After a few months of delays, I just put the finishing touches on my good habits blog.
This website will be the focal point of the Authority Internet Business (AIB) case study that I’m officially launching today.
Moving forward, there will be a lot of content related to this case study. I guarantee you’re going to learn a lot of things about how to build a business from scratch. Plus, I’ll provide specific examples of what does and doesn’t work with Internet marketing in 2013.
Today, I’m going to reveal the URL of this case study website. Plus I’ll talk about eight valuable lessons I’ve learned while putting this website together.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]My Authority Website: REVEALED![/title]
I’ve already talked about how developing good habits will be the topic of my authority business. Fortunately for me, I was able to register an excellent domain name related to that keyword:
DevelopGoodHabits.com
The goal of this blog is simple. I’d like to help readers eliminate their negative habits and build a life that is full of successful routines.
My approach to the “habits market” will be different from other bloggers. I’m not going to position myself as an expert on this topic. Instead, I’m going to chronicle my attempt to build a better life through habit development. It will be what Joseph Campbell would call a Hero’s Journey.
I won’t claim to have all the answers. Instead I’ll provide an insider look at what it’s like to actually develop lifelong, positive habits.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]A Big Thanks…[/title]
Before I move on to the meat-and-potatoes of this post, I’d like to thank a few people for their help with this project.
First, there’s Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind. Tom and I connect on a weekly mastermind call where we bounce ideas off one another. For the last month, he’s given me a ton of constructive criticism on DevelopGoodHabits.com (DGH). Plus, Tom was kind of enough to let me “borrow” the inspiration for my blog logo.
Next are the behind-the-scenes freelance workers who handled a few specialized tasks. There’s Kyle who designs most of my eCover graphics. Then there’s Soniya who helps me with technical WordPress tweaks. And there’s Shaz who is part of the team that designed my logo. Finally there’s Ian who created the customized subscription form that’s on the sidebar of DGH.
All of these people helped immensely with the launch of DGH. It would have been impossible to put everything together without their help. So I highly recommend their services if you need technical help with your authority business.
Now…
Starting a brand new website isn’t always easy. It’s more involved than writing a few pages of content. Your goal is to have a “marketing ready” website on day #1.
With that in mind, there are eight lessons I learned from this experience:
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #1: Do a Soft Launch[/title]
Most “how-to-blog” gurus talk about the importance of having an established base of content before formally launching a site.
I absolutely love this idea.
Unfortunately, I also don’t think it works in the real world.
Why?
Most people thrive and survive on positive momentum. Mentally it’s hard to create 20+ pages of content without getting any feedback from the market. Oftentimes this strategy becomes a creative excuse for why you can’t launch a new website. (This happens because of Resistance, which we’ll talk about in a bit.)
Really, there is no perfect moment to start driving traffic to a website. This type of thinking often causes people to procrastinate on a great idea.
The simpler solution is to do a “soft launch” when you’ve published a few blog posts.
I think Seth Godin puts it best:
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] Are you a serial idea-starting person? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person. [/quote]
I think what Godin means is we all get great ideas, but we also encounter Resistance along the way.
When you wait for the “right time” to launch a site, sometimes that perfect moment never arrives.
My point?
I know DGH is not ready for primetime. It only has a few blog posts and an email offer. But I’m not afraid to do a soft launch and tell a few friends, which includes YOU.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #2: Focus on Kaizen [/title]
Kaizen is the Japanese belief that you should focus on continuous positive improvement. Like I said, DGH is not perfect. The reason I’m launching it today is to provide a “warts and all” example of how to start a new business. Moving forward, I’ll show how I’m going to make this site a little bit better each month.
Today this blog only has a 10 articles:
- Six posts that define habit-related concepts
- Three posts in my monthly “30 Day Habit Challenge” series
- One Massive Value Post (MVP) with 3,500 words of content
This is a pretty humble beginning for what I picture as a six-figure-a-year business.
I’m okay with showing a basic version of this blog because I know there’s a lot to learn from the process of building a business.
Simply put, you should:
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] Never focus on perfection; instead focus on the journey towards perfection. (Tweet This!) [/quote]
You don’t need a lot of content to kickoff a website. What’s more important to have one really good article and a mechanism that starts building your audience.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #3: Start Building a List TODAY[/title]
List building should never be an afterthought for your authority business. It’s not something you’ll “get around to doing”. It should be the focal point of your website – starting on the day you launch.
Frankly, I think email marketing has more long-term value than a blog. I could survive if something happened to SteveScottSite.com, but I’m not sure what I’d do if I lost my list.
In my opinion, list building is kind of big deal.
Yes, you should start a website with a few good pieces of content. But it’s equallty important to have a free offer that encourages readers to subscribe to your list.
So start building a list today (if you haven’t already)! There’s no excuse here. Anyone can compile a list of tips that directly relates to their niche. That’s what I did with my “77 Good Habits to Live a Better Life” report.
There’s a lot more that goes into building a list. Get started by reading this post on how to use lead magnets to encourage people to subscribe. Plus, I’ll cover this topic in more detail in future updates of the AIB case study.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #4: Identify Your Monetization Strategies[/title]
Odds are, your goal is to make money with your authority business.
That’s why I suggest a simple strategy:
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] Always have one “income project” in the works (Tweet this!) [/quote]
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day doldrums of blogging. Sometimes you forget that the main reason you’re online is to make money. That’s why it’s important to always be working on one income project.
An income project can take many forms. It can be a simple page where you recommend an affiliate marketing offer. Or it can be an in-depth information product that solves a niche-related problem. The important thing is to start your authority business by working on an income-generating offer of some sort.
EXAMPLE:
On the surface, DGH only has 10 blog posts and a list building offer. But behind the scenes, I’m currently working on an iPhone app and a Kindle book. Both should be available by the end of May. So as I build my audience, I’ll also have something they can purchase.
Without a doubt, your monetization strategy is will be the difference maker in your authority business. Starting on day 1, you need to consider how you’ll make money.
Again, this is a topic that I’ll cover in more detail. In fact, we’re going to talk about monetization in the next blog post.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #5: Think Long-Term[/title]
Let me get something out of the way:
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] Building an authority business is a long-term strategy. (Tweet This!) [/quote]
Yes, yes. We live in an instant-results society. If something doesn’t happen overnight, then we quickly lose interest.
Unfortunately the “instant results mindset” often leads to the death of a great idea.
Building an authority business requires hard work and a financial investment before you see anything in return.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.
I recommend adopting a step-by-step mindset as you develop an authority business. Set small, but challenging goals. Then map out a strategy where you work towards these benchmarks.
For instance, here are a few goals I’ve set for DevelopGoodHabits.com:
- Reach 1,000 unique visitors for a month
- Launch my first habit-related iPhone app
- Publish my first habit-related Kindle book
- Make $1000 in a month
- Write a guest-post on a major site like LifeHacker.com
As you see, these milestones are fairly modest. Yes, my long-term goal is a six-figure yearly income, but I’ve chunked it down into short-term outcomes. All I have to do is rinse and repeat till I’m hitting significant numbers.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #6: Simple is Good[/title]
There are two philosophies that have formed the basis of my online business strategy:
Minimalism and The 80/20 Rule.
Put these together, and you’ll see it’s possible to be successful without doing a thousand things in a single day.
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] The simplest way to run a successful online business is to focus on the things that work and ignore everything else. (Tweet This!) [/quote]
These two philosophies can also be applied to web design. You don’t have to load up a site with lots of bells-n-whistles. Instead, it’s often better to keep things simple. Write great content, push one or two offers, and encourage readers to join your email list. That’s all you need to start a brand new website.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson #7: Be a Publisher, Not a Blogger[/title]
Your time is precious. Really, it’s the only finite thing you have in the world. You can always make more money and get more stuff. What you can never get back is your time.
As I build DGH, I’m already looking to hire outside help. Specifically I’d like to find a few writers who are equally committed to the idea of habit development. (Read this post to see how I hire freelance writers.)
My point?
You need to do a lot of things to build a successful authority business. The important tasks are strategizing, marketing and creating offers. Writing great content is crucial to this process, but you don’t have to do it all yourself. Often, the better solution is to hire on a part-time writer who can handle some of this time-consuming task.
Ultimately it’s important to view your authority business like a publisher, not as a blogger. You shouldn’t treat it like a one person shop. Instead, plan out how you’ll delegate and outsource the day-to-day activities. Really, this is the only way you’ll be able to scale this business.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]Lesson 8: Conquer Resistance[/title]
Oftentimes people don’t take action on a big idea – like starting an authority site. Usually this is due to a fear of making mistakes. What I’ve learned recently is almost all of our mental blocks stems from something called Resistance.
In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about the danger of Resistance. This is the external/internal pressures that prevent us from going after a really big goal. Resistance can be brutal. Let Resistance go unchecked and you’ll fail before you’ve barely started.
Resistance will throw many obstacles in your path. It’ll take the form of friends and family who tell you to start a “real business” and quit playing on the Internet. Or it’s an internal voice that says you have no experience in a specific niche. Or it’s an impulse to skip work for the day and watch Game of Thrones.
When starting something new, Resistance can and will be your worst enemy.
That’s why I recommend you:
[quote type=”medium” align=”left”] Kick Resistance in the Balls! (Tweet This!) [/quote]
Like I said, Resistance is a fear of making mistakes. We often won’t take action because we’re afraid that we’ll screw up and look foolish. Whenever you experience hesitation or fear, that is the time to take action. Kick Resistance in the nards and move forward with the project.
Why am I talking about Resistance?
It was something I personally experienced as I built DGH. Resistance happened so many times that I almost scrapped the project – before it even started.
Here are just a few thoughts caused by Resistance:
- “What if this site doesn’t make money? Then I’ll destroy all of my credibility as an Internet business expert.”
- “The Kindle books are working, so why shouldn’t I just focus on them?”
- “Nobody wants to build an authority business; they’d rather focus on the short term stuff.”
- “Habit development is a stupid topic. Nobody really cares about improving themselves – they only want quick fixes.”
- “I can’t find any quality affiliate offers related to habit development. So there’s no way I can monetize this site.”
- “The case study has just begun and I’ve already made a ton of mistakes.”
What’s sad is I’ve been an online marketer for ten years and I still encounter Resistance with every new project.
Odds are, it probably happens to you as well.
What separates the doers from the wannabes is how you handle Resistance.
Will you let this fear prevent you from taking action?
Or will you master it and start building a long-term asset?
The choice is yours alone to make.
[title color=”green-vibrant” align=”scmgccenter” font=”verdana” style=”normal” size=”scmgc-2em”]What’s Next? [/title]
This is the first post that officially launches the AIB case study. You can look forward to at least one article each week moving forward. Specifically, here are a few things I have in store for the rest of May:
- How I’m going to monetize this authority business
- How to pick a topic that combines passion with profitability
- How to select a domain name that gets long-tail search results
- How to design a content strategy that maximizes the reach of your blog
Plus, I’m thinking about starting a Facebook group where people can meet and share ideas about building a long-term authority business.
Interested?
Then leave a comment below and tell me what you’re currently doing to build an authority business.
Take Action. Get Results.
This is very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing your new site develop. LOVE the ‘Never focus on perfection’ quote. I need to put that on a big banner over my desk!
Thanks Michelle — It’s something I’ve always heard successful people do. They work hard, but don’t get bogged down by the idea that stuff has always be perfect.
Omgosh! I love it.. Love the layout, colors, first look at content (will go back this evening to read thru it all)
And what a domain! Just goes to show all the good domains are NOT taken, right?
Will definitely watch as it develops.. and the “behind the scenes” look you’ll give us. 🙂
~ darlene
Thanks. I tried to go for a simplistic blue/white scheme. It makes the links really stand out. I was surprised that the domain was still available — it’s a pretty good one, especially since it targets a good keyword.
Hope this case study helps your “Blog Boldly” efforts 🙂
Hey Steve,
Good luck with your project. I can’t wait to read all about it. The website is already looking great.
Thanks Jamie — Please let me know if you have any suggestions or need help with anything for your site.
Super, Steve! I’ll be following along with interest here. I do like the header and overall look of the new site. You say it’s not much, but it’s got good structure and bones, which I think is a much better place to start from… compared to some of my early blogs! 🙂
I’d say Good Luck, but I’m sure you will continue to develop your good habit of creating authority sites.
Peggy
Oh lord. My first attempt to blog on this site was pretty awful. Thanks for the comment, Peggy. I like the structure of the site. Now all I have to do is add a bunch of content.
Terrific stuff, Steve! Whenever I read your very helpful and generous writings I always find myself asking the same thing, “Does this guy ever sleep?!?” How is it that you are so productive? Thanks for all you do.
Sleep 8 hours a day 🙂 No, seriously I just make it a point of scheduling 1,000 to 2,000 words of writing every day. Don’t watch a lot of television and other stuff, so it’s not too hard to find productive periods in any part of the day.
I am enjoying everything you write Steve. I already had one of you eBooks when I downloaded your report (111 tips) in an unrelated search. I am hoping that I can use your knowledge to build my coaching business and website (updating my website now). I want to write the information products to sell on my site instead of being an affiliate. Love your information, thanks!
Great to hear Kathi! I think you’re on the right track…combining both information products and affiliate marketing is a great way to generate income. Plus it helps that you have a coaching business on the side. Hope this case study helps out.
Exciting! This is my first time being there when one of these niche site challenge type thingies get started!
That was a bad description, huh? 😛
Congratulations on getting it started. I launched my blog back in late-January and have learned SO much in this short span of time that it’s been live. Can’t wait to learn more from you 🙂
Started in January? That’s pretty awesome that you’ve come so far, in so little time. I hope the AIB case study will help out in your efforts.
thank you for doing this.
My pleasure!
I wish you the Best. I will be expecting about the next posts and I will following you in the new site. I agree with Jandi… Do you sleep?
I do sleep 🙂 But I focus on doing some form of writing every single day. A lot can be accomplished with a simple, daily action plan.
I love this, Steve. I’ll be watching with interest as you progress along. I need to grab the rss feed for feedly. Blessings, Amy
Appreciate it Amy. Hope it helps with growing your website.
WoW Steve, your back at it again. Is there anyway you Can’t really make money. Man you find your way around everything. You so gotta teach me a way to increase my earning from $100 adsense to $1000 per month. 🙂 Cheers, Wish you all the best Steve.
PS. I will email you.
Well, I hope this case study does help you with your goal. With that said, I’m strictly AVOIDING Adsense. Frankly, I don’t think it’s a good long-term strategy. In the next post, I’ll explain my position more, but you might want to look into something else.
Steve,
Congrats on the soft launch! The site looks awesome, and I’m SUPER pumped for you!
I’d certainly be interested in joining a Facebook group for a “authority site mastermind” topic.
Keep up the great work, and I look forward to future updates!
All the best,
-Alex
Thanks for your comment (and email) Alex. I’m planning on starting the group sometime late next week, maybe Friday or so. I’ll definitely post it to my blog and the email list.
Personally, every time I visit a new blog and there is an ad for an ebook in the top right corner I instantly think I’m being sold something and the site loses a big chunk of credibility. The author is just there to make money, not say anything useful.
Every money making blog is laid out exactly the same and I’m willing to bet readers are catching on.
Hey Tyler– thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I do agree that an ebook offer might turn some people off. On the other hand, *most* subscribers love this type of content – especially if you back it up with quality information that can’t be found elsewhere. The one problem I have with a “join my newsletter” type offer is it doesn’t give a clear reason why people should join your list. Overall though, it really comes down to personal preference and how you structure your list. I know mine doesn’t contain a lot of promotional stuff, so I see no problem with supplying an incentive to join.
Very In depth post Steve, I learned alot today. I love the design of your new site and I wish you all the best!
Thanks Maurice… I tried to go with a simple, crisp design. I think a site without a lot of bells-n-whistles helps the readers check out your content and (hopefully) join your email list.
Great post. I´m working on creating an Authority Site on NLP. Your post give me a lot of clarity to help my purpose. I love your blog post. Thanks a lot.
I also hit your new website and can tell you that have great content. It gonna be a success. I gonna follow your 30 day habit creation because I want to write as much as you.
Thanks
NLP is a great topic – there’s a lot you can do with that. Thanks for following along with the 30 Day Habit Challenge. It’s been an enjoyable experience for me so far 🙂
Awesome Job!
I can’t wait to see your backlinking plan. With all the updates in Google, it’s good to see what others are doing.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey Scott. I’ll be honest, while I will do some backlinking, I’m not going to rely too much on Google. I am going to SEO my articles and do a few white hat things, but I’m building this site for the long-term and it’s been my experience that worrying about what Google does can be a dangerous way to think.
Hi
i folllow your site for many months now and i ‘m very happy all i learned since
i’m french and it’s not always easy for me to go on , but i’ll impatient to see the next post
see you soon and many thanks to be there
Phil
Great to see you following along Phil. Hope this case study helps with your website.
Steve, I must say this is an extremely informative and lengthy post, that is chock full of actionable content, so thank you for that. I am in the process of developing my own authority site in a niche I enjoy, however, I have some doubts in terms being able to maintain two sites, as I struggle to find and post content to my main blog as it is! Is lesson 7 the key, outsource and just oversee the operational aspects of the site and the business?
Alan — I agree, running two websites is extremely hard to do. So I’m definitely looking to apply Lesson #7 to DGH. For now though, it’s still a one-man show (besides a few blog posts I’m outsourcing.)
Are you committed to doing one site? Perhaps you’d do better at focusing on a single property and scaling that up.
I think you are right, however, I am really keen to start up the other site. It is in a niche I have wanted to do for about 3 years now and just never done anything about it. Yes, you are right, I need to focus on my main site because that is my brand and I am doing that, but just feel I need to stretch myself a little more and with the use of a lot of what you have written about, feel that I might actually be able to pull it off! I am, however, under no illusions as to the amount of work it will take! LOL
Great begining, I will be following your postings every week, and thinking on starting my own site and follow your steps.
One question, how and where do you start promoting your site and your squeeze page, if you do not have a list yet??, please give us some ideas.
JC
For now, I’m not doing much to promote the list for DGH. Really the only “promotion” I’m doing is basic SEO which picks up the occasional subscriber from the search engines. Moving forward, I’m doing three things to promote this site:
1. Press Releases
2. Writing Kindle Books (which promote my list)
3. Releasing iPhone apps (which promote my list)
This is just for May. After that, I’ll really hit the pavement with the promotional stuff. The important thing was to lay the groundwork first.
Nice one Scott, good topic, you will do well in circles that keen to grow (business building, fitness and health, relationships).
The one thing I don’t think is that great is the e-book title; 77 Good habits…..
77 for me is a put off. How about a few essential ‘pillar habits’ like that help people in all key areas of their lives (more smaller habits can also be discussed).
What was that ‘best seller’? The SEVEN HABITS of highly effective people, or something similar. I would do something similar to this latter headline, much more appealing in my humble opinion.
Keep up the great work Scott.
Anthony
I agree with your comment, perhaps the title isn’t the best. The important thing is to get an offer out there and start building a list from day #1. Moving forward, I plan on testing headlines, offers, the squeeze page and a bunch of other things to get people on a list. With that said, “Good Habits” is a HUGE keyword that people search for, so I thought it was important to have in the title.
Good one Steve. Yep, you gotta get the book out and yes – start growing your reader base via a “list”. Yeah, use good habits as it is very important, wrap it up in an evocative title (for the e-book anyway).
I just had a look at the E-Book cover, it looks nice – along with the website.
I would rather see a “big idea” for the e-book (and the content) – not 77 little tactics. What did I read the other day? Write Epic sh#T!
An overarching philosophy behind what triggers good and bad habits is the big idea – not 289 O.C.D. tactics – in my opinion.
I wrote you a comment over on your new habits blog Steve; a more appropriate place.
Agree with that Anthony. I think there’s a LOT more that can be done with a lead magnet. Probably something more monumental. The one thing I’d like to stress is to get SOMETHING out there — Many people procrastinate with their free report because they think it needs to be an earth-shattering idea. Sometimes it’s better to get a massive tip list and then follow up with a better report sometime in the future.
Hi Steve,
I love case studies as they are so informative. Thank you for sharing the development of your new website.
I will be following along with great interest. Good luck 🙂
Thanks Victoria! Hope this project helps with what you’re doing on your end.
Hi Steve,
I am very excited to be able to watch you launch your authority site and follow your progress. I think this is a great way to help people with their own websites. I am planning on doing similiar.
I am going to launch a social enterprise called Animal Lovers making a Difference.com, with part of the profits going to help animals, and at the same time, I am going to launch a site called Social Enterpreneur Diary.com where I am going to document everything I do, step by step, on the animal lovers site. This way I can teach others how to start a social enterprise. Would love to hear your thoughts about this.
Thanks for sharing, I will be looking forward to your updates and success.
Hey Chris — That sounds like a going on. The one thing I’d recommend is to focus on a single site for the immediate future. That way you can get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time. For instance, maybe you should really get things going with the animal site for a few months, and then use this information to report back. I speak from personal experience when I say it’s really hard to balance everything all at once.
Looks like a great blog. It will be interesting to see how you develop it. I think you have the right idea of launching it with a good free book. I think it will attract a wide range of people too.
Best of luck with the project 🙂
Kevin
Thanks Kevin! The free book thing is always I something I recommend for a website. It’s a quick way to build a list.
Nice site Steve. I’m currently building a new site as well focused around fitness motivation. I’m starting to work on some more posts as well as posting my emails on the site.
Are you doing anything for in the area of link building for this site?
Darren — Yes, I’m going to start with a little bit of link building. Mostly from press releases. Then I’ll see how things go. Probably in June, I’ll kick it up a notch and try to get a variety of links.
I want to be part of the Facebook group where people can meet and share ideas about building a long-term authority business.Thanks.
My facebook account is: http://www.facebook.com/sangroniscarlos
Thanks Steve for the great job
Hey Carlos — I definitely will post something on the blog and email list. So pay attention in the next week or so.
Hi Steve,
good luck with this venture. Selfhelp is a very competitive market that also can give you big returns.
I liked your approach of not focusing on perfection, but focusing on becoming perfect. Makes a few things much easier and faster.
Also the advice of having one great article as bait for listbuilding – thanks for that as well.
Again, good luck and btw, very nice ecover for the “77 Good Habits” report.
Thanks Tom! I think Kyle did a great job with the cover — he has a good idea for making images stand out.
wow Steve,
A very interesting project indeed. That’s the spirit I’m talking about man and, I’m pretty sure you can do it. I’ve known you as a man of vigor so, i trust what you can do.
Now, this post is really the best post I’ve read since the beginning of this month and I’ve really learnt a lot already.
Yea, there are often those moments when you feel like what you’re doing is a waste of time. There are so many things that normally cause that. It might be that you’re just doubting your ability or that someone told you that what you’re doing isn’t going to work.
Now, if you’re not careful, you will just leave what you’re doing and go chasing the other shiny object by the corner.
I’m currently building a weight loss niche site and all of a sudden, i stated losing interest on the whole thing because a friend told me that weight loss niche is already saturated and that I’m not going to make anything from the blog because people are really spending money on the niche to keep their blog on top.
Stupid me, after listening to his opinion, i started back pedaling. Now, you’ve just revived me again to know that i can still make it with that site.
A very informative post as always Steve, thanks for sharing.
BTW: I will sure like to be a part of the Facebook group.
Theodore — That’s the beauty of an authority site. You can still compete in a large market, the trick is you have to find a way to stand out. This means picking a unique angle, having great content and an ability to work hard.
The FB group should be up and running next week. I’ll post more details next week.
Hi Steve,
I don’t regret visiting your site today because what I’ve just learnt now is priceless. Building a long term business is never and will never an easy task but with determination and consistency of purpose, anyone can do it.
I agree with you that What separates the doers from the wannabes is how you handle Resistance.
A very interesting post Steve, thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Valentine! I won’t say building an authority site is easy, but if you’re willing to push hard it can be a rewarding experience.
Hey Steve,
I really like your stuff. You give a lot of good content for free and I think that makes it easier for us -the readers- to buy stuff from you when we know we have gotten so much from you already.
On the buying-stuff-from-you topic, I wanted to ask…
Do you have an e-book or any kind of digital content that covers the topics you are going to cover in later posts?
•How I’m going to monetize this authority business
•How to pick a topic that combines passion with profitability
•How to select a domain name that gets long-tail search results
•How to design a content strategy that maximizes the reach of your blog
if you do, would you let me go? Thank you : )
Hey Uriel,
Thanks for your interest on these topics. ALL of them will be written within the next month. So you can check back to get free information about what I’m doing. Also, I have a few paid Kindle books that also cover some of these subjects: http://www.ebooksbysteve.com
But like I said, all of this stuff will be covered over the next few weeks.
Hi Steve,
Site is looking great already! Well done and it sounds like you have your monetization plan all worked out too. Awesome! Hey maybe you could write a Kindle book on how you created your Iphone App. Love your writing style and I’m sure that many people (including me) would find it useful.
Really looking forward to following how things unfold now. I’ll be watching out for any new tactics that I can use for my own sites too. I’ll be interested in joining your Facebook Group if you decide to create one. I think it would be an awesome place to share ideas, network, etc.
If you haven’t already thought about it, I think that you should definitely have a presence on Pinterest for this site. You have enough content in your “203 Good Habits” article to create some boards (with categories such as STRESS, etc) and start pinning some nice photos with your recommended habits as quotes on them. Or you could just have a plain background with text (or a bit of both for variety).
Looking forward to the next update 🙂
As for me, I’m currently doing some boring link building for my sites lol I’m also getting some training on Adwords – having always relied on organic traffic so far (plus Facebook Advertising) I think it’s time to give Adwords a try too.
All the best!
Cheers,
Marica
Marica,
Thanks for the multiple suggestions. I did try Pinterest in the past, but it was a complete disaster. Maybe it would work with habits…I’ll definitely follow up on that idea.
I’d love to do the app idea as well, but it’s a MASSIVE topic, so I’m not sure I’m fully qualified yet. I’m going to work on my apps for the next few months and then maybe I’ll have something worth writing about.
Let me know how the Adwords stuff goes. That’s another area where I’ve had almost no success.
I’ll start the FB group next week, so feel free to jump in and share your experiences.
~Steve
I will. I’m totally new to Adwords, so we’ll see how that goes. Will let you know.
For the App book, you can perhaps write for absolute beginners (like me). I don’t have the time right now to create an app but I most definitely will in future but I have no idea where to start. I know I could probably research some beginners’ stuff online for free but I would rather buy something that has all the necessary information in one place.
So I guess “all you have to do” (though I presume it’s still a lot of work) is go back to when you knew nothing about apps and create a step by step beginners’ guide about how you did it.
You could then follow up with a second book “How I made x dollars with Apps” or something like that, after you are ready to share your experience of what’s required to make your app successful. This would have more advanced strategies.
Just a thought.
Definitely a good point Marica — I might consider it. But maybe I’ll link to a few books/resources that I personally use. I would like to talk about apps, but I don’t want to give bad information.
I am building my authority website, however I am trying to start with 80 articles and then later write more in blog format… maybe I should do like u and just start with with the articles that I have written now and then overall the website when I have written 80 articles…
Tayo — I’d say you definitely want some “personal” articles on the site. I do plan on writing quick, definition posts, but having stuff that stands out will make your site more “stickable”
Steve my man,
You never cease to impress me with your updates bro.
I just have a question regarding your authority site…
Why would you publish three articles on the same day (April 2nd) then another two articles on April 3rd and then three articles on the same day again (April 24th)?
Is it going to be that big that content is published several times on the same day?
Thanks in advance!
Sergio
PS. I love the big bold letters and the blue and white contrasts man, awesome job!
Hey Sergio,
Glad you like the color/font scheme. I spent a long time trying to figure that one out.
Honestly, there is no specific reason fro the variety of dates. I basically wrote them when I found time to crank out an article 🙂
Moving forward, I plan on sticking to 2 to 3 article a week type of format. That would be more inline with what Google prefers.
~S
I’ve got two websites I’ve been working on for over a year, each with 50+ articles. One is a partner site so it’s easier to manage.
Right now I’m taking some of your advice about FOCUS, and only focusing on one website at a time. I do this by making a short “to-do” list for one website, with each item working towards the same end. As soon as that to-do list is complete I’ll do the same for my other site.
I’m making it a priority to build my list!
Finally, I’m making it a priority to increase my presence on YouTube, as I’ve found I not only retain visitors longer on my site with embedded video, I also earn more Adsense moolah with videos compared to ads on the site. It’s also my favorite social media to interact with people and offer help.
So in short…in building my authority site: Focus on short term goals to meet the long term goals, build my list, increase my YouTube presence.
Awesome plan Jesse! The focus part is super important and it sounds like you have this down. I like the short to-do list – it helps you do the important stuff and not feel overwhelmed.
Let me know how the list building and YouTube stuff goes.
Hi Steve,
I love the domain name – amazed that it was still out there! This is such a great topic too, I think you are going to do amazing things with this website. The layout & colours are visually spot on.
I have only recent discovered you and have learnt so much already. You are a real inspiration to me.
I’ve been really struggling with building a list for my website – feeling that I have nothing appropriate to give away for my audience. Having read this article and some other stuff you have written I am going to make it my priority to give it a go!
Keep up the great work & thanks 🙂
Kate
Thanks Kate, glad you like the content and overall look. Hopefully the case study will prove fruitful for your website.
I’d say if you’re struggling with a giveaway idea, then just collect a series of helpful tips into a single document. You can even include blog posts as well. This is what I did with my “77 Habits Website”
Hi Steve,
Very inspiring introduction for your new project. I am sure this will going to be another success. Congratulations in advance and Thank you for sharing your insights about what we should focus more to be more productive.
Many thanks to you.
Arwin
Appreciate Arwin. Expect a lot more posts on this series…there’s a lot more to come.
Hi Steve,
I’m looking forward to checking out your new site. I m using my iPhone to check my emails and tried visiting your new site on my iPhone but the pop-up makes the site very hard to use. The pop-up is bigger than my iPhone screen and very hard to read. 🙁
Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
Trisha – Thanks for the heads up. That’s only supposed to be shown once per visitor. I just changed the settings…would you mind taking a look and seeing if it still pops up. Thanks!
Hi Steve,
It doesn’t.
It would be good if it didn’t pop up even the first time on the iPhone – or at least resized so I could fill in the opt-in form easily if I wanted to. 🙂
How many hours per day would you say you work? Weekends as well?
I’d say I work around 35 hours or so. It’s broken down into 70 Pomodoros (25 minutes on 5 minutes off). So while it’s 35 hours, it’s a VERY focused 35 hours.
You should do a post on your typical day.
I might do that – but a lot of what I do in a typical day is covered in the “Internet Lifestyle Productivity” ebook. That goes over all my systems and day-to-day strategies.