Success Secrets

AdWords is so easy, it's complicated

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:36:00 +0000

Okay, so here was my thought process. Purchase clicks for cheap from AdWords to drive traffic to my sites. I get traffic, I make sales. Bada bing. Life is good. It's that easy.

Ahhh, but here is what is really happening. There are challenges to face and overcome. Is it really that easy for the rest of the world while I struggle with AdWords and making it work for me?

Challenge 1: Writing ad copy that actually generates click thrus. It seems that I get a lot of impressions and the click thru percentage is way weak.

Challenge 2: Converting the click thrus into actual sales or actions where I get paid. When I get 100 click thrus and not one click thru has converted into revenue, life's not that great. If I'm promoting an affiliate site, is the problem with the site copy or with my traffic?

Challenge 3: Promoting an affiliate site generally means competing against other affiliates and bidding for the same keyword phrases. In this scenario, I see two winners: Google and the site owner who has affiliates bidding against each other to get the traffic to try and make sales so they can get a commission.

So here's the million dollar question. How come some people can totally make AdWords work for them, while me with all of my internet know how - cannot? It's like a crazy puzzle that I'm trying to solve.

Here are some google adwords success stories.

But really, the one google adwords success story that holds the most water in my opinion is this one about a dude called shoemoney. He did a $10,000 pay per click experiment and was able to figure out the AdWords nut that I have yet to crack.

Here's a pic of shoemoney with a $132k google check. Keep in mind, this is a google adsense check. Revenue earned from placing google adsense ads on his sites. I have figured out adsense and how to make money as a publisher using adsense.

What I'm really trying to figure out is how to use adwords to drive traffic to my affiliate sites and for the commissions to be more than what I'm spending for the click thru traffic.

Adsense = publisher sells ad space and gets paid per click
Adwords = advertiser purchases clicks

Knowing is not the same as Doing

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 04:55:00 +0000

I believe that for the most part, people know what they need to do to succeed in life. If you are a student, you know what to do to get good grades. If you are in a relationship, you know what to do to make your partner happy. If you are a parent, you know what to do to make your children happy. If you work for a company, you know what to do to impress your employer. If you work for yourself, you know what to do to make your business succeed.

Now that I think about it, we all know what it takes to succeed and to get exactly what we want out of life. The thing is.... knowing is not the same as doing.

For example, if you are a student, you know that if you dedicate more time to studying, sit at the front of the class, get enough sleep each night so that you are alert during class.... you will get good grades. The thing is - knowing these things and doing these things are two completely different things. We know what we want, we know what to do to get what we want, but we choose not to do it????

WHAT KIND OF SENSE IS THIS?

... to be continued. I need to think about this......

doing the obvious is not so obvious

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:16:00 +0000

I spend a lot of time online... because, well, that's what I do.

I spend so much of my time online, building sites and developing new web projects. When I complete a site, I do the web marketing, drive traffic to the site, and move on to the next project.

The thought process is simple. To continue creating sites that each generate profit daily. The more the merrier, I always say.

To me, a project is finished as soon as the site is up and running, and I've done the marketing to drive targetted traffic to the site. I figure it's a numbers game... so I drive as much traffic to each site as possible, and rely on the site to generate the revenue. I move on, and develop another site and do the same thing.

For some reason, it just occured to me that my sites could probably be making a lot more revenue if someone was around to answer any questions that potential customers might have - in real time.

Since I'm online so much, it would make sense for me to put a live chat link on each of my sites so that if a visitor has a question - they can click on the live chat button and chat with me in real time.

It just makes sense - PERIOD.

I tested out 3 different free live chat services, and after trying them all out... I recommend Website Alive.

Google webcast

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Fri, 13 May 2005 04:52:00 +0000

Google Annual Shareholder's Meeting

I love GOOGLE. 8-)

This is a great video feed. Very informative to say the least.

Taking Unnecessary Risk

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 09 May 2005 14:06:00 +0000

I was reading CNN this morning and I came across this article: Climbers survive Everest avalanche. This is the part that interested me the most....

Twenty-three expeditions have attempted to scale Everest this spring amid treacherous conditions.

Michael O'Brien, 39, of Seattle fell to his death May 1 at the Khumbu Icefall as he and his brother Chris, 32, were returning to base camp. Sean Egan, 63, a Canadian, died on the mountain April 29 after an apparent heart attack.

Since New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first conquered Everest on May 29, 1953, more than 1,400 people have scaled the mountain. About 180 have died on its unpredictable slopes.

When it comes taking unnecessary risks, if I can die.... count me out. I'm sure the people that died climbing Everest all had their reasons for being there. The thing about life and death situations that I don't like - is the death part.

I remember in my pre-live life right days - I took my 300zx out for a late night drive on the freeway. It was about 4 am, so there were hardly an cars on the freeway driving on this particular stretch. I opened up my Z and got up to 146 mph when the thought occurred to me.... "If I have a tire blow out at this speed, it's game over." I slowed down immediately, and have never driven at those high speeds again.

Why die a useless death if I don't have to - is my motto.

How to become a millionaire?

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 09 May 2005 12:42:00 +0000

Richard Branson, founder of Britain's Virgin Atlantic Airways, was once asked the best way to become a millionaire. “There's really nothing to it,” he joked. “Start as a billionaire and then buy an airline.”

8-)

Fire the dude - it's all about results

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 09 May 2005 03:07:00 +0000

You hire a guy to be your Director of Business Development and he doesn't produce anything in the first year - what should you do? Fire the bastard. It's all about results. Donald Trump, do you agree with me? 8-)

If you own a tree cutting service and hire a guy to cut down trees for you, and you give the guy an axe and instruct him to cut down a specific tree.... and he goes out and beats on the tree with a big stick all day instead of using an axe (he acts like he knows what he's doing - but really doesn't know the first thing about doing the job)... he looks busy, he may be making a lot of noise... but at the end of the day - guess what? The tree will still be standing. Did he do his job? Did he give you the desired results?

How many tree beating people do you have working for you?

It's all about results. If you have people that just make a lot of noise and don't produce results, then you're a nimrod for keeping them on your payroll.

I remember working with a guy who talked loud in his office whenever he was on the phone. In fact he spoke so loud, it irritated the rest of us in nearby office because we were busy coding or working on projects that needed to be done. Anytime he made a phone call, we all heard him. Then when he was done with his phone call, he would interrupt the rest of us from our work and relay the conversation that he had on the phone. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

Talk about being a loud tree beater!

He couldn't even close any new deals to cover the generous salary and bonuses he was getting paid - but boy could he talk loud and try to lead the rest of us into believing that he was worth every dollar he was getting paid. He must have figured that if talked loud enough, it would sound as if he were doing his job - but the bottom line is - he was not a closer or a producer.

Yup... we had us a genuine tree beater.

Who needs partners?

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 09 May 2005 02:40:00 +0000

If you can do it on your own, don't give up a piece of your business and take on a partner. If you can't do it on your own, then hire someone, or outsource the work. Do anything you can to avoid giving up a stake in your company to a partner or partners.

Don't hire family or friends to work for you, because if you have to fire them... they will not be your friends anymore. If you keep them on, even though they suck at the job and don't produce, but feel obligated to keep them on the payroll, then your company suffers and you are just wasting payroll that could be better spent on hiring someone that will actually produce results for you.

Family is family, friends are friends, and business is business. Keep your friends and family out of your business, and nobody gets hurt, and relationships stay intact. Mix them together, and it's a time bomb just waiting to explode.

The Power Of Music

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Fri, 06 May 2005 08:38:00 +0000

I have found that certain songs pump me up, make feel energetic, and feel good.

You probably have experienced the same thing with certain songs. You're driving down the road, a song from the past plays on the radio, memories come rushing back, the sounds, the smells, the tastes. Good times, bad times... the music triggers memories and emotions.

So why not use music to your advantage to give you the edge? The songs that make you feel good, make you feel energetic, and get you going....... are the songs that you should listen to on a daily basis. Use the music to bring those positive feelings to the surface.

Some songs make me feel GREAT... like I can do anything. Some songs make me feel happy or bring back happy feelings. Those are the songs that are on my playlist in my ipod that I listen to everyday.

Try it out for yourself. It's a great way to start the day.

What's your morning wake up song?

Humility And Success

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Fri, 06 May 2005 07:28:00 +0000

With success comes a lot of rewards. Besides monetary gains, one experiences pride, relief, joy, and a big mix of emotions. It's so easy to get caught up in all of that, especially if one has been struggling day in and day out to achieve success.

The one thing that I discovered about myself is that I need to learn humility. When I experience success, I get excited. I share the information, the experience, the joy of success - with my friends... not realizing that I may be coming across as a braggart.

Back to the IF / THEN.

If I am humble in person and on the phone, then I won't I won't come across as a braggart to my friends and family.

The If Then Continuum - Taking Control Of Life

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Wed, 04 May 2005 17:10:00 +0000

Continuum probably isn't the correct word to use, but it sounds good... so I'm keeping it as is.

Here's the dealio.

Certain actions will produce certain results each and every time. If you do something, then what happens as a result?

Here are some examples:

If I stay up late and don't get any sleep, then I will be exhausted the next day and will not be able to perform at 100%.

If I drink too much wine, then I will get drunk.

If my efforts don't produce results, then I won't make any money.

If I don't make any money, then my family suffers.

If I work out an hour every day on my home gym, then I will get in shape.

If I spend every dollar that I make, then I won't have any money left over to save.

If I don't fill up the gas tank in my car, then I will run out of gas.

If I fill up the gas tank in my car when it gets to a quarter tank full, then I will never have to worry about running out of gas and being stranded where there are no nearby gas stations.

If I don't brush my teeth, then I will get cavities and have a messed up grill.

If I brush my teeth a few times each day, I will prevent cavities and have good teeth.

If I don't wear my retainer (I had braces), then my teeth will get crooked.

If I wear my retainer, then my teeth will stay straight.

Do you get my point?

Success is not a mystery. It's all about the IFs and THENs. Certain actions will always produce certain results. By taking certain actions, one can prevent the negative THENs. By taking certain actions, one can always get the postive THENs.

To take control of your life, make a list of the IFs and THENs that pertain to your life. Use your God given common sense and ability to take action and do the IFs that are needed to get the desired THENs, and avoid the IFs that will clearly result in the negative THENs.

It's really as simple as that.

Why continue to take the wrong actions when you know that the outcome will be bad - or result in failure? Why be self defeating?

Try it out right now. Make an IF - THEN list for your yourself for positives and negatives. Read your IF - THEN list first thing when you wake up each day, and keep the list in your pocket and read it a few times each day.

Pretty soon it will be clear to you, what you need to do and what you need to stop doing to get control of your life.

I'm sharing this information because it actually works. I applied this to my life, and my personal life and relationships - and my business have all benefited tremendously. My business goal is to generate $5000/day in profit, and by realizing my negative IF/THENs and avoiding those... and doing the positive IF/THENs that would increase my productivity and business... I am proud to say that I am 20% of the way there to my $5000/day goal. My business is now generating $1000/day in profit daily and I am looking to reaching the next milestone of $2000/day. The only way I am able to reach this is by taking control of the IF/THENs that affect my life.

Peace.........
Tadd

Personal Information Managers To Personal Digital Assistant

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 21:42:00 +0000

Back in the old school days, I used a Day Runner (pen & paper based).

My first electronic organizer was a Casio 256 MB unit. I thought I was the whip when I had this baby.

Then I upgraded to a Psion. I think I bought it at Radio Shack while I was on a business trip. It was so long ago, I can't recall the details. I do remember the reason I bought it though. It had a voice recording feature that allowed me to use any recording as my alarm - and I wanted to record my daughter talking to me - so that when I was away on a business trip - I could wake up to the sound of my daughter's voice saying, "Wake up Daddy!"

It was on the Psion that I got my first glimpse of the Internet, connecting online to CompuServe, trying out online chat.

From the Psion, I switched over to Palm Pilot as soon as Palm was released. I had the Palm III, Palm IIIc (color), Palm IIIx, Palm IIIe, and the Palm VII (wireless).

From the Palm, I switched to a Dell Pocket PC with wireless connection built in... and that's where I'm at today.

Certain Actions Produce Certain Results

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Sat, 30 Apr 2005 14:35:00 +0000

Certain actions produce certain results.

If what you are doing isn't working and is not producing the desired results, then change your actions to get different results.

Don't get caught in the trap of doing something over and over that isn't working, and hoping for different results. It's like waking up everyday and adding 2+2 and hoping to get 7 as the result. It's just not going to happen! If the goal is 7, then you will need to change your actions to get the desired result. Get it???

So what do I mean that certain actions produce certain results?

If I bring water to a boil and put a fresh egg in it and let the egg boil for 5 minutes... the result will be a hard boiled egg. If my son takes the same actions, he will get the same results. If my daughter takes the same actions, she will get the same results. So you see? Certain actions will produce certain results. If we kept taking the same actions - but HOPING for a soft boiled egg - we would still get a hard boiled egg. In order to get a soft boiled egg, we would have to change our actions, and let the egg boil for 3 minutes.

We change our actions, we get different results.

Peace....
Tadd

p.s.
If you liked this post and want to say THANKS... you can treat me to a dessert! 8-) Click here

Business & Family Matters - take my advice

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 17:19:00 +0000

If you have a good relationship with your family members and want to keep that relationship intact, don't go into business with them.

You may think that "blood is thicker than water" and that "family is family" and that nothing would ever get in the way of your relationship. Tell you what... nothing could be further from the truth.

Business is business, family is family. Keep them separate, and you will have no worries.

Advice for those that mix business and family:

If you decide to bring family into your business, hire them on as employees and don't make them partners in the business. If for some reason you decide to make family members partners in your business, always make sure that you retain a minimum of 51% ownership of your business. Keep the majority of the shares, or you may set yourself up for a world of hurt.

I speak from experience...

Welcome to Success-Secrets.org

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 22:00:00 +0000

My 3 Success Secrets are so easy, they are hard.

1. Lose the what's in it for me mentality. The only time I've ever been unhappy about a job or a company is when I thought I didn't get what I deserved. By losing the what's in it for me mentality, I can see what it is I enjoy about what I do, instead of concentrating on what it is I don't have.

2. Know that you are here to serve. If you are the General Manager, your people aren't there to serve you. You are there to serve them. We are here to serve each other, our employees, and our customers.

3. Stay humble. If you can do #1 and #2, the people around you will think you're a great person, so it's important to stay humble.

About the author - Tadd Mansilla

noreply@blogger.com (WebMaster) — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 18:33:00 +0000

Hello.

My name is Tadd Mansilla. I am 40 years old, married, and have 3 children.

To me, life is all about relationships. I build lasting relationships with people because I actually care. If you know me, then you know this to be true. If I can do it for you.... I will.

Peace....
Tadd Mansilla

p.s.
go here if you want to learn my search engine secrets