Category: Technology

How To Go From Nobody To Somebody In The Online World

In this post, I share how to go from nobody to somebody in the online world. It may seem hard to build a brand online, but with the right strategies in place, it’s easier than ever to become well-known in the online realm.

 

Your personal brand is one of the most important things that you can ever build. I’ve stressed this idea many times previously and I’ve mentioned to you how important it is to build your personal brand, sometimes even moreso than your corporate brand.

 

When I started my entrepreneurial journey, it was only after two years and selling my first company that I realized how important it is to build a personal brand. All the hard work I had spent building my business brand was gone the moment I sold the company. It was as if I didn’t exist.

 

Fast-forward to today, it’s been 4 years and I like to think that I’ve built up a fairly good personal brand online. I started with nobody ever hearing about me to building a brand that has gotten me the following accomplishments:

 

– Verified on Social Media

– Featured by Top Blogs/Websites

– Interviewed In 30+ Media Outlets

– Speaking Events All Over The World

– Anyone Who Searches For Me Can Find Me Quickly

– And Many Other Things…..

 

In this blog post, I’m going to share some tips and strategies on how to go from nobody to somebody in the online world.

 

Establish Your Presence 

 

Before you can brand yourself, you MUST establish your presence and let the world know you exist. For me, I simply created a website under my own domain name, some social media pages for my business personality and a blog where I shared tips, lessons and experiences in my entrepreneurial journey.

 

Whatever it is that you want to do, you must start by setting up some sort of presence using a combination of the things mentioned above for people to know you exist online. Find a unique and authentic way to position yourself in the online space. My unique pitch? I was the young entrepreneur. Find something that is unique and that people will be able to relate with you on.

 

Contribute Everywhere

 

Nowadays, I am far more selective on what publications I write articles for, who I interview for and which speaking events I attend. When I first started out, I didn’t care if the site had 10 visitors a month or 10 million, I was there for whatever they needed.

 

One of the biggest ways that I was able to grow my online brand was from simply being everywhere. I took every interview opportunity and did my best. I took hundreds of guest writing opportunities and contributed my content everywhere I could. Lastly, I sometimes spent money out of my pocket to travel out of the state to speak at an event where I didn’t get paid a dime. This is how you grow your presence.

 

 

Social Media Is Everything 

 

The more active you are on social media, the better your online presence will look. Build a Twitter account up and be ready to engage. When I started my Twitter account up, I made sure to follow with everyone relevant in my industry and I made it a point to post good tweets, tweet back to people and talk to as many people as I could.
The results? I now am verified on Twitter and have 250,000+ followers that actively engage and interact with me on this social media platform. Just imagine that, from only Twitter….I’ve been able to drive 250,000 different eyeballs to my personal brand. Add Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope and others to the mix…..and you’ve got the ability to showcase your brand to millions.

 

Provide Value

 

The quickest way to success online is to provide value. The more free and easily accessible this value is, the better the benefits will be. For example, I blog and take hours of my time on a weekly basis to share free content, tips and advice with the world. What do I get out of it? Looking at it from a black and white standpoint, I don’t get anything. I share this information for free and spend time as a result.

 

Many people might look at that and say, what a waste of time! However, the truth is that I get more eyes on my brand, I get more opportunities as a result of it and I’m able to expand my horizons farther than I would if I charged for this content. If you provide value, people and eyes will automatically gravitate towards you.

 

Be Real

 

Many people think that they can ‘outsource’ building their personal brand. However, that’s fake and eventually people will catch on to it. You need to be real and honest when building your online presence. If you’re going to start a blog, write your own posts otherwise you’re just lying to everyone.

 

If you keep it real with your audience, they’ll be real with you. They’ll provide you with value back in return and your online presence will thrive since people will have nothing but good things to say about you.

 

Conclusion 

 

In conclusion, building your personal brand from nothing to reputable doesn’t take a long time. If you are willing to put the time and effort in, you can be recognized online within just a few short months. In this post, I shared my tips on how to go from nobody to somebody in the online world.

 

 

How To Launch A Tech Startup For The Non-Techie

Got a tech idea, but you aren’t technical? No worries. In this blog post, I’ll share with you my strategies on how to launch a tech startup for the non-techie.

 

Do you have a great tech idea, but you lack the skills and knowledge necessary to build it? Don’t worry. I was exactly where you are at when I first launched my tech company, StatFuse.

 

Coding? Programming? UI Design? These words were all foreign to me for the most part and I absolutely didn’t have the skills necessary to successfully build out my tech startup. However, I had a great idea for a company that I thought would be successful on the internet.

 

Instead of giving up or trying to learn how to program (which could have taken months if not years), I decided to get creative and find a way around it. In this blog post, I’ll share with you my strategies on how to launch a tech startup for the non-techie:

 

Have A Concrete Plan

 

If you have a great idea, you need to put together a solid plan of how you imagine your idea to work and what your expectations are. This isn’t necessarily a business plan, but rather a plan of action. How do you plan to turn this concept into a money-making machine? That’s the first thing everyone is going to ask you.

 

Assemble A Team 

 

Be honest with yourself and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. If you are non-technical, one of your biggest weaknesses clearly revolves around not being able to program, design or code. As a result of that, you need to build a team around the things you aren’t so good at. In this situation, you might make it a necessity to find a technical person to partner up with. You can also see what other things you need help with and try putting together a winning team.

 

Think MVP

 

If you’re planning to pay for development or even recruiting a technical person to work with you, you need to get as basic as you can. Many people fall into the trap of building out a beautiful platform from day one, but that’s unrealistic. Your ideas and concepts are unproven and you need to get validation to build a full platform out. Ask yourself what the core concept of your idea is and focus on developing that.

 

Be Open To Changes

 

When you aren’t technical, you sometimes have to rely on the expertise of your technical lead when it comes to building your idea out. No matter how great a concept seems in your mind, it might just be physically impossible to push out in the form of code. When this is the case, be open to change and hearing what other ideas your partners and colleagues may have in regards to the feasibility of a concept.

 

Conclusion 

 

If you aren’t a technical person, but have a tech idea….don’t be discouraged. There’s always a way around it and some of the most successful online startups and businesses in the world were founded by non-technical people. It’s all about using your pool of resources and giving your best.

 

 

 

5 Resolutions That Will Help Entrepreneurs In Business And Life In 2015

In this post, I share 5 resolutions that will help entrepreneurs in business and life in 2015. With the new year just kicking off, this is the perfect time to make some major business and life changes.

 

New me, new year. Nah, it’s the same old bull shit you’ve been telling yourself ever since you knew what a New Years resolution was. Time to put an end to those lies.

 

 

Transforming yourself isn’t that hard. It requires a tough approach to whatever it is you want to change and the willingness to see it through. As an entrepreneur, you might have tons of resolutions that you have set for yourself in 2015.

 

 

 

In this post, I’m going to share 5 resolutions that will help entrepreneurs in business and life in 2015:

 

 

1. Maintain Your Health

 

2014 was a horrible year for my health. Being an entrepreneur can be tough, but you can’t let the important things such as your health get away. One of my biggest goals this year is to eat out far less and to make myself healthier meals at home.

 

 

While that may take more time out of my day, it’s going to help me in the long run. Remember, it’s always health over wealth. You can’t have a thriving business unless you’re healthy so take your health seriously. Eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise, and get regular checkups from the doctors.

 

 

2. Create More Personal Relationships

 

Networking and relationships is what makes the biggest difference as an entrepreneur. It only takes one person to change your life forever on a personal or professional standpoint. Always be networking and taking time out of your day to meet new people.

 

 

Make it a goal to meet X number of new people to build better relationships with others. Whether it’s going to more conference and networking events or simply asking strangers to coffee, do whatever it takes to grow your network.

 

 

3. Prioritize Your Happiness

 

Success is about happiness. It’s not about a certain amount of money in your bank account or a title that others call you. It’s the things that genuinely make you happy and put a smile on your face.

 

 

 

If you prioritize your happiness this year, you will have a much more fulfilling year. Think about the things that you love in life and put a bigger focus on them during the year. That’s the only way to truly have a successful year.

 

 

4. Mind Your Own Business

 

The best grind to focus on is your own. Many people tend to worry about what others are doing or what they have to say. Unless it’s going to benefit your business or someone, don’t worry about others.

 

 

Mind your own business and you’ll see yourself flourishing like never before. When you focus too much on what others have to say and think, you end up doing the most damage to yourself. Keep your head down and work hard towards your own goals.

 

 

5. Keep Pushing Forward

 

As an entrepreneur, the best thing you can do is to continue pushing forward even when things aren’t looking so great. It might be a tough thing to do, but it’s the absolute best thing that you can do.

 

 

When things get tough this year, remember that the only way to overcome it is by continuing to push forward. Make this your most productive year ever by not having regrets or looking back. Instead look forward and continue towards your goals.

 

 

Conclusion

 

With the new year just kicking off, this is the perfect time to make some major business and life changes. In this post, I shared 5 resolutions that will help entrepreneurs in business and life in 2015.

 

 

photo credit: Zanthia via photopin cc

5 Crucial Things You Don’t Know About Millionaires

Check out the biggest factors that contribute to the success of millionaires everywhere. In this post, I shared 5 crucial things you don’t know about millionaires.

 

Who are we kidding….everyone wants to be a millionaire. The problem is that too many people have a dream without a plan of action. Millionaires are so wealthy and successful because they personify some key qualities.

 

 

It isn’t about being greedy or about having that fancy lifestyle. It’s all about a mindset and an approach to their work that makes them so damn successful. Anyone can achieve the status of a millionaire if they understand what they must do to achieve it.

 

 

In this post, I’m going to share the 5 crucial things you don’t know about millionaires:

 

 

1. They Actually Work Hard

 

Anytime an individual comes in on a lot of money without working hard, they don’t keep it. Lottery winners more often than not lose all of their millions in just a few years. Trust fund babies tend to screw things up and lose their families millions when they don’t put in the work.

 

 

There is no substitution for hard work. If you don’t work hard, you’re not going to get to the status of a millionaire anytime soon. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, then success will come to you.

 

 

2. They Have Many Streams Of Income

 

If you think millionaires make all their money doing one thing, you’re out of your mind. Almost everyone in the population is doing one thing. Millionaires are smart because they are diversifying their time and investments into numerous different things.

 

 

If you want to build true income, you need to find a way to develop numerous streams of income. The more income streams you create, the more money you’ll make at the end of each month. The formula is rather simple, it just requires the right mindset and approach.

 

 

3. They Teach Themselves

 

If you get the same education everyone else gets, chances are that everyone in your class should also be a millionaire right? Unfortunately, everyone ends up getting a 5 figure job and a select few get that 6 figure job.

 

 

However, that’s not enough to make you a millionaire in a short period of time. Successful people are always teaching themselves because they value education highly. If you have a keen interest in learning on your own, you’ll be very successful in life. Teach yourself the things others aren’t willing to do and that’s how you can create massive wealth.

 

 

4. They Don’t Look & Feel Rich

 

If you see that guy driving a fancy car wearing some of the most expensive name brands out there, chances are that he actually isn’t a millionaire. The most successful people in fact don’t really look and feel rich.

 

 

The average dressed guy driving a Prius can truly be a millionaire. You’d never know because of his ordinary appearance. Most millionaires understand what items create wealth and what items destroy wealth. Cars, clothes and the maintenance of a high-end lifestyle are true wealth killers.

 

 

5. They Don’t Do It Alone

 

Becoming a one-man empire is extremely difficult. Every individual has their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, you just need a partner that’s going to keep you on check. Millionaires aren’t scared of distributing their equity or assets amongst other trusted partners.

 

 

If you want to be a millionaire, have faith in others. Be willing to trust others to guide you in your journey as well. Network, hire, add, and expand as you need to. That’s the only true way to be successful. Other people can make a huge impact on your businesses, never forget that!

 

 

Conclusion 

 

In this post, I shared 5 crucial things you don’t know about millionaires. Let us know what are some other things you’d like to know about their lives.

 

 

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7 Things Every Entrepreneur Can Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving

With turkey day just around the corner, it felt only natural to remind entrepreneurs of some things they are blessed with. In this post, I share 7 things every entrepreneur can be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

 

Thanksgiving is a time of counting your blessings and being thankful for all the things you have. We as entrepreneurs often forget how thankful and blessed we truly are. We get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of every day life that we never stop to think about how blessed we are.

 

 

In this post, I’m going to share 7 things every entrepreneur can be thankful for this Thanksgiving:

 

 

1. You Don’t Answer To Anyone

 

The best part about being an entrepreneur is that you don’t have to answer to anyone. While the remaining 98% of the population has a job and a boss to report to, you get to do whatever you please because you are the head honcho. While being the man in charge has its difficulties and responsibilities, the pleasure of being founder or CEO is always a joy. Be grateful that you are in a position of so much power, leadership and control.

 

 

2. Opportunity To Create Value/Change

 

The best part about being an entrepreneur is that you get to create a product or service that can impact millions of people. Businesses with a purpose tend to succeed more than a gimmick and there’s good reason for that. If you’re an entrepreneur trying to change the way something works, you have a lot to be thankful for.

 

 

3. Being Flexible 

 

Most people have to report to a boss at a certain time almost every single day. You as an entrepreneur on the other hand can take the first flight to catch your favorite football game if you please. Not everyone has that luxury and you should be grateful that you have such flexibility. You shouldn’t take advantage of it, but it’s always there if you need it.

 

 

4. Customers 

 

If you have a single customer or more, you have good reason to be thankful. Most businesses never get a single customer and many others don’t make it past 6 months. The fact that you have come this far is a testament to your hard work and perseverance. Be sure to thank your customers and see if there is anything else you can do to make their experience even better.

 

 

5. A Team Pushing You To Be Better

 

While there is nothing wrong with being a solopreneur, it always takes a team of partners, co-founders or employees to make your company move forward. Be thankful that you have a team of great individuals that are working hard every single day to move your company along. Be sure to thank them and to reward them for their effort throughout the year.

 

 

6. Friends & Family Who Bear With You

 

Being close to an entrepreneur isn’t an easy job. They are constantly going through ups and downs and they have to bear with you when you fail, complain or go through obstacles. Thank those individuals who have been supporting you since day one and have wanted you to succeed more than anything else. They are the reason why you are where you are today.

 

 

7. Freedom

 

At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is all about freedom. The reason I became an entrepreneur was because I felt like I had no freedom working jobs and I needed to feel free again. As an entrepreneur, you turn checks into cash, you make the tough decisions, and you make the rules of how your business operates. That is the ultimate freedom that everyone seeks and dreams of.

 

 

Conclusion 

 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it felt like a great idea to remind every entrepreneur a few things they should be thankful for this year. What are some things you are thankful for as an entrepreneur?

 

 

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5 Rules Of Super Productive People

Being productive is a key characteristic for anyone that wants to be successful. In this post, I shared 5 rules of super productive people.

 

Productivity is an art more than anything else. Those who have mastered it at are reaping the rewards and benefits of life. Those who still haven’t mastered it are usually struggling to make ends meet.

 

 

The more productive you are, the better your life is. The less stress you have and the more free time you should have. If you’ve ever wondered why someone like Ariana Huffington is doing so much more in the same amount of time you have, it’s simply because she is more productive.

 

 

Mastering your time and productivity is never easy. However, it can be done with a little bit of effort and practice. In this post, I share 5 rules of super productive people:

 

 

1. Get out of your own head.

 

Excuses are the number one thing that makes people less productive. Putting things off till another day because something else came up is the worse thing that you can do. Productive people already know what things they plan on getting done before they start their day.

 

 

Plan out your days by telling yourself what you plan on achieving each day. Whether you finish in 2 hours or 10 hours, it doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t be able to leave or move on to something else until your priorities are completed.

 

 

2. Stop the bleeding.

 

Everyone has distractions, even the most productive and successful people in the world. However, that isn’t enough. You need to find a way to stop the bleeding. Point out your distractions and find a way to get them out of your life.

 

 

You need to take control of your life and your decisions. The moment you’re able to successfully do that, you will be instantly more successful.

 

 

3. They know how to let go.

 

When you start your own business, it’s really hard delegating tasks out to other people. I went through the same issue in my first company. I was terrified of letting others do something because I was afraid of them messing it up. I always wanted to be in control.

 

 

I quickly realized I would not only lose my sanity, but I wouldn’t be successful if I continued moving forward with this mentality. I instantly began hiring people who I trusted and I started delegating them tasks that they could handle. Within a few months, the results were noticeably visible.

 

 

4. Set a strict schedule.

 

Another reason why so many productive people thrive is because they have strict schedules. Figure out a routine that works for you and stick to it. For me, I like waking up early in the morning and working until the early evening. After that, I spend that time relaxing.

 

 

Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Don’t make any exceptions to it and you’ll automatically see yourself being very productive. If you do things on the fly, it’s going to be tough.

 

 

5. Take breaks.

 

If you want to be productive, you need to let your mind rests when it’s tired. The trick with taking breaks is that you can’t take them if they are too long. Instead, you need to plan out your breaks properly.

 

 

Taking a 15-30 minute break every 2 hours is a great thing to do. However, some people like working for 2-3 hours and taking a 1 hour break. That’s a horrible idea because you completely disconnect from your work and lose focus when you come back.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Being productive is a key characteristic for anyone that wants to be successful. In this post, I shared 5 rules of super productive people. What are some things that have helped you become extremely productive?

 

 

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10 Things You’ll Never Hear From A Successful Person

The things you say and your attitude towards certain things can have a huge impact on the amount of success you achieve. In this post, we discussed 10 things you’ll never hear from a successful person.

 

It is nothing aside from your own thoughts that determine whether you will be successful or not. Every individual who is wildly successful today mastered their own mind and thoughts. Do you have the power to do that?

 

 

If you don’t, you better get the strength necessary to do so. If you make it a habit to think positively, you’ll see it carry out within your own actions. Here are 10 things you’ll never hear from a successful person:

 

 

1. “That’s not possible.”

 

Whether it’s a customer or a boss asking you to do something, saying that something isn’t possible will never get you very far. Businesses are successful when they fulfill the demands of their customers. Do whatever it takes to make the impossible, possible.

 

 

2. “I’m not good enough.”

 

If you don’t have self-confidence, it’s going to be really hard to believe in yourself. Being confident is a trait that will not only follow you in business, but it will also carry into your personal life. Believe in yourself and make sure you trust your abilities.

 

 

3. “I’m not interested.”

 

Don’t ever be the person who lets opportunity go by because they were too busy. Opportunities are always around you and successful people are always keeping their eyes and ears open to find the next big thing. If someone is bringing something to you, give them a few minutes to express themselves.

 

 

4. “I did it on my own.”

 

Successful people are usually humble and understand that no huge success can be achieved alone. They are always willing to thank their team and support system around them for any accomplishments they make. Don’t be selfish and take credit from others who deserve it.

 

 

5. “I need a vacation.”

 

If you need a vacation, you’re doing something wrong. It’s okay to want a vacation or to go somewhere, but you should never ‘need’ one. If you need one, you’re not following your passions and doing something you love.

 

 

6. “I don’t know how to do it.”

 

Those words are also poison. If you don’t know how to do something, your answer never should be “IDK”. Instead, you should be saying, “I’m not sure, but I’ll find a way”. If you don’t have the answers, go out and seek them.

 

 

7. “I’m scared.”

 

If you let fear run your life, you’ll never have the courage necessary to take a risk. Successful people are never fearful of anything. Successful people aren’t scared of taking risks even if it means being terrified along the way.

 

 

8. “I don’t want to make a mistake.”

 

Mistakes are apart of life. The quicker you find out that it is okay to make mistakes and that perfection doesn’t exist, the faster you will be able to reach your goals. Don’t ever stop yourself from doing something because you’re afraid of making a few mistakes along the way.

 

 

9. “I’d rather not do extra work.”

 

Regardless of how many hours a successful person has put in, they understand the value of hard work. If they can do more work in order to better themselves or their business, they will do it without complaining.

 

 

10. “That can wait.”

 

Successful people understand that there is no better time to do something than now. If you want something bad enough, you’ll get it done now. If you put things off for later or make excuses, you’re not committed to your dreams or goals. Never say something can wait.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The things you say and your attitude towards certain things can have a huge impact on the amount of success you achieve. In this post, we discussed 10 things you’ll never hear from a successful person.

 

 

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My Exact Plan For How I Hire Developers

Hiring a developer especially for the first time can be very tricky and confusing. In this article, I share my exact plan for how I hire developers.

 

If you are in the tech space, chances are that you’ll probably be hiring a developer at some point. If you’ve ever tried doing this before, hiring a developer isn’t an easy task.

 

 

In my years of being an entrepreneur, I have worked with hundreds of different developers and development agencies. Through that process, I’ve learned a lot.

 

 

In this article, I share my exact plan for how I hire developers:

 

 

Crafting Your Vision

 

Before you can decide who the right type of developer is for your project, you need to understand your own long-term vision. What are you trying to create? How sustainable will it be? How far do you want to go with it? How much development will be required?

 

 

You need to narrow what type of compensation (equity, cash, barter, etc.) you will provide these developers and how often they will need to continue working on your project. Once you have a strong vision for these things, you’re ready to begin the process of picking a developer.

 

 

Two Types Of Developers

 

With developers, you really have two options. You can bring on a development agency or freelancer that is great for any project that doesn’t require constant development work over a long period of time.

 

 

If your project just needs to be built, maintained and can run on its own, hiring a development agency or a freelancer overseas is probably a great option. If your startup heavily relies on tech, you’re probably going to want to find someone local that can really manage the back-end and front-end aspects of your project.

 

 

Hiring For Option One

 

In development, you will quickly learn that the same project will get priced out a 100 different ways by each development firm. You don’t want to sacrifice quality, but at the same time you don’t want to overpay for the project.

 

 

Go out and share the scope of your project so you can get a variety of quotes. Once you get these quotes, figure out the average of all these prices. That’s typically what you want to pay. Depending on how much money you have to spend, you can hire people through platforms such as Elance.com, ODesk.com, Guru.com.

 

 

If you do have a considerable amount of cash to spend and want fluid communication with your development team, I highly recommend asking friends for references or Googling the top development firms in your area. Get quotes, figure out the average and move forward with who you think will get the job done the best.

 

 

Hiring For Option Two

 

If this is a project that is heavily reliant on development, you can’t find a one-time solution. Instead, you must find a development agency or developer that will be willing to work with you for a long period of time. This usually means that equity is a key factor now.

 

 

You want to find a developer or team that has the technical know-how to not only start your project, but to carry out it until it’s fully sustainable. At this point, quality becomes a huge issue. I tend to typically find the most specialized developer possible if I am giving them equity or equity and cash in exchange for their services.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Hiring a developer especially for the first time can be something very tricky and confusing. However, this guide hopefully helped you with some of the basics of hiring your own developers.

 

 

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Is Your Blog Idiot Proof?

In this article, I ask a very important question to bloggers everywhere. Is your blog idiot proof? If not, I discuss how you can make it idiot proof.

 

When I first built my blog out, I went through a specific process to figure out how I would design and develop my site. After the first few versions were done, I realized that I could barely navigate through my own blog.

 

 

I knew it was time to take a couple steps back. I decided to completely redo my blog from that day forward. I have learned a valuable lesson about building websites over the last few years.

 

 

If a 5 year old can’t figure it out, it’s too complicated. Luckily for me, I have a younger brother who I can use as a testing dummy to figure out various aspects of my website.

 

 

From numerous iterations and specific tests, I am officially able to say that my blog is idiot proof. In this article, I plan on helping you answer the question ‘Is your blog idiot proof’?

 

 

The Blog Itself

 

When I first designed my site, I had too many items I wanted to list on my navigation bar. For some reason, I decided to omit the blog completely from my navigation bar, which made it hard to find.

 

 

Instead, I had it shown on my homepage towards the bottom where I featured a couple of articles and had a click through. I had a couple people test it and the results were NOT promising at all.

 

 

It took 3 people an average of 1 minute and 25 seconds to find my blog. They were my friends so they were willing to look for a long time. A random visitor usually commits 5 seconds before deciding to stay or leave.

 

 

If you have a blog, make sure it is VERY easy to find. Even though my home page isn’t the blog itself, it’s very easy to FIND. I have it displayed at 3 different places.

 

 

I have a blog text shown in my navigation and footer menu as well as leaving the placement towards the bottom of my homepage where I showcase some of my most popular articles. If people cannot find your blog in 5 seconds or less by visiting a web link, you need to make some dramatic changes to your website.

 

 

Organization

 

When you go to the blog page itself, are your articles well-organized? People come to a blog for a very specific reason. They are either looking for an article specifically, enjoy your writing in general or are browsing to see if your style of writing will peak their interest.

 

 

For each of those three reasons, you need to give them a simple solution. My blog specifically caters to all three of those visitors.

 

 

For the person looking for a specific article, they can use the search bar to find it quickly. For the loyal readers of mine, I have my articles organized by the date they were published through the stream running down the middle. Lastly, for the completely new visitor just browsing, I break down my articles in various ways. They can check out the most recent articles, view my personal favorites or look at the most popular articles through the side bar.

 

 

The key to every blog is understanding what your vision is and what people expect from you. When you write a blog article, you’re taking some content and contextualizing it for your audience. When it comes to your blog itself, you must do the exact same thing for your various visitors.

 

 

The Article Itself

 

This is extremely easy to do, but I have seen it messed up far too often. When you click through to an article, it needs to be easy for people to understand. If it’s not, people aren’t going to read it.

 

 

Running through the basics, my articles are displayed in a way that even a kindergartener can figure out what it is about. Every article features a huge title at the top, relevant picture below it and lastly the content underneath all of that.

 

 

Instead of writing 500 words without any spaces or line breaks, I choose to write chunks of 50-100 words per paragraph. Not only that, but I utilize bold fonts to highlight the main topic of each section.

 

 

Believe it or not, most people often just read the title of your article followed by the bolded items. Not only that, but you want to display the content to your audience in a manner where they do not feel overwhelmed. They’re not trying to pick up a chapter book, they’re simply looking for some information within a couple of minutes.

 

 

The Shareability

 

How easy is your blog to share? Again, you must ask yourself whether or not a 5 year old can figure out how to share the articles on your website. The fastest way to spread content is through social media.

 

 

For my blog, I try to make it easy for my readers to share my posts. I have a sharing bar on the left side that follows the reader as they read. It doesn’t block the content, however it presents itself in a way that they can share my content easily.

 

 

If someone is sharing your content, they’re really helping you. Don’t make it difficult on them! Make it easy for people to share your content.

 

 

Discussion

 

Blog articles are a great tool for generating conversation. However, people are less likely to  engage in discussion if it’s a pain in the ass for them to do so.

 

 

You need to ask yourself who your target market is. What kind of platforms do they feel most comfortable with engaging in discussion? My audience is entrepreneurs and I realized a lot of them use a platform called Disqus.

 

 

On the other hand, if I had a blog targeting teenagers, I would NEVER use Disqus. Why? It’s for the simple fact that most teenagers have never heard of Disqus. Instead, I would use the Facebook discussion plug-in.

 

 

Creating conversation is a very important tool for your blog. However, making it easy for your audience is just as important. Survey your readers to figure out what the best platforms for starting discussions are.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I discuss different techniques bloggers should utilize to make their sites idiot proof.

 

 

photo credit: Éole via photopin cc

 

 

What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From WhatsApps $19 Billion Acquisition

In this article, I discuss what entrepreneurs can learn from WhatsApps $19 billion acquisition. There are a lot of valuable lessons that can be learned from this massive acquisition made by Facebook.

 

The BIG news from yesterday has been the insane fact that Facebook purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion. Yeah, you heard that right. That’s 19 Instagrams and Instagram was a whole lot of money on its own.

 

 

There are a lot of factors that specifically made WhatsApp so successful. Not only that, but entrepreneurs can learn so much from the founders and the success of their startup.

 

 

In this article, I share what entrepreneurs can learn from WhatsApps $19 billion acquisition:

 

 

Rejection Is The Best Motivation

 

One of the co-founders Jan Koum applied for jobs at Facebook & Twitter. Believe it or not, both of these companies rejected him. Instead of paying him a 6 figure salary, they are buying him out for 11 figures.

 

 

As an entrepreneur, you have to take rejection as a positive. Use that to fuel you towards your goals and successes. Jan could have easily gave up when these companies rejected him, but he decided to keep pushing forward.

 

 

He was determined to show the world that he did have value. As you can see, he created one of the largest messaging platforms in the world that Facebook just paid massive amounts of money for.

 

 

Embrace The Struggle

 

Jan came to this country as a teenager as an immigrant with his family. His family wasn’t wealthy by any standards and he quickly learned the meaning of hard work. Entrepreneurs must learn to embrace the struggle.

 

 

Because Jan felt the lows of life, he had tremendous amount of determination to create a better future for himself. Life isn’t about playing strong hands, it’s about playing weak hands extremely well.

 

 

You Don’t Need Money To Market Your Startup

 

People constantly are under this belief that they need a large amount of money to get tons of visibility towards their startup. I have built my startups without spending any money on marketing and WhatsApp did just the same thing.

 

 

They have over 400 million active users, but they have not spent a single dollar to acquire these users. Instead, their money is used on hiring really good employees that can support their infrastructure.

 

 

If you’re able to think outside the box and come up with creative ideas of your own, you do NOT need money to market your business. Just remember, there’s always a better way to get something done.

 

 

Quality Trumps Quantity

 

You cannot build a startup focusing on acquiring as many users as you possibly can. That’s completely the wrong approach. You must create a product of quality that your users will love and engage with on a regular basis.

 

 

More than 70% of the 400 million active users would log on to WhatsApp every single day. That’s amazing engagement and a huge stream of recurring users that are using their application every single day.

 

 

Instagram did the same thing and got a massive payout for doing so. It’s not about revenue or making a ton of money. It’s about building a brilliant product that has a positive impact in the lives of your users.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared what entrepreneurs can learn from WhatsApps $19 billion acquisition by Facebook. What have you learned from this company?