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!).
- (Quality) Content is KING
- Focusing on website health is super important
- Website comments are also super important
- 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.
- Site Health - my goal is to get all of my sites up to Awesome and keep them there
- Posts - set a goal to increase posts by xx each month and go for it
- Comments - set a goal to increase comments by xx each month and go for it
- 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:
- Stick to the lessons and do them in order - you will get value out of them even if you are an experienced online marketer
- 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
- I have aspirations of becoming a WA Ambassador one day (my inner Go-Getter at work here), but this
needs to beIS secondary to my primary goal of creating a sustainable and profitable online business. - 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!
Recent Comments
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Aloha Karen!
Oh this is so exciting! Thanks for sharing your tips. I am just about done with Course 1, Lesson 9 and I am looking forward to learning more, but most of all, knowing which numbers to pay attention to! (There's so many stats everywhere! Lol.) So glad we connected today and thank you again for sharing your lovely insight. :)
*lizel*
That is one amazing post!! I couldn't see how much you've made but when I was writing today I started to say I wanted to make lots of money but changed it to help lots of people. The money will follow? Your post is absolutely stunning and informative to boot. I tried to follow you but for some reason it didn't work? You're a great example and leader.
Hi Thomas, thank you so much for your lovely feedback, that was so unexpected and has made my day! I have't divulged how much I'm making because, well that kind of thing is quite personal isn't it? However, suffice to say, I'm seeing a bit of revenue coming in from adsense and slowly but surely building referrals up through other affiliate programs. It's early days yet, however the big learning I have had so far is that content is the most important thing to focus on. It doesn't matter how pretty your website is, in the early days, just focus on the content. All the very best for your affiliate marketing journey. Cheers, Karen
Yes, after a time the money will follow. You have to give the search engines time to recognize you, build out your website, and gain trust. It takes a little time. Be patient.
T
Hi Karen
Thanks for these reminders. I created my website and was writing my first post when I realised I'm going to need to improve on my writing skills drastically for this. I'm not sure but we are not allowed to use links in our posts, right? Anyway, for my next post I was wondering if I could ask someone like you to review it for me before I post just to make sure I'm doing it right. Would be greatly appreciated.
Hi there, yes you can use links in your post, I'm not sure why you would have thought otherwise? I'm happy to review your post and give you feedback, just send me a message when it's ready. All the very best, cheers Karen
I just read your post, and I found it most interesting. I will certainly take what you stated in this post to heart. Like you, I jumped ahead - though I knew this wasn't the correct way - and I started to do things that are out of sequence, but like most men, "we don't follow instructions", we just try to put it together and hope it works. It sounds humorous I'm sure, but for the most part, it's true. Thank you for your post and I look forward to reading more. Rick McDonald.
This was great to read Karen, Thank you! Your goals look to be similar to mine in the sense of timeline as well. I do have a question though. What is the real positives with ambassadorship? Is it just to be able to say you are or are there special "perks"?
Hi Ginger, I don't know about the whole Ambassador thing, as I'm not an Ambassador LOL. However, from what I have gleaned on here so far, it's more of a kudos than any monetary benefits. I guess it improves profile and credibility on the site? Cheers, Karen
Thanks, Karen.
I'm trying to keep my head up and down at the same time.
I didn't realize how much I needed to research to get something of quality till I was ready to write. But I'm pushing through it.
It's good to have a community to remind me that I need to keep going.
Thank you for writing this article. It is so important to know how it all ties into to each other. You have really made this clear for me. I have to quote Jay-Z by saying "the numbers don't lie" and it shows through the stats. Again thank you as you have helped to motivate me through your knowledge and insight.
MrGus
You have really said a lot of the right things and I agree with everything you said. I am completely new at this and I know I need all the help and feedback I can get. This post was very inspiring and made me even more motivated to follow the steps and get everything out of it that I can. Thank you.
Hi Karen, oh... we are sooo on the same page. I just took longer than you to learn these lessons. For example, I did not do all the training in order when I first started and have now gone back to it. As a result, I've also written more than 98% of WA members. My website health still needs a lot of work - probably because it took me so long to wake up and follow the training to the letter and because I started out building two sites - I'm now focusing on one. ;) I'm also going for Ambassador and my website is also my prime focus. I've been in the Top 200 more than once during my time at WA and I'm very active on Site Comments and I've noticed the impact in google analytics. The WA community supports us in more ways than we realise at first glance. Let's do this.
Hey Lauren, thanks so much for sharing that... it only goes to prove that the training and the tasks are there for good reason. All the best, it sounds like you are on the right track! Cheers, Karen
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Hi Karen, that is a great article. Reading your story you can tell you a very motivated to achieve your goals. You achieved a lot since June. This is my third week, and I started building my first website. I will have to come to you for some pointers. Good luck, and keep in touch.
Thanks John and best wishes!