July 8, 2020 No Comments
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Insider tips and tricks on how to grow your online business and succeed.
It’s a Wild West out there on the internet! Everybody wants a slice of the pie…
So where the bloody hell do you start?
The truth is, no matter how some influencers and ‘sell a course’ types may spin it, making money online and starting your own business is not easy. It’s a hard slog…
But damn is it rewarding.
It takes a lot of time – and even more blood, sweat, and tears – to get yourself to the point where you’re making the income to sustain yourself. There will be hurdles, there will be failures, and there will be A LOT of lessons. But that’s the whole point: working online is an act of self-development and of going your own way in this world.
And the first step is understanding the basics…
Before you can even start working, you need to learn the terminology. SEO, backlinks, affiliate marketing, dropshipping – all of these intertwine into the intricate web that is starting your own online business.
Even if you’re NOT wanting to start an online business but perhaps a career in freelancing or content creation, this is still stuff you’re going to need to know. The entirety of the internet dances to Google’s fiddle (and, to a lesser extent, the social media titans).
Google is a fickle (and often cruel) mistress. To succeed in the online space, you have to know what makes her tick.
Resources:
Look, if you want to start an online business dropshipping doilies, go for broke! But it’s going to help a helluva lot if you’re actually passionate about doilies.
My first venture was The Broke Backpacker. That’s because budget travel and backpacking is what I know and love. Even if you look at some of the numerous ventures I’ve dabbled in since – from adventure tour companies to travel gear – the common thread is always that it’s something I care about.
That’s because passion is the key to a successful business. There are going to be days when you don’t want to work. There are going to be periods of burn-out when you want to piss away everything you’ve been striving for into the wind and go live as a recluse on a mountain.
And in those times, it’s your passion that brings you back to the work at hand. Find what you love, find a way you can turn it into a vocational pursuit, and do it. Every day.
The rest will figure itself out.
It doesn’t matter what you opt to do, 95% of online workers and entrepreneurs are going to have at least one website. That’s your base of operations to show people your best side. Pimp it out with a good breakdown of who you are, what you do, and how you’re going to be a star!
Make sure you’re putting effort into the right places too. This means:
By this point, you should already have an idea on how you’re going to make some cash flow. And I’ll be straight up: it’s going to take some serious time and effort before you’re making anything substantial. It’s true that every now and again somebody is VERY lucky and stumbles upon a winner quickly – like a buddy of mine who managed to earn literally millions of dollars by ranking for ONE cryptocurrency search term but honestly – this is very rare and it’s better to just put it out of your head and to prepare to work hard. There’s a lot of false info out there… All those clickbaity online courses lied; you don’t start raking in 6-figures-a-month in the first month. You probably won’t even start making any cash at all in the first year.
But with determination, smart tactics, and killer resources (*ahem* Ditch Your Desk *ahem*), it’ll happen. But you DO need to decide what revenue streams you’ll be focusing on and what your strategy is for scaling them!
Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful tools of passive income you can rely on. Dropshipping, if done right, will bring in the honey. You may prefer active work, at least at the outset. Finding gigs, pitching yourself to clients, or finding new investment opportunities are all good paths to success…
It doesn’t matter what direction you go so as long as you start making cash. A successful online business actually needs business.
And remember: you have to spend money to make money. If you’re not willing to take risks and spend some cash on your early ventures, you’re unlikely to go anywhere at all.
Resources:
Saying ‘The rest will figure itself out,’ is a bit off the cuff, however, the sentiment is there. If you find what you love, do it every day, keep your head down, never stop moving forwards, and just get better and better at it… well… life has a tendency to reward those people.
The next and last step is to keep drilling, and that’s a step that may take the rest of your life. Some projects will flop, some will shoot to the moon. There will be good investment opportunities, and there will be bleedin’ disasters. You’ll network, you’ll build tribes of like-minded individuals, you’ll develop yourself and never stop learning. And that’s the whole process.
But as long as you keep that passion and know WHY you do the things you do, you’ll always find the fire in the life you’ve designed for yourself. And the best part is that you get to ditch your mothertruckin’ desk!
Amigos, good luck and bon voyage. Below are all the resources in the world you’ll need and more. And if there’s anything else you need, I’m only an email away.
– Will :)
SEO or “Search Engine Optimization” is one of the most powerful tools you can use to gain viewership or traffic. Everyone working online should knowhow it works!
Learn more about SEO in my introductory article.
Welcome to the fam! Being a website owner is a very enriching and possibly profitable life experience, but it can be fraught with trails and tribulations.
Skip all the entry-level bullshit and read my guide on how to start a website!
For those just getting started, I recommend Bluehost as its introductory prices are unbeatable.
But if you want to up your game, WPEngine is super fast and super reliable, albeit more expensive.
Love it or hate it: social media is here to stay. And it can be extremely useful as well.
Luckily it is still possible to use social media without going insane. I lay out my own system in this article.
POP: From Page 2 to Page 1 in Google. (with Page Optimizer Pro)
Is this ultimate SEO tool for beginners? (Hint: YES)
Start your first website (simple step-by-step guide)
Is domain authority even important? (and why bloggers are obsessed with it)
Become a part of an exclusive group of people who are ready to toss away the tyranny of the norm! Sign up for my newsletter, and I’ll send you updates on the regular updates as well as insider tips. Sharing is caring, folks, and that’s what I’m here for.
Ditch Your Desk participates in several affiliate programs, like many other online resources. At times, I may suggest a product or service; if you like one of these and purchase it, I receive a small portion of the sale. Using these affiliate links are like using any other link, and, honestly, the proceeds help me keep the site going. So thank you for your support in advance.
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