Things I've learnt so far - focus on the right numbers.

Hi all,

So with Certification Course 2 Done and dusted, here's my update on how things have gone for me since I joined WA in June.

I have really enjoyed being part of such a positive and engaged online community, the support here has been absolutely fantastic and the training is exceptional. Even topics I'm familiar with have been worth completing as there's always something new to learn - plus the training is set out in steps so that I'm now working on my website tasks in the correct order.

Wealthy Affiliate appeals to our inner Go-Getter!

Yes, the WA platform has a way of getting under our skin, making us want to do better - it's a very cleverly designed site with lots of visual cues to prompt us along our journey. For goal focused Go-Getters (aka you and me - after all, if you've joined WA you are clearly a motivated person who wants to better yourself in some way), it's easy to get caught up in things like your individual ranking, the number of follows you have, along with aspirations to become a WA Ambassador.

Hell, I want to be one! Don't you?

But before you head off down a rabbit hole - like I did for a week or two, remember why you are here...

So what should we be focusing on?

I'm here to build a sustainable and profitable online business. My time is precious and I need to make sure that I'm spending my time wisely.

Perhaps I'm not that bright, but it took me a while to realize a few things. Actually, the realization dawned on me as I worked my way through the training. (duh, go figure!).

1. (Quality) Content is KING
2. Focusing on website health is super important
3. Website comments are also super important
4. A commitment to a daily writing habit is critical

How the WA platform can help you measure & monitor your journey to success

So back to all the wonderful visual cues that WA has here to spur all us go-getters on to realize our online dreams. Here's a few metrics that WA offers that I use religiously to make sure I'm not heading too far off task;

1. Use Site Content to make sure I'm meeting my writing targets;

The cool thing with SiteContent is that you can set your own word count writing goal, as well as see how you compare with other members who use the SiteContent Platform.

My aim this month is to stay in the top 98% of words written, but hey, if this post spurs a few of you into action - well... game on! :)

2. Use the Site Manager Dashboard to monitor website health at a glance

I've managed to get three websites up and running since joining and it's easy to feel a little overwhelmed by all the information on the SiteRubix Manager Dashboard. However, IMHO the really important metrics to monitor here are the ones I've outlined in red above.

1. Site Health - my goal is to get all of my sites up to Awesome and keep them there
2. Posts - set a goal to increase posts by xx each month and go for it
3. Comments - set a goal to increase comments by xx each month and go for it
4. Google indexed = YES

3. Use the Site Health - View Details to get into the nitty gritty for each website;

Site trust is only going to improve with time, so I don't stress too much about that.

Website feedback is important, especially when there are so many talented people here on WA. Getting honest feedback and tips on how to improve the look and feel and customer experience of my website is invaluable, so I'm definitely going to utilize the Request Website Feedback option on a regular basis. It's also a good way of getting involved in the mantra of give and take and 'paying it forward' that is the foundation of the WA community.

Progress towards monetizing my sites

It's early days yet, but I have had one WA referral and now have AdSense up and running for about a week with a small amount of earnings on that.

I have jumped the gun a bit with the Amazon affiliate program, as I joined but haven't yet done anything about building any posts with Amazon affiliate links in them. That will teach me for trying to walk before I can run - but that's another story for another day!

To Summarise:

My key learnings since joining WA have been:

1. Stick to the lessons and do them in order - you will get value out of them even if you are an experienced online marketer
2. WA has lots of cues to appeal to your inner Go-Getter - work out which metrics you need to focus on to achieve your goals
3. I have aspirations of becoming a WA Ambassador one day (my inner Go-Getter at work here), but this needs to be IS secondary to my primary goal of creating a sustainable and profitable online business.
4. Make the most of the online community here at WA - the people here amazing, supportive and everyone has something to offer.

Finally, to @Kyle and @Carson - thank you for creating such a fantastic platform in Wealthy Affiliate, I've never been more motivated or optimistic to make affiliate marketing my main source of income than I do now.

Onwards and Upwards, Karen :)

ps. Wealthy Affiliate is only the vehicle to navigate your journey to online success... It's up to you to choose your destination, get behind the wheel and DRIVE!