Lisa i was just wondering which sites out of your 4 - 5 were built from SBI and which ones shot of into success. I'm just wondering whether SBI really made a difference for you if you built your first site through basic html or not.

And also i notice you link all your sites together in some way or measure is this really effective as by doing this you are getting visitors to stay on your work if you get me.

I wouldn't say im a complete novice but do you really think SBI could help me expand my knowledge, I noticed in the video action guide that it said something like "erase bad habits" I have lots of them with website building and that certainly needs fixing.

Its just that $300 is rather a big investment for a website and if doesn't make me any decent profit I will be devastated and will probably stop making websites through complete failure to gain traffic. Who ever made getting visitors to your site so hard eh?!!

Thank you guys for your precious time!

__________________

Hi Rob

SBI! = success if you use the guide combined it with your own BAM (Brains and Motivation). It's not a magic traffic building system nor does it contain much you cannot find on the Web yourself. The bonus is having all the tutorials rolled into one and a powerful brainstorming tool. The PRE-site building education it provides is truly golden. There's something about the way Ken explains the BIG picture. Many people don't understand how important those beginning stages are.

My very first SBI! site failed in 2003. I tried to create another site, ignored the brainstorming info ('cause I figured I knew everything already) and the site flopped quickly. I tried to do a spin-off site of 2create and rushed through material so of course it was a failure.

One trap for people who already have some website experience and then buy SBI! for another site is that they rush through the guide because they feel they can skip some of the reading. That's what happened to me in 2003.

So for my second SBI! site I did exactly what Ken suggested and "threw away old habits" and pretended I didn't know what I'd already learned out here. I took my time with my topic, use the tools and I think that really helped with my 2nd SBI! site. That is my only SBI! site and is the last real site I created. (I don't count WB because it's a forum and you can't really use SBI! for forums like this).

One thing I can say is if you are impatient, DON'T buy SBI!. There's a lot of reading and doesn't necessarily mean you'll have success any faster if you use it.

I cannot stress enough that SBI! is wonderful but it's no guarantee for success. Also you have to do your part by adding your creativity, hard work and learn how to market.

Traffic is the most challenging part of building a successful website. And one thing that has helped me for my SBI! and NON SBI! site is taking the "myth busting", brutally honest approach to my content.

I think the brainstorming part is the most valuable part of SBI! and I'm NOT talking about the keyword search tools. I'm talking about really taking the time to lay out your concept, researching your competitors and creating that unique spin you need on your site. Many people don't do that. They think of a topic quickly, throw some keywords in the brainstorming tool and rush to build their site. And deciding on your unique spin/approach is so key to success with any site.

There were so many people who had fitness sites but I took the approach of busting myths about flattening the stomach. Same goes for 2create. So I think a big part is finding your gold mine/specialty within whatever niche you choose. That's where the BAM (brains and motivation) comes in no matter what host you use. And ultimately THAT's what's going to make your site stand out over others.

I don't get much traffic from cross-linking my sites and I never expected to because the two topics aren't related. I mainly do it to build my overall credibility as a person who has multiple sites that have had success. It helps with PREselling the products I promote.

Is SBI! worth the $300? Absolutely. But not if you are going to rush through it, expect instant riches and expect not to have to do your own marketing to get traffic. And Ken is right. You do have to erase bad habits and unlearn some of the things you've learned out here, and that's difficult for people who have already tried sites their own way.

Also remember you have 30 days to get a full refund so you do get that trial period to decide if it's for you. After the 30 days the refund is prorated.

__________________
Don't put the cart before the horse.
Plan your website, then create it.

Your Free Guide to Starting a Website
http://www.ThePerfectSiteGuide.com



My Latest Blog Post:
Stop Wasting Time on Worthless Techniques

Lisa, I love your brutally honest approach both on these forums and on your sites. I too agree that sometimes it's not as much about the host as it is YOU. I learned I am not quite ready for SBI! yet. In fact I'm not even sure this "money making web thing" is for me.

As much as I would LOVE to make a lot of money, the desire to make money is not enough to succeed. You have to enjoy it and be good at what you do. No host is going to make you rich if you don't have that "thing" that some people out here have. They can only guide you but it's up to you to be creative and market your site. You have to be a good writer, have a grasp on marketing and even take some risks.

I find myself getting frustrated easily or trying to do what others have done rather than finding my own thing. My attention span is also relatively short so if something isn't working I have a tendency to want to give up or move on to the next thing instead of sticking with it.

Making money is not for everyone and I am coming to the realization it's not for me. I do understand, though why there are so many success SBI! stories. I've read the action guide several times since it's free and I found myself thinking "It's too much reading" or "I don't know enough about x topic to make 100 pages." And I can see myself trying to skip some steps. LOL But that has nothing to do with SBI!, it's me.

I am so going off topic but I felt compelled to answer this thread because I do think SBI! is a fabulous product. I've even spoken on the phone with 2 other people making money with SBI!....but just like everything else, it's not for everyone and neither is making money. Some people out here just have "IT." I don't have "IT" and that's OK. But I do enjoy reading about the success of others.

I also think I became so desperate to make money that it took away from the enjoyment. Anyway, I do wish you luck Rob and I hope you find success. Be patient and have fun in the process.

Great points greenThumb and I am very impressed that you were able to admit something many people would be ashamed/afraid to admit. This isn't for everyone but I do believe SBI! does give the average person a better chance than doing it on their own. Of course there are always exceptions but I'm speaking as a whole.

Another point I want to make is making money online is a combination of a lot of factors. It's not JUST the host. It's not JUST the content. It's not JUST the link building. It's not JUST about building a blog. You have to have a plan, know how to reach your specific audience, execute all of the above and learn how to build your unique brand of one. And of course, enjoy yourself.

And if you don't enjoy yourself then you're going to run into problems. I've had MANY failed sites. In fact, I've had waaaaaay more failed sites than successful ones. I think that's an important point. Not to mention I've been out here for 10 years. But I kept going back to the drawing board and trying to new things until I found combinations that worked for me.

And what works for me may not work for someone else. I have a friend who bought SBI. She chose the same template, similar concept, same kind of writing style, etc. but her site didn't do anything. Instead of finding what worked for her, she spent too much time trying to mimic my concepts. Her topic and content were different than mine but she had trouble developing her own online identity and I think that's SOOOOOO important. She was building her business through my style instead of her own. So it became work instead of fun.

You also have to remember you are an Internet marketer, not just a website builder. And even though you are doing both and wearing two hats, it's the marketing part that is going to make you the money. And whether you buy SBI! or not EVERYONE needs to read Make Your Content PREsell.... http://mycps.sitesell.com I think I've read it at least 5 times now.

__________________
Don't put the cart before the horse.
Plan your website, then create it.

Your Free Guide to Starting a Website
http://www.ThePerfectSiteGuide.com



My Latest Blog Post:
Stop Wasting Time on Worthless Techniques

Wow, that pretty much sum's me up in one nut shell, I have tried loads of projects like you lisa but I often use enthusiasm in what im doing if i don't see results. This is my main bad habit along with lots of little small ones like planning. This takes me back to the days when i was writing up essays in class i didn't plan, i just let my mind run wild and then end up with a great storyline but hardly any grammer.

With my current site I took my time filling up my site with content which i always do and i don't stop until i have filled up every page, but then i just get this feeling that I've done that's it i should get thousands of traffic but i just done, I think this another bad habit and i need to learn to stop it.

After looking at that article that you posted, and the video action guide thoroughly i can truly see the importance of planning and finding your approach throughout your unique niche. So im going to officially pledge to buy SBI, probably march or sometime when I'm geared up and take the whole thing as if i know nothing.

Thank you so much for the reply s!

__________________

Yes, patience is everything and I think you need to give yourself time. Look at how many years I've been doing this and the competition is so much more fierce than it was in 1998 when I started. So it definitely takes time. And once you build a successful site you can use that to help you launch more sites (like I did with 2create and WB) But you have to stay focused and work till you get that first one going. You can do it! Just stay focused and positive. You're doing great and I love your hamster site.

That first successful site usually takes the longest. But once that gets off the ground, you can use what you learned with that to do even more sites.

__________________
Don't put the cart before the horse.
Plan your website, then create it.

Your Free Guide to Starting a Website
http://www.ThePerfectSiteGuide.com



My Latest Blog Post:
Stop Wasting Time on Worthless Techniques

Thanks lisa for the confidence boost, and the article about pre-selling your content is fabulous. I know website building is your job now which so awesome and i doubt il ever achieve it but on what regular basis would you expect someone to update his content to become successful?

__________________

The answer to that is as much as it needs to be. There is no right or wrong answer to that question. Obviously you want to update it often but once/week or once/day will depend on your topic and how much useful info you have to offer. I never adhere to any schedule. I'm constantly reading other blogs, sites, etc. and learning new things and whenever I feel the urge to write a blog post or article I just do it.

One piece of advice I have for you is to never use other's sites as a benchmark for your own. What works for me may not work for you. Nor could I tell you what's the right amount of updates for your site. So I'm very careful about giving specific advice like that. There are people out here making a heck of a lot more than me but maybe update their site much less and vice versa.

So it really depends on the type of site you have, your content, etc. When you really find your niche and fall into a groove, you just know what's right. That's the great thing about an Internet business. You set your own pace.

__________________
Don't put the cart before the horse.
Plan your website, then create it.

Your Free Guide to Starting a Website
http://www.ThePerfectSiteGuide.com



My Latest Blog Post:
Stop Wasting Time on Worthless Techniques

I understand what your saying, i tend to update my site at least once per week and i too always checking up on my competitors etc and predicting there next move.

With hamster care there's no real news, a hamster isn't like a celebrity if it gets caught attacking another hamster CNN doesn't appear in your back yard so i find it hard too right blog posts about latest things going on, its more what i find about hamsters and its often history or a snippet of info i find in a book.

I will start of finishing this website, but In time if this becomes a success and i get in the groove as you say i will perhaps move onto something a little more up to date and out there, and i think thats the time when SBI will come in handy the most.

__________________