The Smart Passive Income Blog » ask the reader

Ask the Reader: Partial or Full Post in RSS Feed?

Pat — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:05:46 +0000

Recently, a number of people have been asking me for my opinion about how much of a post one should show in their RSS feed. On Feedburner (which I know has been on the fritz lately as far as numbers are concerned), you can choose to have either your entire post shown, or just a piece of it with a link to read more back on the site.

(To change your setting in Feedburner, login and click on the “Optimize” tab, and then click on “Summary Burner” at the bottom)

I have always shown the full post, but a number of people have made a good argument for only showing the beginning portion or a teaser.

On one hand, people subscribe to RSS feeds to conveniently read material off-site. So why would we want to make things inconvenient by having them come back to the blog to finish the post?

On the other hand, it’s evident that by showing the full RSS feed, we’re not maximizing the amount of traffic on our sites because the subscribers have all of the content they need off-site. Plus, don’t we want our readers to engage in the comment section and possibly click on other things on our site to stay on it as long as possible?

It’s a toss up, and I’m really interested in what you think.

Are you for a Full Post, or a Partial Post in the RSS feed? Which do you prefer, and why? Is there a “happy medium” you’d like to share?

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Ask the Reader: Partial or Full Post in RSS Feed?

The Podcast is Coming, and I Need Your Help, Please!

Pat — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:29:47 +0000

I’ve very excited to announce that the Smart Passive Income Podcast, the podcast that I’ve always wanted to start ever since 2008 when I first mentioned it on the blog, will go live very soon! I’m actually testing out a brand new mic and the sound quality is frikin’ awesome! I can’t wait to get on the mic for you.

Before I can begin crunching out killer shows and getting my podcast into iTunes, I need your help.

I would be so appreciative if you took less than 2 minutes to fill out an anonymous 3 question survey about the upcoming podcast. It will really help me fine-tune exactly what the show will be like, because really what matters most is what you want, not what I want.

Again, please help me out by clicking here and taking this very brief survey.

Thanks so much for your undying support, and just to give you a little bit of inspiration, here’s my desk setup with the mic stand up:

…and yes, that is a floating bookshelf.

Cheers everyone! Thanks again!

Link to Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6NDSMHQ

A Fatal Attraction For Blogs and Businesses

Pat — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:05:48 +0000

It’s in our nature to always look at what’s not working, first.

Take for example, the report card shown below. What stands out to you?

Probably that “F”, right?

If this was your report card, even with 7 “A+” marks, you probably wouldn’t be able to get your mind off of that “F”. Of course, an “F” is a failing grade, so there’s definitely a reason to be concerned.

Now, let’s see an example of a report card that is nearly perfect and see how we feel about it:

If your son or daughter gave you this report card, you’d probably be very, very proud. However, can you not help looking at that “B+” and wonder what happened?

Again, we are attracted to what is wrong.

This is why bad news grabs our attention more than good news. It’s why missing a slam dunk is more often a big deal than making one. It’s why some ideas die, businesses fail, blogs get abandoned and why we’re so infatuated with trying to fix what is wrong, instead of first trying to understand what’s behind the things that are working for us.

So the next time you’re looking to really improve your business, blog, or whatever you do online, don’t dive right into what’s wrong. First look at what’s going well and try to understand why. You’ll be surprised to find that often the solution for what you’re trying to improve may very well be behind something that’s going well in your business already.

I can’t take credit for the little report card demo. This was a variation on something I learned in the book Switch, which I’ve been raving about lately. If you’re looking for something to read, I definitely recommend it.

Here’s to a great weekend! Cheers!

How Would You Like 5 Million Dollars?

Pat — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:05:54 +0000

Here’s the scenario:

You have a business idea that you could build up and sell in 3 years for $5 million – guaranteed. However, during those 3 years, you will be required to work an average of 75-80 hours a week.

Would you do it? Why or Why not?

I had asked this question to my fans yesterday on my Facebook Page, and the response was incredible. Within a few hours, over 25 people responded with various reasons why they would or wouldn’t go through with it. All had very valid, but different reasons.

What’s the purpose of this exercise?

The purpose of this thought exercise is to get you to really think about what’s important in your life. Thinking about this may put things into perspective as far as the lifestyle that you live now, the lifestyle you’d live while working 80 hours a week, and the lifestyle you’d have after you sold your business 3 years later. What’s important to you? It may have an effect on what you end up doing now.

Please assume that the $5 million is totally guaranteed (don’t ask me how, it just is. This is a hypothetical thought exercise people!), and you must do all of the work yourself (i.e., you can’t outsource any part of it).

Finally, I still have a few new versions of The 4-Hour Workweek to give away. I’ll select one random commenter (I’ll email the winner on Friday, 1/29) to send it to free of charge, so long as you answer the entire question:

Would you do it? Why or Why not?

Help Me Name My eBook and I’ll Send You The (NEW!) 4-Hour Workweek!

Pat — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:27:35 +0000

When I heard that Tim Ferriss was releasing an expanded and updated version of The 4-Hour Workweek (with 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content), I was super stoked. The original was one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read, and I’d like to partly credit my lifestyle as it is now to Tim and the words in his book. So, I pre-ordered a copy of the new one.

Oh, and I also pre-ordered 9 other copies for all of you!

All 10 books were delivered to my front door this morning, and I’m so excited to announce that from now until after the new year, I’ll be giving away 9 copies of The 4-Hour Workweek for free! I’ll be giving them away here on the blog, to my fans on my Facebook Page, and I also have a special giveaway that is only for those of you who have subscribed to the RSS Feed, so make sure you subscribe to get more details about that later.

See, even Gizmo enjoys Tim Ferriss…

Before we get to any giveaways, I need your help…

Stuck in a Rut

As many of you know, I’ve been working on an eBook for the last couple of months. It’s done, but it just needs one more thing. A great title.

I originally had a title in mind, but after asking my Facebook fans for their opinion, I later learned that, well – it sucked. Thanks to those of you who enlightened me, seriously.

So – I’m stuck. I can’t give you access to the free eBook until I have a title, and I can’t launch the new design of my blog until the eBook is ready. This is why I’m asking for your help.

I need YOU to title my eBook.

In exchange for the perfect eBook title, I will not only pay to ship you a free copy of the new 4-Hour Workweek, but I’ll give you credit in the eBook, with a link to your website (if you have one and if it’s appropriate).

So please, read the description below of what the eBook is about, and leave a comment on this post with your best title. I’ll contact you via email if I select your title, so I know where to send you the goods. It doesn’t matter where you live, I’ll send it to you if you’re in Antarctica.

Description:

The eBook is a 30-page, super-upgraded version of my 10-post series about “How to Write an eBook.” I’ve written a few more eBooks since writing that series, so this eBook goes even deeper into the details and includes new tips and tricks for publishing, automating and marketing a profitable eBook. More screenshots, more tools, more resources – everything you need to easily create an eBook for you and your website or blog.

The eBook also links to YouTube videos from my own YouTube channel that will walk you through, step-by-step, how to do many of the things I talk about.

If you’ve been on my blog for a while, you know that I like to keep things fairly simple, but include a ton of helpful tips and tricks to make your life easier. This eBook is no exception. To the few people I’ve shown the eBook to already, they tell me it has the same “easy to read, inspirational style of writing” as the blog.

Lastly, I emphasize the benefits of what writing an eBook can do for you and your website. For example, increasing your authority and reputation in your niche, getting more subscribers and potentially earning an extra income. I was trying to figure out a way to illustrate this thought in the title, but I had no luck. Maybe you can do better.

Here are a few pieces of advice I’d like to offer you to increase the chances that I’ll pick your title:

I won’t pick titles that sound like they are “get rich quick” schemes or systems.
The use of a “main title”, followed by a “subtitle” or “tagline” is encouraged, but not required.
The title should address, in some way, that it’s about creating an eBook.
Name it something that would make you want to get your hands on it.

Now, I realize that this eBook may not be for you, but even so, you can still help me with the title!

Thanks again for your help! You’ll know who the winner is when you see the eBook on the newly designed blog, once it’s up (unless I select your title, in which case, you’ll know beforehand).

So let’s see what you can come up with! Please leave a comment with your entry!

Cheers! Have a great weekend!

If you want to help even more, Please Click Here to Retweet This Post!

Update (12/22/09): The title for the eBook has been chosen! I’m actually using a combination of a few of your suggestions, so I will be contacting those of you who were the first to say the certain parts that I used in the title, so I can get your contact information to send you the books. Thank you all so much for your titles. It makes me so happy to know there’s a number of you out there who will take the time to help me when I’m in need. I only hope the content of my free eBook will repay you all for your support.

So when will the new eBook debut and the new site design to go along with it? I may wait until the turn of the new year, once everyone get’s back into work mode and home from the holidays. We’ll see.

Thank you all again, and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Do You Pass the Test? An Online Entrepreneur Mindset Exercise

Pat — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:27:52 +0000

Imagine you’re in this scenario:

You have an online business as a graphic designer coach, which means you teach other graphic designers how to make money with their talent. You have a coaching program that has videos and tutorials about how to contact potential clients and really expand their own freelance graphic design business.

To promote your $497 coaching program, you decide to hold a free webinar where you’ll be giving a short presentation and then pitching your course to whoever is watching. 300 people come online to watch your presentation. At the end of your extremely helpful and convincing webinar, you tell your audience about your coaching program, why it will sky-rocket their graphic design business, and where to get it. You also tell them that if they have any questions, to shoot you an email. You go to bed with dreams of seeing an inbox full of transactions in the morning.

You wake up to see that you have 75 unread messages in your inbox! Payday baby! But wait…

You open your inbox to see that you’ve only sold 4 programs, and the other 71 messages are questions from the webinar. 71 emails that you have to go through, some of which are a bit lengthy.

At this moment, how you would feel?

Go ahead, really think about it for a second…

Do You Think Like an Internet Marketer?

If you’d be pissed, you’re definitely not alone. When I first started doing business online, I would HATE to get emails from potential or existing customers. I setup my business to be as passive and as automated as possible, so whenever I got an email in my inbox, I would get a bit angry, especially when they came in waves of 2-5 emails at a time, which wasn’t all too rare.

You might think this post is about how to minimize the emails you get from your audience, but you’re wrong. In fact, this post is about how to embrace these emails, and why they are good for us.

If instead of getting pissed, you saw these emails as a golden opportunity – then you’re thinking like a successful online entrepreneur. Let me explain…

Emails are Good

An email from a person means that this person took time out of their day to contact you and engage in a conversation. This is HUGE for any business. Any time you can engage with a customer, especially one on one, you’re more likely to close a deal and make a sale. Think about it. These emails are from SUPER TARGETED customers, not only because they were from people who watched your webinar, but because they actually have a question about whatever product it is you’re offering!

Embrace these emails. Answer their questions better than anyone ever has and impress the crap out of them. If you can do that for them, there’s a good chance they will either do one or more of the following:

Buy from you
Give you a great review or a testimonial
Recommend you to a friend
Become an affiliate
Always remember you

This Isn’t Just for Webinars

It was smart of you to announce your email address on the webinar so people with questions could contact you. Chances are, most of these people were probably on the edge of buying your product, and just needed a little push, which can come from an outstanding response to their emails. If you can email those people back and blow them away, then they’ll definitely be more than happy to pay you.

This doesn’t apply just to webinars though, this applies to any shape or form that you have a presence online. I see so many websites and blog owners out there that try and make it so hard for people to contact them. They hide their email addresses or contact forms deep in their websites where no one will find it. What does that say about that person? What does that say about their business or blog?

Make it super easy to get a hold of you, embrace those emails, and you’ll be rewarded.

A Reader Asks: “Why Can’t I Make Good Money Online?”

Pat — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:50:30 +0000

Yesterday, I received an email in my inbox from an SPI reader asking for some help. He said it was cool if I posted our conversation on the blog for others to read, but he wanted to remain anonymous for some reason. I respect his request, so for this post – let’s just call him Joe.

(I’ve condensed and edited the conversation below to get the point across)

Joe: Pat, I need some help. I’ve been a blogger for a couple of years now. I’m a fantastic writer and I believe I have premium content on my blog, but for some reason I’m only making a few dollars a month from my advertisements. I see that just your Adsense Advertisements alone on your monthly reports pull in upwards of $2000 and more. What am I doing wrong? Why Can’t I Make Good Money Online? Any advice? Please be honest. I want to succeed.

Pat: Joe, thanks for your email. I can tell by the fact that you contacted me that you’re really motivated and are willing to make some changes. A lot of people don’t even get this far, so kudos to you for asking for advice. I’ll do my best to help you out. I’ll go over to your blog and get back to you soon with a quick assessment.

(Reviewing Joe’s blog. By the way, this is starting to look like a screenplay for a really bad movie, lol)

Pat: I took a look at your blog, and I have quite a few things to say, if you don’t mind.

The first thing I noticed was that you’re writing about money. You’re already putting yourself at a huge disadvantage here because there are millions of blogs about money already – and so you have a HUGE mountain to climb if you ever want your blog to get noticed. You have blog posts about personal finance, stocks, mortgages, trends, bank accounts, retirement, cheap airfare, traveling. That’s a LOT of different topics. I do agree with you, however, you’re writing style is beautiful – but I don’t think you’re taking full advantage of your potential.

The reason I say this is because as long as you’re writing about several different topics, you’re not going to have a huge following. Yes, blogs out there do exist that talk about several money topics, a “one-stop shop” if you will, but they are already established and got in the game at the right time. In my opinion, if anyone wants to create a successful blog today, they’ll have to just specialize in one subject and become the “expert” on that. Just think, people search for very specific items on Google, and those are the readers you want.

If you write about one subject, your advertisements will be more specialized and will convert more. Your readers will be of a single mindset and you’ll be able to more easily cater to them and their needs using your expertise. Again, if you write about too many things, you’ll have the occasional reader, but no followers. The person who loved your article about stocks probably won’t be that interested in your article about cheap travel, if that makes sense.

I think with your writing ability and your motivation to succeed, you’re on the right track. Good luck finding that niche and working it.

Joe: Thanks Pat, that makes perfect sense. I’m going to spend a good amount of time thinking and narrowing down my subject matter. Any advice in regards to the design?

Pat: Well, I think once you figure out what you really want to write about, your design should change and cater to that particular audience. Design is important, and it should work hand-in-hand with the subject matter. So for now, I think it would be a waste for me to comment on your current design – except that it should change when you pick your specific niche. Let me know when you’ve figured something out, I’d be interested in seeing your progress.

Joe: Thanks Pat, you’re the man.

(End of Scene 1)

Some important lessons learned here in our conversation with Joe:

The only way to change is to first notice that you need it and then ask for help. Step 1 of the 12 step program: “Hi, my name is Pat, and I’m an alcoholic.” – I’m not, really, but you get the point.
It is not beneficial to write about many different topics, even if they are somewhat related. Narrow your focus and become the expert on that.
Really think about writing for followers, not for the occasional reader.
Design should work hand-in-hand with the subject matter.
And Joe, if you’re reading this, you really missed out on a chance to earn some followers by remaining anonymous. If you ever change your mind or would like to show off your updated blog in the future, please let me know. You can’t be shy online!!!

I realize you were not able to see Joe’s blog, but do you have any further comments for him? Do you agree with my responses?

What Would Happen if Google Shut Down? Would TSHTF?

Pat — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:55:55 +0000

Here’s the story:

I remember back when I was in middle school, my dad would sometimes come home from work and talk about how he “Googled” something. I had no idea what he meant, so I looked up “Googol” in the dictionary (from the bookshelf in my room) and found that my Dad was doing something related to “The number 1 followed by 100 zeros.” I still didn’t know what he meant. This was before Google really became what we know Google to be today.

Today, Google is a part of each and every one our lives, and it’s something that we definitely take for granted. The power of being able to get traffic to our websites and businesses through keywords; the power to target customers with the use of Adwords; the power to make money via Adsense on our own websites and eHow. It’s truly amazing, but it’s truly scary too. I was thinking…what would happen if Google just dissapeared?

If Google disappeared, so many businesses and families would be affected, including my own. It’s crazy to think about, but it’s true. Google has the power to change lives. For example, if someone on Google’s end decided to not include my websites in their search engine anymore, I’d be screwed. On the other hand, if they decided to put all of my websites as the top ranking for all keywords in the world – I’d be filthy rich.

I know Google is more than likely going to be around for the rest of my life in one way, shape or form (like a wave?), but am I being ridiculous when I ask you if doing online business for a living is too risky? Is it crazy to rely so heavily on just one entity like this? We all know it’s good to diversify, but while doing online business, can we really be diversified?

I’m not doubting whether or not I should continue online business and relying on Google – because I will. They are a tool that has revolutionized the way we live. I love Google, and I hope they continue to love me back.

This was just a random post during a break while I’m writing my new eBook. It’s about 90% finished – I just have a few more pages and then I’m going to make it look pretty

Anyone have any thoughts about this post? I’ve love to hear what you think.

Coming up soon, my May Monthly Income Report…

6 Months of Passive Income Polls From You – The Results

Pat — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:05:24 +0000

Each month since the beginning of The Smart Passive Income Blog, I’ve put a different poll in the sidebar. I’m sure many of you repeat visitors know this, and I thank you all for your quick input. There’s a new poll in the sidebar, so feel free to answer that if you have a few seconds to spare.

Today I’m showing you the results of all of the previous polls on SPI. Here are 6 pie charts with information about all of you. Please know that these are just from readers of my blog and the sample size for each poll is an average of about 130 people.

Comments are welcome. Enjoy!

Thanks again to those of you who participated. Cheers!

So What Projects Are You Working On?

Pat — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:54:17 +0000

Today I made a list. It’s a list of things I’m currently working on and projects that I could potentially work on in the future to earn more money. As you know, I have my LEED exam prep website, my iPhone app company, the Smart Passive Income Blog, and 5 other things that I’ve mapped out and have actually done some research on how much I would have to invest to execute them. I have 8 things on my plate that could potentially help me get to retirement sooner.

It’s tough to think about all 8 “projects” at the same time – I think that’s the problem I’ve had ever since middle school when we were first introduced to attending more than one class per day. I knew I had homework for Math, Science, English and Band, so I had difficultly choosing which one to work on and when. Yes, I would get everything done, but not one at a time. Usually, it was by working little by little on each.

Now that I’m a “grown-up” (I guess…) I understand that in order to succeed while working on your own ventures is to put all of your hard work and effort into one or two things at a time, instead of spreading yourself thin on multiple projects. I still have a problem with this, but I’m getting better at realizing what my priorities are and focusing on just a few things. I have 8 things, yes – but I’m only focusing on a few right now. The others are “back up plans” or “things to do when the other things are on auto-pilot”.

I think about my family, money, savings, time, and personal fulfillment when prioritizing all of these things. It’s different for each person, so you’ll have to take a moment to think about what’s important to you and what potential hardships, experiences and outcomes (good and bad) that may result from each of your projects.

But wait…what if you don’t have any projects?

Then…I guess you’re not giving yourself a chance for something better to happen, better than where you’re at. If you’re happy with where you’re at – then I envy you. I’m on my way.

Like I always say…the harder you work, the luckier you become.

So what projects are you working on?

How Well Do These Descriptions Stand Out From The Crowd?

Pat — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:17:52 +0000

In my last post, titled Know What Makes You Stand Our From The Crowd and “Milk it“, I asked anyone who had a website to give me a description of why people should visit their website, for a little exercise we’ll go through today. I was a little surprised to see only 25 comments, and I know there are a few of you who have websites who didn’t submit. Oh well…

25 will definitely be enough to create a “crowd”. So, here is your task. As you read (or scan) through these, notice which descriptions catch your eye or make you think twice, and why. We’ll do a little assessment at the end.

I will link to each website within each description as either “My Site” or “The Website” or “Our Blog” . This way, we’re only looking at the descriptions. That being said, I encourage you to please click on the links if you are interested.

(Generated in a Random Order)

1. I believe people visit [My Website]because of our value statement. We offer a UK tax refund service at the lowest guaranteed price, as well as the largest guaranteed refund. Our SEO rankings on Google UK help too!

2. As a landscaper and garden coach, I help people feel confident and excited to get outside and enjoy the process of gardening. So much garden advice is general and “sounds good” in nature – that is to say – nobody’s actually tried that shiny new idea the glossy mags are suggesting. I bring my experience in the field and [use My Website to] translate it into easy-to-understand info for those who think they’d enjoy gardening but feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. Helping to grow new gardeners is my passion.

3. My Website offers a unique mixed-category experience that is aligned with many people’s spectrum of life aspirations and experiences. On My Website, you will find tips and examples from my own experiences about the following: making money & alternative income sources; web-related topics, including blogging; relationships & marriage; self-development and life management.

4. People, mostly moms, read My Blog [about the best kids toys] because a) women love spending money, we can’t help it, b.) moms love finding out about all the best toys for their kids – because although we love to spend money, we HATE to waste it, c.) I look at lots of toys that you won’t find at your local WalMart, and d.) sometimes I beg them to read.

5. People have said they like that I post brief, easy-to-understand articles about money every morning [on My Website].

6. People should visit My Site because THEY are the key focus of my blog. By engaging in personal development using the weekly success factors that I write about, they can change their attitude and their mindset, leading to marked improvements in their financial and social bottom line results. Because it’s weekly, it’s not too much, and it’s not too little.

7. People should visit My Website because the focus of the site is to encourage and help people start their own enterprises. Be they full time or part time enterprises, there are ideas there for everyone. To show the way, I’ve posted multiple detailed profiles with photos and stories of individuals who have started their own enterprise. This way, people can see for themselves that average people can be successful running their own business.

8. People should visit My Site to learn how to live a quality lifestyle on a limited budget. (The financial impacts of divorce brought out and magnified my already frugal leanings.)

9. My [Website, an] online magazine for new parents stands out from the myriad other pregnancy, baby and parenting sites in its efficient, fact-oriented format. There are no message boards, no overlong articles split into 5 pages to increase ad revenue, no editorial exposition at the beginning of the articles ~ just the quick but thorough answers a new parent or parent-to-be wants.

Since new fathers (read: men) are more likely to be attracted to a just-the-facts format and may feel alienated by the touchy-feely atmosphere of other baby and parenting sites, I will add special focus to articles and promotion efforts targeting new dads going forward.

10. I’d like to think that I’m a little different from other bloggers, as I work full-time for a large corporation, and I’m over 40. I have years of experience to draw from for my posts, though I’ve kept myself current regarding technology and ideas. My Blog is a mix of computer how-tos, personal finance tips, book reviews, and career advice, though I never take myself too seriously.

11. I think that people visit My Blog and end up liking my no nonsense, no BS style of writing about ways to earn income on the internet.

12. I have been fighting for custody for 13 years now. I have had to do it all by myself (called “Pro Per” or “Pro Se”) without the help of an attorney. My Blog is dedicated to helping other loving, caring fathers in similar situations fight a potentially winning battle while keeping the “best interests of the child” in mind, and removing them from the line of fire for their benefit. There are many websites out there that deal with divorce, child custody, and support, but there is an amazing lack of help for fathers who cannot afford lawyers to fight the already biased court system, and even less that make it simple and easy to understand. What I specialize in, there is almost no help save the custody forums where people are always asking what to do (which seeing what people are asking for the most happens to be one of the best ways to gauge whether your idea will make it, in my opinion).

It is my hope that the information that I have, found through research, trial and error, and dumb luck, can help other non custodial parents out there, and more importantly, the children involved in these hapless situations. I don’t have ANY competition at this time on the net, yet there is a big demand from forums, “ask question” type websites such as Yahoo answers, and a relatively large amount of search traffic.

13. I believe people visit Our Blog in order to find simple ways to live life together as families. We often post about our adventures in parenting, organic gardening, frugal living, cooking, and much more. While we are still developing our blog to find our exact niche, people like to read what’s going on with our family because we are very real.

14. [My Website] is a deals site that identifies products on Amazon.com that have had significant price drops. The way that it is unique from other deals sites is that it identifies deals more quickly so people can get in on the deals before the prices go back up.

15. I’d like to think My Blog is unique because I’m chronicling my financial journey from the beginning. I’m not writing about things that I’ve already established or have been doing for years. Everything I write about is as I learn it. I’m also very detailed with my net worth and financial goals. Currently, I’m writing a series about asset allocation, where I will go into detail about how I’m selecting the asset classes that will be a part of my investment portfolio.

16. I am a tax consultant and lawyer in Germany and I have some websites and My Blog concerning corporate governance, tax law and management. I know exactly where the most people fail and try to help them with my stories.

17. Although My Blog is fairly new, I am trying to earn passive income while holding down a full time job in order to stay at home with my kids in the future. I hope readers can appreciate my willingness to share details about my earnings as well as things that I am learning along the way. I think the challenges of a full time working mom “moonlighting” online in the evenings are of interest to other moms who also have to work.

18. You should [visit] My Website because people can easily learn what it takes to use Twitter to make money and build a businesses by reading the Make Money Using Twitter ebook.

19. Folks should visit My Blog because it’s about simple living for real people, not perfect people. In a world where everybody else is telling you to do and have more, I’m there to tell you to do less—and actually enjoy it.

20. People should visit My Website (custom monograms, wedding programs, logos, invitations, etc.) because I am 100% committed to giving my clients a positive experience from beginning to end by offering the most competitive prices online, communicating along every step of the way, and ensuring I know exactly what my clients want and need.

21. I subscribe to the belief that home security should be something that makes your life easier, rather than getting in your way; it should light your way. I provide solution oriented navigation and reviews. Whether my guests are trying to discourage burglars, keep nocturnal animals from their garden and livestock, or just looking for something pretty to help them find their keys at night. My Site intuitively navigates them to the right product.

22. Most PF blogs are aimed at married, high-earning people. My Blog is different because I have a small income and am very frugal.

23. I started a business with no money and no business know-how when I was 20. By the time I was 26, I had sold it for $1,100,000.00. Find out how I did it, and how you can grow your own business to over $1 million, at My Website .

24. Think back to any period in history and you should be able to come up with a long list of things you could make with the tools of the time, but which were not invented until much later. Once the idea is out there, it makes the invention inevitable. My Website is dedicated to the current equivalent of those inventions, those things that, when you see them, you kick yourself for not having thought of it yourself years ago. I aspire to provide the design inspiration for the rest of us to create the inventions of tomorrow.

25. Overall, I feel like what I can offer is a unique spin on regular portrait photography due to my first love of nature photography. I not only offer services to my local area in the form of inexpensive outdoor portraits, but I also cater to anyone and everyone in the form of nice handmade nature-themed greeting card sets and digital editing services based my growing experience in the digital darkroom. My Blog will serve as my regularly updated “gallery space” so to speak.

Notables

First of all, thanks to everyone who submitted their reasons why people should visit their website. All of them are very well done, but there are a few I’d like to mention specifically because they caught my eye – and used some techniques that I know about “how to stand out from the crowd”. (I’ve included the numbers in each example so you can scroll up and check out the description again and see for yourself).

A Story

Stories are a great way to catch someone’s attention and stand out. A story becomes an easy way to make your website unique, and YOU become more personable in the process. A lot of times people will be so touched or attached to your story, they will help your cause and comment on your blog, purchase from your website, or even help promote it too.

Some examples of this from above are Sam from Fathers for Custody (#13), and Erica from Erica.biz (#23).

A Direct Comparison to Others

An easy way to stand out from the rest is to just say what your competitors do, and how you do it differently. Why people should visit your website instead becomes very clear.

See Andy Hough’s Tight Fisted Miser (#22), Nick from DealChasr (#14), and Enrique from Corporate Barbarian (#10).

Short and Sweet

Sometimes just telling it like it is will do the trick.

For example, Bluntmoney (#5) & Jen Brister from The Green Ninja (#11).

Numbers

There are not many other techniques that can grab a reader’s attention like using actual numbers. This is why many professional bloggers have posts titled “10 Ways to…” or “The 5 Top…”. Also, it’s why a lot of people, including myself, report our earnings.

Erica from Erica.biz (#23) obviously knows what she’s doing, and her description reflects this. It definitely makes her stand out from the crowd and want us to find out what she does:

“I started a business with no money and no business know-how when I was 20. By the time I was 26, I had sold it for $1,100,000.00. Find out how I did it, and how you can grow your own business to over $1 million…”

Short and sweet…a story…numbers…very nice.

Conclusion

I’m sorry I didn’t get to mention everyone’s website as a notable, but honestly I was really impressed with all of the descriptions. Thanks again to everyone who submitted a comment for this exercise.

As you can see, it’s very important to understand why your website is unique. The look of your website, what you say, and how you market it is all affected by this understanding. If you have time, take another read of the descriptions and see what stands out to you and why.

I might do another exercise like this in the future, so be ready for that.

Cheers everyone!

Ask the Readers: How to Motivate the Unmotivated

Pat — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:05:50 +0000

It can be hard to stay motivated – not just with Internet Business, but with life in general. At one point in our lives, we’ve all said to ourselves: “I can’t do this”, “it’s not worth it”, and “I feel like giving up.”

Whatever “it” is that we feel like giving up on, whether it’s a project, a goal we’re trying to achieve, or something else – realize that all of those negative feelings are just a test. I view it as the Universe’s way of “weeding out” who can do what – putting these thoughts in our heads and only letting those who can overcome them succeed. You can succeed in whatever you want to do, you just have to find out how you best can overcome those “anti-success” feelings. Find out what motivates you, and let that be your way out.

What motivates is different from person to person. Maybe it’s a quotation. Maybe it’s a person. Maybe it’s just knowing that there are better things to come.

For me, it’s my family. I work hard everyday to make sure I can be with my family and support them not only financially, but physically (being present) and spiritually as well.

Your Help

I’m asking for you to do me one quick favor: please comment below with what motivates you.

There are no wrong answers, and don’t be embarrassed about anything. My goal here is for everyone to share so we can all see that there are many ways to beat those “I give ups” in our heads. I look forward to your responses.

I’m hoping for at least 50 responses, so please let us know what motivates you.

Niche Blog vs. eHOW: A New Game Plan

Pat — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:59:47 +0000

With all of the people commenting and watching my every move on eHow, you’d think I was possibly running for president or something! Anywho, I just wanted to say thanks for all of your responses to my “I Need Your Help” post. I don’t think I’ve ever had that many comments come through on a single post in such a short period of time.

I’m glad to see that I’ve started a kind of debate over the benefits of writing on eHow vs. writing for yourself on your own blog. I’m glad this is happening because I’m hoping I will be able to answer people’s questions as to which one is better for them.

On one hand, you can write for yourself and have total control of your content and your methods of generating earnings, as mentioned in this blog post by Online Dividends. On the other hand, you can use eHow’s high ranking Google Search capabilities to easily write articles and simply “set it and forget it.” You can also use a combination of both methods that compliment each other, as mentioned in this blog post by Write for eHow.

It’s my believe that there is no one absolute right way to go. People are making great money writing on eHow, and other’s are making great money on their own niche blogs – that’s a fact. It’s my job here to dissect each one and help you determine which would be best for YOU.

I’ve tweaked my plan a little (ok, maybe a lot) hoping that this way you get to see the debate from all angles.

The Plan

I will continue writing 5 articles a day for the rest of November. In total, I should have 150 articles by December 1st. I will then “set it and forget it,” and let the articles “do their thing” on eHow and see what happens. I think 150 is a decent number of articles to have to create tracking data from.

During the months of December and January, I will begin a niche blog. I’ve had a topic in my head for a while, but I will use the Smart Passive Income Blog to go through and document the entire process right from the beginning, from choosing an idea, researching a niche and eventually building the blog. I may even explore podcasting on my niche site, but the details are yet to be determined. Again, you will see my thought process all the way through.

I will also explore cross-promotion between writing on eHow and writing on a blog. I will do this in two phases:

Phase 1: As I’m building my niche site and sharing my thought process and experiences here with you, I will create “how-to” articles on eHow, when possible, to reiterate what I’ll be saying here. I will actually be able to track the number of visitors, if any, who are coming to my blog posts from eHow. I will also post links to my eHow articles from this blog, and track those clicks as well. Of course, I’ll report my findings to you.
Phase 2: When my niche site is up and running, I’ll do the same thing as in Phase 1, except with the niche blog instead.

As you can see, my eHow article count will continue to grow, I will have a niche blog, and I will be able to cross-promote between the two. I will definitely report any interesting findings, as well as continue my monthly reports on what I’ve learned and what I could improve on.

Again, this is all for you as much as it is for me, so I’m hoping we’ll all learn from it and from each other too.

So What Do You Think?

Before you answer that, understand that I’ve already made up my mind and this will be my plan of action. I’ve already been swayed once before from a previous experiment and it’s my believe that this experiment is a better for everyone because it explores more options and could result in more useful findings.

Looking back, I was a little extreme by planning to write 1,825 articles, would you agree? I’ll keep the same energy, but just spread it around a little. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks everyone for your opinion and your support.

My eHow Experiment…Am I Going About It All Wrong? I Need Your Help!

Pat — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:45:32 +0000

I received a comment about 5 minutes ago about The Math Behind My eHow Experiment, and it’s left me a bit confused and uneasy about my entire experiment. I really appreciated the comment, don’t get me wrong – and it may have come at the perfect time, so I need your help.

Here is the exact comment, regarding my 5 article a day (aka 1825 articles a year) experiment:

I am sorry Pat, but I believe that if you post all those 1825 articles on your OWN blog, you would make much more per year. Ehow only shares a portion of adsense earnings, while they also have other ad revenues which they don’t share with their authors..

Immediately I rebutted and said:

I see your point, but where else am I able to write about how to be a DJ, how to find things online, how to be a good fiance, how to crack your back, how to make your own wedding invitations and how to cook a great grilled cheese sandwich all in one spot. In addition, I could use my experience as leverage for new and upcoming projects I could do, and probably have the support of thousands and thousands of eHow users behind me. Your thoughts?

Now, after this quick exchange of thoughts, I’m now digging deep to contemplate my situation and rethink my answer – and I’m unsure of where to go next or to even continue. I don’t want to discourage anyone from writing on eHow, because I think it’s a great platform for anyone who wants to help people, and can be an extremely easy way to generate some side income, especially for those who have minimal blog creation or website technical knowledge. But I absolutely can create my own blog, and if I applied my efforts on it instead, it could be far more lucrative.

It’s my nature to weigh the pros and cons of things when I’m unsure about how to act, so that’s what I’ll do here:

Pros for Continuing My Experiment

Already set up and easy to use
Articles I write are almost automatically google friendly
Great community family of friendly people to encourage and support each other
Rupert Murdoch
I can write about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I choose
Easy to reach and help people because eHow is so widely used for information
Proven to provide article writers additional income
They keep great stats on pageviews, comments, ratings, earnings and points
No website maintenance necessary
I already have a lot of support for my experiment on eHow
If I do reach my goal, I’ll be famous? LOL, maybe.

Cons for Continuing My Experiment on eHow

I have no control over the format of each article.
I have no control of how money is made and distributed.
I am limited to the % of earnings I would achieve per article, as they take a hefty cut of it. My google adsense click to earning ratio is much smaller than if I had it own my own site, which would make it 100%)
I can’t track where my visitors are coming from or who they are exactly
I am unable to have a continuity program directly with my readers (i.e. newsletters), nor track how many RSS readers I have linked to me.
I cannot add additional means of earning an income directly from my articles, i.e. affiliate banner links, selling an ebook or starting a membership website.
People who aren’t in the eHow community cannot comment on my articles (I’d like to know how people other than the eHow community like or dislike my content!)
Limited “rewards” or “incentives” to have visitors keep coming back for more.
Limited on the format of the articles I write (the step by step format cannot be changed, and you can’t add sub steps or line breaks within them either. Picture formatting is also limited)
There was some discussion on a previous post about how reliable eHow was and what would happen to my income if it suddenly folded or stopped. If I had my own blog, I wouldn’t have to worry about such a thing.

So should I stay with eHow, or go my own route and keep a similar goal? I don’t know what to do. What further confuses me is that on eHow, the articles that make the most earnings are the niche articles, which could easily be turned into information on a blog for more profit. I could easily write hundreds of posts about a particular subject, like all of the engagement and wedding stuff my fiancee and I are going through, and maybe she could contribute too. But would people be able to find those posts?

Maybe I could reach 100 articles on eHow, let it sit while I start my own and write 100 articles there on something, and compare the two.

I’m really asking for your honest opinion. I know some of you write for eHow already. Do you think you would have made more money if all of your articles were on your own website? Maybe instead of $1000 a month you could have been earning $5000 a month. Then again, maybe you would have earned much less and it was because of the eHow platform that you were able to succeed.

I really appreciate all of your time to read my posts and comment here at SmartPassiveIncome, and I apologize if my random mood swing, for a lack of a better term, is confusing you. I can see, however, that we’re all learning from each other, which is a great thing.