleading title and beginning portion of the article.

[Paul C]

Thanks for the recommendation Steve. This encourages me further to go about making an income via the internet, just a matter of figuring out what it is I want to contribute.

I personally didn't have a problem with this article. It's understandable you'll tell us of a service that you genuinely see as valuable to someone, to many people, I would think.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by beel

i don't think that is the issue. i think the issue is the somewhat misleading title and beginning portion of the article.

Exactly. By not mentioning upfront you were talking about a product, it seemed like everything you wrote before your recommendation would be suspect. I know this isn't the case with you Steve, because I trust you.

However, I had that momentary negative reaction when I read the article, when I realized halfway down it was about a product you were trying to sell. It took me a few seconds to remind myself that I trusted you thus you weren't trying to rob me like thousands of other people online try.

I didn't have that reaction with your other articles where you were recommending products because it was clear from the other posts that you were indeed selling/talking about a product from the beginning.

So, please don't think it has anything to do with paying money, but simply having to do with expectations of what we're reading when we read your post. I'm totally ok with you making money recommending products - I actually love it when you recommend products because I trust you so I know it's good stuff. I've already bought stuff solely because you've recommended them, and I'm sure I'll do it again.

[Calculusaurus]

Steve, you seem to have a lot to say about building online businesses (moreso than you've said already).

Also, based on peoples' reactions to this post, I think your audience would be eager to hear more about online businesses in general.

I've got no problem with you giving genuine recommendations to priced products (though price tags tend to scare college students such as myself). But I was slightly disappointed that the ideas in the first half of the article weren't fleshed out in the typical Pavlina style.

In other words: perhaps you can write more articles on this topic to appease our appetites (and to generate more interest in SBI from your non-tech-savvy readers).

[codefreeze]

I'd have to disagree with Steve on this one.

I actually don't think technology is the problem - it's most often content that's the problem these days. With services like Blogger you can have a blog up and running in minutes - no technical skills required.

Also, most decent hosting providers give you single click installation of Wordpress - which couldn't be simpler. When combined with the fact you can set up a Wordpress blog for free on Wordpress.com and have a play first then I don't think in most cases it's the technology that restricts traffic - it's usually either marketing (lack of) or poor content that holds people back.

Also, $299 a year sounds like a hell of a lot of money for this service. Services like Freewebs give you everything you need to completely build an e-commerce site, with blog, forums etc for around $50 a year depending on how much disk space/bandwidth you need - again no technical skills required.

I guess for people who get swamped by the technology this service might be useful - but I'm not sure it will solve their traffic problems - which the article seemed to suggest.

[GlennCarfin]

Steve I am a long time reader but like the majority I am really really disappointed! I feel that this blog post was completely for your own profit and not because your really believe SBI... I am so disappointed that I went through the hassle of signing up in the forums to let you know about it.

So fellow readers that want to start an online business. Here are some tips that you might consider.

No this time do not even think about listening to Steve.

If you are nto a tech saavy first try to embrace technology first before thinking about going into online business. Online business is not easy as Steve is trying to put it here!

If you think about starting an online I really suggest starting from a simply website like a blog. You can get a completely free hosted blog from blogspot or wordpress. Starting from a blog will give you a glimpse of how many hours you have to put in building up a reputable business. Start slow and do not spend $$$ like Steve is suggesting.

That is my advice in couple of sentences...


I really suggest that you remove this post Steve since it is going to hurt your image IMO!

[Trezker]

I liked the post and appreciated the explaining of why you're not posting about the topic more than you have. But I have to agree with people, I think hinting at the product in the post title and making a short introduction to the service before anything else would've been a good thing for everyone. Other than that the post is excellent as usual.

I think the main reason to make that one change is that some of your readers are not interested and with a deceiving start you kind of force them to start reading something that they don't want to finish.

One solution could be to split the post. First one that explains why you're no longer trying to teach people how to build online businesses and a hint that next post you're gonna advertise a service. Then the "advertising" by itself in its own post. I actually thought the post was quite long to read...

[prasunsen]

Steve, unlike most I don't think there is anything wrong in your post and that you promoted an affiliate link. Finally, this is a good example on how online business works.

However the post is also a good example why generic rules do not work. You have done it following everything that all the IM gurus teach, creating a good post, linking contextually to the product and even offering a bonus to the readers. And yet, instead of bringing sales, it disappointed a lot of the readers. The lesson: the generic advice that the "gurus" give rare works. One should be creative and find his own approach when trying to sell.

But actually I registered because I have one more conceptual thing to discuss. It worries me a little bit when everyone out there wants to start an online business or advices the others to do it. Why? Here are some reasons:

1. Not everyone is a good content producer. As a result of that most of the content on the net is of very low quality. Of course there are other models, not content based, but then they again require special skills. If you want to create a software and sell it, you should be able to program or manage programmers. If you want to sell stuff on web shops, you should be a good seller. Etc.,etc. I think people are different, some fit well for the online business models, others do better building cars, playing soccer or growing potatoes. Let everyone mind their business.

2. Imagine that really almost everyone do online business. How many can be successful? It's like 90% of the people being doctors. Whom are they going to cure? The rest 10%? Same way, who is going to read, buy or use all this online content or products?

3. If almost everyone start making money online and work from home, who is going to do the rest? Who is going to cook in the restaurants, to fix your car, to build buildings etc? Again, I don't like seeing everyone giving advice others to make money online. There is nothing so cool about online, it's not 1998 anymore.

People listen about this "make money online" everywhere and lose thousands of human hours in front of the PC most of them making pennies - because this is simply not their field. As said above, let everyone mind their business and do what they are really good at.

My rant is not so much about your post, but about the trend seen on every second blog.

[tekomino]

I really don't know what this fuss is all about...

Steve is always, always selling. In every single post. He is selling himself mostly and sometimes, like in this post, he is selling a product where he gets commission.

But in every single post he is selling himself as someone who should be listened to for advice on personal development etc... This is no different, it is just different product being sold. Don't get upset. If you are interested try it if not ignore it, simple. You've got it free :-)

Regarding the advice for content producing, the informational content like the one Steve is producing is the product of very few products that you can sell that have very long life span. You can't sell most of the products that long. You can't develop games that have that shelf life (Steve knows this). You can't sell software that has that shelf life, etc. This is all good.

However, creating valuable informational content is hard. Most people don't have aptitude for doing that and that is why they fail.

You can substitute aptitude with hard work, but most people are not willing to invest 10 years that are required to master something.

So they fail.

You have to find something that you have passion for, and are well positioned with your natural skills to do. Aligning with your good natural skills, you don't need that much development, but instead need to polish them up and fine tune.

Starting and developing successful business is lots of hard work... If you are not prepared to put in the time don't expect the cash register to chime...

[Steve Pavlina]

I appreciate the feedback, although I simply don't agree with the jaded outlooks. I happen to know better because I really did my homework on this one. SBI is a truly great service for the right people.

I stand by my recommendation for SBI and have absolutely no regrets about recommending this service, especially once I saw first-hand how much their own customers love it. Their private customer forums have over 400,000 posts -- about triple what we have here. Those people really encourage the heck out of each other, and they share some interesting business ideas I haven't seen elsewhere.

It's great to see that a number of people (double digits) have already signed up for it -- I hope you'll keep me apprised of how it goes for you. My first recommendation is to join their members-only forums and introduce yourself as a new member. I think you'll find their people very welcoming and supportive. And be sure to tell Ken I said hi.

I like the idea of writing more articles about the reality of an online business. I was thinking about doing a series on that topic before recommending SBI, but I want to focus on the tactical/strategic side, not the techie side.

I've been getting a lot of positive feedback and questions about SBI via email. The critical posts here in the forums tend to scare away the more enthusiastic people -- a pattern which occurs whenever I recommend something with a price tag -- so those who are really interested usually just email me.

What some people overlook is that a blog is not a business. Anyone can start a blog, and SBI would be overkill if that's all you want to do. There are plenty of free or very cheap alternatives. SBI is for people who actually want to build profitable online businesses, not merely start an online journal.

Some of you who've already mastered online business on your own might scoff at the idea of a service that puts together a suite of tools, education (including video tutorials), and ongoing mentoring/coaching for people who want to start an online business. But I can assure you there are people for whom this is the perfect solution, and for $25 a month, it's an incredibly compelling deal for what you get. Consider how much time it took you to even find all the tools you use... or even to know which tools are important. The average person becomes quickly overwhelmed trying to figure it all out.

Would you teach someone how to build a successful online business from scratch; install, configure, and constantly upgrade all the tools they'll need; teach them how to use those tools; provide the means for them to create and manage the site w/o requiring them to learn HTML or use FTP; host the site for them; help them analyze their logs and suggest new content to add to their site; send them a free newsletter with tips and techniques; and continuously mentor them for $25/month? I certainly wouldn't. But I'll tell you that if a service like that was available in 1995 when I was just starting out, I'd sign up for it in a heartbeat. I'd have to be a real hardass to think that spending countless hours figuring all of this out on my own would be worth saving 82 cents a day.

Even Ken Evoy's teenage daughter uses SBI. She runs the site AnguilaBeaches.com and generates thousands of dollars a month from it. You'll see her site as one of the real-world examples in the video tour. I'd certainly love to put my own kids in the position of being able to support themselves from their own online businesses. But then I'm the kind of father who would say to my kids, "You want a job??? Are you crazy???"

For those who suggest this can be done for less than $25/month, I'd really like to see you teach a teenage girl to build a profitable online business within six months for that price, including providing all the tools, hosting, and ongoing support she'll need.

I'm a programmer. I don't need SBI. But I recognize it's the perfect solution for a lot of people who aren't as comfortable with Internet technology as I am. I think I'm being far more helpful to most people by recommending they use an all-in-one package like this, backed by a company I genuinely respect and trust vs. suggesting they invest hundreds, if not thousands, of hours mastering technology that's eventually going to become obsolete.

It's often possible to substitute sweat for money, but paying $25/month for a service that provides everything you need -- to build a profitable business, not merely publish a web site -- is a far better option for most people than the sweat alternative.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Thanks, Steve. I have what I think is a really great idea for a website, but my tech skills leave a little to be desired. I know I could learn it, but it would take me quite a long time. And I've been leary to go with some product or company unknown to me since I don't have the knowledge to know if I am getting scammed at this point. This at least gives me something to look into.

I would love it if you wrote some articles on this topic that don't have to do with a product recommendation, but I think this is really valid and useful for a lot of people as well.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

paying $25/month for a service that provides everything you need

It really becomes $19.93/month with the 3 free extra months.

At least, the first 15 months.

[Dreamlife Hero]

I think it's useful for technophobes like me.

In fact, it's exactly what I was looking for and I was considering trying to find a business partner who knew the technical side of online businesses.

I understand some people feeling that Steve's somehow manipulating them to make money for himself - but really I would have thought that people would trust Steve after reading even a small portion of his articles. Oh the cynical mind.

To me, his guiding motivation seems to be to help as many people as possible to live an empowered life - not to make himself a rake of cash!

Anyway, I trust your judgement Steve, so thanks for putting in the spadework of researching the site (I wouldn't have known where to begin).

You've inspired me to finally commit to setting up my own online business.

I also think that more articles on online business tips would be helpful for people like me.

DLH

[JohnR]

Hi Steve,

Something that should be pointed out is:

SBI do not host dynamic web sites such as those based on WordPress or any other blogging or CMS system. Don't confuse that with what they say about the blog component to the sites you can build through them. I found that out over 6 months ago when I looked at their hosting technical specs. I emailed a high-level SBI contact I have and he told me that they only support and host static web sites.

That's a big deal really, especially to your readers; most of them would only consider a dynamic site such as this one. The other fact that people might want to consider with SBI is that when they say you have access to keyword research and such, it is through a few free credits with WordTacker. You get a set number of searches, then you have to purchase more credits.

SBI has a great system; it is extremely well thought out, but readers should be aware of the limitations to judge the fit with their plans and skill level.

You are so right about the need for technical savvy. My web site experience involved only static web sites, and I had to give up one of them, an artisan business, due to some wrist and hand problems. To replace that, I decided to combine lifelong passions and experience with an income. So I am an example of what you are speaking of; I had the desire but lacked the technical knowledge.

The thing is, I wanted to build a dynamic web site based on WordPress (I think most people want to go this route). But as you state, it requires extensive knowledge and skill to make that work in the real world. I decided to throw myself into an intensive 6 months of learning. To that end, I have completed an exhaustive SEO/SEM internet marketing course, I've immersed myself into the world of blogs, and I've learned enough css and php to allow me to redesign my theme. I also set up a WAMP server on my local machine. I am using that to develop my site prior to going live.

The SEO course was invaluable even for something as seemingly simple as choosing a WordPress theme for further redesign. Most WordPress themes, even those you pay for, are sorely lacking in proper SEO optimization. This includes such simple but important considerations as effective use of H tag Hierarchy. So yes, it's a huge learning curve to gain the knowledge you need.

Is SBI a solution though? Sure it is, for a whole bunch of people that want static sites, but it has some serious limitations if you want to be a professional blogger. Of course they might have made major changes in the last 6 months that I don't know about, so check this out before making a decision based on that.

I wanted to mention this because SBI has hundreds of pages of information. I'd hate to see someone spending days pouring over what sounds to be a great fit with their plans, only to discover that their dreams of problogdom are not supported.

Cheers,
John
Landscape Paintings of British Columbia - John Rocheleau