Beginners Guide - What I learned in my first 10 days on WA
I can't even tell you how I ended up at WA, because I don't remember :)
What I CAN tell you, is that I signed up for the free account and there was no way I was going to upgrade because I didn't have to. I was going to take all the free content, cut to the chase, grab nothing but the lamp, do everything for nothing.
It's 10 days later. I am a premium member. Thank you very much.
It didn't take long for me to realize the value here. Plus, I think these guys are geniuses for setting up a community that centralizes the entire blogging process. I'm serious, it's genius...
What I quickly came to realize is that I understand how easy it is to pass over very simple concepts when going through the training, and if you really want to succeed then you have to listen to the advice.
If by some off chance you find this blog post and you're new, really try to pay attention in the beginning because you'll save yourself a lot of time from having to go back and completely change your website.
I've noticed the following areas that people continually miss as I'm evaluating websites for feedback.
Here is what I've picked up so far:
- KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid
- White space is your friend - white space converts, according to Kyle
- One line site navigation - make sure your menu items don't leak down onto the second line accidentally
- Organize your navigation - consolidate into logical groupings instead of having a thousand choices, it's confusing
- Large fonts - if you can't read your text because your font is too small in your theme, then change your font or change your theme! Do it now, do it early
- Use H E A D I N G S within the body of your post, draw attention to the eye
- Readers scan first - you'll notice you do it too, you'll pan through an article first to see what catches your eye. Now that you know this, use it to your advantage!
- Small paragraphs - are much easier to read
- Right-align images - do not left align. It's OK to center too.
- Be patient - don't hard sell your affiliate program right from the start, its a turn off
- Be selective - if your site has 45 affiliate links down the right hand side of your screen, then consider going back and removing a few. (see bullet point # 1 again)
The idea is to build trust, build rapport, provide VALUE with your content. In my opinion, your proposition should be along the lines of the following school of thought...
"Here's everything you need to know about this weird subject that I know way too much about. I hope you enjoyed it. And oh yea, check out this link that could help you get started."
I hope that makes sense and provides a little value on your path to designing your future.
Keep up the hard work!
Frank
Recent Comments
17
Hello Frankkej and thank you for the follow. I have read your two blog posts and they include some excellent information. I am saving both to my favorites for the next time some one needs feedback on their site. Best wishes. Robin
Your hitting the nail on the head Frank, WA has a wealth of knowledge not only from all the courses but also with the community too.
It's nice to read someone saying that this site is worthwhile. I just joined today and I am skeptical that it may be a scam or too good to be true. Do you feel that it has the potential to be lucrative for you?
I do. However it takes a lot of effort and creative thinking in your own. This site is a framework only. From there, it's up to you
Great blog, and great points... The key with WA is the training shows how everything fits together, and it is amazing how easy the process is to get a website started and ready for content...
I will bookmark this, because I'll refer to your points from time-to-time... I've used some of the training as an outline on my WA site, and I like checklists and reminders.
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Greed mann, the one ting tho is: You Have To Build A List. No matter how painful this may seem, BUILD A LIST! Beyond your pain point lays a pot of gold mann!