My first online sale! And mistakes I made along the way.

So, when I signed into W.A. yesterday I got a BIG surprise - a message from Kyle that read 'Congrats on your 1st sale!'!

My first thought was 'what?!' quickly followed by 'how?!' and 'where did that come from?!'

For those who don't know, I joined WA in January 2020. I joined because I had previously tried to build a website (for my network marketing business) but got so stuck, I gave up.

My first website was in the personal development niche, but I was so blown away with the training at W.A., I was desperate to spread the word.

Consequently, I started another website aimed at helping people like me who were stuck trying to start a blog.

However, I found it so competitive that I took up freelance writing instead! Hence my surprise at my first sign-up!
(Btw - I am so grateful to W.A. for giving me the skills to be able to work as a freelance writer. In a million years I would not have the skills or confidence otherwise.)
Here are some mistakes I made along the way.

Choosing the wrong keywords

Here's the thing about keywords if you are in an ultra-competitive niche. You can find keywords that look perfect on paper (or on Jaaxy!), but you need to do one more thing.
Even if the QSR on Jaaxy is super-low, do a Google search for the keyword you are considering. If the 'A List' of your industry is on page one (and two, and three!), forget it.
Just make sure it is 'your' keyword they are ranking for. If it's similar but not the same, you still have a chance.
Time and again I would find I was up against superstar bloggers with high authority and world-class content. My new blog was never going to stand a chance.
Google Ads
I made the most classic mistake with my first Google ads.
I had done some research on where my target audience lived (the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and UK),
Don't ask why, but I didn't select those countries. I guess I was thinking that our opportunity could appeal to people anywhere.
Big, big, big mistake. I got LOTS of sign-ups (I mean hundreds!) and was sooooo excited! I was on my way to Vegas and retiring to the Bahamas in the foreseeable future! Yesssss!
Except that not all nationalities have Paypal or credit cards. And some live in countries where the cost of W.A. simply wouldn't be affordable. Not one of those leads converted.
On the plus side, I have enjoyed writing about these mistakes on my blog! If I can stop other people from making the same mistakes, it was worth it.

What next?

Good question!
Many of the Las Vegas qualifiers in W.A. focus on reviews for their content but I find reviews so time-consuming and tedious to write. I much prefer the 'how to' approach.
However, review readers are much closer to making a purchase so maybe I need to just get over it!
It's either back to the drawing board for a new content strategy or maybe I need to embrace social media. (I swore I was finished with Facebook after 10 years in network marketing!)
There are so many people out there stuck creating a blog - I just know it! All I have to do is find them!
Kyle has advised to go through the Bootcamp training from start to finish and not miss anything out. I think that is pretty sound advice.
Thanks for being a sounding board!
Feel free to put suggestions of how I can turn 1 sale into 300 in the comments!