Are You On Information Overload?

I'm on information overload but still don't know how to start? Best place to get web site? Do templates work? Hosting? Autoresponder? How to really build a list? PPC or free traffic? Help!

~ Vicki

This is a great question Vicki, and I am sure there are a ton of people out there with the same problem as you. In fact I was there once and can relate, hell I am there every few months when something new and innovative comes out.

The answer to this question is going to be simple and I will answer each question individually. The answers will also lead into something very special for you... so be sure to read on. ;)

The first part of the question asks something to the effect of "how to start" if you are on information overload?

Well the answer is simple... Start SLOW! I can't emphasize this enough. If you try and take in and implement everything you read in a short period of time you are going to give yourself and aneurism.

Pick one thing and get efficient at that one thing. Then while that is working for you, move on and get good at another thing. You don't have to be a pro at every aspect you only have to be great at one thing and efficient at others.

So if you have a strength... Webdesign, ezines, PPC, or maybe copywriting, then play off of your strengths. You will find that if you build off of something that you are great at you will go much further.

The second part of the question pertains to the best place to get a website.

That is the easiest question I can ever answer...

Ready?

Make your own! Simple right?

Well actually yeah it is that simple. You see if you have the ability to make basic websites and control ALL the content then your opportunities are endless.

You won't have to rely on someone else to make changes or to get just the right content on your site. Because you have control.

Now I am not saying that you have to go out and study HTML code and learn how to program. In fact... I know almost nothing about HTML code. I just know a few things to look for to get me by so I can make my own website.

There are several different programs out there that you can design your sites with where you literally don't have to know much code at all. You build it like you would a document in Microsoft word and it generates the code for you.

The two I recommend are Frontpage 03 (Expression Web) or Xsite Pro. Both are very easy to use for beginners once you know a couple key elements. In fact those are the two that I use and I started using when I knew nothing about webdesign.

This one skill set is the place that I would start. Learn how to control ALL your content by making your own sites.

The third part of the question is "do templates work"? Well depends on what templates you are using. I always say to keep it simple and don't go overboard. So in most cases I stay away from them all together. Some of the most successful websites out there are as simple and as boring as you can possibly get.

So I always say to start simple and test out from there with things that are fancier to see which works better.

The fourth part has to do with where to get hosting for your website... I use and highly recommend Godaddy. I have all my accounts and websites through them and they have proven to be cheap and reliable over the past couple years of me using them. You can get a basic hosting account for only like 4 bucks a month. Which is nothing when you think of how much you can do with it.

The fifth part asks what autoresponder to use... I use two! AWeber and 1ShoppingCart. Depending on the functions that you are looking for depends on the autoresponder you get. If you don't ever plan on expanding your business to contain a shopping cart or affiliate program than I would go with AWeber. They seem to have the best deliverability out of all of them and they are both extremely easy to use.

The sixth part of the question asks which type of advertising you should use... Free vs. Paid, PPC vs. others.

Paid advertising is always going to out perform free advertising. Because think of the saying, you get what you pay for. If it is free or seems to good to be true then IT IS!

You are going to have to spend money to get the results that you want. The best form of advertising out there in my book is pay per click. (Google Adwords, Yahoo, MSN etc...)

It can take some time to get good at it, but they are all good at showing you the weaknesses in your campaign and making you pay for them, so you can change them as needed to make your campaign better. The best resource used by all the top internet marketers including us is Perry Marshall's Definitive Guide To Google Adwords. It will cost you $50 bucks and worth every penny. ;)

The advertising that I find is the best bang for the buck is Ezine marketing...This can take some time to get efficient at it, but once you do, you are golden. Due to the fact that your ad can literally be seen by thousands in one shot. And if you have a good ad then you are going to draw many of those thousands to your site.

You can find many resources for Ezines all over the web depending on what niche you are looking at advertising with and what content goes with your offer. Be careful again, if it seems too good to be true, IT IS!

The last part of the question is how to really build a list?

Well by advertising good content to your target market and capturing their information with a good quality lead capture page. Most NM companies out there provide some form of capture pages for their distributors but those pages usually just blend in with all the other offers and don't work the way that they should to get you the most amount of leads as possible.

I say to make your own, control the content and you will set yourself apart from others on the web.