This is a very simple exercise that will help you make more money online.
The great news is, this exercise is easy to do and you'll get quick results.
If you want to increase revenue fast, there are two things to look at: traffic and conversions.
You may have awesome conversion rates, but very little traffic. Or plenty of traffic, and your conversion rate sucks. Know which is the case, so you know where to start for an easy boost. 😉
We'll talk about that more in an upcoming post, but today I want to give you a simple exercise - a fun challenge, even - to help you get on the fast track to earning more money with your online business...
The key is to focus on the "money tasks" in your business. Do ONE thing every single day directly related to monetizing your site or blog.
It doesn't have to be a huge task that takes you hours (or days, or weeks) to achieve. In fact, I prefer to micro-task my bigger projects so they're easier to achieve.
Most people want to "eat the whole elephant" - or bite off more than they can chew. It's so easy to procrastinate on bigger projects, looking for that big chunk of uninterrupted quiet time where the creativity and energy are flowing freely.
Keep dreaming! For most of us that's a rare thing, and an easy way to rationalize putting things off. 😛 Just dig in and get something done - get anything done...
How To Make More Money Online (Simple Exercise)
Last year at the live Problogger Event, Darren Rowse gave a keynote speech titled "FROM LITTLE THINGS… BIG THINGS COME". This is a screenshot of just one of his slides:
Darren challenges us to set aside just 15 minutes a day to focus strictly on monetization, or "money tasks" as I like to call them.
There are so many things you can spend your time on every day - email, social media, writing content, tweaking your site or blog design, etc, etc, etc.
But if you don't focus specifically (and consistently) on monetization, you're going to be investing A LOT of time for VERY LITTLE return. Which is not ideal.
This is something I do myself, and it's what keeps my online business moving forward and consistently making money. Try this exercise yourself for an entire month, even if you only set aside 15 minutes a day like Darren suggested, and do at least one thing every day that is directly related to monetization.
You'll be surprised at how those "minutes" add up, and how quickly you'll start seeing a return on your efforts! 😉
Don't wait for that perfect day to spend the whole afternoon on a project. Break your projects down into bite-sized tasks, and consistently work toward your financial goals every single day.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Tried it, and seen results? I have! Feel like it's too simple to work? Struggling to monetize or improve revenue?
Everyone wants to make more money online, but a lot of people seem frustrated - so let's talk. Leave a comment below and tell us what frustrates you, where you're stuck, or where you need the most help in this area...
Best,
p.s. I understand that there's a lot to learn and a lot of information to wade through. I've been working online for more than 16 years now, so I've seen it all!
If you need help monetizing your business, improving your revenue dramatically, or even getting your online business started, I can spend an hour with you and get you moving in the right direction.
If you prefer step-by-step "start to profit" how-to training, I am currently teaching my own successful methods for traffic and revenue with a successful niche site at Niche Success Blueprint. This is probably the best way to get started or to finally get over the hump with your online business, as the training modules teach you step-by-step every single week. Check it out. 😉
Better yet, join my Private Brainstorming Group and I can work hands-on with you for much longer - at a much lower rate. AND members get the Niche Success Blueprint (mentioned above) FREE as a member of my group!
While you're considering your options, subscribe by email in the orange box below to receive free tutorials, resources & creative ideas to make more money online...
About Lynn Terry
Hey Lynn.
Thank you so much for another awesome post, yet again!
Can't wait to put your simple tip to the test and I'm looking forward to hearing Darren's audio once I've done here as well. Thanks for the share 🙂
Focusing on the 'wrong' tasks that don't generate the cash is a huge problem for most people online. I've been guilty of this myself until just recently. Spending far too long on unproductive tasks such as tweaking my website, or trying to get an image just right.
Now, I break my business day down into individual divisions and I allocate a time slot for each one. Like you say, there's so many things to do such as accounting, content creation, marketing, promotion, etc
Doing things this way keeps me super focused and productive. It also give me piece of mind because I know I'm only working on tasks that will move me one step closer to my goals. Tasks that will actually pay the bills at the end of the day.
Kerry Russell
Smart, Kerry. 😉 I work in Time Blocks as well, and find it much more productive than any other method. I discussed that in detail in this post: http://www.clicknewz.com/5888/micro-tasking/ where I also talked about "micro-tasking" and the Time Log exercise.
I look forward to hearing your results with the "money task time block" 😀
hi Lynn
You've put up an "easy" road map for beginners to start making money online... the truth is that these steps look to simple, and newbies will look else where for the magic button that spits cash at them like a broken ATM...
The ones willing to put in the time and effort to actually implement these steps will see some earnings roll-in, and the few who are going to persevere will see bigger success sooner than later, is it?
I've been into affiliate marketing for more than a decade now, so I know what I'm talking about...
All true, John. Unfortunate, but true. The success lies in the easy little details. That one's hard to "sell" though. 🙂
Update: that's exactly what I decided to create and offer this year! I have it all online now at http://www.NicheSuccessBlueprint.com . It's getting RAVE reviews from those who have already started applying the training modules, and it's been tons of FUN watching them make such fast progress in a few short weeks. 😀
I have heard this mentioned before. I think I'm going to take action and try and make this technique work for me this time.
I have given it some thought and what I am going to do is make myself out a schedule for the next 30 days, each with 15 minute slot. I am then going to allocate a particular task or part of a task to each slot.
By the end of the 30 days at least I will have a record of what I've done and hopefully have something to show for it.
Thanks for the push!
That sounds like a great plan, Mark! I'm doing something similar. Do you use Evernote? If so you can integrate your calendar with EventNoted.com which combines your tasks and calendar together nicely. Something that may prove helpful with this - if you're a big Evernote user like me. 😉
Wow, amazing post AGAIN Lynn! I'm working on a few of these myself. Excellent reminder on how to make more income. 🙂 =)
Great advice. I'm going to try this; at least until I go on vacation in 3 weeks...lol.
Now, off to make a list.....
Hi Lynn,
Thank you for sharing another great topic which most of the times resistance block the way to achieve.
The 15 minutes for 30 days is simple and definitely achievable. I will sit on it and do one task from the list given.
I will called it my 15/30 target ... lol.
Happy weekend
Thanks for another helpful article. I especially know I need to work on my time blocks and not let myself get distracted.
Well I better go spend some more time on my site. I spent 2 hours watching a series of videos learning how to use WordPress so that I am now feeling more comfortable using it.
Lois
Distraction is a big issue for everyone. I have to close out everything except what I'm working on, and stay focused on the task at hand until it's complete. If something comes up that I want to check out, or an idea comes to mind, I jot it down and keep going - and go to that next, after the task is complete.
You can see the link below to watch a quick video to watch over my shoulder and see how I do that using two browsers and my "work tasks" bookmarked in one folder together.
Using the shorter time blocks like the 15 minutes suggested helps. Almost anyone can focus for that short a period. 😉
Lots of good points to ponder upon. Time management is the key to success. Its better to keep working regularly for 15 minutes than to wait for a perfect day and spend the whole afternoon. Great point.
Thanks and keep sharing.
That's true - consistency is the key. It's hard to find a "perfect, quiet, uninterrupted afternoon" lol. Said from experience as a single mom working from home while home schooling. 😉 I managed to start and grow my business strategically over the years by working in short blocks of time throughout the day - doing whatever I could, whenever I could, and consistently working on my business every day...
I guessed 15 min wasn't enough for me. I tended to plan before action, and planning alone clocked up more than hours ...
Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this blog and eager to learn more from you.
Thanks Lynn!
The key is to do your planning upfront, then work strategically through the tasks on your list. And ideally, micro-tasks: the smallest task possible that combined make up the larger tasks.
But don't over-plan!
Things change fast, and you'll learn a lot as you go, so while you should know your ultimate end objective - ie how you are going to serve your market - you only really need to plan out (in detail) the next step in the process. Then do it! 😀
I just sign-up for the Paul Evans Autoresponder Accelerant webinar.
Thank you Lynn for showing the right path to do things daily
Happy Weekend
Lynn, thank you so much for this. I have tried very hard lately to write down goals. I make a daily list of things I would like to do, but I have been focusing every day on ways to make money. For me it goes beyond marketing and on to creating new dresses, brooches and bags for my Etsy shop. I have definitely seen an improvement in revenue from applying myself every single day to a task. Writing a list does a lot for my focus and my prioritizing, but it means nothing if I don't choose something to bring in some money and actually work it.
As far as problem areas, I think I get overwhelmed at the amount of information out there. I could literally be consumed for 12 hours a day trying to learn about everything from e-mail marketing to SID tracking, and basically have nothing but frustration at the end of the day. Learning about marketing is not as easy as 1-2-3. There's so much to know, so much has changed, and there are so many people teaching about it! It can be very overwhelming!
Thanks again!
Lynn
That is SO true and you bring up SUCH a good point!
See: http://archive.aweber.com/clicknewzblog/FZckb/h/Warning_Read_this_and_save.htm A must read 😉
The key is to not learn anything you don't need to know right now, to accomplish the ONE task you're working on... right now. Period.
Also, be very careful who you're learning from. Unfortunately most people that are teaching, coaching, etc don't have any actual hands-on personal experience (or maybe not current experience) at what they are teaching you. 😐
Hi there Lynn 🙂 thanks a lot for this post. Dang 🙂 a light bulb sudden hit after finishing reading this post and the comments. I am also guilty of the same thing. I know what needs to be done, but wants to do it in ONE big session, instead of incremental work that you advised here. Shared it on mt Facebook for future reminders 😉
Thank you for the share Ome! I've outlined my own methods in this post on Micro-Tasking and working in Time Blocks: http://www.clicknewz.com/5888/micro-tasking/ It works exceptionally well for me. *cheers*
Hi Lynn,
Simple and practical suggestion to make money online. I like best to write series of PDF Study Cases. But to know what best for us is through combination. Combine all possibilities and keep evaluate how it works then focus on some that really work best.
Thanks for this post 🙂
Good point Okto! I have a saying similar to that, which is: "Do more of what works, and less of what doesn't." It's a matter of tracking what's working, even on a very small scale, and doing more of those things that are actually bringing results. And spending less of your time on the things that don't produce results.
I used to procrastinate a lot and make excuses to wait for the perfect day for me to do all my things. But in the long run, it was a more stressful strategy rather than to provide a few minutes to hours a day doing important things.
I agree Connor - that really is stressful. It ends up staying in the back of your mind and creating all kinds of feelings like anxiety, frustration, etc. Best to do what you can, when you can, and consistently move forward... even in super small steps. 😉
Hi Lynn and thanks for this great post.
I think making time is a big issue for everybody, but still we all have 24 hours in one day, 7 days in one week... It's just a matter how you manage it.
I used to procrastinate quite a lot as well. You need to eliminate the things in your day that just don't matter, watching the television, trying to get to the next level of Angry Birds, everybody has 15 minutes per day to spend!
Take care,
Steven Daniels
LOL @ Angry Birds. 😀 That's true - we do all have the same amount of time to work with. While we all have different life circumstances, I know for me personally I've had plenty of "excuses" but I decided what I wanted and MADE it happen. In the worst of circumstances through many of my 17 years online even...
I think it's important to schedule in fun and downtime too though. I do! Quality of life is just as important, if not more important, than "success". In the beginning I sacrificed everything to "get out of the hole" and get my business up and running. It was SO worth it. Now I'm able to focus on growing my business, but also ENJOY life too.
Certain sacrifices are worthwhile in the short term to have a better lifestyle long-term.
Hi Lynn
I came across Darren Rowse's blog a few years ago when I'm looking for Amazon products and found about Amazon Associates tips from his blog. His advice is truly awesome. A little bit a day, every day could make an amazing outcome.
Thank you so much for your sharing.
Hi Lynn,
That was a really interesting recording by Darren.
And it was kinda fun changing his slides for him, too. :)15 minutes per day is doable, but for me the time block isn't big enough.
I tend to work in 90 minute blocks, though I am up and down bit, to stretch a recalcitrant leg and make the odd pit stop. 😉
One of the biggest time wasters is email.
We all need it, but we don't need to check it 25 times a day or to live in our Inboxes.
I came across a couple of programs that are designed to keep you focused on your work.
The aptly named, "SelfControl" is for Macs and the other is "SelfRestraint."
I tried to put the URLs in this post, but the comment software here didn't like that; so you'll just have to search for these programs yourself.
I haven't tried them, since my own personal discipline is so finely tuned . . . not.
But, from what I've read about them, once they're set you can't change them, not even by restarting your computer.
There's another one, too, that's a bit more flexible called MacFreedom. (All these Mac programs. I guess only Mac users struggle with productivity.)
With it, you start by being disconnected from the Web.
That means you can just work on offline stuff.
But, if you want to check your email, then you have to restart your computer.
Cheers, Bruce
Interesting Bruce. I'm not sure how well those programs would work for me personally. I suppose I'd have to try a few and see. I'm pretty disciplined about micro-tasking and working on my Time Blocks - mainly because I have decided on my top priorities (in both work and personal life) and am strategically working toward desired results.
Self-discipline and motivation are nice words, but both easier said than done. It really does boil down to wanting that end result bad enough to force yourself into the right habits!
Hey Lynn, I believe since all our efforts are directed towards that one goal of monetizing our blog, we skip diverting any time to the actual promotion part. This is a very common behaviour for all of us. Thanks for the advice.
Interesting point, Paul. We were discussing something along these lines in my Brainstorming Hour session this past week - regarding what to focus on first, and when. Specifically in regards to product creation, list building, getting traffic, social media growth, etc.
My advice was to work in Time Blocks and consistently work on each goal across the board. So spend 90 minutes a day on product creation, 20 minutes a day increasing your social media reach, one task every day toward list building, etc. Why? So you'd have an audience and list established when you get the product ready to release to your market. 😉
Seems like everyone has their own time management. As you have said Lynn, and I am very much impressed by your technique, that to ultimately focus on to monetize your blog. And breaking up the time slots 15 mins a day!! Though I am not a professional blogger like you and most of everybody here but I do own few websites aiming and relying on adsense income.
I have been running my blogs/sites for over 2 years now but In future, I too aspire to become a professional BLOGGER.
And yeah, just found your blog 3 weeks ago but I can't bounce back without reading at least 5-6 articles. You provide such immensely wonderful information here.
Thank you Ashwin! 😀
Definitely diversify your revenue sources. You don't want to rely on Adsense alone for your income. What if Adsense closes, or your account gets closed? I have a personal rule for any niche site I create which is to have at least three merchants / sources of revenue. Said from personal experience after losing an affiliate account I created an entire (huge!) website around one time. Grr. lol.
Focus on great content, building a loyal readership, and diversifying your income sources. That's the key!
Excellent article! As a WAHM I am always striving (or struggling!) to spend my time wisely. Especially when marketing via social networking sites it's so easy to get sidetracked and sucked into a cycle of activities that are not profit producing. Great tips here!
I'm a mom too, Molly - so I get that. 😉 And you're right, social media can really pull you in. I use short Time Blocks for this as well, which I teach in http://www.SocialMarketingResults.com Before I even get started, I have a very specific objective. Then I "get in, get it done, and get out" as I like to say. 😀
Reading content streams can be done in your free time, not during your work / marketing Time Block. Which helps a lot! *cheers*
Hi Lynn,
I do try working the time blocks but sometimes go over, even with a timer running. Sometimes I am so close to finishing a project, I go ahead and forget the timer to get it done (for example if less than an 1/2 would do it).
Have a great day. Monna
I'm the same way, Monna - getting it done is sometimes more important than a strict schedule, especially if the creativity is flowing. 😉
Hi Lynn:
Thanks for sharing this article - 15 minute chunks each day seems so easy in fact too easy but I will definitely give this my full attention...after all, time spent on increasing revenue will never be a waste of time Right? 🙂
I have been guilty of waiting for the perfect day to spend 6-8 hours on my online venture...so far that strategy has not been working. 🙂
Awesome article - thanks again
Hi Carl,
Regardless of how much time you spend, make it a point to do a Money Task every single day - no matter how small the task. On days where you have more time and good creative flow, do more. But no matter what, at least do *something* toward growing your revenue every single day. It's the fastest way to get the right kind of results. 😉
I like your comment too, about it seeming TOO easy. I think we discussed that earlier in the comments. Most people either want things done for them, or thing things need to be difficult and time intensive "to count". Not necessarily true. Especially if you break things down into micro-tasks and just work through them strategically. 😀 *cheers*