WordPress Workshop - Last Chance!

[Lynn Terry]

I've had lots of questions & feedback about the interview I did with Christina Hills earlier this week. We discussed her workshop that starts next week. If you missed that, you can catch the entire replay here:

http://www.websitecreationworkshop.com/lynn/

Some of the feedback was regarding the price of the live workshop. Other feedback questioned my objective. Here's the scoop:

I signed up for this workshop. For what it's worth to anyone, I paid full price on my Mastercard and went with the payment plan option.

I did the free interview with Christina so that you'd have an opportunity to see what it's all about yourself.

The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

I've been involved in web dev for more than 10 years and even *I* signed up. I admit my skills are old school. I definitely want to master the various uses of WordPress as I move forward with my online business.

I shared more of my thoughts on that here:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2299/create-cool-sites/

You'll notice the deadline mentioned on that page. Since there were questions, Christina very genoursly extended the deadline *for our group only*:

http://www.websitecreationworkshop.com/register/lynnextension/

If you heard the interview live, or you listen in to the replay, you'll hear Christina mention a bonus. That is a private stand-alone training webinar on using WordPress to set up your own membership site.

You had to be one of the first 24 people to register for the workshop to get that bonus. There are a few spots left for you to grab that bonus - if you get in now.

I was first in line for that one ;)

The final deadline for the workshop registration is 11am Eastern on Saturday morning (3/27). The next workshop won't begin until Fall...

[Engage]

The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

A Wordpress workshop sounds like a great solution for many people, especially pros. I can understand why you would take the class Lynn.

Ok, here's my frustration, which you hopefully won't have to hear every day. :)

Technical learning curves, outsourcing, and blog design are all unnecessary burdens, that so many webmasters seem determined to take upon themselves.

Creating a website can be close to as easy as posting on this forum. For many webmasters, perhaps most, there really isn't a compelling reason to use software that is so complicated that they need a workshop to understand it.

Online success is not a function of how many features we can operate. As example, let's take Lynn's clicknewz.com blog.

Why do you read it? Why do you take Lynn's advice seriously? Why does Lynn have a solid online reputation, that fuels her success to ever higher levels?

It's not the features on her sites. It's not technology.

It's her, it's Lynn. It's her writing, her content, her personality, her willingness to help, her ability to build and sustain relationships.

If we dumped all the technology on Lynn's site, Lynn will still be popular. If we dumped Lynn from Lynn's site, we'd have nothing. We'd have one of my sites! :)

I am far more technically capable than Lynn. I can code my own version of Wordpress from scratch. I am a major nerd, and have features, features, features out the ears.

But you aren't reading my site, are you? You aren't joining my forum. You aren't buying my products, or taking my advice.

So who do you want to be? Me? Or Lynn?

The problem with all the so many features in so many programs is that they give us so many things to fiddle with other than what really matters. The massive feature pile distracts us from laser focusing on giving readers what they really want.

Great content, from somebody they can trust.

Imagine we have been hired by the New York Times to write a daily column on our topic. Our job at the Times will live or die based on only one thing. The words in our column.

Does our content stand on it's own, typed on a piece of paper, in a plain text file, or plain text email? If not, features aren't the solution.

Ok, let's wrap up this wild rant with a simple constructive suggestion.

Perhaps the single most productive thing each of us can do is be clear about who we are.

Are we nerds? Or are we authors?

Do we want to work upstairs in the editorial office, or downstairs in the printing press boiler room?

Pick one, and be really good at it.

[Lynn Terry]

You make some good points, but A LOT of time and money has gone into the sites I manage that attract the readership that they do - and the affiliate sites that engage visitors and make sales.

I outsource a lot, but I do some things myself - and it takes me forever. I really want to improve my skills and kick out some great looking sites on the WordPress platform. So I'm super excited about the workshop. I already have a project lined up for my "test site" to work with hands-on and then take live afterward.

In the end, you need both. You need marketing *and* presentation. Presell will definitely go a long way even with bad design and poor copy. But I can tell you firsthand that one of my most-visited sales pages does NOT convert to cold visitors (people who don't know me very well). On the flip side, I've signed up for and purchased from many people I didn't know at all because of the way the offer was presented...

[Engage]

Hi Lynn, thanks so much for replying to my post.

I hope my writing was decent enough to make clear I'm not trying to suggest how you should run your sites. Like I would know. I was sincere when I said I understood why you would want to master Wordpress.

And of course readers should consider the workshop if they share your interest in learning more about Wordpress. Clearly, that would describe many thousands of happy Wordpress users.

Perhaps this isn't the best place to do it, but I'm trying to address webmaster culture as a whole, and offer non-technical folks another way to think about the challenges they face. Apologies, it's my job to be chronically obsessed with this topic...


The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve...

Climbing the technical learning curve is surely one way to address this challenge. That's the route I've gone myself. If I used Wordpress, I would take the workshop.

For other people, stepping off of the technical learning curve may be a better solution.

I'm trying to propose that the market you and I both wish to serve might be significantly expanded, if folks understand that becoming a web technician is optional.

I agree that a pleasant and orderly presentation does matter. We might observe that we have a pleasant and orderly presentation here on this forum, without any of the posters needing to be technologists.

I apologize for butting in to your announcement!

It's clear that like your other users, I'm frustrated too. My frustration is that while I've become skilled at lifting the burden of this technical learning curve, I still stink at persuading users to let go of the burden, as you can see here.

What I can see clearly in my own situation, is that more technology is not the solution.

[Lynn Terry]

No apology necessary - I appreciate a good discussion :)

We're all coming at this from different backgrounds and varying skill levels. Getting a site online is key to doing online business, and is going to be a hurdle whether you're going the DIY route or trying to outsource (something you don't really know yourself). I hear the phrase "pulling my hair out" on a daily basis from both sides of that coin. And of course, I've been there myself.

Your frame of reference is interesting. How did you overcome the technical hurdle yourself? I learned the hard way, through trial and error, enough to get by on the new design landscapes... but not enough to create engaging presentations.

Of course I used to, as I started out in web dev - but back in the 90's that was a completely different set of code and way of doing things. ;)

[Engage]

No apology necessary - I appreciate a good discussion :)

I know you do, and enjoy that about you.

My situation is that I appreciate good discussions just a little bit too much, :) thus practicing manners and occasionally even restraint (gasp!) is part of my learning curve.


We're all coming at this from different backgrounds and varying skill levels.

Very true of course. I surely don't mean to suggest a one size fits all strategy.

My interest is in what I see as the majority of the market, folks who want to communicate and earn, but not wrestle with technostuff.


Getting a site online is key to doing online business, and is going to be a hurdle whether you're going the DIY route or trying to outsource

Well, that's what I'm attempting to politely debate. Is posting on this forum a hurdle? Getting a site online doesn't have to be much more difficult than posting on this forum.

But it depends of course. If one's business plan really does require a certain set of advanced features, then one has to jump over that hurdle.

My point is that for most many users, perhaps most, (not all) advanced features are more distraction than asset.


I hear the phrase "pulling my hair out" on a daily basis from both sides of that coin. And of course, I've been there myself.

When it comes to marketing, I have no hair left, gone completely bald. I'm pulling on my ears now. :)


Your frame of reference is interesting.

Thank you, that's all I'm trying to achieve. You know, at it heart, web biz is really show biz, and this is my little act. Stay tuned, the dancing bears are up next!


How did you overcome the technical hurdle yourself?

Well, here's my little story. I'm the third generation of publishing technology (my dad and grandfather both printers) in my family. So for me, rampant code nerd disease is an incurable condition.

The paradigm I have in mind is that same model the publishing industry has used for centuries, I didn't invent it.

There are the writers/editors, and the guys who run the printing presses. Outside of the net, no serious publication has the same people doing both tasks.

I'm saying this to myself as much as any reader here.

[Lynn Terry]

That's true to an extent, regarding content publishers. But entrepreneurs as a whole tend to take on every role in their business to start. That's why The E-Myth Revisited is such a popular book.

I'm currently reading The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz, which talks about getting out of respond/react mode and back into creative mode. Especially important for entrepreneur types.

If you saw what I see every day, or even what I experience personally, you'd get my meaning I imagine. It's definitely a hurdle. It's not just about publishing content - or "doing what you love". It's about being able to present that in such a way that it appeals to and engages your ideal readers.

I have 50 copies of an awesome book that I won't even GIVE AWAY because the book cover is so tacky. Design matters.

But I do agree that it shouldn't be an issue. You either have to master it, or you need to know enough to know what the heck you're outsourcing - and not to get sold all kinds of crap you don't need because you don't know any better. There's no way around it (the design aspect) if you want to get into web publishing... and be taken seriously.

[Engage]

Hi again Lynn,

What I'm seeing is that our respective outlooks are complementary.

As I see it, you are in the top 1% of webmasters, and forum members here are in the top 25%. Anybody who is wise enough to come here and get advice from you is way ahead of most webmasters, no kidding.

I believe you are talking about yourself, and some percentage of members here, and I am talking about some percentage of members here (those banging their heads the hardest), AND the other 75% of people who would like to publish and earn online.

As example of this other 75%, my wife is very bright, and has some very neat things she could share online, but she would never get Wordpress working in any circumstance short of a life or death situation. She's just not technical, her talents lie elsewhere. To be fair to my wife, I couldn't get WP working either. :-)

I meet people like this all the time across the net. They are bright, and write quite interesting posts, but just aren't well suited to the webmaster technology dance, or to the 5,000 different business models dance. These are the people that interest me the most because imho, they are the majority of the market.

Ok, enough blowharding theory, let's get on to a tangible example of serving this portion of the market.

Awhile back I coded a site builder (not currently for sale).

What I did was preinstall a neutral background in to every account, and give the site owner control over only the logo at top of page, and the optional headshot at top of sidebar.

Other than selecting and uploading these one or two images, there is no site design work for the user to do. None.

No features for user to install. None.

No distractions to content, links and income. None.

No excuses for not getting right to work immediately. None.

Here's a sample site:

http://sample.nature-search-sitebuilder.com/

Does that site look as good as yours? No way!

Does that site look at least as good as many or most online? To me, it does. And not only that, as you can clearly see, the content really rocks!!! :-)

Will many users rebel against this lack of flexibility? You bet.

And some of these rebelers will indeed be people like you who really should be using Wordpress.

Many of the rebelers will be folks who aren't actually ready to get down to work, and so want to spend months reading ebooks and fiddling with their site design first.

To me, just one opinion, the serious non-technical publishers will choose a tool that allows them to get to work immediately, the same day, without delay, and without hurdles and headaches.

By suggesting the workshop, you're offering your members an alternative to .....


The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

That's what I'm trying to do too, coming from the other direction.

Thanks again for the chat! And I do realize you probably have 1,000 other things to do, so please don't feel obligated to continue unless it interests you.

[Lynn Terry]

Oh, it interests me :)

I'm still trying to figure out your exact position...

If people just want to publish great content, there are platforms out there with push button design & features: blogger.com, wordpress.com, etc.

It's like the difference between setting up at the craft fair, and having your own craft store. And the appearance of that storefront and/or word of mouth referrals is what will bring people through the door.

If it weren't an issue, it wouldn't be such a hot topic - and such a hot market. But it is.

Is your take that it shouldn't be an issue at all?

[Engage]

Oh, it interests me :)

Ok, great. Thanks for helping me think all this through.


I'm still trying to figure out your exact position...

Well, we're both trying to tackle this problem...


...is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

As a marketer, you are offering a workshop which helps people climb the technical learning curve, which is a good solution for many users.

As a nerd, it interests me to try to eliminate the technical learning curve for another group of users.

And obviously, I'm clearly not the only nerd on the net who does that kind of work. I'm just the only one here perhaps?

As a related issue, it interests me to wonder how many people might be well served by setting aside the 34,987,678 online business plan ebooks etc, and redirecting their energy in to a focus on simpler plans like content, links and Adsense.

Lots and lots of people fall in to analysis paralysis, and are never seen again. A lost opportunity for them, and for us.

Overall, on a variety of topics, the concept of "less is more" interests me.


Is your take that it shouldn't be an issue at all?

Do you mean graphic design? If yes, I wouldn't want to make some global declaration that claims to apply to all situations. Just trying to present options.

I hope this ok! I will remove this immediately once you've seen it.

Here's your new blog.

http://sample.nature-search-sitebuilder.com/index.cgi

Your real blog is definitely better, but couldn't those who want to keep it simple get a good start this way too?

I'm just saying, if someone is frustrated with both technical and business complications, they have the option to opt out of both.

The best, most well read, authors in the world know little to nothing about web technology and graphic design. They are too busy being great authors.

Thanks again for the chat!

[Lynn Terry]

That example is assuming I already had that header graphic - which I paid to have custom designed... :)

[Engage]

Right, of course. You bought a custom logo, and so can anyone else who wants to take that extra step.

If you care to share, who did your logo? They did a great job! Really, it's awesome. I do admit some jealousy. (I've removed your images from the sample site.)

Buying a custom logo is a different level of hurdle than the endless fiddling with site designs that is the norm across the webmaster world. Order the logo, upload it, done, back to work.

Again, not the "one true way", just an option for those who don't wish to struggle.

For me, it helps to think of a specific person that we'd like to help. As example, I have a delicate niece who just graduated from college with one of those unemployable degrees. :-(

She's considered working online. How fast could we get her up and running with a site that has a chance of success?

1) Mentor: Join your Elite Group for niche advice, and a review of her writing skills, to determine whether publishing is a suitable opportunity for her.

2) Homework: Require her to write 25 quality articles in her niche. Find out right at the very beginning whether she wants to work, or not.

3) SiteBuilder: If she writes the articles, give her a simple sitebuilder, that doesn't empower her to waste time and get frustrated. No site until she writes the articles.

4) Logo: Buy a logo, or grab an image from iStockphoto.com

5) On to a lifetime of content, content, content, links, links, links.

To me, the game is won or lost inside our heads, and managing motivation levels is key.

So many people get bogged down in all the complications and hurdles, lose heart, and give up.

Some of these folks should give up, because they aren't well suited to this particular business, so it's not all bad news.

Imho, many other people would benefit from instruction and tools that put them in the driver's seat at the earliest possible moment.

And that involves chopping away as many unnecessary obstacles as possible.

By the way, the crucial highly important principle of "less is more" does NOT apply to my postings! :)

[Lynn Terry]

I think we're discussing two different markets. Anyone can go to blogger.com and be blogging in less than half an hour. And people do.

Setting up an online business to serve a market long-term is a different story. It requires a unique, engaging presence. Over the years I have developed those in various niches, and I've outsourced the development too.

[Engage]

Setting up an online business to serve a market long-term is a different story. It requires a unique, engaging presence.

Ok, we agree on this. Long term outlook, yes. Important point. Agreed.

And unique and engaging presence. Agreed here too, but...

If I understand (I might not, so correct me as needed) we perhaps look at "unique, engaging presence" somewhat differently?

I hear you to be referring to website design with that phrase?

I'm referring to the content, what the author has to say, what they can do for their audience. The "what's in it for me?" question readers all have.

In this thread, each of us has our own style of "unique and engaging presence".

Not sure how other readers feel, but for my taste we're sharing an interesting and potentially useful conversation.

And I bow to you in thanks for that! Truly I do. I don't want you to think I take all the time you are investing here for granted, because I don't.

And look, no technological hurdles involved. No unique graphic design. Just our two brains.

To me, "unique and engaging presence" involves having something to say, and having some ability to say it.

Have you noticed that we all regularly chant the phrase "quality content", but there's really not much instruction that focuses on how to do that? Could that be why we all tend to skim read power scroll each other's blogs?

We have technology classes and such aplenty, but outside of the copywriter community, hardly any real writing classes.

Some authors spend their entire lives developing a writing craft, coming with up with a unique voice, discovering something important to say, but here on the web we tend to assume that if we can type, we can write.

I'm suggesting unnecessary technology hurdles are where many of us hide from the more challenging, and more important, content hurdles.

Trying to say...

Trace the development of the Net from 1995 to today. The technical job of publishing gets easier and easier. Follow the graph forward.

Someday pretty soon literally anybody will be able to create a truly excellent, really professional looking site with just one click. And then nobody will care about designs.

When that day comes, the only way to be unique and engaging will be to say something unique and engaging.

But ok, ok, if you insist we have to look good now, then you really must tell us who helped your site look so good. You simply must! :)

Thanks again! Bowing, bowing...

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/741354/2/istockphoto_741354-karate-boy-bowing.jpg

[Lynn Terry]

I employ a variety of designers & programmers to keep things looking good & running smooth across all of my sites. Some of them are friends who don't offer that service publicly so I can't give you a complete list.

Fellow member Semmy of http://www.myminisitegraphic.com has done quite a bit of work for me.

Also Michael Schultz of http://www.sharppixeldesign.com (also a member here).

I have quite a few writing tutorials at ClickNewz, by the way :)

On design, it matters. Consider a home-made handwritten business card vs a professionally designed business card. Or even a free vistaprint card vs a professionally designed card.

It's all about conversion rates. And if you think design/presentation doesn't matter... split test it. It's been proven over and again. Web users have a higher expectation now than they did 10 years ago. The standards have definitely changed, and any serious online marketer needs to be on top of that.

[Engage]

Thanks for the referrals Lynn.

Yes, that works. If people want a fancy site, and it's easy to hire someone to make it so, that solves the problem of unnecessary frustrations and distractions. I'm surely not against nice looking sites.

Hey, somebody make (or link to) a site that is a list of reliable graphics people. It seems that would be quite useful.

By the way, here's the most successful site on the net. http://google.com 1996 era design, and nobody cares.

To me, design is just one example of the big picture that we share an interest in...


The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

We all share an interest in relieving this frustration burden, right?

It's not just graphics and design.

Webmasters are exposed to a thousand different business plan ideas. Webmasters are bombarded with a thousand things they are told they really should buy. Webmasters wrestle with poorly designed software, and assume it's their fault they're having problems.

This giant pile of details can be overwhelming, and very frustrating, for many people. And, let's not forget, all these things, climbing the learning curve, is a great excuse for putting off real work until another day.

A lot of people are missing their chance to work online, because they get sucked in to all the distractions, and simply can't manage the information overload, the analysis paralysis.

There is no one solution to this that is right for everybody.

All I'm trying to do with my posts is explore simple clear minded options that are suitable for many people who are currently struggling. The ideas I'm presenting will not be needed by those who are not struggling.

One option to the dizzying tornado of details and options is to set the whole thing aside.

Turn it off. Let it go. Walk away.

Instead, get to work, right now, today, and focus on something simple and direct.

Content.

Links.

Adsense.

Simple tools.

It seems to me that it's very good news indeed that's it's possible to do this.

If there's a "secret" to making this work, it might be letting everything else go. All the fancy stuff, maybe later.

An option for the frustrated, that's all.

[Lynn Terry]

That option has always been available. Heck, you should see some of my sites! :p

Anyone can go to blogger.com and start writing and linking today. I do that all the time. But that's not what we're talking about here - or who this workshop was really for.

I love creating awesome affiliate sites. My skills are just outdated, and I want to create awesome affiliate sites on the wordpress platform now - with all the cool features & plugins - instead of HTML with SSI etc.

I'm one of those rare people that loves to pull a 36-hour weekend creating a new affiliate site. The sense of accomplishment is major. The long-term passive income from that investment... sweet.

As for Google, we can't confuse simplicity with lack of design. A LOT has gone into the design of Google and it's SERPs (search engine results pages). It's no accident how each of the elements are placed, left to right, top to bottom.

[Engage]

That option has always been available.

Yes, agreed. The simple path is not cutting edge, not insanely clever, not wickedly brilliant, not the next big inside secret, not the path to quick riches, and it's not new. It's none of the classic webmaster world stuff.

It's the opposite of all that.

It's simply not clear to many people that being frustrated, overwhelmed, confused and distracted is optional, or there wouldn't be so many people in that situation. Generally speaking, people don't deliberately choose to frustrated and overwhelmed.

I'm proposing that many or most of the people who would like to make money online will never find you and make it to your Elite Membership or Wordpress Workshop, because they'll become overwhelmed and frustrated and quit. Or they'll never even get started because it all just looks like such a giant complicated hassle.

A lost opportunity for them, and for you. Your future customers, going home to tell all their friends that the Internet thing doesn't work.


Anyone can go to blogger.com and start writing and linking today. I do that all the time. But that's not what we're talking about here - or who this workshop was really for.

Right, I agree completely. It's not who you're talking about, it's who I'm talking about. I'm trying to help the people I'm talking about become the people you're talking about.


I love creating awesome affiliate sites. My skills are just outdated, and I want to create awesome affiliate sites on the wordpress platform now - with all the cool features & plugins - instead of HTML with SSI etc.

I have no complaint with that, go for it!


I'm one of those rare people that loves to pull a 36-hour weekend creating a new affiliate site. The sense of accomplishment is major. The long-term passive income from that investment... sweet.

Got no complaint with this either.

[Lynn Terry]

I'm proposing that many or most of the people who would like to make money online will never find you and make it to your Elite Membership or Wordpress Workshop, because they'll become overwhelmed and frustrated and quit. Or they'll never even get started because it all just looks like such a giant complicated hassle.

My school of thought: If they want the end result bad enough, they'll keep working/searching to make it happen. Any true entrepreneur accepts the "giant complicated hassle" that is starting a business (of any kind) as an exciting challenge.

There's a big difference between an entrepreneur, and those who just want to "win the lottery". It takes both to make the world go 'round. I happen to like the fact that not everyone is an entrepreneur. Otherwise there'd be no one at the 24-hour McDonald's to make me a McSalad at 2am when I'm pulling an all-nighter...

:)

[Engage]

Lynn, this is fun, threads like this are like playing jazz with computer keyboards. First you solo over a chorus, then me, then back to you, each of us pushing the other to further develop the melody, late in to the night in some smoky little club.

I hope we're swinging! If not, I hope the audience is too drunk to notice. :)


My school of thought: If they want the end result bad enough, they'll keep working/searching to make it happen.

Ok, this is the right mindset, agreed.

Now let's apply it to ourselves. If we really want folks to succeed at this, if we really want to do our job, we'll keep working, searching for ways to make it easier for them.

Imho, we're on the same page, each in our own way.

I want to make it easy in part so that all the delays and excuses are taken away, and there's nothing left but getting right down to work, or quickly coming face to face with the fact that we don't really want to work.


Any true entrepreneur accepts the "giant complicated hassle" that is starting a business (of any kind) as an exciting challenge.

Ok, let's agree on this too, each in our own way.

Imho, the business internet publishers are in is serving readers, usually with text content. And yes, understanding readers, and delivering them an endless flow of excellent content is indeed a challenge.

It's enough of a challenge, that the serious publisher, whether new or veteran, may choose to focus on it with determination. A serious publisher may elect to set aside distractions, like the fancy web technology and business plans that the webmaster community is so fascinated with.


There's a big difference between an entrepreneur, and those who just want to "win the lottery".

Yes, a big difference between a serious content creator, and those who endlessly fiddle around with net technology, pretending they are nerds. :)

Thanks for letting me play in your band. I'm having a great time, but perhaps have taken a few too many solos. Hoping members of the audience, if there are any, might jump up on stage, and take a turn at the word piano.

[nar321]

Some of us aren't sure that both of you are even on the same stage. I agree that many internet things could and should be easier, but then so should life . It's not(Life, that is) and neither are computers or for that matter internet "stuff".

Lynn does a fantastic job at making things make sense. One of few(in my humble opinion)that seems to actually care about somethings besides the dollars(almighty). Attend one of her public webinar's (most Tuesday's 12 Eastern) you do need to get on her reminder list, have a pc and install the web conference software.



Lynn, this is fun, threads like this are like playing jazz with computer keyboards. First you solo over a chorus, then me, then back to you, each of us pushing the other to further develop the melody, late in to the night in some smoky little club.

I hope we're swinging! If not, I hope the audience is too drunk to notice. :)



Ok, this is the right mindset, agreed.

Now let's apply it to ourselves. If we really want folks to succeed at this, if we really want to do our job, we'll keep working, searching for ways to make it easier for them.

Imho, we're on the same page, each in our own way.

I want to make it easy in part so that all the delays and excuses are taken away, and there's nothing left but getting right down to work, or quickly coming face to face with the fact that we don't really want to work.



Ok, let's agree on this too, each in our own way.

Imho, the business internet publishers are in is serving readers, usually with text content. And yes, understanding readers, and delivering them an endless flow of excellent content is indeed a challenge.

It's enough of a challenge, that the serious publisher, whether new or veteran, may choose to focus on it with determination. A serious publisher may elect to set aside distractions, like the fancy web technology and business plans that the webmaster community is so fascinated with.



Yes, a big difference between a serious content creator, and those who endlessly fiddle around with net technology, pretending they are nerds. :)

Thanks for letting me play in your band. I'm having a great time, but perhaps have taken a few too many solos. Hoping members of the audience, if there are any, might jump up on stage, and take a turn at the word piano.

[Engage]

Hi Robert,


Lynn does a fantastic job at making things make sense. One of few(in my humble opinion)that seems to actually care about somethings besides the dollars(almighty).

As you and I have discussed, I'm in full agreement with this. I've never doubted this, or contested it in any way.

Would you like proof? There are at least thousands of marketing sites and forums on the Net. I'm investing my time in this one. For those who like simple, there you have it.

Some readers may prefer complicated, and thus may look for hidden agendas, secret plans, tricky tactics, murky motivations etc.

If a reader should feel that way about my posts, ok, no problem, here's a simple fact which might help relieve them of these complications. I have nothing for sale anywhere on the Internet.

The simple truth is, some people, apparently including Lynn and myself, have a passionate and sincere interest in these topics.

[Lynn Terry]

Imho, the business internet publishers are in is serving readers, usually with text content. And yes, understanding readers, and delivering them an endless flow of excellent content is indeed a challenge.

It's enough of a challenge, that the serious publisher, whether new or veteran, may choose to focus on it with determination. A serious publisher may elect to set aside distractions, like the fancy web technology and business plans that the webmaster community is so fascinated with.

Okay, but not all online business models are about content publishing. Or not to the degree that writing or content are even the core of the model. I have a lot of different models myself.

Some are ecommerce style affiliate sites with very little content.

Some are communities where the visitors create the majority of the content.

Some are blogs or content sites.

Some are directory/resource style sites.

There are just too many different models to put it all in the "content publishing" box...

[Engage]

There are just too many different models to put it all in the "content publishing" box...

Agreed. Again, I'm not attempting to come with a one size fits all concept or solution that covers everybody online. Instead, it seems we are both addressing the specific group you addressed in your original post...


The number one issue I hear from people every day is how frustrated they are with the technical learning curve or with outsourcing site & blog design.

A significant number of people are experiencing these frustrations which, imho, arise out of unnecessary complications on both the technical and business sides of webmastering.

Applying this premise to my own posts, I see that talking about this in theory is itself an unnecessary complication.

So, I thank you for inspiring me to give theorizing a rest, and finish up a project that has been cooking on the stove for far too long.

My point has been that wrestling with unnecessary complications can be replaced with taking action on simple principles with simple tools. A lesson I have now learned myself... :)

Thanks Lynn!

[WAHumor]

...wrestling with unnecessary complications can be replaced with taking action on simple principles with simple tools.


After all has been said and done (and a lot was said here! ;)), these are the words to live by in this wackiest of worlds.

Decide and do is all that matters.



Dan

[Engage]

Decide and do is all that matters.

Decide and do. Three words. I love it!

I am envious of your conciseness.

Sadly, it's hard to make a money making website out of three words, however true those words might be.

And so thousands of us go forth on our sites to share our web biz theories at great length, because after all, we are publishers.

And that's why so many folks are having trouble with the decide part, why so many are frustrated and confused.

Although we don't intend to hurt anybody, lots of us are making succeeding online complicated on purpose, so we'll have lots to say, and lots to sell, to serve our own interests.

It's not a crime or a scandal, it's just free market enterprise. But it is kinda sad to watch some folks fall under the bus of all these complications.

[Lynn Terry]

I'm reading a good book & workbook guide by Dave Navarro titled "What's Holding You Back" that is pretty good so far. In line with the forward motion I'm going through right now myself both personally and professionally. I'll let you guys know when I finish it, and publish a review on ClickNewz. Good stuff.

[bunltd]

Lynn, I'm reading "What's Holding You Back" right now too. Dave Navarro's stuff is awesome. I really like his style, he's very straightforward, no fluff. Looking forward to your review!

[WAHumor]

I know Dave too. He's a formet SSWT member.

Straightforward is his middle name. Or maybe it's George...

Sounds like a good book to get!


Dan

[CarolGiambri]

Now in the Wordpress class and learning tons--Website Creation, Christina Hills. The videos she produces are great to the max plus the webinars are super fabulous for asking questions, getting answers or just being present. Just a bragger on those who are great without shame.

Carol Giambri

[Lynn Terry]

I just published the review of Dave's guide this morning.

You'll find it at:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2344/whats-holding-you-back/

Enjoy!

[Engage]

Thanks Lynn, great review, very well written. Thumbs up!!

I think it's great you posted your link in this thread, as it seems very appropriate to our discussion above. Reading your review helped me clarify and clean up some of the muddle in what I was trying to say earlier.

To a significant degree, perhaps all the business and technical complications of web publishing is where we go to hide from the real work, which lies on our side of the monitor.

Why is everybody always looking for the "secret" to success online, the inside tip, the clever strategy etc?

Maybe it's because we aren't ready to actually do what we already know how to do, and aren't ready to investigate why either.

And so, we're open to somebody changing the subject from uncomfortable questions about ourselves, and thus become easy targets for anybody who wants to sell us the latest greatest whatever it is (a purchase which usually makes us poorer, not richer).

My favorite sentence in your article was this highly concise review of the real bottom line...


Wanting – that’s everyone.

Wow, that's great.

There are two flavors of ambition we might bring to this reality of the human condition.

1) We could try to learn how to get what we want, in the hope that getting what we want will remove the experience of want.

2) We could shift our focus from what we want, to wanting itself.

We are already the richest people to ever walk the face of the earth. We're wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of those who came before us, and are billionaires compared to the majority of people living today, on just a few hundred dollars a year.

Why do we still experience want?

Will getting what we want actually fix it?