Getting Through The Ghost Town Phase: A Quick Survival Guide

What's the ONE thing that stops those determined to succeed from actually making it online?

It's not the money because at WA you get everything you need to earn $10,000+ for less than $50 a month...

It's the time - that's the real barrier to entry. And whether you make it or not depends entirely on whether or not you can weather out what I like to call "The ghost town phase."

We've either all been through it or are still going through it. It's when you pour your heart and soul into your website wondering if anyone is ever going to read what you wrote.

Those old doubts creep in...

• Am I good enough to do this?
• Can I really trust the training?
• Am I just wasting my time?

Why is the ghost town phase so hard?

I think it's because it's when you've already invested a ton of time and energy but have yet to see much in terms of reward...

There's no traffic or sales yet, no positive reinforcement telling you you're on the right track. You're acting on sheer faith that you will see your breakthrough.
It's a whole lot easier to motivate yourself to take action when your Google traffic spikes and the money starts rolling in. And of course, going through it on your second or third site is easier because you've gone through it before and come out the other side.

And sometimes I think saying "Just persevere!" isn't enough, so here are some practical tips you can ((hopefully)) use to push past the tumbleweed, survive the ghost town phase and get to the promised land.

#1 Tip: Create Daily, Actionable Goals

We all set monthly income goals when we join WA, and they're great for giving you something to shoot for, but here's the problem:

You don't actually have direct control over how many people visit your website or how much money you make. What you CAN control is what action steps you take today.

So instead of setting goals like:

• Make $1,000 a month
• Have 30,000 pageviews a month
• Replace my full-time income by the end of the year

Set actionable goals like:

• Publish a 1,200-post
• Upload a video onto YouTube
• Find a higher paying affiliate program
• Research next week's keywords

That way, you can track your progress and you're focusing on the right steps that are going to get you to where you want to be!

#2. Read Real-Life Success Stories

If this is your first time building out a site you don't have your experience to fall back on... not yet! And this is where community support steps in and carries you through.

So read compelling and inspiring success stories. Stories of beginners just like you who broke through and achieved what you want to achieve. Stories like these:

• https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/kingshopper/blog/3-1k-in-sal...
• https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/eartha/blog/woke-up-to-a-782...
• https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/mikebeatty/blog/6-600-revenu...
• https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/coraliej/blog/its-starting-t...
• https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/jude81/blog/there-it-is-my-v...

If your aim is to make your first sale, search Wealthy Affiliate for "first sale". Same if you're looking to get a million YouTube subscribers or breakthrough to $30,000 a month.

Better yet, send whoever shared the success story a message explaining exactly where you're at and ask if they have any advice. You'll be amazed at the golden nuggets you get back and who knows, it could just be the ticket to spur you on!

#3. Celebrate Your Small Wins

We all want big-time 6-figure success (and you'll get there!) but please don't overlook the smaller milestones along the way. Milestones like:

• Creating your first ever website
• Getting 50 posts on your blog
• Hitting 100 pageviews
• Getting your first organic comment
• Making 10 sales in a month

And celebrate those small wins! Take a break and treat yourself. Self-care is important!

Work in a coffee shop for a day. Order in a pizza. Go for a walk in the countryside and reflect on how far you've come. Go for a motorbike ride. Take a weekend away with a loved one.

Or do what I do and spend a whole day by yourself in any one of Bangkok's cigar lounges with an audiobook and no distractions #PureBliss

Small Actions Compound Over Time

I finished listening to Atomic Habit the other week; a cool book about how small actions massively change your trajectory over time.

And how true that is! The longer you stick at this, the more hours you put and the more work you do, the easier it gets. It's the same with lifting weights, learning a language or mastering any skill.

I remember when getting to 500 words on a blog post was such a chore! Now I find it impossible to write less than 1,200 words. I literally can't do it.

I remember thinking I had exhausted all the keywords in my niche, now I have more keywords than a know what to do with and keyword research just comes second nature. Heck, I just do it for fun sometimes.
So switch your focus. Instead of refreshing commission stats on repeat, focus on getting good at what you do and becoming the person you want to be!
Do that and all the other good stuff will surely follow! :-)

Final Thoughts

The ghost town phase is a tricky one and not many people make it through, but it's definitely something the amazing community here at Wealthy Affiliate can you help with.

There are literally 10,000s of other members here who have been exactly where you are now. So if you're struggling, know that you are not alone. Let us know, and we can help.

What Do you Say?

I'd really love to hear from you on this one. How did you survive the ghost town phase? What help, advice or tips could you share with us that will help newer members get through it?

Cheers guys! : )