This time last year, you could post a link to 10,000+ followers and expect a good 100+ clicks on your link. In fact, Tim Ferriss even posted astounding numbers on links he posted to Twitter.

As in 4,724 clicks on a single link astounding.

Recently, I checked the stats on a link @JeffWalker posted leading up to his Product Launch Formula 3 launch. With 11,994 followers, 104 people he is following, his stats clearly aren’t inflated. But check the numbers:

Product Launch Disasters Video
http://bit.ly/cRVMal+
Tweeted Twice by Jeff on June 15
Total Clicks on June 15: 25

So, 11,000 followers, posted twice, and only 26 clicks?

Wow. What happened?

This stat and the huge number of links being posted to Twitter in general makes me wonder. Is anyone on Twitter to listen anymore or is it just a lot of noise? Is the only way to get someone’s attention an @reply? DMs were destroyed by spam, have normal tweets suffered the same fate?

Recipe: New, Professional Website

1 Wordpress Blog
1 WooTheme

Create your blog, upload your WooTheme to your wp-themes folder, activate theme and enjoy.

Note: WooThemes are amazingly good looking but also amazingly powerful with more features than you can shake two sticks at. Explore their site list for a few minutes and you’ll be amazing at the selection. Plus, almost all their designs cost less than $80. Not too shabby of a combination.

Creating a web business really is easier than most people think. In fact, you could probably start a new business every week if you felt like it. You probably wouldn’t want to because the majority of your work is the marketing of your business, but lets talk about STARTING that business with a three part series.

PART 3 – Create and Market Your Site

Best way to create a sales page? Weebly.

1) Visit Weebly.com

2) Choose a theme that fits your business

3) Write sales copy and place your buy now button link from part 2 at the bottom.

Writing sales copy can be tricky, so just remember this three part system.

1) Tell them what you’ve got with your headline

2) Tell them why they need what you’ve got

3) Tell them what to do next (buy)

Now, post your link on Facebook, Twitter, etc and contact bloggers in your industry about becoming affiliates (DPD has a built in affiliate program) for your product.

It is simple, and you will make a little bit of money. Making lots of cash takes lots of work. If you want to do it the true “online dream” way, focus on finding affiliates, building search rankings, etc that are automated.

When you have automated traffic and automated sales, you make automated money.

Creating a web busienss really is easier than most people think. In fact, you could probably start a new business every week if you felt like it. You probably wouldn’t want to because the majority of your work is the marketing of your business, but lets talk about STARTING that business with a three part series.

PART 2 – Automating Your Product

A huge benefit of digital products is the ability to automate the entire process. Delivery, marketing, etc. Right now, we want to focus on the delivery. It’s a simple, three step process:

1) Visit Digital Product Delivery (DPD)

2) Create an free account, upload your product, and set your terms.

3) Copy the buy now button code and save it for the next step.

This link will do a few things:

1) It will take visitors to a PayPal (or other payment method) checkout

2) Handle the payment

3) Recognize when they are done with payment and send them a secure link where they can download your product

It does this all automatically, you do nothing else once it’s all setup which only takes about 5 mintues.

Creating a web business really is easier than most people think. In fact, you could probably start a new business every week if you felt like it. You probably wouldn’t want to because the majority of your work is the marketing of your business, but lets talk about STARTING that business with a three part series.

PART 1 – Create Your Product

Before you ever create your product, answer these simple questions and you’ll know exactly what to make.

1) What is something you know a lot about or are especially good at?

2) What can you teach, train, or help people with in respect to this topic?

3) What would be a headline that people searching for help on this topic would be especially drawn by?

Now, create your product to fulfill what you promise with your headline.

I think video is perhaps the most valuable and easy-to-consumer type of media that can be sold online. It’s easy to create, easy to reproduce, and carries the highest perceived value (aka, you can sell it for more).

You don’t have to be on camera for a single second to have great video. If I were you, I’d do the following:

1) Create a series of PowerPoints based on the product you chose earlier

2) Use Jing, Screenr, or CamStudio to record a narrated version of these PowerPoints and save them into a common format like MP4. I’d suggest MP4 so that folks can stick those videos on their iPods too which is an added selling point.

That’s it, choose a headline that draws people in and shows them you can solve a problem they have, create content to fulfill your headline’s promise, and then record a narrated version of your content. Done.

James Rayers is a talented designer, but his blog CogRoll shows his versatility.

Featuring frequent, fabulous business ideas for free, his blog is a great place to get ideas if you are stuck in a no-idea rut or to spark some new ones of your own from his fresh thinking.

Conveying a point clearly, succinctly, and powerfully can be a tricky task.

If this is a frequent part of your work or personal life, make that life of yours easier by reading Made to Stick.

You won’t regret it.

The SEO battle between top-ranked sites can be worse than a post-soccer match street brawl. But it doesn’t have to be. While they claw and fight and shell out major bucks to maintain their #1 spot, you can sit back and do one simple thing that will keep you right up there with them with 1/10 the effort.

If you want to speak a foreign language accent, you mimick native speakers.

If you want to make your way to a mountain peak, just follow the path others have taken.

If you want to rank high in the SERPs, do what the leaders are doing.

Two quick things to do to get started…

Links:
Use tools like the ones below to find out where your competitors have built links coming to their site. Then, go to those same sites and see if you can’t snag a link there as well. You won’t be able to get a link from every site, but you’ll be surprised at how many you can. Do this for your top 3 competitors and you’ll snag yourself a huge list of links.
Google Webmaster Tools https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
Backlink Watch http://www.backlinkwatch.com/
iWebTool http://www.iwebtool.com/backlink_checker

On Site:
Check out their site and then click “view source” from your browser’s menu to check out the code. Where are their links, how frequently are they using their keyword, where are they using the keywords, how are they varying keywords? See what they are doing well and do the same.

That’s all there is to it, play a little game of copycat and you’ll be well on your way to the top.

The funny thing about profiling a designer is you can only say so much about them. When it comes down to it, you need to see their work in order to truly appreciate the talent.

Blake Barton has talent.

His work is clean, eye-grabbing, and extremely versatile.

Lucky for you, Blake is on the market. If you or your team need a top-notch designer, give Blake a buzz. His contact details or on his website.

Check out his full portfolio at http://blakebarton.com/.