Steve Wagenheim’s Home Business Blog

This article is going to get a little deep so I suggest that you get out your favorite beverage and have it near you. I have been at this for a long time and I am beginning to see that perception and reality, at least when it comes to Internet marketing, are sometimes worlds apart. I think you are going to find this article to be quite interesting. If nothing else, I am sure it’s going to have you question your own marketing efforts.

Okay, it’s time for a true story and one that I am sure you can relate to. You just may have never really given it any thought.

I was hanging out at the Warrior Forum one day and the conversation turned to this really old time marketer. It’s somebody who is very well respected and everybody said that you just HAD to be on his list so that you could learn from one of the masters. Well, I have to be honest. I never even heard of the guy. Of course I’m not one to follow the gurus anyway so that really doesn’t mean much. Anyway, I found the guy’s opt in page and signed up for his list. I was ready to start learning from the masters.

And then the emails came.

I watched each one land in my in box with great anticipation, making note of the subject lines he was using and the content inside the email itself. I was expecting some really great stuff along the lines of another news letter I subscribe to that just blows away.

This one had me scratching my head.

For starters, the subject lines were totally uninspiring. One email had the subject line “Wow!” That’s it. Just wow. Like this was supposed to make me open the email. Where was the benefit? Where was the reason for me to open the email? The only reason I did open some of his emails was because I wanted to learn from him. And then I got to the content.

There was hardly anything.

Each email was essentially a paragraph long with some general tip or something. The rest of the email was the sales pitch for the product or whatever.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed.

And then I got to thinking. Is this stuff REALLY working for him because it’s so great or is it working for him because he’s who he is and he could essentially write anything and make a sale? Or, and shudder the thought on this one, was this stuff just not working?

The perception is that this person is successful. And granted, he probably is with such a big name in the industry. But did he get that way by using these tactics? Or did he have to use other means to get to where he is and now he can just do anything…things that if WE tried to use, we’d end up falling flat on our faces?

I can’t in a million years picture using the tactics this person uses (minimal subjects and content) and get any kind of a response from my list.

So where am I going with this? Well, where I am going is simple. And this applies to every little thing you do as a marketer. Just because John Doe guru uses “Add To Cart” buttons or popover opt ins or one word subject lines or whatever the heck it is he’s using, doesn’t mean it will work for you AND it doesn’t mean that it’s even working for him.

How do YOU know what his results are? Do you see his bank account statement every month?

Don’t be a sheep and follow the shepherd blindly because you never know when that shepherd is blind himself.

Test for yourself and see what works for YOU.

THAT is the ONLY reality.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to get your marketing off the ground? Haven’t got a clue what you’re doing and sick of being dead broke? Why not get some solid mentoring from somebody who has been EXACTLY where you are today? Check out my mentoring program at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/mentoring/mentoring.html and finally get yourself the one on one education that can FINALLY give you the success that you’ve been looking for.

Well, this argument has gone on long enough so it’s about time to put this puppy to bed once and for all. A lot of people ask what the BEST CMS platform to use is. Now, when they say “best” they’re not just referring to the one that’s most powerful or easiest to use. They’re also referring to the one that’s going to get them ranked the highest in the SERPs. And THAT’S where there is a TON of misinformation going around. So, what I am going to do is answer this question on two levels because each level is important to understand. Hopefully, after you’re done reading this article, you’ll have a decent idea of what platform is best for YOU.

If you’ve been doing your homework and researching the top CMS platforms, you’ve probably found that the ones that are most used and recommended include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Expression Engine, Textpattern, CushyCMS, RadiantCMS and Contao. Great, but what’s the difference between all of these? Well, actually, there is a lot of difference between many of them. Unfortunately, those differences are beyond the scope of this article. Point is, to a degree, each one either does something different OR is different in the way it operates. This means a different learning curve for each platform. And yes, some are much more intuitive and easy than others. And that’s going to differ from person to person. Some marketers think WordPress is easy while others think it’s a pain in the backside.

So the first thing you have to ask yourself when choosing a CMS platform is this. “How much effort do I want to put into learning this thing?” If the answer is “not much” then you might want to look into one that the majority of people say is the easiest. Granted, that doesn’t mean YOU are going to agree, but the chances of you actually getting through the learning curve are greater if you go with the majority.

The next thing you want to ask yourself is this. “What do I want this CMS platform to do?” Now most of the top ones pretty much do relatively the same thing, but not quite. You may find some platforms don’t do the specific thing that YOU want…at least not easily. So you need to research the abilities of each platform.

Finally, and this is really the most important thing of all, there is the ranking you will get from each platform. There are two answers to this. And no, I’m not hedging my bets here. There first answer is that there are NO differences between each platform as far as how well you’ll rank in the SERPs. I’ve seen all different kinds of platforms ranked number one at Google. So any platform can get you a high ranking. It’s what you put on it that makes the difference…up to a point.

And that’s where the second answer comes in. Some platforms, such as WordPress, have better built in SEO tools that will help the site rank better. For example, with WordPress, you have plugins that will do a lot of SEO work for you. But you still have to install these AND you have to make sure you configure them to get the most out of them. If not, WordPress is really no better than any other platform.

Bottom line is this. When choosing a platform, take a look at what your needs are first and see if that platform is going to fill those needs with relative ease. If so, use it. There are no magic buttons that will get you to the top of the SERPs. That only comes from hard work.

What a novel concept…work.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

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It totally boggles my mind what some Internet marketers will do. Correct me if I’m wrong. The reason we got into Internet marketing is because, unlike the off line world, there is so much you can do that’s automated and hands off. We really do have it pretty easy when you think about it. So then why is it that some Internet marketers will actually go out of their way to make things harder for themselves?

For example, one of the basic things about this business is taking automated payments. Customer goes to our site, clicks on the “buy now” button, goes to payment page, whether it’s ClickBank, PayPal or whatever, and makes payment. They are they directed to a download page where they get their product. The whole thing is taken care of and you don’t even have to life a finger. So why is it that I hear stories like this.

Marketer gets an email from a prospect. Prospect says that he wants to buy his product but that he can’t pay via PayPal or ClickBank. Asks if he can send the marketer a money order or check. Marketer says sure.

Why? Are you THAT desperate for money that you’re going to check your mail to find out when the check or money order arrives, take a drive to your bank, which can be God knows where, deposit the check, have to wait for it to clear or HOPE the money order is legit, and then send the product MANUALLY to the customer?

We do what we do to make things EASIER for us…not harder. I tell people when they tell me that they can only pay via money order that they should find somebody who can buy the product for them and then pay THEM back. I am not in the business of leaving my home in order to run my HOME business. And yet, there are Internet marketers who DON’T get this.

You are supposed to make things EASIER for yourself…NOT harder.

And this is just one of the many examples I can give you of Internet marketers taking the Internet out of the equation. Look, if you want to market off line and run a traditional off line business where you have to go to the bank each day with deposits, God bless you.

Me? I want the money to go directly into my PayPal account and then, at the click of a mouse, have that money transferred to my account.

Or maybe I’m just plain crazy to NOT want to work so hard.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to know what the 7 Deadly Sins of Internet Marketing are? Get my free report at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/7deadlysins/7deadlysins.html and save your business from going down the tubes before it even has a chance.

There is no doubt that Google is really dropping the hammer on AdWords users. It’s all about the end user experience, as it should be. So what’s ultimately happened is that PPC users have found that their squeeze pages have been getting bitch slapped all over the place. Surprise, surprise. Anyway, this prompts the question, “Are squeeze pages for AdWords a dead duck?” The simple answer is, yes, they are. Kiss them goodbye. If you use them, you will get slapped into last century. Question number two is a little more complicated to answer. If this IS the case, what do we do about it? Keep reading to find out. You’re NOT going to like the answer.

Ultimately, Google has decided that it’s sick and tired of Internet marketers who slap together these crappy sites and call them content. Squeeze pages are now looked at as nothing more than email collectors. And they want nothing to do with them. Think I’m kidding? Go put up a squeeze page and see how long it takes before it’s pounded into dust. Google wants content, plain and simple. REAL content.

So, if you want to compete in the AdWords game, this is what you are now going to have to do. You’re going to have to build something very close to an authority site on your subject. You’re going to need a home page, a page with content, a contact page, and maybe even an FAQ page. Anything you can think of to add to the site to make it look like the big boys…do it. Okay, great, but then how do you get your opt ins if that’s ultimately what you’re after?

Well, you’re going to have to do what I do with my sites. At the end of your articles, or whatever content you offer your target market, you’re going to have to have some kind of resource box or blurb that says something like, “If you’d like more information, go to…” and then give them the URL of your squeeze page which MUST be different from the main domain you’re using. This way Google will be content with the end user experience that you’re giving your visitors.

Will this lower your opt in rate? Yes. Will this make your AdWords campaign more costly? Yes. Will this make using AdWords less desirable? God I hope so. See, the truth is, you don’t need Google to make money. PPC costs are insane as it is. And with Google putting down the hammer on just everything that actually WORKS for Internet marketers, it almost makes no sense TO use them. But by all means, knock yourself out if that’s what you want.

There ARE better ways.

To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim

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If you’re running a home business, it is important to always keep your eye on the prize. If you’re wondering where I’m going with this and what I mean, you might want to read the rest of this article as it focuses on a problem that many home business owners have…focus.

It is all too common for somebody first starting to get distracted by a number of things. I was no different when I first started out. It isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something we have to develop over time. I’m referring to focus.

For example, and tell me if this doesn’t sound like you, when I first started, I would get an idea for my business, begin to set it up and then I’d get an email, or run across some classified ad or site over at Google and I’d immediately run to check it out. I’d read the info and it would get me all excited. The first thing I’d think to myself is, “Am I starting the right business? Should I be doing this instead?” And you begin to second guess yourself.

What ultimately happened with me is I had a number of so called “businesses” going at one time and ultimately, I couldn’t get any of them to work because I couldn’t focus on any one of them long enough TO make them work. I was all over the place. That’s one type of lack of focus.

Another type is when you get distracted by insignificant things like checking your email or your stats or getting lost at YouTube watching Rolling Stones videos for an hour. I know it’s hard to just do work all day long. Believe me, I have trouble with it too. But if you keep your eye on the ultimate prize, your potential income, it becomes a lot easier.

How do you do this? Well, a great way is to decide what it is you want to get for yourself from your business. Is it a new home? Great…tack a photo of your dream house next to your computer. Or maybe it’s a new car. Go find a photo of your favorite car and do the same. Whatever it is YOU want, make sure you can see it in front of you every single day.

I would have to say that lack of focus is one of the main reasons why people fail with their home business. Unfortunately, there is no course I can teach you or magic pill I can give you that is going to give you focus. This is something that you have to work on by yourself. I’m simply trying to give you the push in that direction so that MAYBE it will become a little easier.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

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It is a very sad day when well known and very successful Internet marketing gurus (and I use that term in the most derogatory way in this case) have to resort to spam. I am going to tell a very short story (that had a happy ending) and then tell you what the ultimate repercussions will be if you decide to resort to things like this. (No, he didn’t do it)

Okay, so I happen to moderate at this one forum. Anyway, I wake up this morning and I see this thread title. It looked interesting. I then see the person who posted it and I said to myself, “Wow…I can’t believe he came to this rather obscure forum.” Then I took a look at the post itself. It was a blatant advertisement for some seminar that he’s running at $200 a ticket. I thought to myself, “As successful as you are, you have to resort to spamming a forum?”

I know what he was thinking. Nobody at this forum who is anybody is going to know who he is. He’ll just be another name in the crowd. I guess what he didn’t count on was me being a moderator there. Or maybe he didn’t care. Maybe he just figured, “What the heck…I’m (name goes here) and I can do anything I want and nobody is going to say anything. After all, I’m (name goes here).”

Yeah, when you start believing your own press, that’s when you get into trouble.

Anyway, it really bugged me that somebody at his success level had to resort to spamming a forum, no matter how small the forum may be in comparison to the HUGE world he manages to fit his over-inflated ego into. There is bound to be somebody there who will recognize him and spread the word about his cheap tactics.

Now, the happy ending. The marketer DIDN’T spam the forum. One of his affiliates did using HIS name. I reported this to the marketer and hopefully, he took care of the affiliate.

And that brings me to the point of this article. Believe it or not, contrary to what YOU might be thinking, the Internet is a SMALL place, especially if you’re in the “make money” niche. Everybody knows everybody else and somewhere out there is somebody frequenting a forum or social site who will see these tactics and have the clout to make a big enough stink about them. And when negative press gets around, it gets around.

Fortunately, in this case, with enough digging (cause I just couldn’t believe he’d do this) I found out the truth.

But somebody else might have jumped to conclusions right away and made some real trouble for this person in naming names.

So think twice before you spam or cookie stuff or whatever nasty things you THINK you can get away with.

Somebody is going to catch you who you will wish to God didn’t.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to know what the 7 Deadly Sins of Internet Marketing are? Get my free report at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/7deadlysins/7deadlysins.html and save your business from going down the tubes before it even has a chance.

For whatever reason, Internet marketers seem to place a lot of stock in case studies of somebody going from rags to riches as an Internet marketer. And while case studies can be very informative and even helpful to some degree, you really have to take them with a grain of salt. Why? Well, this article is going to explain why so that you don’t get sucked into the trap of buying into some of these.

Let me start off by saying that I have read some interesting case studies, though I can’t recall any off the top of my head. It’s been a long time since I’ve read any. But why? Why is it that I no longer feel the need to dive into these things expecting to find some hidden gem that just might help me with my own marketing?

Well, what people don’t understand about case studies, even with the good ones that go over every little detail step by step, is that they don’t take one very important thing into account. And it’s the one thing that you just can’t duplicate no matter how well the case study is documented. Know what it is? Give up?

It’s the person’s overall intelligence.

Now hear me out, please. I know there are a lot of people who claim that there are marketing systems that are so simple that a monkey could do them. But the truth is, even the simplest system needs somebody on the other end with a brain. Some systems take more brains than others. But every single one of them requires something between the ears. There are NO push button systems that even somebody on life support could do.

So, what happens with many case studies is this. You get somebody who already has some business experience, a decent IQ, a solid education in general business practices, basic knowledge of things like FTP so that they can upload files to a web site (no, some folks can’t do this) and you hand them a system and they run with it because they don’t have to think of all the little things that some people DO have to think about.

What this does is it allows them to zip through the system faster than the average person. So when you look at the results of the case study and find that they made all this income in just 30 days, you get a distorted picture of just how long it would take the average person to achieve the same results…and that’s if they even could.

That is why you have to take case studies with a grain of salt. Sure, they can be helpful. But they are no guarantee of success.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of busting your behind for peanuts online? Go to my web site and find out how I earn a monthly income that exceeds 5 figures and how I can help YOU do the same. Get your free report at http://www.mysecretarticles.com/report.html

Did the title grab your attention? I hope so. No, don’t worry…I’m not going to start preaching religion to you. In fact, this article really has very little to do with religion and everything to do with how to get some ideas for your Internet marketing. Yes, go to church. Think I’m kidding? Well, after you read this article, you’ll see that I am in fact dead serious. Keep reading to find out where I’m going with this one.

As I am typing this, I’m thinking to myself, on this beautiful Sunday morning, that my mind isn’t working as well as it usually does. I’m kind of brain cramped. I can’t think. So, I’m looking at the clock and thinking to myself, “Hmm…it’s almost time for me to go to church. Maybe that’s the answer. Go to church and then when I come back, I’ll have some great ideas.”

Now, you’re probably thinking, “How can church give you great ideas about Internet marketing?” Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard plenty of sermons that have had marketing all over them. In case you’ve forgotten, the spreading of Christianity was some of the greatest marketing going. A handful of people, through the use of viral marketing, spread the word all over the world. Try pulling that off today even WITH the Internet and things like Twitter and Facebook.

Aside from the actual information that you’ll get from going to church, the simple act of getting out of the house and getting your mind off of business for a while will actually energize you. I’ve had many a morning where just taking a one hour break has made all the difference in the world. I was then able to get right back on the horse and come up with some great marketing ideas.

Truth is, you can’t do this stuff all day and night. Eventually, you’re going to burn yourself out. I don’t care how much of a workaholic you are. And believe me, I used to be one of the worst. But now, I’ve learned to take my breaks in order to get some fresh ideas.

Try it. You might be surprised at the results you get.

You might even hear a sermon that you can use as a marketing tool. If you hear a good one, pass it along. I can always use some inspiration myself.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to get your marketing off the ground? Haven’t got a clue what you’re doing and sick of being dead broke? Why not get some solid mentoring from somebody who has been EXACTLY where you are today? Check out my mentoring program at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/mentoring/mentoring.html and finally get yourself the one on one education that can FINALLY give you the success that you’ve been looking for.

Well, it’s finally reached the point where I’ve had enough. Yet another thread popping up at the Warrior Forum about how the gurus have let us down with their crappy products. Yes, let’s by all means blame the gurus without taking a look at our own contribution to this mess. Oh yes, you are just a much to blame as they are…if not more so. If you can’t handle some cold hard truth, you might not want to read this article. It is loaded with it.

Okay, let’s lay the groundwork for this disaster. Essentially, the complaint is this. Guru A creates and releases a product that promises the world to everybody. All you have to do is buy it and push a button and you’ll make all this money with your business. Then, John Doe buys the product and claims that it’s just more over-hyped crap. Is that essentially the bottom line here? Okay, good…let’s now take a look at this problem.

Sad to say, the problem doesn’t begin with Guru A. The problem begins with the entitlement mentality that most people have. If you think I’m kidding, go take a look at the lottery lines every Tuesday and Thursday or whatever day your state runs its mega millions. There you have a whole lot of people with a dollar and a dream who are just praying that they can wake up tomorrow and tell their boss to go stick a fork in a blender. Hell, even my wife buys lottery tickets and she’s been a school teacher for over 30 years. Maybe THAT’S why she buys lottery tickets. But I digress.

Point is, people don’t want to work. Let’s be honest, if YOU saw a sales page that said “This product contains sound fundamental business principles that take work in order for you to have a chance to be successful” would you buy it? Be honest. You know you wouldn’t. You’re looking for the sales copy that reads something like this.

“All you have to do is open up this product, push the button inside, and you’ll instantly generate thousands of dollars each day on autopilot without doing a thing.”

Go on…tell me I’m wrong.

So you see, right away, the gurus are up against a brick wall. What they’d love to put on their sales page, they can’t. Nobody would buy it. But that doesn’t mean that the info in the product itself isn’t good. Ah, but therein lies another problem.

See, many people are looking for that magic secret…the one thing that IF they do it will make all the difference in the world.

News flash folks…there is no magic secret. Most likely, if you bought Guru A’s product a while back, Guru B’s product isn’t going to be much different. The packaging may be different and maybe things will be explained differently, but there is no magic to be sold. It’s probably stuff that you ALREADY know.

There are two kinds of crappy products. The first kind is the true crappy product…one that has absolutely NO value. The second kind, and this is the one that most people unfairly lump in with the first kind, is the product that has nothing really new for THEM.

They know it already, so it’s crap.

Hey, think about it. If you buy product after product and they all say the same thing, maybe that should be telling you something like…THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO BUY.

Use your head. If you already know the basic foundations, you probably don’t need anything else to be successful. You just need to USE WHAT YOU HAVE!

How hard is that?

Bottom line is this. If you think the products being sold are crap, STOP BUYING THEM.

Vote NO with your wallet. The gurus will FINALLY get the message and start putting out products of quality.

Unless of course they already are and you just don’t realize it.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to get your marketing off the ground? Haven’t got a clue what you’re doing and sick of being dead broke? Why not get some solid mentoring from somebody who has been EXACTLY where you are today? Check out my mentoring program at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/mentoring/mentoring.html and finally get yourself the one on one education that can FINALLY give you the success that you’ve been looking for.

I am going to assume that since you are reading this article, you’re actually considering spending some money on your home business. However, if you’re determined to go the completely free route (God bless you) then there is nothing here for you to read. For those looking to spend money, you’re probably wondering what you should spend it on first. This article is going to give you some ideas.

The answer to this question is going to depend a lot on several things. The first of these is what type of business you actually want to get into. No, they are not all the same. Each business model requires its own specific outline and thus, different expenses. The second of these has to do with how much actual knowledge you have of running a business. And the third has to do with how much money you have and/or how much you are willing to borrow, assuming you can even get a loan.

Let’s take the first thing. Somebody who has decided to open up a copywriting business is not going to need the same tools as somebody who is selling digital products. The copywriter needs writing tools. The product creator needs product creation tools. While there is some overlap, there are also a lot of items that are specific to each. You need to put aside funds for the items that YOU need for YOUR business.

Now, having said that, some of these items can be gotten free, though usually the free versions are of lesser quality than their paid counterparts. You need to realize this going in. Some free versions are very good. Others make the work to be done so difficult that they’re just not worth your time. So research the tools and services you need and budget for them. List them in order of importance so you get the most critical ones ahead of some that maybe you can do without IF you’re limited for funds.

Let’s take knowledge next. I don’t care what kind of business you’re running. You can’t be as uneducated as a stump (notice I didn’t say dumb) and run it efficiently. You MUST know what you’re doing. Now, a lot of home business instruction CAN be gotten for free. However, you have to weigh in the amount of time it’s going to take to find that instruction. What is your time worth to you? Personally, if I can get a comprehensive home business course that will give me all the knowledge I need to start and run a home business and it’s going to cost me $2,000, I’ll buy it. I don’t want to have to spend all that time digging up info that may or may not help me. Naturally, you need to do your research on the course itself to see what kind of a reputation it has.

Finally, there is how much money you have or how much you can get your hands on. No sense talking about buying that $2,000 course if all you have to spend is $200. You’ll have to make do with something else. But at the very least, you need to get the items that will allow you to actually have a business. If that means you have to get web hosting, get it. If it means you have to buy a domain, buy it. If it means you’re going to design ecovers, then purchase something like Photoshop so you can do it effectively.

I know this isn’t the answer you expected to hear, but each business is different and I can’t tell you what to spend your money on specifically. But the above general guidelines SHOULD get you on the right track.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Looking for a solid 4 step plan to building your own business…FREE? Pick up my free report at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/4steps.html and get started TODAY!