A Step-By-Step Guide to Making Money
And Doing Business Online
(including all the stuff you really need to know, but the universities and internet gurus will never teach you…) LEON JAY
Published through FHQ Publishing
Copyright © 2011 by Leon Jay, FusionHQ Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by FHQ Publishing
FIRST EDITION 2011
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, shared or transmitted in any form (physical or electronic) without prior written permission from the author.
1st ed.
ISBN-13: 978-1456562137
ISBN-10: 1456562134
Disclaimer:
All the information in this book is true and accurate to the author’s knowledge. However, he may be wrong. None of the information is meant, nor should be taken as, legal advice. The content is meant as inspiration and educational only. Any advice, suggestions or resources you choose to use, you do so at your own risk. Every project is different and no results can ever be guaranteed. Please seek professional advice where appropriate. And most importantly, never let a disclaimer put you off from trying something new if it makes sense (so long as it is safe, legal and morally acceptable)...
For further information please contact:
Email: support@fusionhq.com
Web: www.DoLessWorkMakeMoreMoney.com
Layout and typesetting by Mara Dower (maradower@gmail.com) Cover design by Panisa Soison (www.fusionhq.com)
Online Training (worth $500)
To help you even further I have created a training program that will expand upon, and demonstrate, the content in this book.
It includes:
• Video training to clearly see the concepts being talked about in each chapter so that you really ‘get it’.
• Case studies and site analysis to really understand what works, why and how to emulate it.
• Essential information for offline business wanting to get online, and ways of online business to expand offline.
• Email reminders complete with daily tasks to act as your personal coach and keep you on track.
• Additional free software, resources and updated information as it becomes available.
Simply go to
www.DoLessWorkMakeMoreMoney.com/bonus
to get free instant access now...
I dedicate this book to everyone who has made the decision to play life to the full. Life is perhaps the most exciting game that can be played, and yet most are too afraid to play it. Whichever rules you choose to play by, play with purpose and play with passion...
~ Leon Jay
Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Forward
ix
About the Author: Leon Jay
xi
Chapter 1. Why Read This Book
12
Chapter 2. Failure is the First Step to Success 26
Chapter 3. Forward Thinking Will Make You More Money 33
Chapter 4. The Bones of Your Online Business 43
Chapter 5. To Passion or Profits?
52
Chapter 6. Your Financial Success Depends on Your Team 61
Chapter 7. Marketing Comes Before You Create Your Products (Not After) 82
Chapter 8. Product Creation
93
Chapter 9. Servers, Security and Payment Processors: The Nitty-Gritty 127
Chapter 10. The Psychology of the Sales Process 136
Chapter 11. Is the Money Still in the List? The Art of E-mail Marketing 162
Chapter 12. Copywriting is So Much More Than Words 183
Chapter 13. Design Elements to Rocket Your Conversions 199
Chapter 14. Good Marketing Removes the Need to Sell (24 Advanced Conversion Secrets)
207
Chapter 15. Traffic: The Life-Blood of Your Business 222
Authority Blog
232
Review Blogs
233
Guest Blogging
235
Article Marketing
238
Niche Forums
245
Social Bookmarking
248
Tutorial Sites
250
Classified Ads
252
Video Marketing
254
Podcasts
257
Social Networking
260
Google AdWords
262
Chapter 16. Affiliate Recruitment and Management 267
Chapter 17. Customer Support
281
Chapter 18. Testing and Tracking
292
Chapter 19. The Surprising Truth About Success and Creating a Sustainable Business
298
The Bonus Chapters…
313
Do Less Work Make More Money
Acknowledgements
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has helped me along the way.
Particular mention should go to the FusionHQ team.
Pin who has headed the development of the software, Paul and Chor who have spent many late nights fixing code so we can be ready on time, and Panisa who puts up with my constant ‘feedback’ regarding the graphics.
Ben Brandes, the affiliate manager needs a medal for his testing efforts that have gone beyond the call of duty. Kristina, his lovely girlfriend, for not only putting up with our insane working hours, but also helping so much too.
There are many more at FusionHQ, and all are important.
I’d like to give Mark Joyner a special mention. He taught me not just what to do, but perhaps more importantly what not to do. Thank you for seeing the potential in me.
A big thanks to Gideon Shalwick for his ongoing support and honest feedback.
One of the few internet warriors I have met who has maintained his integrity despite many a financial temptation. Not many people demonstrate how to combine business and ethics so well.
Mara Dower for her friendship, tolerance to my quirkiness and especially for editing this book. Thanks. (I know the readers will appreciate your efforts, though perhaps they will never fully understand how much.) As this is my first book I should also mention my parents. Thank you for teaching me it is OK to think differently. An essential skill that has carried me through life well.
Last but not least my wife Catherine, and daughter Aleshya. (Have been told I must add them in or Cat will kill me.) Seriously, I could not have asked for more understanding or support. Long hours working on both FusionHQ and on this book have meant a certain amount of sacrifice. Both have not only made this possible, but encouraged it and done whatever it takes to allow this to happen.
There are so many more that deserve a space here—you know who you are, thank you...
~ Leon Jay
| viii |
Forward
I started online, just as Leon did, with no idea what I was doing.
I knew I wanted to make money, and I knew I needed the internet, but was not really sure where to begin. Back then it was a bit like the Wild West. Plenty of gold to be had for those who knew where to look and how to dig; but mostly just filled with cowboys and snake oil sales men.
Now that I think about it I guess not so much has changed!
Anyway, I thought I would be rich overnight. The promises were many, and convincing.
It took a few months before I had made my first dollar, and a few years before I would ever class myself as successful on the internet. Why?
Well I am not stupid, nor am I lazy. A few years devoted to marketing online proved I was certainly persistent. So what could possibly be the reason for taking so long in the promised land?
I had never really thought about it until reading through ‘ Do Less Work, Make More Money’. Then I began to get a series of ‘aha’ moments.
Although I had purchased many courses, pieces of software and seminar tickets, none of it had given a clear action plan with the what, the why AND the how. Almost all of it had focused on selling me the product first and delivering quality information second.
Many ‘gurus’ taught one thing, yet did another. (It was only after getting to the top that I realised this.) I had been led in one direction and then another and never really knowing who to believe. Everyone seemed to have ‘the answer’.
How refreshing then (though I regret somewhat late for me) to find a book that finally delivers without the hype. Something anyone can follow and build a successful business regardless of skill or experience.
If you are beginning your journey into the world of marketing, business and making money online then you could not be starting at a better place.
| ix |
Do Less Work Make More Money
If you have been lost and struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel then relax. You will see it by the end of this book.
If you are an established business trying to understand how to make the internet work for you, then you too will not be disappointed. The ideas given in this book can truly be used by anyone. Yet at the same time, the information is specific enough to guide you in the best direction for getting results fast!
Leon will guide you in understanding how to apply the principles while following clear action steps to enable you to produce something unique. This truly is a unique book.
I have known Leon for some time now, and I am so pleased he has finally decided to share his insights, experience and wisdom for others to benefit.
Prepare for the truth. Prepare for action. Prepare for success!
~ Gideon Shalwick
www.GideonShalwick.com
| x |
About the Author: Leon Jay
Leon Jay came across Internet Marketing in part by accident, and the another part by necessity.
Having had many different jobs over time
(including working with people with special
needs, unloading trucks in a warehouse and even for a time as a grave digger), he is most noticed for his contributions in the areas of natural therapies.
However, while providing a range of experience and insight, none of these occupations made it easy to enjoy his passion for travel. The internet provided the possibility to combine skills and interests in a way that allowed the lifestyle so long sought after.
He has since worked as Director of Marketing for Mark Joyner Inc, helped launch WP Mage (which grossed over $1.5 million in under 2 weeks), as well as creating or assisting on many other online products. He has spoken at marketing events around the world and helped create many online success stories.
Leon is also founder of www.FusionHQ.com, a revolutionary marketing platform designed to take the headache out of the technical. His focus is making business on the internet as easy and as accessible as possible. FusionHQ has done exactly that and continues to make marketing online both simpler and more effective everyday.
| xi |
Chapter 1.
“Try not to become a
man of success, but
Why Read This Book
rather try to become
a man of value.”
~ Albert Einstein
Why Read This Book
Why Read This Book
Exposed! The myths, the lies and the real science to making money anywhere (with the internet)
Firstly I want to say, that I wrote this book because I am really pissed off.
Pissed off mainly with all the bullshit out there. Having an insider view, I can tell you straight that much of what you read from the Internet Marketing world is little short of science fiction.
And what really pisses me off most is there is no need for it.
Marketing online has so much potential as a genuine tool for business, and for creating massive wealth from any internet connection.
Unfortunately too many unscrupulous individuals have given it a reputation more closely connected to shady used car salesmen than to respectable business professionals.
Now that’s off my chest, let me continue…
This book is for:
1) The business owner looking to leverage the internet to maximize his or her business potential. This includes generating extra leads, making more sales and generating additional online income.
2) The average person looking to escape the 9-5 lifestyle, or who needs to generate an income from home (or indeed anywhere with an internet connection).
3) Any person wanting to make additional income on top of their primary income.
This book is not just about how to make money on the internet… but how to build a real, long-term, sustainable business.
There are too many different ways of making money online. Beware, many are spammy techniques aimed at short-term cash flow.
They’re looking at the latest deceptive strategy taking advantage of a loophole; such as, how to trick Google, or fooling site visitors to click on sponsored links. The problem with many of these ‘get rich quick’ models is that they are either unethical, unstable or both.
It is possible for your money to simply dry up overnight. Perhaps because you don’t understand Google’s latest terms of service, or simply the loop-hole is plugged (as is always inevitable when large numbers of people exploit its weakness).
Waking up and finding your account has been banned happens more than you think. Many of my friends have woken to find they have not only lost $30,000
or $50,000 owing to them, but the recurring income they had come to depend on as well.
In this book we’re looking at more sustainable business models, something for the long-term—a business that you can keep building, and will hopefully outlive you.
Something that you can pass on or sell, should you choose to.
I encourage your business to be based around creating value for others, and one not dependant on lies, deception or trickery. A novel concept for some I know!
Turning to the internet for quick, short-term cash is not what this book is about.
However, do it right and you could be making money faster than you think?
For those who are focused on making money online I encourage you to look at the concepts given to offline business owners and consider how you may use them to expand beyond the internet.
Even if you want to focus on the online marketing side only, the potential for partnering with offline businesses in your niche is almost infinite.
Why Read This Book
By approaching traditional business owners with joint venture opportunities is something that is rarely done, yet holds massive, passive potential.
For those who already operate an offline business I encourage you to read this book with an open mind. If you consider yourself too busy to implement these strategies, or they’re simply not your passion, then consider partnering with someone who can. You will be glad you did.
Whatever your starting point let’s take a look at 3 of the main reasons for taking advantage of the internet.
3 Perks of Running an Online Business
There are so many perks of running your business from an internet connection…
1. Economic Leverage (Global Staff / Contractors) You can leverage your business by employing staff or contractors from developing countries that you couldn’t afford in a first world country.
You can work with highly-skilled individuals at a fraction of the price.
You’re not exploiting anyone when you pay above-average rates. It’s a win-win situation that makes great business sense.
2. Minimal Set-Up Cost
If you have a computer and an internet connection, that’s all you need to get started. Even if you don’t own one personally, there’s always access to one—at the local library, an internet café or at a friend’s house.
Other than that you will need some form of hosting and at least one domain name. This should set you back no more than about $80 or so per year.
Compare this to traditional businesses with large fixed overheads, material prices and fuel bills; the internet is a business paradise.
If you already have an offline business the potential for expansion through the internet is huge, and likely to be a fraction of trying to expand via normal offline methods.
3. Not Just For Nerds, Internet Geeks or Techies Despite what you may think, you don’t have to be a computer programmer to run a successful internet business. The internet is simply a means for you to market your business through.
In fact, many of the top internet marketers I know do not know anything about HTML, servers or editing graphics. (In many ways its better you never do, or you may get caught up in aspects of your business that suck up your time.)
The internet makes a level playing field for people of any gender, race, age, social background or education. Again, I know successful marketers who are still in their teens, some from third world countries, men and women, black and white, some who have university degrees while many never even finished school.
There are several multi-tool platforms (such as my own offering, FusionHQ) specifically designed for on-line business owners to easily create their entire online business without having to know anything technical.
Yes, you can create multiple streams of passive income and manage them all from one central place (all without knowing a single line of code).
An intuitive, simple ‘drag and drop’ interface removes many obstacles.
You don’t have to worry about being computer literate or hiring a mass of expensive programmers.
FusionHQ is run through a web browser. Any modern computer today with a recent browser installed and an internet connection will be able to take advantage of FusionHQ (or something similar).
Why Read This Book
Bottom line is this – there is no excuse for not being online.
It’s time to leave behind any and all reasons you have created for yourself for not taking action before. Ten or fifteen years ago, getting online could have been costly, time consuming and may have had minimal impact on your business. Today it’s very different.
Why You Need More Money
I hope the reason you’re reading this book is because you want to make a permanent change in your financial life, and ultimately in all other areas of your life.
This is a liberating change that will allow you to finally live life on your own terms. A goal worth aspiring to, despite the advice of many whom never succeeded in getting there.
If you want to make choices based on real desires (and not by price tags) then this book will be your personal handbook. (When you’re eating in a restaurant do you choose what to eat based on what you feel like eating? Or do you choose something based on the price in the menu?) Everyone has a turning point and their own story to tell, when enough really is enough.
Do you feel inadequate that you can’t give your family the quality of life you want to provide for them?
Are you tired of putting in long hours to make your boss even richer?
Is your offline business struggling, or just reached a plateau that you can’t break through?
Have you lost or fear for your job in these uncertain financial times?
Do you desperately want to turn your financial world around, but don’t know how?
If you feel bewildered, angry or frustrated with the amount (or lack) of money in your bank account then you are not alone.
A quick disclaimer...
Money Alone Cannot Make You Happy
However, having said that, money can make life a whole lot easier.
Looking back to the first time I traveled around Central Australia in my early 20’s, I don’t know how I survived. Basic things such as transport, food and shelter was such a struggle for me.
Days were spent with my thumb out trying to hitch a ride. I frequently found myself with no money in my pocket, and had to rely on the kindness of strangers to house and even feed me.
Eleven years later, I traveled the same route in Central Australia (with my wife and daughter in tow). This time I enjoyed helicopter rides, a luxury hire car, eating whatever and sleeping wherever we wanted.
And I loved traveling the same route not thinking about the price of everything.
It was so much easier and more fun having money. So many more choices were made available to us simply because we weren’t on a budget.
Thankfully money was no barrier this time.
Lack of Money Can Wreck Lives
It’s true. Marriage break-ups, general unease, emotional stress and even suicide have all being attributed to not having enough money.
Many top medical doctors now attribute up to 80% of disease to stress. Stress often caused by the lack of money, the stress in creating it, or the relationship issues caused because of it.
Why Read This Book
How many people’s lives would be more peaceful if money allowed them to live as they wanted? Perhaps your own life?
If you don’t have as many funds as you would like, then don’t accept this as your fate.
Do something about it.
How much (or how little) you want to increase your income is up to you. Being a victim to circumstance never helped anyone.
Whether you want to create the next Google, replace your current job income or buy your children new shoes—your dreams are your own.
By doing the right things in the right order, and by being committed to achieving your goals, you too can find success.
When you do different things you’ll achieve different results. If you want a different outcome it makes sense that you must take a different action.
The sooner you do something different about your money situation, the quicker you’ll enjoy a richer outcome.
Let’s discover how to research, create, and launch your own product. By the end of this book you’ll have a complete A to Z of information that will allow you to start, sustain and strengthen your online business.
There Are Only 3 Ways of Making Money Online
That’s right. Online you can only make money in three ways: as an affiliate, as a product creator or as a service provider. Everything else is simply a variation of one of these methods.
1. Affiliate
In this category I also include models such as AdSense and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). They’re all the same whereby you are creating traffic for someone else and either paid per click, per lead or per sale.
The fewer variables that you can have in an equation, the more sustainable and passive your business can be (and the less chance there is for failure).
Being an affiliate for somebody else’s product can be a great way to get started with minimal setup. However, you are at their mercy.
As mentioned, I know many people who lost their income overnight by relying on these models. That was a huge shock for all of them.
Their commissions vanished overnight and there was nothing they could do about it.
That’s why whether you choose to be an affiliate or not, it’s best to be making money in a situation where you have more control.
I know many ‘gurus’ teach that it’s best to start as an affiliate, and in some cases they may be right. The majority of time though, I think they have it the wrong way around.
Become a product owner first, affiliate second. (See point 3 to understand why.)
2. Service Provider
Being a service provider could be anything from offering hosting, to providing copywriting or SEO services.
There is a lot of potential in this market, but be warned, it usually requires long-term investment of your time or money.
Services can be difficult (though far from impossible) to scale. For example, if you are a copywriter the only way you can take extra work past your limit is hiring more people to do the work for you.
Being a service provider can create great value for your customers and produce some excellent long-term income. However, it does require long-term maintenance.
Why Read This Book
This model is very difficult to set and forget and may not be the best for anyone just getting started. If you get it right though, you will be rewarded.
For offline businesses already offering services, then this is not a problem.
The trick then is knowing how to leverage what you already have setup, and find ways to use the internet to scale or add backend income.
3. Product Owner
The other option is to own and market your own product. It’s true that product creation is the best way to create sustainable income that’s more likely to last in the long-term.
This is because you can control the variables much better and you’re usually not reliant on any third party.
You can control your product, the sales process, payment, delivery and your own terms of service.
Even if you are totally new to Internet Marketing you can create your own product.
Yes, you may feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the idea, but the truth is, it’s easier, more fun and more profitable than you think.
One advantage of having your own product is you can leverage the power of having your own affiliates working for you. Affiliates are a great way to get high converting traffic with no up front costs.
So now… the reason you should become a product owner before becoming an affiliate…
As a product owner you build a list of buyers, build authority and create credibility. You also have sales funnels, autoresponders and mailing lists.
All of which can be leveraged to make your affiliate promotion efforts exponentially more successful than trying to be an affiliate without them.
If you don’t believe me check out any of the affiliate competitions that are held.
Almost all of the top ten affiliates in any launch competition are product owners (not a coincidence).
5 Benefits of Creating Your Own Digital Product Why own your own product and why make it digital? Let’s take a look at these five main benefits in more detail…
1. Leverage
When you have your own digital product, you own an asset that you can leverage over and over again.
You’ve already done the hard work in creating your product in the first place. To tu