takeaway tips:learn from successes and failures of a 7 figure site
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Takeaway Tips:Learn from Successes and Failures of a 7 Figure Site
Presented by: Al Carlton
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Tweet Your Questions: @AlCarlton
Banker → Wanker → Software Engineer → Entrepreneur◦Quit the 9-5 in 2005
Since 2005◦Paid >$1M from Google◦Paid >$1M-ish from
affiliate merchants
About Al Carlton
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Tweet your questions to @AlCarlton Answers as we go (or at the end) Tweet a question? Get an entry to the drawing:
2 hour consulting session (£500 value)oTalk businessoTalk InternetoTalk about your holidayoTalk about whatever you choose
Participation is Welcomed & Encouraged
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1. Traffic Sources
2. Revenue Generation
3. Business Side
4. Networking
Keys to My Successes & Failures
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Why?
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1. Traffic SourcesSearchSocialDirectReferralsPaidThe Future
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Not an SEO talk >> check out the other talks Al’s Mantra: Create quality content and let
Google do its job◦Help may be necessary at times
SEO practice sound dodgy? Probably is!◦Smack down will come ◦Keep your eyes on the long term
Traffic Sources: Search
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What works best for YOU?◦Understand their audience & your audience◦Spend time on what works◦Automate those that don’t work well (yet)
Traffic Sources: Social
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Traffic Sources: Social“Even if you can’t be arsed with a
Facebook page or Twitter page, set it up. Spend a few weeks on it interacting and adding content and make your visitors
aware of it. Down the line those few thousand subscribers, followers & friends
could be handy even if it’s not on your radar today.”– Scott Jones
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Play by their rules◦Know the rules◦Rules change quickly…take advantage while you can◦Find work-arounds
Make your content easy to share What is available??
◦Use a tool (namechk.com)
Traffic Sources: Social
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“Stop spending so much bloody time on Facebook and Twitter and do some
actual work” :)
-Chris Clarkson
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Make it easy for users to return Build an email list
◦ Use it◦ Monitor it◦ Management software
Bookmark your site◦ Know how users access you◦ Make it easy for users to access you
Build an email list RSS Subscribers Build an email list Did I mention build an email list?
Traffic Sources: Direct
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Coding Tip:
Before After
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Quality content Share with contacts in your niche
◦Quality content gets organic links Use your personal and social networks Don’t spam
Traffic Sources: Referrals
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Traffic Sources: The Future
“The Internet landscape changes so quickly now that it's like there are25 Internet years to 1 normal year.
A lot can and will happen in that time and you can't afford to rest on
your laurels or things that'used to work’.”
- Chris Winfield, CMO blueglass.com @ChrisWinfield
“Embrace chaos and don't be afraid to change. Even if
it means changing everything.”
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2. Revenue GenerationTake Your PickExample: AffiliatesExample: AdsenseMaximize
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Key: multiple revenue streams◦Subscription◦CPM ads (pay per view)◦CPC Ads (pay per click)◦Pay per action◦Affiliates◦Sales
Loads of ways to make money
Revenue Generation: Take Your Pick
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Revenue Generation: Take Your Pick
“Diversify revenue streams. And I don't mean having two
different advertising networks.”– Chris Garrett
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Revenue Generation: Take Your Pick“If you can
buy/develop/improve one site to be the leader
in its field, no matter how small a genre, you can negotiate very
favourable advertising ratesthat could surprise you.
Better to be the biggest fish in a
medium sized pond.”– Scott Jones
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Sales by Link Type
Revenue Generation: Affiliates
61.4%31.0%
7.6%
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Make images into links
Coding Tip
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Take it easy◦Don’t over do it◦Remember your site’s image & audience
Think outside the front page Sneaky sites
Revenue Generation: Big, Ugly Adsense
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Be smart about your real estate
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You built a list – USE IT ◦Get to know analytics◦A/B(/C/D…) testing
Target your adverts◦Device◦Geo◦Content type
Target your social media spend Know your economics
Revenue Generation: MaximizeDO NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE
TABLE
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Revenue Generation: Maximize
“Our site reviews have been priced at various price points…Each time I've raised prices to decrease demand as we were getting too busy. And each time demand has gone up slightly...
Perceived value and your product price is something you should
obviously experiment heavily with.”- Joost de Valk, yoast.com
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3. BusinessHiringResearchMoney management
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Don’t create yourself a new job◦Hire professionals for professional jobs◦Outsource the things you hate
Business: Hiring
“If your business cannot run without you it is not a business. It is a job.”
- me
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One of the worst mistakes I have made (a few times) is thinking I can do everything solo. We are
not superheroes. – Chris Garrett
If you need something skilled and can’t do it personally, then pay someone, don’t half arse it, better to finish work that day at 2pm and pay someone skilled to create a better finished product than work late into the night drunk and wake up the next morning to realise what you create was dross ….and then go and pay someone to do it properly, it’s
still yours even if you get help along the way, you may just get there quicker and with better results if you get help. – Scott Jones
“One that I wish I knew/applied when I started out is to take the time to figure out the core activities that you as a founder are best at and equally important enjoy doing…
You can potentially get very good at all of them and think it is a good thing but in reality it is a big mistake. The sooner you focus on your key areas of expertise and hire/outsource/partner with others to do everything else the better your chances of
success. -Toren Ajk, President TAC Marketing Group
“One of the worst mistakes I have made (a few times) is
thinking I can do everything solo.
We are not superheroes.”– Chris Garrett
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“If you need something skilled and can’t do it personally, then pay
someone, don’t half arse it.
Better to finish work that day at 2pm and pay someone skilled to create a better finished product
than work late into the night drunk and wake up the next morning to
realise what you create was dross…
…and then go and pay someone to do it properly. It’s still yours even if
you get help along the way. You may just get there quicker and with
better results if you get help.”– Scott Jones
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“…take the time to figure out the core activities that you, as a
founder, are best at and -equally important -enjoy doing.
There are many activities, from client prospecting, account
management, billing, legal, biz dev, developing and fulfilling the actual
product or service you are selling that
need to be done…
“…The sooner you focus on your key areas of expertise and
hire/outsource/partner with others to do everything else the better your
chances of success.”
-Toren Ajk, President TAC Marketing Group
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Hire & fire
Utilize available services◦PeoplePerHour◦Fivver (used correctly)◦Odesk◦Visit “Outsourcing” from ThinkVis 2010/03
Business: Hiring
“As you grow, finding the right people is one of the hardest things to do. Be ruthless, as having to get rid of the
wrong people is even harder.”– Chris Clarkson
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Take action on ideas◦Make notes on new ideas◦Register the domain
Research before diving in◦Internet◦App stores◦Ask within your network, friends
Business: Research
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Keep separate accounts ◦Banking◦Credit Cards (get points!)
Consult your accountant when in doubt Keep ALL records
Business: Money Management
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Business: Money Management
“Keep your business life and your home life and finances apart.
Don’t spend anything unless you absolutely have to.
Nothing is an order until the invoice is paid”– Paul Madden
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Don’t flush money down the drain◦Check your expenses & auto debits◦Sit where you are for £650
Business: Money Management
“If you are starting out and can afford to reinvest 100% then do
it. This gives you an advantage to leverage while others take a
wage. Use it in the short term for competitions, PR & promotion and buying other sites. If you
can’t beat the competitionthen buy them.” – Scott Jones
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4. Networking Importance of NetworkingWhere & How (Not) to NetworkCircle of TrustHow (Not) To F*%k up
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Advice Partnership Expertise Opportunities
Networking: The Importance of
“A network can be your most powerful asset, and will be even more import as
the world economy changes…
Make nurturing and attracting network relationships a priority, it's one of the best
investments you can make.” – Chris Garrett
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Attend conferences (well done!)◦Follow up◦2-4 meetings before considered part of network
Break the ice on social networks Ask (and offer) email introductions Give more than you take Don’t be too pissed
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Networking: Where & How (Not) To
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Networking: Where & How (Not) To
“No matter how well-known someone is, at
after-conference beers, everyone is approachable
and generally happy to talk to you.”– Chris Clarkson
@AlCarlton will be in the bar tonight
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Those you can trust◦You go to them for advice◦Vice versa
Know everyone’s expertise Circles will intersect (personal, business)
Networking: Circle of Trust
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Networking: How (Not) To F*%k Up
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Networking: How (Not) To F*%k Up
I’m baaaack
!!!
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Don’t let your penis make business decisions You will be let down by someone
◦If in doubt, research them If in doubt consult your circle Listen to what your circle says! Don’t spend the money on Dom (Perignon or
Hodgson) - spend it on the business
Networking: How (Not) To F*%k Up
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1. Traffic SourcesQuality contentAvoid the dodgyUse social appropriatelyBuild a list
2. Revenue GenerationDiversifyExperiment and optimize
3. Business SideDon’t create yourself a jobGet an accountant! FAST!Separate business and private finances
4. NetworkingIs as important as your product – so do itCircle of trust
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Take Away Tips
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Scott JonesScottish Lord
@sj
Paul Maddenuk.manuallinkbuilding.com
@PaulDavidMadden
Joost de Valkyoast.com
@yoast
Chris Winfieldblueglass.com
@ChrisWinfield
Thanks for the contributions: Toren Ajktacgroup.biz@fthead9
Chris Clarksonsunshine.co.uk@chrisclarkson
Kieron Donoghuecontentnow.co.uk@kierondonoghue
Chris Garrettchrisg.com@chrisgarrett
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@AlCarlton
Questions? Tweet Away!
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The End